Committee: Annual Conference Committee (ACC)
Position: Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair
Term Dates: January 2023 - June 2025
The Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair serves on the Annual Conference Committee (ACC). This position reports to the chair of the ACC and is a member of the ACC Executive Team. In total, this is a two-and-a-half-year commitment.
In both years of the term, the Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair is responsible for leading the development of the NAFSA annual conference professional development program to advance knowledge and skill building for the field of international education. In the first year, this position serves as Content/Workshop Coordinator and oversees the workshop offerings and presenter training for the Annual 2024 Conference & Expo. In the second year, this position serves as the chair of the Content Team of the ACC and oversees session, workshop, and poster offerings at the NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo.
Position updated August 2022
NAFSA is not currently accepting applications for this position. Visit NAFSA Volunteer Leadership: Open Positions to learn about available opportunities.
Major Functions and Responsibilities
Year One (for the 2024 Annual Conference):
- Serve as the Content/Workshop Coordinator of the ACC and contribute to the development of a comprehensive and cutting-edge professional development program for the annual conference.
- Solicit and oversee the selection and review of current topics workshop (CTW) proposals to ensure high quality and balanced workshop offerings, chosen to complement the NAFSA Core Education Program Workshops.
- In partnership with staff, oversee the preparation program for session presenters and CTW trainers on content development, effective delivery, and attendee engagement.
- Represent underrepresented, non-KC specific voices on the ACC, including perspectives of global voices and young professionals, to ensure the conference program reflects the diversity of the field.
- Communicate with CTW proposers to amend workshop proposals as needed to ensure high quality of programming and training.
- Shadow the 2024 Content Chair in preparation for the 2025 role.
Year Two (for the 2025 Annual Conference):
- Serve as Chair of the Content Team of the ACC.
- Promote the development of proposals that fit the association’s strategic directions, the conference theme, and content focus areas, while serving the professional development needs of the conference’s many audiences.
- Oversee the review of proposals and lead the creation of a balanced and comprehensive set of sessions and workshops that fit the conference theme and desired topic areas.
- Facilitate the process to achieve overall programmatic balance, with a keen eye for understanding the complexities of the many audiences who attend the NAFSA conference.
- Lead the Content Team through a collaborative planning process. Help plan and colead bi-monthly meetings as well as strategic meetings of the ACC, including the Washington Leadership Meeting and Fall Meeting.
- Help promote the conference program to a diverse audience. Work with ACC team to develop messaging and outreach strategies throughout the conference planning cycle to support and inform NAFSA marketing and promotion efforts.
- Coplan and colead annual conference orientations and proposal webinars.
- Foster an inclusive environment in alignment with the NAFSA Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
Relationships
Relationships with Other Members
This position collaborates closely with other NAFSA leaders to enhance work efforts across the association.
Relationships with the NAFSA Staff
- The Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair works closely with NAFSA Professional Learning Services staff in the review and selection of workshops in year one and with the senior director and associate director of Conference Program in year two.
- These relationships are collaborative. The staff’s skills and time complement the skills and time of the holder of this position.
- The staff liaisons can be expected to be the main contact between this position and all other departments within the NAFSA office and help bring their resources and expertise to bear on specific projects.
- Effective relationships reflect and include responsiveness to phone calls, email correspondence, timely delivery on responsibilities, open communication, and mutual respect, among other characteristics.
Commitment
- The Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair will be appointed to the role and join the ACC in progress. The term ends after the annual conference in 2025. The time commitment for this position is 2.5 years.
- This individual is expected to attend the Washington Leadership Meetings (WLMs) in January 2023 and 2024 and the annual conferences in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- The Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair will also attend the ACC meetings in October of 2023 and 2024, at which workshops and sessions are selected for the next annual conference.
- On average, 10 hours per month will be needed to complete the ongoing work, except in the key months where more work is required. The heaviest periods of work will occur in:
- August–October 2023 and 2024: reviewing workshops/sessions and participating in/leading the proposal selection meetings
- January–March 2024: leading presenter training efforts; January–March 2024 and 2025: supporting the development of messaging and out reach strategies
- May–June 2023, 2024, and 2025: attending the annual conference and the meetings of the ACC
- The Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair will communicate by via email and conference calls. Timely responses to requests for assistance and information, as well as meeting deadline targets, are essential aspects of the position’s responsibilities.
- The candidate should also prepare for and attend leadership meetings at NAFSA annual conferences, when possible, and commit to visibility and engagement during meetings, events, and activities.
Expense Reimbursement
- Travel and lodging expenses are reimbursed for attendance at the WLM and ACC fall meetings (if held in person).
- Conference registration fees are waived for the conferences that the Content/Workshop Coordinator and Content Chair helps plan (2024 and 2025).
Qualifications
- Understanding of NAFSA annual conference programs, services, and attendees, gained through attendance at five or more NAFSA annual conferences and/or previous service on a NAFSA conference committee
- Experience in professional development planning or delivery (e.g., experience leading professional development sessions, seminars, or workshops; study or training in adult learning models or professional development delivery models)
- Experience leading a collaborative volunteer team and ability to lead decisionmaking and build consensus
- Demonstrated strategic planning, management, networking, and delegation experience
- Strong coordination, analytical, oral, and written communication skills
- Experience using evaluations and other data to inform decisionmaking
- Ability to manage unconscious bias in the assessment and decisionmaking processes
- Awareness of a broad range of international education issues and understanding of the challenges facing international educators in a variety of settings
- Understanding of NAFSA and its leadership structure
- Willingness to adopt organizationwide perspectives and strategic priorities
- Ability to work effectively with a team and with NAFSA staff in an outcomes-based environment
- Ability, willingness, and support to travel to conferences and meetings
- Five or more years of membership in NAFSA and NAFSA membership throughout the length of volunteer service
Desired Qualifications
- Previous service on a NAFSA Knowledge Community team or in Trainer Corps