Region Chairs, together with their Steering Committees, and within the missions of NACADA, determine the needs of NACADA members and how best the regional governance can fill those needs. The Region Chairs report to the Regional Division Representatives.
Region 5 Chair - (elected, term October 2019-October 2021). Nominee must be a current member of the region for which s/he is being nominated as chair and must have been a member of the region for at least one year prior to taking office (Associate Members are not eligible).
Ashley Msikinya
IUPUI Indianapolis IN
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)
If elected to this position, my overarching mission would be working to ensure that every member has a clear understanding of what NACADA means and what it does- for that member individually, to the region, and nationally. This may sound a little simplistic. However, in my role of serving as the primary communication liaison between our Great Lakes members and the national leadership, I think that is one of the first critical pieces. For many of the strategic goals of the Association to be met, member investment- mentally, physically, and emotionally- is necessary.
I want to hear how members from different environments, backgrounds, and perspectives define the scholarship of advising, and then work with leadership to communicate this concept holistically. I want to really listen to what our advising communities feel they need in the way of professional development as well as the most effective methods of delivery. Along the same line, I want to hear about new initiatives happening...
If elected to this position, my overarching mission would be working to ensure that every member has a clear understanding of what NACADA means and what it does- for that member individually, to the region, and nationally. This may sound a little simplistic. However, in my role of serving as the primary communication liaison between our Great Lakes members and the national leadership, I think that is one of the first critical pieces. For many of the strategic goals of the Association to be met, member investment- mentally, physically, and emotionally- is necessary.
I want to hear how members from different environments, backgrounds, and perspectives define the scholarship of advising, and then work with leadership to communicate this concept holistically. I want to really listen to what our advising communities feel they need in the way of professional development as well as the most effective methods of delivery. Along the same line, I want to hear about new initiatives happening in our advising practices that can continue to be shared at the state, regional, and national levels. I want to put members first and increase the effect of that investment into the association, therefore sustaining the future leadership of NACADA. Bottom line is that I want every single member of our region to feel valued, respected, empowered, heard, and seen.
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 proud of the initiative of proactive advising that has really taken off on my campus. The basis for this came from work that Georgia State modeled. I then chaired a committee who examined those policies to create guidelines that would work for our campus, our students, and our advisors. I presented these guidelines to key players in our campus advising community to solicit feedback, listen to concerns, and adjust the final recommendations as necessary. As a committee, we could clearly see the value of the proactive advising model but knew that if the proposed guidelines did not work for our community, the implementation effectiveness would suffer. Communication remained key through that process. As a leader, I want the team I work with to feel valued, to receive clear and effective communication, and when there are big changes, truly be able to see the result of the hard work involved in that.
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 vividly remember making the switch to academic advising from student affairs, quickly deciding to join NACADA and selecting my advising communities. However, it took a little longer before I was as deeply invested, regularly reading articles, attending conferences, and immersing myself in this academic advising community. Especially after attending this year’s national conference, I was re-energized by the impact this organization can and does have on advising professionals. Being nominated for this position was an honor, and one that I felt instantly drawn to pursue.
One of my strengths is being a relator- I value relationships, connectedness, and finding ways to bring individuals together. This means ensuring that all voices are heard and that we are able to find innovative ways to build connections at the regional, state, and local levels. I believe that I have a good perspective, within my own environment, of the day-to-day in academic advising and the needs of advisors....
I vividly remember making the switch to academic advising from student affairs, quickly deciding to join NACADA and selecting my advising communities. However, it took a little longer before I was as deeply invested, regularly reading articles, attending conferences, and immersing myself in this academic advising community. Especially after attending this year’s national conference, I was re-energized by the impact this organization can and does have on advising professionals. Being nominated for this position was an honor, and one that I felt instantly drawn to pursue.
One of my strengths is being a relator- I value relationships, connectedness, and finding ways to bring individuals together. This means ensuring that all voices are heard and that we are able to find innovative ways to build connections at the regional, state, and local levels. I believe that I have a good perspective, within my own environment, of the day-to-day in academic advising and the needs of advisors. I want to work together with the leadership from each state to promote not only professional development opportunities, but personal wellness and development as well. I want to ensure that the members of our region feel supported by the association, receive the development they want and need, are able to maintain an open dialogue with leadership, and that they are building their own valuable network of advising colleagues.
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)
“Organizations are only as strong as the sum of the entire membership.” I appreciate this message- that an organization with the strongest leaders, but devalued and disengaged members is no more sustainable or powerful than an organization with a strong membership base but poor, weak leadership. The other piece is seeing every member as a leader in their own way, environment, and season. As I have stated previously, each individual brings specific life experiences that shape the way he or she sees each other and the world. By bringing each of these perspectives together and ensuring we are continuously cultivating each person in their own version of leadership, we become a stronger, more effective organization.
I have had the privilege of seeing this first hand in countless times but never more clearly than while living abroad on a tiny Caribbean island with individuals from all over the world. We each came from countries with their own level of tension around issues of diversity...
“Organizations are only as strong as the sum of the entire membership.” I appreciate this message- that an organization with the strongest leaders, but devalued and disengaged members is no more sustainable or powerful than an organization with a strong membership base but poor, weak leadership. The other piece is seeing every member as a leader in their own way, environment, and season. As I have stated previously, each individual brings specific life experiences that shape the way he or she sees each other and the world. By bringing each of these perspectives together and ensuring we are continuously cultivating each person in their own version of leadership, we become a stronger, more effective organization.
I have had the privilege of seeing this first hand in countless times but never more clearly than while living abroad on a tiny Caribbean island with individuals from all over the world. We each came from countries with their own level of tension around issues of diversity and inclusion, likely assuming we would find more of the same in this new environment. Instead, we had the beautiful experience of seeing the power and positivity of a community of individuals who learned from one another, listened to and genuinely valued the strengths of each member. If I kept only one lesson from that time in my life, it would be this image of lifting up each member- the whole person- in order to come together as a powerful, more effective community.
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 NACADA for a little more than three years now. My first contact with the organization was by completing the NACADA Academic Advising graduate certificate through Kansas State University. I am involved in the First Generation Advising Community, which has always been a passion of mine, as a first generation student myself, as well as the Health Professions, First Year Advising, and Appreciative Advising communities. I have attended and volunteered at the National Conference, the Advising Administrators’ Institute, and will attend at the Region 5 Conference in March 2019.
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
