Tasting the Lemonade

(note: This blog was written in March 2011)

It is hard to believe that 11 months ago, I wrote my first column as Chair of
the Board for this magazine. It has been an exciting year for me, full of
challenges, accomplishments and growth. As my term draws to an end, I would
like to take a minute to revisit the five “lemons” I raised during my first column,
which appeared in the May 2010 issue. While others will have to let me know
how the “lemonade” tastes that I hopefully helped make out of these issues, I
will give you my humble thoughts.
1. The Economy: While it does seem the recovery is taking hold, I think the
worst is still ahead of us in terms of higher education funding and how that
might affect campus activities. This year, we have looked at revising our fee
structure for members, as well as opportunities to enhance our membership.
Undoubtedly, this has been the biggest lemon during the past 12 months and
one on which NACA struggles to maintain a grasp because of the various
degrees of difficulty facing different parts of the country. That being said, we
have been proactive in facing this issue and have offered a variety of different
ideas in the hopes of addressing how our members can get the most for their
dollars. While many of those ideas are still in discussion, I do think we are
moving in the right direction in order to make NACA not only the best quality
campus activities organization, but also the most valuable one in terms of
membership dollars.
2. Membership: This year, our membership numbers shifted as we saw small
growth in school membership, but a drop in associate membership. I think the
growth can be attributed to the focus the Board and NACA Office placed on
recruiting and retaining our school members. Through the work of Kristie Gerber,
Chair of the Membership Committee, we have examined several different
membership ideas and “loyalty” plans. We are moving in the right direction, but
over the next year, I think you will see a true strategic plan for membership
growth and retention developed and implemented. NACA is too good a value for
our members not to grow at a healthy rate for the next few years, and I look
forward to continuing to help the Association develop a true vision in this area.
3. Volunteer Management: We are a volunteer association, and as I stated
repeatedly during the past 11 months, volunteers are the backbone of NACA.
Through the work of Michelle Whited, a volunteer manual has been drafted and
we are currently revising it to provide our volunteers with the structure and
training they need to be successful. I think this “lemon” has a lot of juice left in it and we still have work to do in this area to ensure that every NACA volunteer has
a truly meaningful experience. I look forward to seeing the work Hank
Parkinson, our new National Volunteer Development Coordinator, does in making
this lemonade truly tasty!
4. The World Around Us: I know some of our members question our move to
expand our reach beyond the American market in terms of higher education and
entertainment, but we are making significant headway in establishing NACA as
a place that foreign countries and their representatives look to in order to
understand the US college market, as well as the American higher education
system. This is a long-term investment that is slowly starting to show some
return, but I believe the real benefit will become apparent in about two to three
more years. Patience is the key in making this lemonade, and I believe it will
undoubtedly pay off in the end.
5. A New Strategic Direction: A new Strategic Plan will be ready for the
Association by the end of the summer, and it could not have been done without
the outstanding work of two people. Mark Constantine chaired the Self Study
report, which was delivered to the Board in December and really gave us an
understanding of the issues facing the Association. Chris Gill, who chaired the
Strategic Plan Committee, did a terrific job throughout the year of soliciting
information from all membership. We now have a draft a plan the Board will
continue to work on and refine until the July meeting. Check out
both the Self Study
(http://www.naca.org/aboutus/Pages/NACASelfStudy.aspx) and the
new proposed Strategic Plan
(http://www.naca.org/aboutus/Pages/default.aspx).

