We are N4AStrategic Plan2 0 1 9 - 2 0 t o 2 0 2 3 - 2 4

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Message from the 2019-20 Executive Committee

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It is our pleasure to introduce the new N4A Strategic Plan which will carry our association forward over the next five years. Our focus with the plan is YOU our members. We want to continue to provide value to you and opportunities to engage within N4A through learning (both in-person and virtually), leadership, and promote an inclusive environment by actively working to grow participation of underrepresented groups within the membership.

By serving you we will better serve the entire industry. We will continue to work not only to inform the membership on legislation which affects our members, but also take a more active role as legislation is developed and work to establish a process to gauge member positions so that N4A can provide an association position as well. In order for this to be accomplished, we will further engage corporate sponsors to support our initiatives in a fiscally responsible way. These include increased funding of Regional Conferences and the expansion of the Steve McDonnel Professional Development institute offering all tracks of PDI every two years at a Regional Conference location.

Our membership is the driving force behind our current and future success. The N4A relies on member participation in official programs and events, engagement in committee and working groups, and commitment to our leadership positions in order to secure our future. Our members are absolutely vital to our ability to fulfill our mission, strive towards our vision, and achieve our goals. Therefore, we encourage involvement at all levels and are committed to keeping our members aware of a full range of professional development opportunities.

Within the Strategic Plan there are seven priority areas. Each of these have goals to be completed annually, in the short term (years 1-3), and long term (years 4-5). The plan that follows is the culmination of extensive work by the N4A Strategic Futures Task Force. We want to extend our gratitude to the commitment these individuals have made in the development of the plan.

The future of N4A is in all of our hands as We are N4A!

Sincerely,

N4A Executive Committee

PresidentDenise PooleDirector, Student Success InitiativesPennsylvania State University

Immediate Past PresidentMike MeadeSr. Associate Athletic Director, Academic ServicesUniversity of Oklahoma

1st Vice PresidentUrsula GurneyDeputy Director of Athletics/SWAUniversity of Missouri Kansas City

2nd Vice PresidentAshton HendersonAssistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete DevelopmentFlorida State University

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MissionThe National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals is the official community of practitioners dedicated to the academic and personal development of student-athletes, preparing them for success. The Association is committed to the advocacy, education, professional development, and advancement of its members, while promoting integrity in practices on an institutional and global level.

VisionThe Global Leader for academic support and student-athlete development in athletics.

Guiding PrinciplesN4A provides a voice and expertise on issues impacting its professionals and the student-athletes they serve. These guiding principles define the Association's approach:

Ethics and Integrity: Conduct work in an ethical manner with academic integrity, transparency, and in alignment with all governing rules.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Promote the highest standards of diversity, equity, and inclusion as indispensable elements of success.

Professional Development and Retention: Engage members through education, networking, idea sharing, and support of scholarly research.

Student-Athlete Success: Educate, prepare, and advocate for student-athletes through, transition, retention, graduation, and beyond.

Service: Champion community engagement and service learning initiatives to have a positive impact on the industry and broader community.

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The Board of Directors would like to acknowledge the work of the N4A Strategic Futures Task Force and the Strategic Plan Working Group. These two groups are instrumental in the development of the plan and tracking the plan progress.

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Strategic Futures Task Force• Board Liaison: Ursula Gurney, University of

Missouri Kansas City

• Task Force Chair: Jeremy Flynn, Michigan State University

• Mandi Bennett, Florida Tech

• Jean Boyd, Arizona State University

• Kim Durand, University of Washington

• Amelia Howard, University of Missouri Kansas City

• Kacy King, Florida State University

• Wes Maas, Florida International University

• Kristina Navarro, Rutgers University

• Christina Ruffin, Norfolk State University

• Penny Semaia, University of Pittsburgh

Strategic Plan Working Group• Chair: Kelly Higgins, University of Wisconsin

• Chair-Elect: Bob Baker, Ole Miss

• Nicole Alderson, Florida Atlantic University

• Kristen Casamento, University of Rhode Island

• Stephen Darville, University of South Florida

• Paul Downey, University of Kentucky

• Kacy King, Florida State University

• Kayleigh McCauley, Lewis & Clark College

• Elysa Newman, Towson University

• Cori Pinkett, Baylor University

• Lisa Rubin, Kansas State University

• Mark Trumbo, Syracuse University

Special Thanks

Our Priorities

1. Academic Excel lence2. S tudent-Ath le te Success3 . Leadersh ip Development4 . Membersh ip Engagement5 . D ivers i ty , Equ i ty , and Inc lus ion6. In terna l Operat ions & F i sca l

Respons ib i l i ty7 . Ex terna l Re la t ions

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Priority 1: Academic ExcellenceW e w i l l s u p p o r t o u r p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n p u r s u i t o f A c a d e m i c E x c e l l e n c e .

