Chair, Education Abroad Knowledge Community (EAKC)

• Chair-Elect (Year 1)
  • Develop a strategically-driven work plan to guide the EA KC in the following year. Assess the interests and needs of the education abroad community at large and plan for responsive online resources, conference sessions, workshops and other professional resources.
  • Lead the Awards Task Force for the EA KC.
  • Assist with organizational and project management duties and assume duties of Chair in his/her absence.
• Chair (Year 2) 
  • Lead the EA KC through virtual and in-person meetings to achieve the outcomes of the Work Plan. Monitor progress of activities and report progress to VP SIS twice a year.
  • Recruit and appoint members of the EA KC leadership team and its subcommittees, as well as create opportunities for contributions from other interested members.
  • Represent the EAKC in its engagement efforts, especially up to and at the NAFSA Annual Conference.
• Past Chair (Year 3)
  • Serve as the EA KC representative for the NAFSA Annual Conference Committee (ACC). This role continues on the ACC for six months beyond the EA KC commitment in year 3. 
  • Determine priorities for the NAFSA Annual Conference Call for Proposals. 
  • Consult with the Leadership Development Committee on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in a future EA KC chair-elect. 

All NAFSA leaders are expected to foster an inclusive environment and seek to learn and understand the multicultural perspectives of the committee/team, our constituents, and stakeholders to align with the NAFSA Diversity and Inclusion Statement. An expression of leadership in this area includes:

• Engaging the committee/team to identify and implement strategies for increased personal outreach, recruitment, and onboarding for all, especially diversity-focused and underrepresented groups
• Increasing accessibility and participation from underrepresented groups, individuals, and institutions
• Expanding educational content within the committees’ purview through intentional outreach and recruitment of diverse presenters and institutional types in partnership with various NAFSA groups

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is a professional association driven by its Strategic Plan as established by the Board of Directors. The success of the association depends on the productive engagement of three key constituencies: the Board, member-leaders, and staff. Member-leaders are advocates for the association’s mission, vision, values, diversity and inclusion, and ethical principles. They align their work closely with the Board through its vice presidents and with staff to carry out the Strategic Plan. Member-leader roles are guided by objectives assigned by the Strategic Plan, by outcome accountabilities outlined in the Standing Rules, and by position descriptions for specific roles.

• The Chair collaborates closely with the coordinating council and other KC and committee chairs, as well as with the VP SIS, to enhance work efforts across the association. The EA KC Chair will lead the EA KC in developing partnerships with knowledge communities, leadership committees, member groups, and regional teams. 
• The Chair partners closely with the NAFSA staff partner assigned to the EA KC. Effective relationships reflect and include responsiveness to phone calls/e-mail correspondence, timely delivery on responsibilities, open communication and mutual respect among other characteristics. 

The chair-elect year, the commitment is one to two hours per week and will increase modestly between June and September for preparation of the work plan and participation in the Summer Coordination Meeting.

During the year as chair, the chair will convene periodic conference calls with the KC team to keep the work moving throughout the year. The commitment will average three to five hours per week, but vary considerably from month to month. Peak months are:

• December/January: Prepare for and attending the Washington Leadership Meeting and onboarding new member leaders;  
• April/May: Prepare mid-year status report, manage leadership meetings before the NAFSA Annual Conference as well as organize EA KC engagement activities during the conference; and
• August/September: Review conference session proposals. Complete an end of year work plan report  

The past chair year, the commitment is one to two hours per week for team work, increasing as NAFSA Annual Conference planning increases. From mid-August through late October, conference planning activities require three to five per week. The past-chair also attends virtual monthly meetings with the Annual Conference Committee.

NAFSA Meetings
Chairs/chairs-elect/past chairs are asked to attend key leadership meetings: Washington Leadership Meeting, Summer Coordination Meeting (chair-elect only), and NAFSA Annual Conference as well as virtual meetings convened throughout the year by their committee/knowledge community. For the Washington Leadership Meeting, NAFSA provides reimbursement for travel, per diem, and lodging expenses. The Summer Coordination Meeting is held virtually for chairs-elect. For the Annual Conference, NAFSA provides complimentary registration to the chair and chair-elect; any costs for travel to/from the annual conference, as well as meals, and lodging for meetings before/during/after the conference, are the responsibility of the chair/chair-elect/past-chair and are not reimbursed by NAFSA. Other operating expenses members incur in their offices/at home, such as copying, phone calls, etc. are not reimbursed. Large copying jobs should be referred to staff. Conference calls are set up by staff and covered by the association as necessary.

• Demonstrated expertise in the field of education abroad
• Ability to articulate the educational benefits of international education environment
• Willingness to adopt organization-wide perspectives and KC strategic priorities
• Willingness to adopt association priorities and perspectives on volunteer development and management
• High strategic planning, management, networking, and delegation experience
• Strong coordination, analytical, oral and written communication skills  
• Ability to work effectively with a team and with NAFSA staff in an outcomes-based environment  
• Commitment to access and respond to e-mail in a timely fashion as well as communicate using online electronic tools/systems plus the online workspace structure  
• Willingness and ability to travel for participation and representation at NAFSA meetings
• Manage unconscious bias in the assessment and decision-making process
• Recognized by peers for being energetic, innovative, and visionary
• Valid NAFSA membership through the length of the leadership term  
• Ability to meet the volunteer commitment outlined and planning calendar deadlines  

Desired Qualifications

• Previous engagement with EA activities, including team activities, or other NAFSA regional or national leadership experience, preferably within the past five years.