While those were the big “lemons” I predicted would be challenging this year,
two other issues captured much of my time and thoughts, as well. As you know,
I have worked hard at being transparent in terms of how NACA is managed, as
well as how we are dealing with the lawsuit with APCA/Cameo Publishing. While
the lawsuit continues into its third year, I am thankful that NACA was insured for
this type of burden and I do think an end is in sight. I am still convinced that
NACA will be absolved of any wrongdoing and am sad that I could not help the
Association reach an amicable agreement with APCA and Cameo Publishing.
The other issue deals with Block Booking and how we manage this essential
part of our Association. We are making progress in re-engaging our members in
this process and I think business has definitely improved for all. During the next
couple of years, I think you will see Block Booking continue to grow, which will
result in more business being done at our events as well as back on campuses.
Before I sign off, I want to thank some folks who have helped me so much
this year. The NACA Office staff have been wonderful and helped me truly
understand the many issues, while being patient with my many questions. I
have been fortunate to have a group of friends in the NACA world who have
helped me laugh throughout my NACA career and always kept me grounded. The
Board of Directors has provided me with much information and many opinions,
as well as laughs and memories. I have been truly lucky to work with such an
outstanding group of professionals, associates and graduate students. A special
thank-you goes to Brian Wooten, who will be writing this column for the next
year. Brian has been a terrific friend for more than 15 years and we have shared
much together in our NACA lives. He is going to be a terrific Chair of the Board
and I look forward to helping him accomplish all of his goals. To my second
family back at USCA, thank you for supporting my second job with NACA and
never complaining about my many phone calls and time away from the office.
Lastly, thanks to my wife, Kathy, and my two sons, who don’t really get this
NACA stuff, but have always been supportive and understanding.
I have one more year left on the Board and I look forward to continuing to
serve the Association and its members. As always, if you have any comments or
thoughts, my e-mail address is ahmeds@usca.edu. Thank you for letting me
spend a little time with you each month and being a part of this wonderful
Association!

Time for an Update!

(note: This blog was written in February 2011)

Hard to believe that my term as Chair of the NACA Board of Directors is
almost over and this is my next-to-last column for this wonderful
magazine, a great resource for our members. I want take this opportunity
to update our members on two of the most important initiatives we have
undertaken during the past year: the Self Study and the new Strategic
Plan. As many of you know, the Self Study was completed in December
2010 and is currently on the website. The Strategic Plan is an ongoing
process (this column was written shortly before the National Convention
in St. Louis) and it will continue to evolve through the rest of the spring.
The Self Study was headed by Mark Constantine, a former Board Chair.
Mark led an outstanding group of volunteers, who worked through the
SWOT analysis process and examined six vital areas within the
Association: Membership, Associate Members, Volunteers, Marketing,
Programming and Structure. The results of the Self Study offered us a
snapshot of where we are at right now and provided our leadership with
some ideas about what we are doing well and what we need to address in
the future. It has guided our Strategic Plan discussions and has been a
valuable informational resource. If you have not already reviewed the
document, I encourage you to do so. You can find it on the NACA website
at http://bit.ly/nacaselfstudy.

As for the Strategic Plan, I would like to thank Chris Gill, a member of
the Board of Directors, for his outstanding leadership in spearheading
this process. In Boston last February, I asked Chris to take on this task
and he has done a terrific job of creating opportunities for membership
input, as well as leading the Board through a strategic planning retreat in
December. He has also has spent countless hours working with his
committee in shaping a tentative document, which we reviewed in
February. I want to re-emphasize I wrote this before the February Board
meeting in St. Louis. What follows is a tentative proposal, which, by the
time you read this, will have been vetted by the Board of Directors, as well
as some of the leadership and membership attending the 2011 National
Convention. So, by the time you see this, I am sure the Strategic Plan will
have undergone some revisions. However, I expect that the major goals
probably will not have changed much.
NACA recognizes that diversity is a committed value of the Association
and will be permeated through all of the Strategic Plan Goals.

Goal 1—Membership
Through the development of a comprehensive retention and expansion
strategy, NACA will develop clearer understanding of the organization
identity of its members in order to advance the Association.
Goal 2—Business Development
The value of NACA will increase through improved business
opportunities among schools and associates, further developing our
programs for ultimate member access.
Goal 3—Volunteer Management
In order to provide a meaningful volunteer experience, NACA will
continue to review and refine opportunities for involvement.
Goal 4—Educational Development
NACA will continue to build upon our educational strategy to advance
campus activities and entertainment in higher education.
Goal 5—Transparent Governance
NACA will hold itself accountable to members through effective
communication and knowledge-based governance to build a stronger
Association.

