As the HighEdWeb Board of Directors moves towards creating and implementing — with your input and feedback — an Association membership plan, we are asking for volunteers to sit on the new HighEdWeb Membership Committee. This group is tasked with taking the Association’s core membership ideas and implementing and expanding on them over time. This Committee will:

• Further develop the vision for the program based on feedback from the membership body and research,
• Manage the administration of the membership program and related tools,
• Ensure that the membership program remain healthy and current,
• Lead discussions and focus groups with the members at the national conferences, and
• Be the voice of the members to the Board of Directors.

We are looking for individuals who want to take on leadership roles in this facet of our Association. Please fill out this Google form by May 25th, 2012 indicating your interest and the skills you bring to the table. We will review and make selections from these submissions in the next few weeks.

This is a great opportunity to be more involved in the Association, and to help shape the future of our profession. Thank you in advance for your service. We look forward to working with you.

Chris Nixon
Higher Education Web Professionals Association
Chair, Membership Committee
Member, Board of Directors

Presenting at HighEdWeb is a great experience — not only do you get a registration discount (always a bonus in “these challenging economic times”) but it’s a fantastic way to network, share knowledge and get some innovative feedback.  Take advantage of the opportunity — send in your proposal by Saturday:

http://2012.highedweb.org/proposals/

What differentiates this Leadership Academy from other organizations with leadership programs is a specific focus on the job of a Web director/manager that touches all facets of the job.  This Academy will offer a holistic view of what goes into being a Web leader. Participants in this academy will learn:

1. What is leadership, the importance of leadership for Web professionals, and how to develop leadership skills.
2. How to communicate effectively with campus administrators and stakeholders.
3. How to articulate the value of the Web to obtain the appropriate staff and resources.
4. An understanding of higher education organization and administration, and the implications for the Web.
5. Resource management, project prioritization, and budget.
6. How to manage people, including the ideal composition of a Web team, hiring practices, evaluating performance, conflict resolution and mediation.
7. How to implement a Web governance structure including a Web governance framework, a comprehensive Web strategy, development of policies and standards, and development of an effective evaluation process.

The Leadership Academy is designed for anyone looking to develop or enhance their leadership skills. It will include two sessions, both of which will be held in the Hilton Milwaukee Downtown.  The first session will be on Sunday, October 7, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the second session will be on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The faculty and curriculum are still under development and will be announced this summer.

Registration for the leadership academy is now open.  For more information about the Leadership Academy including a link to register, please visit leadership.highedweb.org.  Be advised that there are only 24 seats available so register early.

Questions? Contact us: leadership@highedweb.org.

Presentation proposals are now being accepted for:

• Workshops (half day pre- and post-conference sessions): due April 2
• Conference Presentations (45-minute conference sessions): due Apr. 14
• Poster Presentations: due August 1

We encourage presentations in multiple formats and covering a wide range of topics related to the Web and higher education. Presenters at HighEdWeb gain recognition, build their CV/resume, and earn a conference registration discount.

Send in your proposal today: http://2012.highedweb.org/proposals/

Membership is an important step for the Association, and we want to get it right.  Membership represents that we, as an Association, have established ourselves as an acknowledged and respected professional body.  It means that we, as professionals, have elected to join a group to support each other.  It means that we can join the W3C and contribute to the Web standards we use every day. And it means that we, together, will grow and move forward to continue to advance Web professionals, technologies and standards in higher education.

We considered a number of membership models, based on a survey of similar organizations and on potential member feedback, and believe the initial levels we are proposing represent a positive starting point for the development of Association membership.

Initial benefits of membership at all levels would include:

• Discount on conference registrations
• Access to locked conference and Association-related content
• Early conference registration notice

Further benefits will likely be added in the future, and might include things such as access to white papers/research repositories on technical and professional issues, salary surveys, standards and job descriptions. Much of what is included will depend on feedback from you, our future members.

Please take a moment and to review this proposal, and give us your feedback below. With your help, we anticipate finalizing membership before the first of the year.

Membership Level: Professional

Purpose:

• To provide an official representational body of professional knowledge and support for higher education Web professionals. This will be the most common membership type.

Eligibility:

• Professional employed by an institution of higher education whose area of work (including, but not limited to technical, content, management, emarketing, etc.) contributes to the Web presence of that institution
• Has an .edu email addresses
• Dues paid**

Additional Benefit:

• Eligible for service on the Association Board of Directors

Membership Level: Affiliate

Purpose:

• To allow those who work closely in the higher education sector, but not directly for an institution of higher education, to be a part of the larger higher education Web community.

