Volunteer Opportunities: Member Engagement & Programs

The Association’s Regional Membership Recruitment and Engagement Team, led by the Regional Director, will be responsible for the promotion of Association membership and regional engagement of AFA members. This includes working with the AFA staff team for the promotion of membership and AFA professional development, facilitating opportunities for regional community and regional engagement, and working in cooperation with the AFA staff for any region-related professional development programming.  

Committee Priorities. Regional MER Teams, under the leadership of the Regional Director, should focus on advancing the following priorities:

• To identify members in the region who may benefit from AFA membership and work with the AFA staff team to ensure those individuals are captured in AFA’s membership recruitment efforts.

• To schedule and facilitate regular regional roundtables in support of networking and community-building in the region.

• To support a minimum of one (1) professional development experience targeted to members of the region.
  • NOTE: AFA staff will work in cooperation with Regional MER Teams to ensure that professional development offerings are focused with a clear purpose, value, and relevance while advancing the strategic goals of the Association. 
    

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of AFA’s volunteer committees are grouped into two categories: strategy and execution. Responsibilities of the Regional MER Teams will be low in strategy and high in execution. 

All AFA volunteers are expected to abide by general AFA volunteer expectations outlined in volunteer training modules and to promote and champion the strategic direction of AFA in alignment with AFA Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. 

Strategic Responsibilities

• Identify and contact prospective members (i.e. personal phone calls, emails and social media).
• Keep a pulse on and report on hot topics of conversations within the field and region.

Execution Responsibilities

• Ongoing outreach to both current and prospective members via emails, e-newsletters, and social media.
• Promote professional development opportunities from the Association and facilitate region-based discussion.
• Facilitate regular regional checkpoints/roundtables to facilitate connection in the region. 

Qualifications

• Regional directors and MER Team members must be professional, graduate, affiliate, or emeritus members of the association.
• Familiarity with the various benefits, services, and resources available to AFA members.
• Desire to reach out to prospective members.

Commitment Required

• Regional directors must devote approximately 2-3 hours per week to assisting with regional project plans and association goals.
• Committee members will be asked to participate in monthly 1-hour team meetings, with 1-2 hours/week given to other member engagement activities.
• The time requirement will vary based on region size.

The Association’s Research Committee will be responsible for the promotion of and democratizing of research designed to advance the fraternity/sorority advising profession and that increases the understanding of the fraternity/sorority experience. This committee will work to create meaningful connections that allow research in the fraternity/sorority experience to be more easily realized. 

Committee Priorities:

• To serve as the primary translator of sorority & fraternity research for the general AFA population through formats such as ‘research in brief’ pieces and researcher interviews.
  
• To plan and facilitate regular roundtables for current and future AFA members to discuss current research within the sorority & fraternity industry, and to provide regular space to discuss topics of research interest to AFA’s core audience of SFL professionals.
  
• To promote and solicit submissions for, and to review and evaluate all submissions for AFA’s Dissertation of the Year. 
  

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of AFA’s volunteer committees are grouped into two categories: strategy and execution. Responsibilities of the Research Committee will be moderate in strategy and moderate in execution. 

All AFA volunteers are expected to abide by general AFA volunteer expectations outlined in volunteer training modules and to promote and champion the strategic direction of AFA in alignment with AFA Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. 

Strategic Responsibilities

• Serve as a repository/clearinghouse for facilitating connections between research ideas, data sources/participants, and established/emerging researchers.
  
• Identify ways to provide regular educational programming designed to increase the methodological expertise of AFA members.
  

Execution Responsibilities

• Participate in a minimum of quarterly meetings (or more frequently as needed) led by the chair.
• Coordinate the review and selection recommendation [to the AFA Awards and Recognition Committee] for AFA’s Dissertation of the Year Award. 
• Plan and facilitate regular roundtables for current and future AFA members to discuss current research within the sorority & fraternity industry
• Participate in initiatives as directed by the AFA staff or board of directors.

Qualifications

• Research Committee members must be professional, graduate, affiliate, or emeritus members of the association.
• Members should be well versed in the issues facing fraternity/sorority professionals as well as the extant research done on them.
  
• Experience with and methodological knowledge of how to conduct research so as both to better assess what is viable and also to assist graduate students, as needed, in advising their projects.
  
• Members should have a desire to advance the understanding of empirical research within the fraternity/sorority advising profession and to create connections designed to bring said research to fruition. 

Commitment Required

• Committee members can expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on committee activities.

The Association’s Member Onboarding Committee, led by the Member Onboarding Committee Chair, will be responsible for the engagement of new and returning members of the Association. This includes working with the AFA staff team for the promotion of AFA membership and professional development, facilitating opportunities for new and returning member engagement, and working in cooperation with the AFA staff for any onboarding communications, resources, and programs.  

Committee Priorities: 

• Evaluate previous committee work and identify what opportunities can be created and advanced this year.
• Further develop resources and communications for new and returning members upon their registration with the Association.
  