Because we are still in the process of developing a final plan, I would
encourage you to contact Chris Gill at cgill@fontbonne.edu or me at
ahmeds@usca.edu if you have any thoughts or ideas. The hope is that the
Board of Directors will approve the final new Strategic Plan during its May
retreat and, throughout the fall regional conference season, it will be
promoted and shared with our members.
I also want to take an opportunity to mention one of the topics
featured in this month’s issue, which is advising. I know you will find
much useful information about how to improve your advising skills. My
very first article for Campus Activities Programming™, published 10 years
ago, dealt with how to be an effective student government advisor. The
chance to be an advisor was one of the main reasons I decided to go into
the field of student affairs. On the days when I get frustrated with the
paperwork or the “silly” issues that sometimes come up, I take a break
and talk to the leadership of one of the groups I advise at USCA. Those
students always help remind me of what is really important.
Being a good advisor should be the ultimate goal for any campus
activities professional and it should serve as the foundation for the rest
of our professional lives. Quite frankly, our job is not just to put on the
best events or organize the best retreats, it is to inspire future generations
to be the best citizens and people they can be, as well as help them
realize all their goals and potential. So, take advantage of the great
articles in this edition, as well as the resources in the NACA digital library
(http://www.naca.org/Education/digitallibrary/Pages/default.aspx). They
will help you continue to help your students reach for the stars!
As always, please feel free to e-mail me at ahmeds@usca.edu or call
me at 803-641-3411 if you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to
share.

Have a great March!

Follow me on Twitter at: @nacaboardchair.

Swinging for the Fences

This year’s National Convention theme is Swinging for the Fences, which honors the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and I think we are going to hit a home run with this Convention for many reasons! Before I tell you about the Convention, let me tell you about our team that we have put together to make it happen.

One of the best things about being Chair of the Board for NACA is having the honor to choose the Chair of the National Convention. NACA is blessed with many amazing volunteers and I have had the good fortune of being able to select one of the very best to head up our 2011 Convention. Heather Larabee from the University of Southern California is one of the most outstanding professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with and I am lucky she agreed to be the person behind our National Convention this year. She has assembled an amazing team of volunteers to put together a dynamic experience that will be unique and reinvigorating to “veteran NACA-goers” and exciting and stimulating to new members. I believe Heather and her team have created something for everyone and this is going to be a World Series-experience for all delegates. Let me tell you a little bit more about how our Convention is going to be a home run for all involved!

Doing Business: Our Campus Activities Marketplace is where it all starts! One of the most important things you will do at the Convention is business with our outstanding associates. The Marketplace will be brimming with amazing talent and ways that you can make those programming dollars stretch into booking more quality acts than you ever imagined. NACA is proud of the quality of the talent our National Convention (and our regional conferences, for that matter) attracts and you won’t find a better place to fill your campus calendar with comedians, movies, lecturers, leadership trainers, novelty acts and many other types of attractions. This is, without a doubt, the place to be throughout the Convention. Speaking of doing business …

Block Booking: Through Block Booking, you can make sure you get many of the acts you loved (or as many as your budget will allow, because you are going to love many of them)! Block Booking is how you save money. Make sure to have one of your delegates attend each of the Block Booking meetings so you can hook up with schools around you to save money and expand the number of acts your budget can allow you to afford! And Block Booking isn’t just about doing business, it is also about …

Education: Yes, Block Booking is just one of our diverse opportunities to better yourself and your school. Block Booking is one way you can learn about how to communicate, negotiate and network at our Convention. We have many outstanding presenters and educational sessions to help professionals do their jobs better and student leaders enhance their skills. And associates, don’t forget that there are many different ways you can learn and expand your horizons through the Convention, as well!

Showcases: Wow! What an amazing roster of talent will be on display on the stages in St. Louis! Have you checked out the lineup on the Convention Portal (or in the 2011 Convention Preview)? You will be amazed to see so many talented people together in one place during our four-day Convention. You won’t be able to get this many college acts together anywhere else. Your delegation will be exposed to one of the best entertainment and educational rosters, ever! And don’t forget that, unfortunately, there is a limited amount of stage time. Check out the hundreds of other acts for you to discover that are represented by associates in our Marketplace!

Night On: St. Louis is an amazing city at the crossroads of America. We will again be having our Night On program in which you can go to six different venues (all located within six blocks of the Convention Center) and see great entertainment and the city at the same time. I think this is going to be one of the highlights of the Convention and I can’t wait to walk around downtown (take the bus if you don’t want to brave the weather) and enjoy outstanding talent and a world-class city!

