NAFSA’s Annual Election is now open for voting. All current NAFSA members in good standing are eligible and encouraged to vote. The election is a key part of NAFSA’s robust volunteer leadership opportunities, and the process is dictated our the NAFSA Bylaws and Standing Rules.
This year’s slate of candidates can be reviewed here.
As ever, we are delighted that leaders committed to international education wish to serve the association.
The board candidates bring expertise in public policy and institutional leadership. They also bring institutional NAFSA knowledge and a variety of geographic perspectives. The board felt these attributes were essential during these uncertain times to help guide NAFSA into the future.
You may have noticed that this year’s board election candidates do not include any women. The NAFSA Board carefully discussed this when reviewing all of the qualifications of the candidates. They noted that the slate taking office in 2020 included only one male candidate out of the six elected. This year, four men are completing their board terms after years of distinguished service. The board, recognizing that the resulting full 2021 board maintains the gender balance, and after deep consideration, chose the current list.
NAFSA’s election process includes the opportunity for anyone to submit nominations and applications for volunteer leadership opportunities. The NAFSA Bylaws task the Governance Committee to set annual priorities for recruitment of new board members. Each year, the Board Governance Committee reviews the current composition of the board and sets priorities for vetting applicants and nominees. The Governance Committees carefully ensures a balance of competencies and diversity when selecting candidates. The Leadership Development Committee consults with the relevant vice president and committee or knowledge community chair to establish the criteria for nominating the next committee or knowledge community chair. The Secretary of the Board and Vice President for Professional Development and Engagement propose their slate of nominees to the Board of Directors. The slate must be accepted in its entirety by a majority vote of the full board.
For more information, please see NAFSA’s Standing Rules and Bylaws. For more information on the election process, the single slate, and volunteer leadership please see our FAQs.
Ravi Shankar
President and Chair of the Board of Directors
Diana Carlin
NAFSA Secretary
Chair of the Governance Committee