Annual• Celebrate the academic success at member institutions, through social media. (Communications)

• Celebrate members’ professional success who earn advanced degrees or national awards. (Communications)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Create best practices/industry standards for academic support (including athletic advising, learning

support and enhancement). (Academic Programs & Practices, Learning Concerns & Enhancements)

• Update the Code of Ethics for Academic Integrity, to align with the Presidential Forum, Committee on Academics guidance, and upcoming legislation. (Division Director - Academic & Learning Services and Committees, Legislative Affairs)

• Share current, relevant and up-to-date resources to the membership through the Resource Center for academic services and legislation updates. (Virtual Education, Academic Programs & Practices, Learning Concerns & Enhancements, Research, Legislative Affairs)

• Market and support opportunities to present N4A member research and academic support excellence at premiere national and regional conferences. (Research, Regional Conferences, National Convention)

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Long Term (Years 4-5)• Increase participation in the Academic Integrity Assessment and Program Review. (Director- Institutional Programs, Institution Services)

• Continue to educate membership on academic integrity including information on legislation. (Academic Programs & Practices, Legislative Affairs)

• Collaborate with academic/higher education authorities for sharing of resources available to faculty/leadership/staff in higher education/student affairs who are working with student-athletes. (Board of Directors, Division Director-Academic & Learning Services)

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Priority 2: Student-Athlete SuccessW e w i l l s u p p o r t o u r p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n p u r s u i t o f S t u d e n t - A t h l e t e S u c c e s s .

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Annual• Recognize and celebrate student-athlete success through the Wilma Rudolph Award and student-athlete of the month. (Honors & Awards, National

Convention, Communications, NACDA)

• Celebrate National Student-Athlete Day (April 6) / Student-Athlete Week (DIII). (Communications)

• Encourage membership to utilize N4A Social media platforms to highlight and celebrate their student-athletes’ success in the classroom and community. (Communications)

• Complete community outreach initiatives at all Regional Conferences. (Division Director - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ethnic Concerns, LGBTQA+)

Long Term (Years 4-5)• Establish a guide for evaluating outcomes for student-athlete development across all divisions.

(Student-Athlete Development Programs & Practices)

• Evaluate the opportunity for a student-athlete development focused resource tool within Institution Services. (Director - Institutional Programs, Institution Services, Division Director –Student-Athlete Enhancement, Student-Athlete Development Programs & Practices, Student-Athlete Well-Being)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Update the Code of Ethics to include student-athlete development. (Division Director - Student-Athlete Enhancement

and Committees)

• Develop a white paper on best practices in student-athlete development in alignment with the varying resources/finances available at institutions. (Division Director - Student-Athlete Enhancement and Committees)

• Share resources within student-athlete development to the membership through the N4A resource center and webinars. (Virtual Education, Research, Student-Athlete Development Programs & Practices, Student-Athlete Well-Being)

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Priority 3: Leadership DevelopmentW e w i l l f o s t e r t h e g r o w t h o f l e a d e r s .

Annual• Promote leadership opportunities available within the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee to the

membership. (Board of Directors, Communications, NACDA)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Develop a leadership ladder and path to leadership within N4A, and provide inclusive opportunities for

membership to apply for roles within the organization. (Board of Directors)

• Fill leadership positions within the newly established committees and working groups. (New Committees and Working Groups)

• Expand the Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute (PDI) offering all PDI tracks every two years as one of the Regional Conferences beginning in the Fall of 2020. (PDI)

• Increase the number of mentors participating in the mentoring program. (Member Recruitment & Retention)

• Establish a process to promote opportunities for further professional and leadership development available within the industry (e.g., NCAA, NACDA, etc). (Communications)

• Establish an annual report to the Board of Directors which includes feedback from a year-end survey of the mentoring program participants to assess the experience, fulfillment of the program, provide suggestions, and evaluate the success of the program. (Member Recruitment & Retention, Research)

Long Term (Years 4-5)• Evaluate the opportunities for enhancement of the 2024 Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute

(PDI) (Including but not limited to additional PDI tracks). (PDI)

• Expand the Mentoring program to include a senior leadership mentoring program. (Member Recruitment & Retention)

• Develop opportunities for broad range professional development for members in senior leadership positions preparing them for executive leadership within collegiate athletics. (PDI, Virtual Education, Board of Directors, Director-Program & Events)

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Priority 4: Membership EngagementW e w i l l e n g a g e i n a c t i v e m e m b e r p a r t i c i p a t i o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r .Annual• Offer a minimum of four (4) virtual education learning opportunities per year. (Virtual Education)

• Track retention and growth of membership overall and by division. (NACDA, Member Recruitment & Retention)

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• Track membership engagement overall for virtual education, conference, and convention participation. (NACDA, Virtual Education, Director-Programs & Events)