Featured Speakers and Entertainers: Throughout the current edition of Campus Activities Programming™, you can learn more about the great featured speakers we have at the Convention for special events and educational sessions, including the Diversity Dinner and the Professional Development Luncheon. However, you’ll have to wait to learn about the exciting kickoff artists we have lined up or the other surprises we have for you throughout the Convention. I can’t wait to watch how you will react to what we have in store!

So, are you ready to step up to the plate? As I talk to Heather about what she and her team have planned, I really couldn’t be any more excited. And I need to make sure all of our members know how little of this Convention I am responsible for. Heather and the National Convention Program Committee, as well members of the NACA Office staff (particularly Dawn Thomas, who is amazing with all the details) deserve all the credit for making such a complex event happen. My biggest (and maybe only contribution) is the theme, and I apologize to all those who don’t love baseball as much as I do. Please excuse the theme, if you must,
and don’t let it diminish your expectations. On that final Wednesday, when you head home from St. Louis, you will be thrilled with your experience and be pumped that you were able to hit a home run with the 2011 NACA® National Convention.

See you there!

(This post was originally printed in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Campus Activities Programming™)

2011 NACA National Convention

If you haven’t been to the NACA National Convention before, check out this latest video to find out the benefits of attending!

Making a List

The holiday season is often a time when people reflect on all that is happening in their lives and make resolutions about what they’d like to change. For me, the holidays are a crazy, busy time with family and friends and, sometimes, I find myself thinking about all I need to get done (decorating the house, making travel plans, gift buying, etc.) instead of the aspects of the season that truly matter. One of the best things about having kids (I have two boys—a 10-year-old and a five-year-old) during the holidays is that they help me remember what is important about this time of the year. Watching them take in the magic of the season brings my thinking back to where it needs to be, reminding me of how fortunate I am to have a terrific family, a rewarding career and truly great friends.

So, as we near the holiday season, I would like to share a list of all those things in the NACA world for which I’m grateful and make some resolutions for 2011.

• The work that we do: I know sometimes, as an Association, we get lost in the little details and petty arguments, but we really are doing outstanding things! From our terrific summer Institutes and our regional conferences to the National Convention and our outstanding professional development offerings, NACA is helping move the campus activities profession forward. We are making a difference in creating more dynamic campuses and better leaders for tomorrow. We should be proud of our work and strive to remember the big picture.
• Who we are: Our Association is made up of some terrific people. The Association has provided many of us with people who we count on during office hours and afterwards. I know my closest friends in the
  field are people I have met through NACA, which has helped me develop a network of friends who continue to nurture and stimulate me.
• Our leadership: We have outstanding leadership among our associates, students, professionals and NACA Office staff. Our Board of Directors is made up of outstanding individuals who have “helped move the ball forward” on a number of important issues. Our program leaders do tremendous work and have helped to create dynamic offerings that make membership in NACA even more valuable. Our NACA Office staff in Columbia, SC, is made up of some terrific leaders who work daily to advance the Association’s strategic plan.
• What we value: I am very fortunate to be Chair of an association whose values closely resemble my professional values. As an association, we work to promote diversity, education, collegiality and ethical behavior.
  These things are very important to me and I appreciate the importance we, as a group, collectively place on them.

While I am very proud of the Association, I do realize (and if you have been reading my previous articles or blogs, you probably already know this about me) we still have some areas in which we have work to do as a group. Here are some of my New Year’s Resolutions for me and the Association. We must:

