Chair, International Education Leadership (IEL) Knowledge Community

• Lead efforts to assess the interests and needs of the IEL KC’s target audience(s), namely SIOs, and articulate the role and goals of the IEL KC.  
• Lead the planning of IEL KC activities, which may include training programs, conferences, panels, resource development, networking and so forth, and produce an annual work plan that prioritizes these activities.  
• Collaborate with other team members and staff to develop specific project plans to realize the overall work plan priorities for each year.
• Partner with other team members, staff, and the VP SIS to refresh IEL KC priorities and initiatives as needed.
• Maintain an up-to-date overview of all IEL KC activities, monitoring their progress and ensuring their success.
• Take the lead in recruiting talent for the IEL KC leadership team, as well as creating opportunities for contributions from other interested members.
• Lead the IEL KC’s efforts to intersect with other units within NAFSA, and work closely with staff to foster contacts with organizations beyond NAFSA that are relevant to the issues related to SIOs.

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 the VP SIS, to enhance work efforts across the association. The IEL KC Chair will lead the IEL KC in developing partnerships with knowledge communities, leadership committees, member groups, and regional teams. The chair serves on the Coordinating Council for one year. 
• The Chair partners closely with the NAFSA staff partner assigned to this Committee. 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 length of term is three years: one year each as chair-elect, chair, and past chair. During the year as chair, NAFSA work will average three to five hours per week but vary considerably from month to month. Peak months are January, March-June, and December. The chair-elect year hours are one to two hours weekly and will increase modestly during June-August for the preparation of the work plan for the upcoming year. Past chair hours are two to five hours monthly and will increase modestly in April/May to prepare for the Annual Conference (including the Symposium on Leadership) and during November/December/January to facilitate team leader transitions.

Peak months and duties are:

All:

• Ongoing: Participate in regularly scheduled team calls and regularly scheduled Chair Stream calls
• January: Prepare for and attend the Washington Leadership Meeting (WLM)
• May: Attend team meetings, support the Symposium on Leadership, and lead related Open Meetings and sessions at the NAFSA Annual Conference
• July-September: Facilitate development and review of proposals for the following year’s Annual Conference

Chair-elect:

• January-March: Recruit applicants for Chair-elect position
• July: Attend Summer Coordination Meeting (SCM) in Washington, DC; update work plan for following year
• July-August: Recruit applicants for open team positions
• August-October: Review and appoint candidates for open team positions
• November-December: Begin preparations for WLM; onboarding new members 

Chair:

• January: Prepare for and attend WLM; assist with an orientation and onboarding of new members;
• April/May: Prepare for/attend/lead team meetings at the NAFSA Annual Conference; including preparation of mid-year report
• June/July: Begin planning next year’s Symposium on Leadership; provide mid-year work plan report
• October/November: Complete end-of-year work plan report
• Ongoing: Mentor and support Chair-elect

Past Chair:

• January-May: Serve as Chair, Symposium Planning
• Ongoing: Lead diversity & inclusion efforts on behalf of the KC
• Ongoing: Mentor and support Chair 

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.

• Experience in a role of leading campus internationalization (with or without the title of senior international officer)
• Demonstrated dedication to professional development for colleagues in the field
• Willingness to adopt organization-wide perspectives and IEL KC strategic priorities
• Willingness to adopt association priorities and perspectives on volunteer development and management
• Extensive 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 meeting
• 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