Position: Coach, Regional Chair Cohort
Committee: Regional Chairs-Elect Cohort (2023), Regional Chairs Cohort (2024)
Term: January 2023 - December 2024
The Regional Chair Cohort Coach is appointed from members who have successfully completed a three-year term in a regional Chair Stream. The appointment will be made by the NAFSA Vice President for Professional Development and Engagement in consultation with the current Regional Affairs Committee (RAC) Chair and Chair-Designate.
The Regional Chair Cohort Coach serves two years: one (1) year with the 2023 cohort of regional Chairs-Elect and one (1) year with them in 2024 as regional Chairs. The coach works with the Chair-Elect cohort to foster collegiality and support their transition into their regional Chair role. As a former regional Chair, the coach will share perspectives on managing the work of a regional team, promote the sharing of best practices between regions, and provide on-going support and professional development. Towards the end of 2024, in order to support the transition of the cohort from their chair year into their upcoming roles as Regional Affairs Committee (RAC) members, the coach will collaborate with the RAC Chair Designate.
For questions or additional information, please contact the NAFSA Regional Affairs team.
Position description updated September 2022.
Major Functions and Responsibilities
- Guide a cohort of regional leaders throughout the first period of their 3-year term.
- Lead monthly full-cohort calls and develop agendas for the calls in collaboration with NAFSA staff partner.
- Engage cohort members in 1:1 calls periodically throughout the year to provide individualized guidance and support.
- In collaboration with NAFSA staff, plan and lead meetings with regional Chair-Elect cohort at Washington Leadership Meeting (WLM) in 2022 and the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo in 2022, and meetings with regional Chair cohort at Washington Leadership Meeting (WLM) in 2023 and the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo in 2023.
- Generate dialogue across regions and consider emerging trends in the industry, in collaboration with Regional Affairs staff to address necessary skill areas for leaders.
- Observe and identify challenges and needs presented by the regional leader cohort so that they can be addressed in conjunction with NAFSA staff.
- Field questions and provide additional individual coaching when necessary.
- Collaborate with NAFSA staff to develop Chair Stream training skills and modules.
- Share and deliver training content to regional leaders.
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:
- Engagement of the committee/team to identify and implement strategies for increased personal outreach, recruitment, onboarding for all; especially diversity-focused and underrepresented groups.
- Increasing accessibility and participation from underrepresented groups, individuals, and institutions.
- Expansion of educational content within the committees’ purview through intentional outreach and recruitment of diverse presenters and institutional types in partnership with various NAFSA groups.
Volunteer Commitment
- Estimated 10-12 hours per month to complete ongoing work, which includes the following:
- Monthly full-cohort call preparation and facilitation.
- Periodic 1:1 calls with cohort members throughout the year.
- Preparation for and facilitation of regional cohort meetings in the Washington Leadership Meetings (WLMs) in January 2022 and 2023 (funding for travel to in-person WLMs is provided by NAFSA).
- Preparation for and facilitation of regional cohort meetings at the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo in late May 2022 and 2023.
Required Qualifications
- Current NAFSA membership throughout length of the leadership term.
- Demonstrated commitment to NAFSA regional leadership, including completion of a successful three-year term in a regional Chair Stream.
- Strong leadership skills in communication, organization, and project management, with an interest in teamwork and collaboration.
- Willingness to adopt association priorities and perspectives on volunteer development and management.
- Strong management skills, including delegation and group facilitation; willingness to provide training in multiple modalities including in-person and online.
- Ability to work effectively with a team and with NAFSA staff in an outcomes-based environment.
- Manage unconscious bias in the assessment and decision-making process.
- Ability to meet the volunteer commitment outlined and planning calendar deadlines.
- Institutional support for this volunteer commitment.
- Ability to attend (and if applicable, travel to) the following four (4) events: Washington Leadership Meeting (WLM) in January 2022 and 2023, and the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo in May 2022 and 2023.
Relationships
With other NAFSA Members and Leaders
- This position collaborates closely with other NAFSA leaders to enhance work efforts across the association.
With NAFSA Staff
- This position partners closely with the NAFSA staff partner assigned. NAFSA staff assists the coach in preparing for face-to-face meetings and in planning the monthly full-cohort conference calls.
- Additional needs may be identified and addressed by staff on the Regional Affairs unit.