Eligibility:

• paid consultant or freelancer, not directly employed by an institution of higher education, but predominately works with higher education
• Considered on a case by case application
• Dues paid**

Membership Level: Honorary

Purpose:

• To establish lifetime recognition for outstanding contribution to profession or to the Association

Eligibility:

• Nominated and selected by board resolution
• Limited number per year (Perhaps only one)

Additional Benefits:

• Eligible for service on the Association Board of Directors
• No dues required

Membership Level: Student

Purpose:

• To foster the next generation of Web professionals

Eligibility:

• Sponsored by a Professional Member or by application (considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Must submit a copy of student ID
• May be extended for up to one year after graduation

** Please note: The Board is currently benchmarking to determine the appropriate dues & fee schedule  for each membership level.

We’re planning for the future, and we need your help.  The Higher Education Web Professionals Association’s Board of Directors, along with some peers and colleagues, have begun a dialogue regarding the Association, the strategic context within which it operates, and plans for the future. To date, the Association is most closely associated with our annual conference HighEdWeb, and that is certainly an event of which we are proud and that we hope to continue into the future. However, new initiatives are also emerging: HighEdWeb regional conferences, the LINK journal, and more. This discussion, then, is about how the Association can continue to evolve to support and best meet the needs of its members and its mission, and we want to give you a chance to share your thoughts.

We’re using a SWOT analysis to organize our discussions. We’d like your feedback on and contributions to our strategic planning.

As with any planning activity, it’s important to focus on our purpose. The Association’s mission, as conference attendees helped define it in 2005, is to advance Web professionals, technologies, and standards in higher education.

First, let’s discuss strengths. For this activity, strengths are defined as internal attributes of the Association that will be helpful in achieving our objectives. In our initial work on this project, we identified the following as our primary strengths:

• The engagement of the HighEdWeb community at conferences and online, its enthusiasm for our collective work, and the Association’s tradition of listening to feedback in making changes to our events.
• Our annual conference (hello Austin!), certainly our most visible activity to date, with its associated quality, reputation, growth, and momentum.
• The dedication of our volunteers to make HighEdWeb activities happen, and their connections to the Web profession in higher education.
• Credibility from our peers that comes from being an organization comprised of higher education Web professionals working for higher education Web professionals.
• The financial stability of a reserve fund, built up over past annual conferences, to ensure our continuation and to support new initiatives.

Next, let’s consider the Association’s weaknesses, specifically those factors which are internal to the organization. Stakeholders were asked to reflect: what current attributes of the HighEdWeb Association could be harmful or stand in the way of achieving objectives? Among those factors identified in initial discussions:

• Board/committee members are stretched thin or overcommitted; decisions take too long to make; need to delegate more; difficulty launching new initiatives.
• Composition & Structure: Board lacks geographic diversity; public perception is that there is an Association “network” that can only be broken into if you know someone – membership is “cliquey”; not enough opportunities for a more diverse group to participate; no term limits on Board positions.
• Change is very slow to non-existent; fear of change; too risk-averse; too conservative regarding growth of conference & other initiatives.
• Membership in the Association is not defined; Association has unclear role within the professional community – is the Association just about the conference, or is there more? What benefits does it provide?

Now, opportunities: what factors external to the Association will be helpful to achieving its objectives?

• Develop partnerships with organizations with compatible missions.
• Volunteer interest in starting regional conferences, chapters, other events.
• Web in higher ed is maturing to a strategic asset, improving opportunities for training, professional development and advancement of Web professionals and increasing their numbers; Association fills a niche.
• Availability of technology to support virtual attendance at the Annual Conference.
• Positive public perception/reputation of the association
• Higher ed culture supports collaboration.
• Existing business partnership that supports the operation of the Association.

Finally, threats: these are external factors will be harmful to or stand in the way of achieving the objectives of the organization.

• Surging interest in the Conference may make it difficult to maintain its strengths without introducing new problems.
• Conference venue limitations appear to require us to restrict the growth of the conference or increase the cost of attendance.
• Higher ed budgets and travel freezes may impact participation in the Association and its events.
• Higher ed and Web development getting “flattened”; Web personnel asked to do more with less while technologies advance, and we struggle to keep pace.
• Reduced ability time to participate in Association events.
• Some esteemed colleagues leaving higher ed; politics and higher salaries may be portents for a crisis for the profession.

