Community Chairs are elected by their Community members and provide leadership for Community activities in support of the profession by representing its members and their needs and concerns through the Division Representatives and communicating with the members. Community Chairs coordinate community activities and lead Community meetings during the Annual Conference. Community Chairs report to the Division Representatives for the Advising Communities Division (ACD).
Education Majors Chair - (elected, term October 2019-October 2021). Prior to taking office, candidates must have completed the previous year as a member in the Community and be a current member in that group.
Joshua Brittingham
Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights KY
Platform
Platform Statement: Part I
1. If elected to this position, what will you attempt to accomplish that will help to meet the strategic goals of the Association? (1500 characters or less)
Advisors are busy people who juggle a lot of demands for their time and attention. I want more people to see our group as something that is worth spending time on – whether that is as a member, volunteer, presenter, or writer. I want it to be a place where people feel assured that participating will lead to something that will enhance their NACADA experience or lead to something that they can take back to the work they are doing at their institution. As chair, I would work to make those things happen.
I would also try to strike the right balance between the things we have in common as a group and the things that make each of us unique. On one hand the things we have in common can lead us to discover useful ideas and practices, but can also lead us to overlook the special circumstances that are present in each state and at each institution. On the other hand, focusing on the things that make each situation or program unique recognizes our diversity and helps us bring more perspectives...
Advisors are busy people who juggle a lot of demands for their time and attention. I want more people to see our group as something that is worth spending time on – whether that is as a member, volunteer, presenter, or writer. I want it to be a place where people feel assured that participating will lead to something that will enhance their NACADA experience or lead to something that they can take back to the work they are doing at their institution. As chair, I would work to make those things happen.
I would also try to strike the right balance between the things we have in common as a group and the things that make each of us unique. On one hand the things we have in common can lead us to discover useful ideas and practices, but can also lead us to overlook the special circumstances that are present in each state and at each institution. On the other hand, focusing on the things that make each situation or program unique recognizes our diversity and helps us bring more perspectives into discussions, but can lead us into a trap where we don’t connect effectively on how to share ideas or address common challenges. Those outlooks are not mutually exclusive though – they are both places where we can connect with colleagues. As chair, I would strive to cultivate a climate within our advising community that allows us to benefit from the best of both.
Platform Statement: Part II
2. Describe an accomplishment on your own campus or within NACADA of which you are proud. What do you believe your accomplishment demonstrates about your abilities as a leader? (1500 characters or less)
I am extremely proud of what I have been able to accomplish as a NACADA presenter. To date, 100% of the proposals I have submitted have been accepted. I didn’t realize until recently just how competitive that process is – only about a third of the proposals submitted for the annual conference are successful. I have led or participated in presentations in a variety of formats covering a variety of topics such as advising education majors, advising probation students, and advisor training and development.
What I believe this demonstrates about me as a leader is that I am prepared to help others do similar things. I believe it is vital for the chair to go beyond simply asking for volunteers to be presenters and writers. The right person to lead this advising community is somebody who can help people develop their ideas, get connected with potential collaborators, and develop the confidence and competence to create a successful proposal that leads to content that attendees and/or...
I am extremely proud of what I have been able to accomplish as a NACADA presenter. To date, 100% of the proposals I have submitted have been accepted. I didn’t realize until recently just how competitive that process is – only about a third of the proposals submitted for the annual conference are successful. I have led or participated in presentations in a variety of formats covering a variety of topics such as advising education majors, advising probation students, and advisor training and development.
What I believe this demonstrates about me as a leader is that I am prepared to help others do similar things. I believe it is vital for the chair to go beyond simply asking for volunteers to be presenters and writers. The right person to lead this advising community is somebody who can help people develop their ideas, get connected with potential collaborators, and develop the confidence and competence to create a successful proposal that leads to content that attendees and/or readers will find to be engaging and worthwhile. I believe that I am prepared to lead in that manner, and through that approach we will have success as an advising community generating a higher number of high-quality proposals and submissions that will benefit our membership.
Platform Statement: Part III
3. Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position? (1500 characters or less) I am interested in serving in this leadership position because I believe that I have more to give to this advising community. I am passionate about professional development, NACADA, and the opportunities we have to share ideas by discussing, writing, or presenting. I have reached a point in my career and in my experience with NACADA where I am ready and equipped to help others give to this organization and get from it as much as I have been able to. I want to help people who want to get involved but aren’t sure how their interests or talents might fit to find their niche. I want to help potential collaborators get connected to each other. These are things that the Education Majors advising community is always going to be in need of, and I believe that I am capable of facilitating them.
Platform Statement: Part IV
4. Please describe how you will work to promote the enhancement of inclusivity throughout (or within) the association. (1500 characters or less)
As we are well aware, advising education majors is unique because our work and the students that we serve are shaped by who we are and the conditions that are unique to the places we are from. If elected to be chair of this advising community, I feel one of the most important responsibilities would be to be familiar and in-touch with our membership – who and what each of us represents and where we come from. That is the only way to ensure that as many different voices as possible are encouraged to speak and be heard within our group. I would also work to make sure that members are connected with opportunities in a manner that represents the diversity of our community, whether those are to volunteer, present, or collaborate. Inclusivity encompasses not just individual diversity, but geographic diversity and diversity among institution and program types and I would endeavor to be mindful of all of those factors when facilitating discussions or connecting members to potential opportunities...
As we are well aware, advising education majors is unique because our work and the students that we serve are shaped by who we are and the conditions that are unique to the places we are from. If elected to be chair of this advising community, I feel one of the most important responsibilities would be to be familiar and in-touch with our membership – who and what each of us represents and where we come from. That is the only way to ensure that as many different voices as possible are encouraged to speak and be heard within our group. I would also work to make sure that members are connected with opportunities in a manner that represents the diversity of our community, whether those are to volunteer, present, or collaborate. Inclusivity encompasses not just individual diversity, but geographic diversity and diversity among institution and program types and I would endeavor to be mindful of all of those factors when facilitating discussions or connecting members to potential opportunities or collaborators within NACADA. Our advising community benefits tremendously and our professional development is richer and more helpful when more voices are able to contribute.
Platform Statement: Part V
5. Outline your past involvement in NACADA:
a. Years in NACADA
b. National Offices Help and Accomplishments Achieved
I have been a member of both NACADA and the Education Majors advising community since 2008. I have been an eager and active participant, attending nine national conferences and four regional conferences. I have been eager to share knowledge and practices with the community, presenting nine times, covering a variety of topics. I have demonstrated a commitment to service to this organization, serving as a conference volunteer, proposal reader, and steering committee member. I served on the planning committee for the 2015 Region 3 Conference in Covington, KY and am currently serving on the planning committee for the upcoming 2019 Annual Conference to be held in Louisville, KY. Earlier this year I was a recipient of the Region 3 Excellence in Advising Certificate of Merit.
NACADA Executive Office
Kansas State University
2323 Anderson Avenue, Suite 225
Manhattan, KS 66502-2912
Phone: (785) 532-5717 Fax: (785) 532-7732
e-mail:
nacada@ksu.edu
