NIRSA Region III Newsletter

July 2008

Colleagues:

Summer is a great time to reflect on the past year and get recharged for the year ahead.  For me, it also represents the halftime of my term.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity you have given me to serve the association in this role.  This is such an exciting time for NIRSA and our field.  During the past year, I have enjoyed our discussions of issues at the state, regional and national level.  I am eager to continue those conversations in the upcoming year.  We have also faced challenges, most significantly at Northern Illinois University.  It is during such challenges that the true professionalism and collegiality of our members is displayed, for example, the staff at University of Illinois-Chicago covered shifts at the NIU recreation center.  So thank you for the contributions that you make each day on your campus and to the profession.

Enjoy the rest of your summer,
Stacey

Region III Business Meeting Highlights

NIRSA updates, Regional Award recipients, Upcoming Events – check out the PowerPoint.  In addition, our Region III Award of Merit Recipient was Tony Clements of the University of Illinois.  Lastly, I also shared some new ways of demonstrating the involvement of Region III members.  For example, the total workshop attendance was 795 with 406 of those being students (state and Lead On).  Our workshop hosts secured a total of $13,875 in sponsorships.

Summer Activities

Board of Directors Meeting
As you know, the Board of Directors Summer meeting took place in June.  For highlights from the meeting, check out the recent NIRSA Know.  Quick governance update: I am excited to highlight that a Student Leaders Advisors Group was created based on feedback the Governance Commission received at the national conference.  The Commission plans to provide significant updates this fall.  Specific time will be dedicated at each state workshop to discuss this important topic.

During that meeting, the Board transitioned to the members for 2008-09.  This includes our new Region III Student Representative, Ashley Donaldson from Indiana University.  Please check out the Region III Student Page.

Officers Retreat
For the first time since 2001, the state officers of Region III will not be meeting together in person during the summer.  In the past, this has been an opportunity to discuss shared issues and projects between the state associations.  However, due to scheduling and financial constraints, the face-to-face meeting has been canceled.  Communication will take place electronically.

Lead On Committee
The 19 members of the Lead On Planning Committee will participate in a retreat on July 19 and 20.  We have a great group of future professionals who have stepped up to coordinate this year’s conference.  Our Student Coordinator is Sean Finley (finley.sp@gmail.com) from the University of Cincinnati (apparently I neglected to include that in an earlier message to you)

Time to Step Up
Not only is this an election year for the White House, but also in our region!  Have you ever thought of serving the association at the state or national level?  Candidates are being sought for the Region III Vice President, along with each of the state association officer positions.  All positions, except for students, are two year commitments.  If you would like more information about the positions or the process, please contact me.

Facebook
Join your colleagues in our “NIRSA Region III” facebook group.  Some recent additions include pictures and events!

Upcoming Region III Workshops