• Improve volunteer training: I know I have written and talked about this issue in the past, but we need to continue to provide our volunteers with the very best in training and leadership opportunities. We are moving in the right direction, but we still have work to do!
• Ensure members feel valued and heard: As Chair, I have come to realize how much time it takes to really make this happen. My resolution is to continue to be available to listen to members about the issues facing
  the Association and higher education. All of our constituents deserve the right to voice their opinions and thoughts. My responsibility isn’t to agree with each one of them, but to listen and make sure those
  opinions and thoughts are heard. However, this resolution doesn’t include only me, but all of our leadership, whether they are volunteers or Office staff. It is all our responsibility.
• Uphold our core values: We need to continue to strengthen and improve the important core aspects of the Association: Block Booking, educational development opportunities, promoting the link between
  higher education and entertainment, and the importance of interpersonal relationships. We are doing that, but the work is not done! We also must continue to be the experts in our field. There are competitors out there, but, because of our values and rich history, we are the experts in campus activities. We can continue to do this only by being true to who we are and what we believe in. Revising our strategic plan and completing a self-study will ensure that we do this in the future.
• Stay positive and proactive: To be honest, I’ve had a difficult few months as Chair of NACA. I have sometimes struggled to balance my ambitions and goals for NACA with my job at USCA, my family, my personal educational goals and life in general. NACA is facing a series of challenges (the economy, a lawsuit, and continuing leadership issues, to name a few) and I need not to focus on those challenges all the time.
  I need to remember all the great things NACA has offered me as a volunteer and all the opportunities I have received through the Association. I also need to continue to be proactive about things. The first couple of months, I felt I was very forward in my thinking after dealing with some of the details that come with being Chair. However, during the last couple of months, I feel I may have gotten “forced into the weeds,” so to speak. Starting now, I will go back and start thinking instead of reacting. This is a difficult thing for sure, but one that is
  essential as we continue to grow and strengthen the Association.

I hope you, too, will take time this holiday season to take stock of what is important to you, what you are thankful for, and how to be better in the upcoming year. I know I am a better person and professional because of NACA.  As always, feel free to contact me at ahmeds@usca.edu if you have any thoughts or concerns.

See you in 2011!

Diversity: A Message from the NACA Board Chair

Greetings:

This message is being added to this blog as an expression of commitment to members of NACA, as well as every college and university campus. We are cognizant of recent events on college campuses in our nation. In light of these events, I think that it is all the more important that we remember who we are as an Association and our commitment to accepting and expressing differences that bind rather than divide.

Within our Association, we define diversity as an attribute and a goal. As an attribute, diversity is ethnic identification/race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, economic status and the many other aspects of our lives which define the family of humanity. As a goal, diversity refers to the intentional valuing, respecting and inclusion of all peoples. NACA recognizes the diversity of all its members and supports the development and implementation of programs and services that achieve this goal.

In recognizing diversity within the family of humanity and the family of NACA, I am sharing our Association’s statement regarding diversity with each of you.

We are one,
 
Ahmed Samaha
Chair, NACA Board of Directors

 

NACA Definition of Diversity
Diversity is an attribute and a goal. As an attribute, diversity is ethnic identification/race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, economic status and the many other aspects of our lives which define the family of humanity. As a goal, diversity refers to the intentional valuing, respecting and inclusion of all peoples. NACA recognizes the diversity of all its members and supports the development and implementation of programs and services that achieve this goal.

NACA Non-Discrimination, Diversity Advancement and Affirmative Action Principles
NACA is committed to advancing diversity development and the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action through its respective programs, services and volunteer involvement. To ensure compliance with the principles, the Association:

• Will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, ethnic background, or disability in any of its policies, procedures, or practices;
• Will promote vigorous efforts to enhance, develop, and increase a diverse volunteer pool in all areas of the Association;
• Will actively promote diversity in its programs and services;
• Will expect all volunteers and NACA Office staff to consistently display a sensitivity to diversity and the principles of affirmative action;
• Will promote the importance of eliminating discriminatory and/or culturally insensitive language, behavior, and content from NACA-sponsored activities and will urge all members and guests of the Association to cooperate in this effort. There is no intent to support censorship. The purpose is to induce thought and advance planning in an effort to ensure that showcase performances, Campus Activities Marketplace displays, educational sessions, and other NACA-sponsored activities reflect appropriate diversity and sensitivity in their plans and actions.

Fall Conference Season & NACA International Initiatives

Here’s my second installment of the video blog posts. In this video, I cover a few international initiatives that NACA is working on, as well as talk about the upcoming NACA fall Conferences. Feel free to post any comments you have or send me a message via twitter at @nacaboardchair. I look forward to hearing from you!

Social Media: Friend and Foe!

One of the many things I am learning as Chair of the NACA Board of Directors is how I can use social media to help me communicate more effectively, not only within the Association, but also on my own campus and with friends, family and other colleagues. I am beginning to understand the power of social media, but also its limitations.

