Greetings Colleagues –
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…new students, new semester, new courses! I hope you are having a great start this fall. Here are four great opportunities for you and your program.
First – Get Involved in AUPHA Strategic Planning!
Your board continues to define the strategic direction and future of AUPHA. We are in the process of forming new committees that will explore future activities for AUPHA, as well as review and make recommendations for existing activities. These committees will include board members and other volunteers from AUPHA programs. Please watch for ways to get involved. We are trying to find ways to make our member programs stronger and the lives of our faculty better, so that together we can foster excellence and innovation in health management and policy education and scholarship.
Second – Help Us Understand What You Value Most from Your AUPHA Membership.
We are currently conducting a careful review of AUPHA membership categories, dues, and benefits. We are very interested in understanding what brings you value from your membership. You may not realize that there are multiple categories of AUPHA membership:
And because dues amounts are related to member characteristics (such as undergraduate, graduate, number of students, developing vs. developed countries, favorite ice cream flavor…just kidding on that one), there are over 30 different dues amounts that AUPHA members pay each year. Most importantly, each membership category has a different set of associated benefits. You can see how identifying and improving the “value proposition” of AUPHA membership is not a simple task. Your board is up to the challenge, but we need your help. We’d like to hear from you about what matters most to you and how you can maximize the return on your investment in AUPHA.
Third – Please Check Your Data! (Do We Have the Right Info Listed for You and Your Program)?
We’ve recently discovered that some information in the AUPHA Online Program Directory and on the Network is outdated. Chris Sanyer, our new Membership Manager, is contacting members to make sure we have correct information. Please watch for her email or call and, in the meantime, take a quick look at your information on the Network and in the Directory. This is an important time for potential applicants to find you and your program. It is also vitally important for AUPHA to reach the right person at your school. Thanks in advance for “checking your data” - and while you are at it, please remember there is no limit to the number of individual faculty that member programs can include on the Network. You can add all of your faculty, including adjunct and other part-time faculty - here's how. I have found over the years that new faculty and adjuncts learn as much from the AUPHA Network (or more!) than senior folks and program directors. AUPHA is for your entire program. Encourage your faculty to complete their profile along with a photo and to contribute posts (and start discussions) on the Network. We have so much to share and learn from each other.
Fourth – Meet Us in Denver in November.
The Board will meet in the Mile-High City and would love to see you at the 2015 Undergraduate Workshop (November 6-8). I encourage you and your colleagues to join us for Trending Together: Health Administration and Higher Education. The workshop will focus on working collaboratively to identify workplace trends and sharing best practices. Join us in Denver to share your experiences and ideas as they relate to undergraduate health administration. You can plan on capturing several key take-away ideas and leaving with applicable pedagogic opportunities. Register here.
Thank you to the Undergraduate Planning Committee and our host, Metropolitan State University of Denver, for their help and support in making this a fabulous meeting.
Please remember that we are here to provide exceptional value to you. Send a note or call me or any of your AUPHA Board members and let us know how we can help you develop future health care leaders.
Happy fall!
Christy