• Track and monitor social media impressions, reach, and frequency of N4A social media channels. (Communications)

• Define and publicize the subcommittee opportunities within each committee annually. (Communications, Committee Chairs)

• Provide and update resources within the resource center and/or nested community tool to continue to engage the membership. (Committee and Working Group Chairs, Virtual Education)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Add members for the newly established committees and working

groups in the 2019-20 academic year. (New Committee & Working Group chairs)

• Establish networking events with other affiliated organizations (e.g., NCAA, Women Leaders in College Sports, etc.) to engage with current and potential new N4A members. (Board of Directors)

• Launch Regional Conferences at three conference locations in the Fall of 2019 with conferences occurring every two years. (Regional Conferences)

• Launch two theme-based Regional Conferences in the Fall of 2020 with conferences occurring every two years. (Regional Conferences)

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Priority 4: Membership EngagementW e w i l l e n g a g e i n a c t i v e m e m b e r p a r t i c i p a t i o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r .

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Short Term (Years 1-3) [Continued]• Maintain a membership retention rate of 80% or higher. (Member Recruitment & Retention, NACDA)

• Expand active participation by membership in Committees as measured by the total committee size and number of engaged members. (Committee Chairs)

Long Term (Years 4-5)• Maintain a membership retention rate of at least 80% per year while promoting early renewals. (Member Recruitment

& Retention, NACDA)

• Track individual member engagement. (NACDA)

• Increase the number of member proposals submitted and participation in national or regional conventions to share best practices or new programs. (National Convention, Regional Conferences)

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Priority 5: Diversity, Equity, and InclusionW e a r e a n i n c l u s i v e a s s o c i a t i o n . Annual• Increase awareness of membership opportunities in committees and working groups. (Communications,

Committee and Working Group chairs, Member Recruitment & Retention)

• Provide diverse representation of keynote speakers at the annual convention. (Executive Committee)

• Establish bi-annual calls for all committee/working group leadership provide updates on the Strategic Plan, the work of each group, and overarching association information to support collaboration amongst all groups. (Strategic Plan Working Group, Executive Committee, Committee and Working Group Chairs)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Establish a master N4A calendar available to the entire association and develop a process to avoid

conflicts with events and religious holy days. (NACDA)

• Retain and increase membership of underrepresented groups including Division II, III, NAIA, Two-Year Colleges, HBCU’s and other low resource institutions. (Member Recruitment & Retention)

• Work to ensure the National Convention and Regional Conference events provide inclusive opportunities including meeting spaces, location, and event dates (as available). (Division Director –Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, LGBTQA+, Director – Programs & Events, National Convention, PDI, Regional Conferences)

• Expand the HBCU Institutional Partnership Program to other low resource institutions. (Ethnic Concerns)

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Long Term (Years 4-5)• Promote external award opportunities to membership for Diversity and Inclusion including the NCAA/MOAA Diversity &

Inclusion Award, and Heed Award, among others. (Board of Directors, Communications)

• Retain and increase participation by underrepresented groups within committees and working groups (Division II, III, NAIA, Two-Year Colleges, HBCU’s, LRI’s,etc). (Membership Recruitment & Retention, Committee and Working Group Chairs)

• Evaluate the addition of any new committees to be included under the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Division. (Division Director-Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Board of Directors)

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Priority 6: Internal Operations and Fiscal ResponsibilityW e w i l l e f f e c t i v e l y a n d e f f i c i e n t l y o p e r a t e a s a n o r g a n i z a t i o n .

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Annual• Establish an association Annual Report highlighting membership engagement, association achievements, strategic plan update/progress, and corporate

sponsor support. (Strategic Plan Working Group, Executive Committee, Communications)

• Through coordinated efforts with committees and association leadership, expand association reach through social media. (Communications)

• Develop and maintain a master list of committee and working group leadership (chair/chair-elect) to be retained for historical records and assist with identifying candidates eligible for board of directors positions. (Historian)

• Complete Strategic Plan reporting by committees and working groups three times per year. (Strategic Planning)

• Honoring the foundation the N4A Past Presidents have built and their historical knowledge, seek guidance and feedback from this group of individuals on major changes and issues as needed. (Board of Directors, Past President Representative)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Update and develop manuals reflecting the new organizational structure and association

operations. (Board of Directors, Director-Program & Events)

• Establish a standardized process for all elected leadership positions within the Policy & Procedures manual. (Board of Directors, NACDA)

• Evaluate corporate sponsorship inventory and assets to include opportunities for National Convention, Regional Conferences, Virtual Education and Social Media. (Corporate Sponsorship, Regional Conferences, National Convention, Virtual Education, Communications)

• Review/update all award rubrics for consistency in the awards process and establish applicable selection panels for each award in partnership with identified committees. (Honors & Awards, Applicable Committee Chairs)

• Establish association budget guidelines, philosophy, and process regarding budget monitoring, discretionary spending outside of the annual budget, unexpected expenses, and investments of the association balance. (Board of Directors)

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Priority 6: Internal Operations and Fiscal ResponsibilityW e w i l l e f f e c t i v e l y a n d e f f i c i e n t l y o p e r a t e a s a n o r g a n i z a t i o n .