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of AFA’s volunteer committees are grouped into two categories: strategy and execution. Responsibilities of the Member Onboarding Committee will be moderate in strategy and moderate in execution. 

All AFA volunteers are expected to abide by general AFA volunteer expectations outlined in volunteer training modules and to promote and champion the strategic direction of AFA in alignment with AFA Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. 

Strategic Responsibilities

• Assess the needs for Association member onboarding and engagement via surveys, focus groups, brainstorming, and other tactics.
• Evaluate the elements and stages of AFA membership and strategize opportunities for the members and Association to invest in one another in alignment with the Association’s overall strategic plan and goals.

Execution Responsibilities

• Plan communications and content to entice members to renew or non-members to join.
• Develop and communicate resources to new and returning members.
• Coordinate programming and resources with other volunteer teams.
  • Ex. Core Competencies Assessment promotion with the Core Competency Advancement Committee.
  • Ex. Recruitment efforts with Regional Member Engagement and Recruitment (MER) Teams.

Qualifications

• Member Onboarding Committee members must be professional, graduate, affiliate, or emeritus members of the association.
• Familiarity with the various benefits, services, and resources available to AFA members.
• Desire to reach out to prospective, new, and returning members.

Commitment Required

• The Committee Chair must devote approximately 2-3 hours per week to assisting with member onboarding plans and Association goals.
• Committee members will be asked to participate in monthly 1-hour team meetings, with 1-2 hours/week given to other member onboarding activities.
• The time requirement will vary based on time of year.

The Association’s Core Competency Advancement Committee will be responsible for aiding the AFA staff in identifying and developing resources to help members better understand and utilize the AFA Core Competencies in their professional development and work.

Committee Priorities

• To help integrate the Core Competencies into new and existing programs to better guide the development of educational programming and resources.
• To utilize Core Competencies data and AFA’s professional development framework to make recommendations for new programming across Core Competencies and core function areas

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of AFA’s volunteer committees are grouped into two categories: strategy and execution. Responsibilities of the Core Competency Advancement Committee will be moderate in strategy and moderate in execution. 

All AFA volunteers are expected to abide by general AFA volunteer expectations outlined in volunteer training modules and to promote and champion the strategic direction of AFA in alignment with AFA Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. 

Strategic Responsibilities

• Conduct analysis on program evaluations, core competencies assessments, and other relevant AFA program/member data and research to help inform future decision making related to the educational strategy of AFA.
• Identify and develop resources to support members’ use of the core competencies for professional development at key moments of need in their careers.
• Provide feedback on design of new educational programs.

Execution Responsibilities

• Participate in monthly, virtual committee meetings.
• Analyze and report results of the annual Core Competencies assessment.
• Help to execute educational programming based on key Core Competencies, core functions, and member needs, including the Annual Meeting Reload.
• Participate in initiatives directed by the AFA staff or board of directors.
• Serve as Core Competencies ambassadors by providing coaching, virtual presentations, and interpretation when requested by members.

Commitment Required

• Participate in monthly meetings (or more frequently as needed) led by the AFA staff or committee chair.
• Members can expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on committee activities.

Qualifications

• Experience with measuring and assessing learning is preferred.
• Experience in educational program design and evaluation is preferred.
• Familiar with talent development theories, strategies, and techniques is beneficial.

The Association’s AdvanceU Committee will be responsible for aiding the AFA staff in identifying, planning, implementing, and evaluating the AdvanceU educational program series. 

Committee Priorities

• To utilize Core Competencies data and AFA’s professional development framework to help plan and execute year-round AdvanceU educational programs for Association members that reflect diverse Core Competencies and core functions
• To report out on AdvanceU program effectiveness to key stakeholders, in conjunction with AFA staff

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of AFA’s volunteer committees are grouped into two categories: strategy and execution. Responsibilities of the AdvanceU Committee will be low in strategy and moderate in execution. 

All AFA volunteers are expected to abide by general AFA volunteer expectations outlined in volunteer training modules and to promote and champion the strategic direction of AFA in alignment with AFA Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. 

Strategic Responsibilities

• Conduct analysis on program evaluations and other relevant AFA program/member data and research to inform future decision making related to the AdvanceU educational strategy.
• Provide feedback on design of new educational programs. 

Execution Responsibilities

• Participate in monthly, virtual committee meetings.
• Analyze and report out results of the annual AdvanceU assessment to key stakeholders, in conjunction with AFA Central Office Staff.
• Help to execute AdvanceU programming, utilizing relevant Core Competencies, core functions and member needs, as outlined in the AFA professional development framework.
• Participate in initiatives directed by the AFA staff or board of directors.

Commitment Required

• Participate in monthly meetings (or more frequently as needed) led by the AFA staff or committee chair.
• Members can expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on committee activities.

Qualifications

• Experience with measuring and assessing learning is preferred.
• Familiar with talent development theories, strategies, and techniques is beneficial.
• Experience in educational program design and evaluation is preferred.