What’s your next step?

April 21 2011, 10:46am

A lot of Student Affairs conferences are celebratory in nature. They showcase new products, highlight campus successes and provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to praise these accomplishments. To be sure, there was plenty to celebrate at the 2011 NIRSA National Conference and Expo. But this year’s conference – more than any I’ve attended recently – seemed less focused on where we’ve been and more focused on where we’re going. Maybe it was the story of rebirth from the host city, New Orleans. Or the hopeful anticipation of economic recovery. Or the promise of the new registry, governance and impending association collaborations. Whatever the cause, there is a feeling that this is a year of beginnings. Almost everyone I talked to at the conference, from a VP for Student Affairs to a first-time student attendee, discussed plans for growth in the ability to validate student learning, adopt new technologies and reach new heights for recreation. Even the presenters and panelists throughout the conference, who were chosen for leadership, seemed just as excited to talk about the next phases of their projects in addition to the results they’ve already seen through recent campus initiatives. Many conference attendees discussed possibilities to integrate recreation participation data with student success indicators to support the impact of recreation programs. Use of technology and investigating new outsource options to optimize campus resources seemed to fuel the conversations at the Expo. They’re all thinking about what’s next and how do we get there. The inspiration was endless, but the best advice I found was focused on the future, encouraging attendees to be relentless that tomorrow is going to be a better day for this association and higher education. It doesn’t matter if you’re in charge or if you’re part of a team. No matter where you are in the process, the rest of the conversation is about where you’re going next, both as a leader on your campus and within the profession. On this note, I want to thank all my friends and recreation colleagues in attendance who have inspired me towards the future, as well as those that made the conference such an ample avenue for strategic planning both as campus recreational professionals and as individuals.