What’s your view? Have we missed anything? Are there additional aspects that we left off? Please contribute to the discussion in the comments.

Now add to those titles, “featured speaker at HighEdWeb 2011.”

As we move closer and closer to October and Austin (just a few months left!), we took a moment to ask Chris a few questions to get to know him a little better.  Now we share with you a tiny peek into the mind of our favorite @cwilso ever, Chris Wilson:

• What, in your opinion, has been the most important step/moment/discovery in the evolution of the Web?  When the browser become a programmable platform.  The early web was like a “choose your adventure” book.  In comparison, the web today is an interactive multi-player online adventure experience.
• Favorite toy as a child? A radio-controlled robot
• Favorite toy now? The internet, of course!
• If you weren’t working in the Web, would you be doing? Scuba diving instructor, photographer, beach bum. I also love cooking!
• What inspires you in your work? I’m amazed by what people come up with built on top of the Web platform — the rise of mash-up patterns and real-time data analysis that helps us see patterns we could never see before. I’m inspired when I can figure out where a limitation is on the web and remove it.

Following up our prior discussion regarding strategic planning and strengths of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association, it’s now time to share thoughts on the Association’s weaknesses, specifically those factors which are internal to the organization. Stakeholders were asked to reflect: what current attributes of the HighEdWeb Association could be harmful or stand in the way of achieving objectives?

Among those factors identified in initial discussions:

• Overcommitment: Board/committee members are stretched thin; decisions take too long to make; need to delegate more; difficulty launching new initiatives.
• Composition & Structure: Board lacks geographic diversity; public perception is that there is an Association “network” that can only be broken into if you know someone – membership is “cliquey”; not enough opportunities for a more diverse group to participate; no term limits on Board positions.
• Lack of Change: Change is very slow to non-existent; fear of change; too risk-averse; too conservative regarding growth of conference & other initiatives.
• Need for Strategy: Lack of organization/strategy/focus/long-range vision; no plan for Association’s role in greater professional community.
• Membership: Still not defined past “conference attendee”; Association has unclear role within the professional community – is the Association just about the conference, or is there more? What benefits does it provide?

What are your thoughts on the current weaknesses of the Association? Are there others besides those identified, or would you add detail to the already-stated issues? Please contribute to the discussion in the comments.

We’re planning for the future, and we need your help.  Over the last few months, the Higher Education Web Professionals Association’s  Board of Directors, along with some peers and colleagues, have begun a dialogue regarding the Association, the strategic context within which it operates, and plans for the future. To date, the Association is most closely associated with our annual conference HighEdWeb, and that is certainly an event of which we are proud and that we hope to continue into the future. However, new initiatives are also emerging: HighEdWeb regional conferences, the LINK journal, and more. This discussion, then, is about how the Association can continue to evolve to support and best meet the needs of its members and its mission, and we want to give you a chance to share your thoughts.

In a series of posts to be made over the coming weeks to this blog, we’ll be asking for your feedback on and contributions to our strategic planning. We’re using a SWOT analysis to organize our discussions.

As with any planning activity, it’s important to focus on our purpose. The Association’s mission, as conference attendees helped define it in 2005, is to advance Web professionals, technologies, and standards in higher education.

To begin this work, today’s post is about our strengths. For this activity, strengths are defined as internal attributes of theAassociation that will be helpful in achieving our objectives. In our initial work on this project, we identified the following as our primary strengths:

• The engagement of the HighEdWeb community at conferences and online, its enthusiasm for our collective work, and the Association’s tradition of listening to feedback in making changes to our events.
• Our annual conference (this year in Austin), certainly our most visible activity to date, with its associated quality, reputation, growth, and momentum.
• The dedication of our volunteers to make HighEdWeb activities happen, and their connections to the Web profession in higher education.
• Credibility from our peers that comes from being an organization comprised of higher education Web professionals working for higher education Web professionals.
• The financial stability of a reserve fund, built up over past annual conferences, to ensure our continuation and to support new initiatives.

That’s the view of our strengths from the inside, so to speak. What’s your view? Have we missed any strengths of this group? Are there additional aspects of these strengths that we left off? Please contribute to the discussion in the comments.