Highlights from the Spring 2008 Executive Board Meeting
The 2008 Executive Board had its first in-person meeting March 17-19, 2008 in Indianapolis. Go here for some highlights from our meeting.

 

Central Office Staff Update
Christine Sheehan joined the Central Office staff on March 21st as our new Member Services Assistant. Please help us welcome Christine!

Amanda S. Bureau announced her resignation as AFA's Director of Member Services. The Association is now accepting applications for this mid-level position, which provides primary leadership to membership, volunteer, and communications programs in concert with the staff, Executive Board, and volunteer leaders.

Volunteer Leader Status Reports Due April 24

Each volunteer leader is responsible for submitting a Status Report on a quarterly basis, at a minimum. The next quarterly Status Reports are due April 24th. Regional Directors, Committee Chairs, Liaisons, Editors, and Workgroup Chairs should submit Status Reports to their volunteer supervisors. The Executive Board and staff are committed to reviewing all Status Reports and providing volunteers with the guidance, feedback, and support necessary to accomplish their goals.

Volunteer of the Month

Melissa Williams
Melissa Williams is a member of the Graduate Student Experiences Committee. Her professional role is Assistant Director for Greek Affairs at Northern Illinois University. With the recent tragedy at Northern Illinois, she has had the added responsibility of serving as a university liaison to the family of one of the shooting victims. Despite what must be a very difficult situation, professionally and emotionally, she has still actively participated in the committee's work, specifically contributing to preparations for the Graduate Training Track. Thank you, Melissa!

 

Please contact the Central Office to recommend a Volunteer of the Month.

 

The Informed Volunteer

National Volunteer Week

April 27 - May 3, 2008

Volunteerism is the backbone of AFA as an association. Volunteerism is also the backbone of the fraternity and sorority community - both at the collegiate and alumni level. Our organizations, communities, and governance structures simply would not exist were it not for the efforts of volunteers.

As we head quickly into April, this Informed Volunteer column shares ways to support volunteers you work with every day. From a simple thank you note to a bigger gesture of appreciation, acknowledging the work of volunteers is an important priority for all of us.

We've found a great website, Energize, Inc., full of suggestions to help us do meaningful volunteer recognition. The site includes general ideas for year-round recognition efforts as well as ideas specifically related to the upcoming Volunteer Week. The Points of Light Foundation also has many resources and ideas to help you celebrate National Volunteer Week.

These resources can help all of us as volunteers take time to acknowledge the efforts of those we work and collaborate with every day. Make sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming National Volunteer Week!

Volunteer Evaluation
One component of AFA's Volunteer Management Plan is related to evaluating the performance of both the Association and each individual volunteer. Just as in performance evaluations for your paying job, evaluating your volunteer experience can be valuable for many reasons. Intentional reflection is an important part of learning. Spending time thinking about what you've done well, what you could do better, what responsibilities you have enjoyed (or not) can help you grow as a professional. Receiving similar feedback from others you've worked with can help you gain useful insights as well. All of this information will also be helpful to the Association to use in future volunteer appointments and the slating process for elected positions.

This May, all volunteers will participate in an assessment process that allows them to evaluate their own performance as well as that of their volunteer supervisors and any volunteers they supervise. Once the information is compiled, Anne Arseneau, Volunteer Coordinator, will consult with volunteer supervisors on using the information as a professional development opportunity to improve their own performance/experience and that of the volunteers they supervise.

We do not expect this assessment to be the first conversation about performance standards. Rather, this should serve as a formal tool to help document and further the professional development of all volunteers. We encourage you to consistently review your position description and have discussions with your volunteer supervisor about increasing your ability to achieve the goals of your position. If you have not been doing this so far, please begin now in preparation for the formal assessment in May.