Let me begin by discussing the different and exciting ways I, with the help of Dawn Thomas and Chris Neiger in the NACA Office, am planning to use social media to communicate with our Association membership, as well as others within the world of higher education and entertainment. Over the course of the last couple months, we have started this blog, which features my monthly “Message from the Chair” columns and invites others to discuss the topics and ideas within them. In September, we added video to the blog, which also focused on my monthly column. I will be filming a new segment each month, which will create another avenue through which we can have conversations about NACA.

Perhaps the most interesting part of our social media efforts is my growing involvement with Twitter. I am not completely convinced that Twitter is not a fad, but it has become one of the fastest growing applications during the last two years and we felt we should take advantage of its potential to inform our members and others about NACA. Once a month, I will be hosting a Twitter chat, which will be an exciting opportunity to talk about issues important to our members and allow me to be more accessible to our membership. I will also have two tweetups in the coming months. One will be at the Northeast Regional Conference and the other one will be at the National Convention. Look for more information about them in the future.

While social media is great, I cannot honestly say I have completely embraced it. In fact, I have some reservations about how effective social media can be with regard to building relationships and improving communication among people. For example, I struggle with Tweeting within 140 characters. I know I am a little wordy, but 140 characters? That is not a conversation, but rather blasts of thoughts and ideas. It is way too easy for me to leave out important (or at least what I think is important) information and not express myself well because I am trying to keep it within the character limit.

Plus, what is the difference between tweets on Twitter and Facebook status updates? Fellow board member Brian LeDuc, who is a social media whiz, has tried to explain it to me, but I just don’t get it. Also, I think people are less accountable for what they say and how they say it through the new avenues of social media. I call it “Facebook courage” when people think they can mock someone, post rumors or be rude without having to take responsibility for it. It has become too easy to spread misinformation on the Internet through the various applications available.

Social media have also decreased the importance of having long and in-depth conversations and relationships with others.

Lastly, it takes quite a bit of time sitting behind a computer or on a smartphone to be an active and positive participant in the social media world, and that is time I often would rather spend talking to people the old-fashioned way—face to face.

I imagine I am sounding pretty old-fashioned myself to many of our members and I guess, in some ways, I am. Being Chair of the NACA Board of Directors has forced me to, if not embrace, at least appreciate the positive aspects of social media. There are so many ways for information to be shared and so many ways new connections can be made through social media that we, as an Association, must take advantage of it.

I cannot emphasize enough how much Dawn and Chris have contributed to moving the Association forward in the areas of technology and social media. I want to thank them for their patience and expertise, because they have done a great job of teaching me a little bit about the many different facets of social media. Without their constant ideas and encouragement, the Association would not have made the progress in implementing social media that we have during the past few months. While we might be a little late jumping on the “train,” we are definitely “rolling” now. I think we are moving NACA into an exciting new era, one in which we take advantage of the many different components of social media and other technology to improve our communication, as well as our services and programs. I can’t wait to see what I might be doing next on the computer to help advance NACA’s ideas and mission!

I encourage you to communicate with me via Twitter, Facebook, this blog, e-mail, or the good old-fashioned way by picking up the phone. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy the fall regional conference season!

Please follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nacaboardchair.

First NACA Chair Video Blog Post

Each month, I’ll be adding a new video post to the blog about current NACA happenings. This is the first of these video posts. Feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments or message me on Twitter @nacaboardchair.

Our Side of the Story

On behalf of the NACA Board of Directors, I would like to express NACA’s position regarding the lawsuit filed against NACA by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA), owned by Eric Lambert, and Cameo Publications, publisher of Campus Activities Magazine, owned by W.C. Kirby. Since the suit was filed in August 2008, we have been reticent to issue public statements about it, preferring that it be dealt with by the courts and the legal system. However, APCA and Cameo have distributed inaccurate and misleading information about NACA and the suit in other public forums, so we believe it necessary to clarify our position. I will not delve into many specific legal points, but simply explain our position.

The suit is addressed to Dr. Jon Dooley of Marquette University (Chair of the NACA Board in 2008), Executive Director Alan Davis, several NACA staff members who deal with publications and the Web, Sonicbids, and Campus Entertainment’s (CE) partners, TRP Marketing and Mark Hall. NACA chose to respond assertively to the suit, and did so by countersuing, for two primary reasons:

First, a cornerstone of APCA’s and Cameo’s suit is based on infringement of trademarks that NACA had been using for decades before APCA and Cameo even came into existence.