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Long Term (Years 4-5)• Evaluate new technology opportunities for social media engagement, development of

communities (for specific cohorts or areas of interest), and virtual education as platform use evolves by the membership. (Director-Communications, Communications, Virtual Education)

• Support association research needs with membership surveys and benchmarking on topics identified by the Board of Directors including the completion of the association's Directors Survey. (Research, Board of Directors)

• Establish five year projections for membership, revenues, and expenses, to assist in guiding board decisions. (Board of Directors, Member Recruitment & Retention, Director-Programs & Events, Corporate Sponsorship, NACDA)

• Begin work to develop the next strategic plan for the association. (Board of Directors, Strategic Planning)

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Short Term (Years 1-3) [continued]• Establish three-year projections for membership, revenues, and expenses to assist in guiding board decisions. (Board of Directors, Director-Programs & Events,

Corporate Sponsorships, Member Recruitment & Retention)

• Review the annual convention budget and establish a budget plan for all other in-person events. Determine any additions for budgetary line items to be added relative to specific on-going initiatives by committees. (Executive Committee, Director-Programs & Events)

• Establish corporate sponsorship revenue goals and projections. (Corporate Sponsorship, Board of Directors)

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Priority 7: External RelationsW e w i l l e x p a n d o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h e x t e r n a l s t a k e h o l d e r s .

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Annual• Expand and update the strategic points of contact list for various organizations within our profession and

intercollegiate athletics including associations relative to various committee work. (Board of Directors, Committee and Working group chairs, NACDA)

• Establish a stewardship process for updating donors and corporate sponsors providing an annual report to each sponsor and further information on fulfillment of the sponsorship agreement. (Corporate Sponsorships, Executive Committee)

• Partner with other professional associations through speakers, networking, social events, etc. at N4A Regional Conferences/National Convention and other industry events (as applicable). (Board of Directors, National Convention, Regional Conferences)

• Provide the annual report to applicable leadership within the NCAA, athletic conferences, and associations on N4A achievements and initiatives. (Board of Directors, NACDA)

Short Term (Years 1-3)• Establish conference liaisons to assist in disseminating information to conference offices and their membership.

(Board of Directors)

• Develop processes to gain member feedback, collaborate with other organizations, and provide N4A Position on relevant legislation throughout the legislative process. (Legislative Affairs, Board of Directors, Research)

• Identify primary N4A points of contact for applicable NCAA committees (AMA, Enforcement, AASP, COA, etc.) to assist in providing N4A feedback on areas impacting the membership, share current information to N4A members, and assist with effective planning for speaking engagements at N4A events. (Board of Directors)

• Cultivate partnerships with various professional sports (e.g., NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA) and other professional associations (e.g., PAADS) to promote the use of degree completion programs for former student-athletes. (Board of Directors)

• Collaborate with partner associations (e.g., NACADA, CRLA, FARA) to rebuild relationship and co-brand resources for academic-athletic academic support. (Board of Directors)

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Priority 7: External RelationsW e w i l l e x p a n d o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h e x t e r n a l s t a k e h o l d e r s .

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Long Term (Years 4-5)• Expand participation by N4A Members on applicable NCAA and Conference Committees (e.g.,

Committee on Academics, Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee, Involvement with National SAAC, applicable conference committees). (Board of Directors)

• Actively engage and collaborate in the legislative process (including dialogue with National SAAC and NAAC) should legislation be developed relative to student-athlete development. (Legislative Affairs, Student-Athlete Development Programs & Practices, Student-Athlete Well-Being)

• Explore opportunities to further activate the N4A brand through external events outside of N4A (e.g., joint sessions, social/networking events, sponsorships, etc.) with other organizations. (Board of Directors)

• Explore dialogue with the Knight Commission, and other entities relative to academic and student-athlete development within college athletics. (Board of Directors)

Short Term (Years 1-3) [continued]• Encourage the board of directors and committee leadership to serve as representatives of N4A in speaking

engagements at other industry events (e.g., Student-Athlete Development conferences, Academic conferences). (Board of Directors, Committee Chairs)

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Plan Progress

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Each year the strategic plan will be updated to inform membership of the plan progress.

The following icons will be used to easily make membership aware of status for each priority.

Completed

In Progress

On Hold

Behind Schedule

Plan items that are not yet scheduled to begin will have no icon.