Volunteer Opportunities: Member Engagement & Programs

Regional directors promote the mission and programmatic benefits of the association within their respective regions, supervise the activities and programs of regionally-based committees or workgroups, and promote the association to potential new members. Regional directors oversee the work of the Regional Membership Engagement & Recruitment Team in their respective regions. 

The Regional Membership Engagement & Recruitment Teams are regionally based groups with goals of increasing and promoting AFA membership, promoting regional professional development opportunities, enhancing communication amongst/within the region, and publicizing opportunities and benefits provided to association members. 

Responsibilities

• Ongoing outreach to both current and prospective members.

• Identify and contact prospective members (i.e. personal phone calls, emails and social media).

• Promote professional development opportunities based in their respective region.

• Provide opportunities for Regional Drive-Ins.

• Report and provide updates on non-AFA related regional conferences.

• Keep a pulse on and report on hot topics of conversations within the field.

• Promote AFA Foundation fundraising efforts.

• Actively utilize social media to promote various AFA programs, resources, and opportunities.

Qualifications

• Membership within the association for a minimum of 1 year prior to appointment.

• Familiarity with the various benefits, services, and resources available to AFA members.

• Desire to reach out to prospective members.

• Be employed by an institution or organization in the region s/he represents for at least one year prior to appointment.

• Regional directors must be professional, graduate, affiliate, or emeritus members of the association.

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.

• The time requirement will vary based on region size.

The Professional Development Committee and chair will be responsible for aiding the AFA staff in identifying, developing, and implementing the various components of the associations’ educational strategy. The committee will help integrate the Core Competencies into existing programs to better guide the development of educational programming and resources and help create new educational experiences to assist members in their own professional development.

 Responsibilities

• Participate in monthly virtual meetings.

• In conjunction with AFA staff,
  • Analyze and report results of the annual needs assessment.
  • Set targets for professional development among association members.
  • Create an educational program plan based on crucial/relevant topics and member needs.
  • Provide direction and feedback on design of new programming.
  • Report on professional development progress across the association.

• Conduct analysis and research on supporting documents to inform future decision making related to the educational strategy of AFA.

• Assist in the marketing of programs through personal networks and social media.

• 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.

• Build resources to support members’ use of the core competencies for professional development.

 Qualifications

• Members should be:
  • Well versed in the issues facing fraternity/sorority professionals.
  • Experienced with measuring and assessing learning.
  • Familiar with talent development theories, strategies, and techniques.
  • Experienced in educational program design and evaluation.
  • Forward-thinking, goal/detail oriented, and team-driven.
  • Have strong verbal and written communication skills required.

Commitment Required

• Appointments are for a 2 year term with approximately half of the Professional Development Committee transitioning each year.

• Participate in monthly meetings (or more frequently as needed) led by the AFA staff or committee chair.

• Members can expect to spend 2-4 hours per week on committee activities.

AFA’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. The committee will help develop strategic intentionality for the research efforts conducted by, for, and in conjunction with the AFA staff.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a repository/clearinghouse for facilitating connections between research ideas, data sources/participants, and established/emerging researchers. 

• Brainstorm research projects that fall under the scope of the mission of the association that would provide a value-add to the membership.

• Review and provide critical feedback on association instruments used for data collection purposes. 

• Identify ways to provide regular educational programming designed to increase the methodological expertise of AFA members. 

• Review, evaluate, and approve AFA Research Grants in support of the research interests of the association.

• Coordinate the initial review and recommendation, to the AFA Awards and Recognition Committee, for AFA’s Dissertation of the Year Award.

• Participate in initiatives as directed by the AFA staff or board of directors.

 Qualifications

• 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 2-4 hours per week on committee activities.