"Becoming Obsolete"
In the days when I taught more formally, I’d share with my students the depressing lesson that no matter how good our semester or their education program was, on the day they graduated they began becoming obsolete. I quoted another faculty member, Blaine McCormack* who explained that it is a PRIVILEGE to be certified as obsolete by a major American university AND that their salary would probably increase WITH the degree rather than without it. McCormack wrote a REALLY good book that used one of my favorite historical figures, Ben Franklin, to talk about how to be successful in management (for which we ALL strive). As I embark on my favorite travel times, attending each of the four NACAS Regional Conferences, I’m reminded of ALL that NACAS does to ensure that YOU don’t become obsolete. Ben Franklin strongly suggested that the best education is self-education. I love that the regional conferences provide a rich multi-level opportunity for learning. • First, they provide wonderful formal education. Their education programs are now based upon the key workforce analysis conducted by NACAS and funded by the Education Foundation for the CASP certification program. This analysis not ONLY provided the basis for certification but much more broadly provided the underpinning for many of the professional development programs offered both nationally and regionally. It’s an important knowledge base for all of our learning. • Second, equally important is the opportunity to use our formal and experiential experiences (those we bring with us from the real life on-the-job experiences) to fill the nuances of learning for each of us. Formal learning takes greater meaning when taken WITH a campus tour, or discussed with a colleague during the rest of the conference. Learning becomes even better when you can supplement the classroom with a visit to the vendors who also work in the field and see how competitors (and colleagues) design often different systems to meet similar auxiliary demands. • Third, if you really want to learn a subject, talk about it publically, or even better, teach it. Franklin felt strongly that discourse on a topic made it clearer for ALL, including the one doing the teaching. This above all is a safeguard against creating illusions of reality as we often face tasks in solitude. NACAS claims to be The Connections That Count and it is these connections that really do provide the guard against obsolescence. If you really want to learn, you’ll create relationship/connections that you can use to test your ideas when you return to your campus. Franklin also saw and described the value of NACAS – well not exactly NACAS, but the concept. He created the Junto (pronounced JUNE-tow). In his autobiography he describes that "I should have mention’d before, that in the Autumn of the preceding Year I form’d most of my ingenious Acquaintances into a Club for mutual Improvement, which we call the Junto." His formal, structured meetings of like- and unlike-minded individuals was a strong basis for his continued learning. Much like NACAS, the major "rule" was that there be a sincere and respectful "inquiry after truth." Also, those that showed up controlled the meetings. Those who missed, lost out. I contend that those who haven’t attended a NACAS regional conference REALLY lose out. In addition, many have heard me state that most of life is justifiably controlled by those who show up. Finally, NACAS South is hosting our Spring offering of the Certified Auxiliary Service Professional (CASP) exam. And that gives me just excuse enough to talk about two of my other favorite topics, NACAS Certification and the NACAS Education Foundation. The NACAS Certification Program gives you the ability to do two more "Franklinesqe" self-learning tasks. First, it allows you to pit your own learning against the psychometrically qualified knowledge and testing necessary to be certified. More about that in next months "Commentary," but there is no other more necessary activity given the demographic and qualitative challenges of today’s higher education environment. Franklin strongly felt that you had to test your knowledge against the best of any industry. Second, the reading recommended in the NACAS CASP Handbook is certainly a good place to start for you own improvement. We’d also like to know what YOU feel is fundamental work for auxiliary success. Finally, you "can’t miss" the new Education Foundation video where I say "Thank you NACAS Education Foundation." The main take-away from the video is the tremendous work that the Foundation is doing to help us ALL to stay at the cutting edge of auxiliary services, hence NEVER becoming obsolete. The Ed Foundation produced two videos, one on the Foundation and the other on CASP. The most important Ben Franklin point is that they are BOTH accurate and honest. And lest I forget, three GREAT business partners led by Barnes and Noble College, American Campus Communities and Education Realty Trust are leading the Foundation in their support of our certification program. NACAS South Conference link: May 5-9, Austin, Texas NACAS West Conference link: June 3-5 in Albuquerque, NM NACAS East Conference link: June 10-13, Long Island, NY NACAS Central Conference link: June 13-16, St. Louis, MO NACAS YouTube videos: So what can you do to prevent becoming obsolete? As always, agree or disagree to bob@nacas.org. The time for us to enjoy that together is too quickly dwindling down. *NOTE: The book on which many of these observations on Franklin are based is: Ben Franklin’s 12 Rules of Management: The Founding Father of Business Solves Your Toughest Problems by Blaine McCormick, Entrepreneur Press, 2000. |
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