Update from TACAC President, Mickey Saloma, After NACAC

 

Dear TACAC Family,

Last week 6000+ gathered for the 74th National Association for College Admission Counseling National Conference in Salt Lake City. Texas ACAC held its fall Executive Board meeting in advance, and then over 200 members were among the 6000+ admissions and counseling professionals in attendance for the three-day conference.  Needless to say, it was an eventful conference and I wanted to share with you some of the highlights:

1. Our Voices Matter: Proposed Membership Plan Withdrawn 
The proposed membership plan that NACAC Board & Staff had developed over past 16 months was sent back to the drawing board after it faced considerable pressure at the General Membership meeting.  The amendments to the NACAC bylaws, that would have set the plan in motion, even after adjustments to individual counsellor & retiree categories in the days before and a delayed rollout to 2021, met numerous friendly amendments on the Membership floor. After almost 90 minutes of debate, it became clear that there would be unintended consequences with the numerous changes, and lengthy deliberation exposed the concerns many members felt about the process. Finally, Chris Reeves, a NACAC Board Member, made a motion to withdraw the entire amendment...and that motion was nearly unanimously passed on the floor. 

2. Texas ACAC: In Action on the Assembly Floor
Earlier on Saturday, your Texas ACAC delegates were very active during the five-hour Assembly Meeting. "The NACAC Assembly functions as a governing body that initiates, advises and provides consent on association and professional issues. Assembly delegates are elected for three-year terms by the NACAC voting members in the Affiliates."  It is during Assembly that the NACAC Board of Directors and President are elected, and changes to the SPGP: CEPP are debated and voted upon.  This year, Texas ACAC played a role in one of the formal motions. The motion (brought forward by our friends from International ACAC) involved a request to NACAC to review the affiliate jurisdiction of the Admission Practices Procedure - to better allow a voice for our AP Committee team to represent our members in National AP cases. The motion passed!  

3. Changes in TACAC Programming
During the Texas ACAC Membership meeting the Association announced that both the Camp College and Motivate Me programs have been suspended for the 18-19 year.  TACAC leadership has been working for some time to obtain vital insurance coverage to protect our members and the students involved in our events.  We have charged IAS Chairs, Bridget T. Adiukwu and Myra Fuentes, with creating new partnerships with school districts and CBOs to carry on the great work of these programs in which we can train counselors and volunteers while also working with students.  If you would like for your school to be included in this, please email me at [email protected].     

4. Anne Naman Scholarship For Professional Development.
Those in attendance at the Texas ACAC Membership Meeting learned that we to plan continue and expand our Anne Naman Professional Development Grants.  This year, TACAC was able to provide financial support for five members to attend the 2018 NACAC Conference.  We plan to continue to provide funding for not just the NACAC Conference in 2019 in Louisville, but also the 2019 NACAC Guiding the Way to Inclusion to be held in Ft. Lauderdale next July.  More details soon. . .  

5. Collective Power of NACAC 
Overall, this was one of the most powerful NACAC Conferences I have ever attended.  Likely it had much to do with my position this time as President of an affiliate, but in addition, it was something else that I know many others felt. It was the Indigenous Land Acknowledgment at the Opening Session and the high quality of sessions. It was the energy in our own membership meeting, and above all it was the buzz throughout the week collectively knowing that we can make a difference, not only by having a voice in our own profession, but helping our students who will be the change for tomorrow. 

Yet I am reminded that many of our colleagues have never experienced the National Conference. So let's continue to find ways to share our collective voice and power with one another.  As my fellow Class President friend and SACAC President Jessica Sant put it: "I'm inspired by so many of you who are as committed to supporting the new faces in our ranks as you are the kids you serve each day."  She put out a challenge for all of us to how we might serve and support one another better. Let us all take up that challenge, and focus on just being the best you can be, and to one another. 

I'm deeply grateful for the chance to represent Texas ACAC and am all the more committed in the continued work we will do together! 

Mickey Saloma
President, Texas ACAC
Director of College Counseling, John Paul II High School

 

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