Voting Changes Proposed

Summer is flying by, and I am getting ready for another round of meetings with the NASPA Board next week.  It is an amazing time to be involved with NASPA, and I am feeling very fortunate to have been given this chance by our Region.

As some of you may have noticed in the last issue of the NASPA Forum, the NASPA National Board will be sending a proposed change in voting structure to our voting delegates.  This is something that I feel passionate about and something that I heard a lot about during the consolidation conversation.

I have received a number of comments about why didn’t we do this before and how the timing is disappointing.  I understand those comments and concerns, but at this point I want to focus on how we continue to move forward.

The voting change will address a couple of items that have lingered in NASPA for a number of years (yes, even prior to the consolidation vote) but would not change who votes on NASPA Bylaws – only representative elections (regional & national):

1.       Associate affiliate:  Student affairs administrators at nonmember college or university campuses, or staff persons of educationally related groups, or administrators of student affairs or those engaged in professional work related to student affairs who are employed in postsecondary institutions not eligible for membership. 

As associate affiliates they pay an increased dues rate of $208/year compared to a professional affiliate (works at a member institution) of $63/year. 

These members are full-time professionals, but because their institutions have not chosen to be institutional members (for a number of reasons, not the least of which is financial), they have not been allowed to vote in any NASPA regional or national election.

2.       Graduate Affiliate: Graduate students that are not full-time employees of any institution.  This group includes doctoral students who are NOT working full-time at an institution but may have multiple years of full-time experience prior to going back to school.

3.   Emeritis Affiliate: Former voting delegates, professional affiliates, or associate affiliates who are officially designated as  retired by their institutions and who are no longer employed full-time in higher education.

In the past, Region IV-West has led the charge on this topic, and I am planning on doing so again.  I hope you will join me in encouraging our institutional voting delegates to 1) VOTE (remember only 42% of NASPA voted in the Consolidation) and 2) Vote in favor of the proposed changes.