Selecting Delegates

It is suggested a minimum of two delegates represent your college, as it is impossible for an individual to attend even half of the workshops and discussion groups where most information on colleges is accumulated. It is even harder once the delegate returns to college to grasp all the opportunities he/she has been made aware of, as he/she will simply not have the required support. The more residents you send the more opportunities your college will be able the take hold of.

Here are a few suggestions for selecting your delegates:

• If your residence has a student club, the President should take the first place. Presidents have the experience and knowledge of their colleges to utilise the relevant information. They are also in the best position to implement improvements on their return.
• An active and hardworking member of the Student Club (if applicable) who will return to college next year. The committee can elect this representative. If your residence does not have a student club, we recommend any hardworking leader who will return the following year.
• Many colleges send three or more delegates that range from first years to senior tutors.
• Don’t discount previous delegates!

However, all good delegates possess motivation, initiative, discipline, and are outgoing and proactive in attitude.

Many colleges obtain funding from the student club, college administration, the university and through fundraising. To send more delegates, it is becoming increasingly popular for delegates to contribute to their costs.

Send someone who will make a return on the investment that your college will make in sending him or her. It’s going to be a great week, so send great people! If you would like assistance with selection procedures at your college please contact the NAAUC President, Michael Douglas, president@naauc.edu.au.

Why send a returning resident?

When deciding how many delegates to send and selecting individual delegates, keep in mind the benefits of sending a past delegate as a Team Leader, including:

• More information is taken in by all your delegates and more quickly: they are more likely to ask their Team Leader questions than strangers.
• More information is taken in by the particular delegate: they know how the seven days work, what the Association is about, what the executive and working party do, and the format of the conference; these individuals will excel in their appropriation of the academic content.
• Fast-track networking: the Team Leader knows the executive and past delegates and can introduce your delegates to them (networking is a very powerful post conference tool).
• Can co-ordinate your team to get the most out of the conference, directing them in the areas your college needs the most help with.

In return for sending them to the conference, they could:

• Be responsible for compiling the post-conference report;
• Organise a new, community-focused initiative at your college which they take away from the Conference;
• Organise a presentation of the report within a month of semester 2 beginning;
• Help select the other delegates; and
• Co-ordinate the registration and payment of all delegates.