Summer 2011

Greetings from NCSD!

Greetings! As we prepare for the opening of the 2011-12 academic year many of our community colleges, like our states, are experiencing challenging times. The community college environment has always risen to the challenge to adjust to the changes that impact our students and individuals we serve. As student development professionals we must be stead fast to articulate and share ways to significantly impact student outcomes for student success while also leading our institutions. The National Council of Student Development is honored to continue to support professionals across the nation through creative solutions, innovative programs, leadership training, and extraordinary networking opportunities.

I invite you to attend and participate in the upcoming Annual conference "NCSD: Success a Mile High" October 23-25, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The 2011 NCSD Annual Conference will take place at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Denver, Colorado. The conference will focus on the following:

Professional Success
• Practices and techniques that contribute to the evolution of professional individuals in the field of student development, student affairs, and student services.
• Mentoring programs, cultivating leadership skills, technology, outcomes assessment, scholarship, and the advancement of student development.

Student Success
• Assisting and supporting all community college students.
• Models for program accountability and outcomes assessment, creatively managing resources, and ethical principles for advocating on behalf of students.

College Completion Agenda
• Promoting the national goal to increase the number of students who complete degrees, certificates, and other credentials with value in the work place.
• Engaging your students to advance "the completion agenda"
• Strengthening partnerships with internal and external constituencies

Community Colleges are currently in the national spotlight, but the increased attention also means increased responsibility to our communities, our state, and our country – as well as to our students. I encourage you to recommit yourself to NCSD and help us help you provide the educational opportunity and successes for the students we serve.

Best wishes,

L. Marshall Washington
NCSD President 2011-2012