Second, if successful, the opposing parties would have caused the closure of NACA. The monetary demands stated in the lawsuit could amount to as much as $6 million, effectively closing NACA’s doors. We believe the intent of the suit is to cripple or destroy NACA. It is important our members realize that when the NACA Board of Directors decided to fight back against the illegitimate charges levied by APCA and Cameo, they did so to protect the Association; the alternative to fighting the suit was NACA’s termination.

The main emphasis of their case is that NACA, through developing partnerships with other entities (Sonicbids, CE), enhancing advertising opportunities, reaching out to non-traditional colleges and universities (specifically Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and engaging in other activities designed to enhance NACA’s membership value, conspired to cause injury to them and develop a monopoly in the collegiate marketplace. Their focus is on NACA’s use of the Web/Internet and the establishment of external relationships by NACA, so much of the current litigation involves trademarks and copyright issues. I can assure you, as can past Board members, that conspiring against those parties was not, and is not, part of the NACA Strategic Plan, a plan that is publicly vetted and distributed. NACA’s leadership concentrates on improving our services—not attempting to injure other parties.

There are many competitors today that cover certain aspects of what NACA provides. To engage in efforts to injure them would be counterproductive and contrary to NACA principles. NACA is the leader in student affairs and activities in higher education, as evidenced by our involvement with the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS), the Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA), the Student Affairs Higher Education Consortium (SAHEC), BMI, the NBC Stand Up for Diversity Program, and other higher education and entertainment organizations. It is our goal to build relationships, not destroy or injure other parties. We partner with NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators), ACPA (American College Personnel Association), and many other higher education associations in an effort to advance student affairs and activities.

I do want to make this legal point: the Cameo website last fall alleged that, if NACA wins the suit, the phrase “campus activities” could not be used by any school without NACA approval. That is false or, at best, grossly misleading —it has no basis in law and could not be enforced even if NACA desired it so—which, of course, we do not. NACA has never attempted to stop any school from using “campus activities” in the generic sense of the phrase. That would be akin to Apple Computer, Inc., which uses “Apple” as a trademark to sell computers, trying to stop others from using the word “apple” to sell the fruit. Cameo and APCA would like everyone to believe NACA is trying to do something like that, but it simply is not true. NACA has used “Campus Activities” in its name and in regard to its magazine and programmatic services for decades. That is what NACA will continue to do; NACA will never stop a school from having a “Department of Campus Activities.” That, however, is the only legal point I will touch on. I do not have space here to argue the legal differences between NACA and opposing parties.

Members have questioned whether the cost of defending NACA has impacted their dues. The answer is no. Our dues increases have been minimal and are not related to the litigation.

I believe it is sad and unfortunate the opposing parties opted to engage in legal claims, costing many dollars and hours of resources from all parties, instead of simply reaching out to NACA leadership to resolve any differences or confusion; our leadership, volunteers or office staff would have been more than willing to talk with them. Neither Mr. Lambert nor Mr. Kirby contacted NACA or offered to meet with us. Instead of reaching out to Dr. Jon Dooley, our Chair of the Board in 2008, they named him in the lawsuit.

It is interesting that the opposing parties accuse NACA of attempting to build a monopoly in the campus marketplace. They allege that NACA is engaged in a conspiracy to monopolize the collegiate marketplace. That is, of course, not true. In fact, NACA has never pressured members, sponsors, or advertisers to choose between NACA and other entities with which to do business. The “conspiracy” just doesn’t exist, either within NACA or with other entities with which we share relationships.

The lawsuit enters its third year soon, primarily because APCA and Cameo continue to miss deadlines and request extensions of time. On behalf of NACA’s Board of Directors, I assure you we intend to continue to protect the Association, no matter how long it takes. Failure in this effort will result in the elimination of NACA and all the services it provides to school and associate members. Conferences and Conventions, publications and website offerings, professional development, showcasing and the campus marketplace are subject to elimination if APCA and Cameo win their illegitimate suit; that is why it is imperative that NACA defend itself.

We plan to do so vigorously.

(This post was originally published in the September 2010 issue of Campus Activities Programming™ magazine)