Dear Colleagues:
Fall is such an exciting and busy time in higher education! Although it can be stressful, I love the fall semester with cooler weather, football games, and eager new freshman students.
As many of you know, the AHEAD Board members’ terms start after the annual summer conference. This summer we said goodbye to Board members Lisa Meeks and Lance Alexis and welcomed new Board members Elisa Laird-Metke and Karen Andrews. We are so thankful for Lisa and Lance who both contributed so much to the Board’s discussions, projects, and vision for the future. In addition, Jen Dugger ended her term on the Board and I appointed her as the first Equity Officer for the Board.
The AHEAD Board has been busy planning for our fall meeting which is next week in Chicago. We will be finalizing the new strategic plan for the organization and continuing the discussion about the groups formerly called Special Interest Groups (SIGs). In addition, the board will be reviewing and approving changes to the by-laws to reflect current practice and include the new Equity Officer position.
AHEAD staff continue to be busy with the many professional development opportunities that they provide as well as new initiatives including revamping many of the publications provided by AHEAD. Keep an eye out for information in your email as new initiatives are developed including the recent Call for Authors for Monographs. In addition, we have been busy working with the GUDIN initiative. For more information about GUDIN and how to get involved, visit the GUDIN website.
As always, feel free to contact me or any of the AHEAD Board members if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Kristie Orr
AHEAD President