Why I Can’t Stop Volunteering
It is a wonderful time of the year! Fall! I love fall—and not just the changing of the colors and the wardrobe. I love settling into the semester and then gearing up for some fun traditions: Homecoming, Family Days, Halloween, and of course, ACUI’s eight Regional Conferences. Like many of you, it was through a Regional Conference that I was first introduced to what would become my professional home. ACUI regions are taking a moment to realign and reconnect. They are reenergized to remind our members that you don’t just belong to ACUI, but you belong to a region. It is a great reminder of how important ACUI regions are to connecting our members to one another and the Association. It also encourages pride in the support and engagement a member feels within their region. I’m a proud member of Region V, which represents the Upper Midwest, including the Canadian province of Manitoba!
My first Regional Conference was while I was in my graduate program at Southern Illinois University. It was at the University of Notre Dame, and they pulled out all the stops! Memories were made that weekend, and I learned a lot. The appreciation for the importance of spaces on our campuses was reinforced during my initial visits to Regional Conferences but, I admit now, I didn’t even think then about the many volunteers that made my experience so wonderful.
It wasn’t until later in my career at Western Illinois University that I became more active in ACUI. And it was through a simple invitation to help plan the Regional Conference that led to encouragement to join the Leadership Team. My service to ACUI just took off from there. Why did it take off? Because I gained more than what I gave. I have been able to serve as a member of the 2018 Annual Conference Planning Team, have been director of the former Region 9, was a member of the Education Council, and have volunteered to serve as an instructor, presenter, or faculty member at various ACUI educational offerings. Every time, to the number, I left each of those activities having gained more—friends, knowledge, tricks of the trade, insights—that I had to invest as a volunteer.
Being a part of ACUI at the regional level made me a better professional, expanded my network of colleagues to help and support me, taught me skills, and made me feel confident in my abilities as a professional. My regional experience catapulted me to leadership positions at the international level, and at the same time, it instilled in me an ethic that I could influence newcomers to ACUI through shared regional experiences, just as I had been influenced.
Many in our Association are concerned about the time commitment to volunteer or feel the investment of time does not have a return on their investment. I’ve never felt that. I apologize if that sounds like I am not hearing others’ concerns. I am just sharing my experience. There were times when I would get frustrated with my volunteer experience, but I would connect with my peers and try to puzzle it out. I do believe that many hands can make work lighter, so I would love to see more volunteers to help us all be more successful. It is clear that many of us feel as though we are already at capacity, that there just isn’t a space to fit something else in, so serving the Association might look like a difficult choice. But I cannot emphasize enough the importance of serving our association for our association’s future success; and as I have learned over the years, as a personal benefit that will grow over time.
You may not be able to lead a community of practice or serve as a content expert for a webinar, but you might be able to identify that person in your campus community who is ready to dive into the ACUI experience. A media-savvy marketing director might be a fit as a social influencer for one of our regions; an assistant events and conferences admin could be perfect for crafting a successful Regional Conference; or a social butterfly of a co-worker might fit the bill as host of a regional drive-in. Bringing a new ACUI volunteer into the fold can bring exponential benefits!
You belong to the region and that belonging can take many forms. Engage with regional social media, encourage participation in regional events from drive-ins to Regional Conferences, tap a colleague to serve on a committee or on the Regional Leadership Team, nominate your programs and colleagues for awards, and ask one another questions when you need guidance and support. The Annual Conference is also a place where regions are celebrated and recognized for the work they do. In addition to social gatherings and coffee breaks, regions gather at least once to recognize colleagues with awards unique to their region. Participation and engagement with your region and with ACUI can take many forms—bookkeeping, blogging, or big ideas—and we welcome it all.
Enjoy this What’s New edition of The Bulletin that is meant to introduce us to some of the new trends student unions and our campus community have been witnessing over the past year. But to really make this a successful What’s New edition, consider making a new kind of commitment to supporting ACUI through your valued volunteerism.
