Top 5 Reasons To Attend the 2015 ADP/TDC/NASPA CLDE Meeting

As many of us wind down the year, we begin to look ahead to our next academic year and the excitement ahead. To kick off this year, in just a few weeks, the 2015 ADP/TDC/NASPA Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Meeting will take place on June 4-6, 2015 in the wonderful city of New Orleans. If you have not attended a conference like this before, it is an amazing experience for the academic community to get together and share our knowledge and ideas about civic learning and engagement work.

Last year, I had the opportunity to attend and experience many exceptional sessions, interactive workshops and develop a sense of community among all of the attendees. It was truly an experience that connected me to many individuals personally and professionally.

This year the meeting has grown and NASPA will be partnering with The Democracy Commitment along with the American Democracy Project to present “Stewardship of Place: A Civic Mission of Higher Education.” It is an exciting time to be part of this group of higher education leaders from across the country. And, in case I haven’t compelled you to attend this amazing conference already, I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 reasons to take part in this wonderful opportunity.

Reason #1 – Connect

There will be hundreds of higher education professionals attending this conference, individuals that are new to the profession and experts in their field across both areas of academic affairs and student affairs. Because of the extensive amount of professionals attending, I know this is a great opportunity for anyone to build networking and explore the professional realm of civic engagement. It is also a great way to meet numerous colleagues from across the country and create dialogue and develop new ideas for your campus. Last year I met multiple colleagues that I connected with if I ever need anything and many have now become lifelong friends.

Reason #2 – Gain Knowledge

There is going to be numerous sessions, just about our field, that you can attend and you will not be disappointed. These sessions are filled with tons of information about civic engagement that you can take back to your own campus and use. For me, this conference allowed me to get a great sense of what’s happening within other institutions in a way I might have not known by just connecting around the state level. One of the best parts was the personal interactions you will have and the opportunity to ask presenters questions about their work and the rationale behind the success or challenges they have encountered. This is something that you just can’t do through research alone on the web. The meeting is a conference center with doorways of information. You just have to open up the door and attend the sessions and you will be amazed at the information you will gain.

Reason #3 – Engage

There will be many notable speakers at the meeting and the conference team has put together an amazing group. This last year, I was positively overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge that I gained by engaging in conversations and listening to many of the speakers and presenters. This year will be no different with internationally known speakers such as Nancy Cantor, the Chancellor of Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. As an internationally known social psychologist, she is widely recognized for advocating universities to be engaged in all sectors of the community and fulfill higher education's promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility.

Accompanying Dr. Cantor during the opening plenary will be the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Dr. William Adams and current President of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Adams is a committed advocate for liberal arts education and brings to the Endowment a long record of leadership in higher education and the humanities.

These speakers, among others, motivate and inspire us to become even better advocates for the work we do and it is through these conversations we can begin to better each of our institutions. It is all about engaging and immersing ourselves in these national dialogues.

Reason #4 – Share

As mentioned before, this is not only an opportunity for you learn but also for you to share your experiences as a professional. The time you have between sessions will allow you to meet others and colleagues can learn just as much from you as you will from them. This was a conference for me that valued everyone and each person is welcomed to share ideas, experiences, and observations. It can be a chance for you to share and get feedback on your own success/challenges. Additionally, one of the parts about this conference is that you can present your own work to others. By simply discussing your ideas with someone in the field you will get an immense amount of dialogue and response, which ultimately supports all of us as we further the civic mission of higher education. 

 Reason #5 – Have fun

It is not all work and no play, it’s New Orleans!! We have the luxury of being hosted in one of the most dynamic cities in the country. You will get to spend a week exploring a cultural center and take advantage of the many restaurants, bars, art exhibits and nightlife spots offered by the largest metropolitan area in Louisiana. In and out of sessions you have the opportunity to enjoy and take in the beautiful city of New Orleans. It’s a historic city and this year we join the people of New Orleans in reflecting on the 10^th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. See a city that has such amazing culture and don’t forget to stop by Café Du Monde to enjoy some coffee and the famous Beignets.