Through a hazey chocolate hangover I write
to you this Easter Monday, at the end of the annual Executive/Working Party
Planning Conference. To the left of me is some dude from Melbourne named
Nathan- he is drinking red bull and typing furiously. Behind him is a window
and outside of that is a mag-nifffff-ee-cent sunny day... We're in Perth, we're
in Trinity and we're in love. NAAUC is coming... I am that excited.
So far our weekend has gone really well! The working party are all excellent
dudes; intensely committed to their conference. 'Seize the Day - Take the Lead'
- our 2008 Annual Conference - is evolving from a concept to a proper noun in
itself. The meat of the Conference has been finished for a while- we have our
speakers, we have the parties, we've booked stuff. What remains is a 'to do
list' of those little jobs that will take our conference to a 40th-Anniversary
Conference standard. Stay tuned for a pre-conference kit to blow your mind:)
P.S. - check it out - I'm writing a blog! From our NEW website! I am proud as
punch. We're finally seeing the rewards for the hard work of the last 3-odd
NAAUC Executives (this thing was being planned back in 2004!) At this point I'd
like to say thank you very much to all those who've worked so hard over the
years to make this website happen- and to Matt Bock (2008 IT Officer) who put
in a tremendous amount of time and effort to get us over the line in the past
few months. I hope you guys agree that it looks awesome- the content is
developing every day so make sure you keep checking it out!
And beyond the website, I have been privileged to do a lot of touring in the
past few months, visiting colleges and halls around Australia. Beginning with
Queen's (Uni Melb) for changeover in September, we've visited heaps! At the
University of Melbourne I've been to the other Trinity, International House and
Medley Hall (NAAUC speaking to 11 colleges in late 07); I went to AHAUCHI in
Brisbane (and got to hang out at Emmanuel); at La Trobe University we've been
to Glen, Menzies and Chisholm; I stayed at Sunbury Hall at the Univeristy of
Victoria (for the AACA Conference in 2007); Edwards Hall in Newcastle; Burton
& Garran hall at ANU (speaking to all the ANU homies in February) and
Flinders University Hall in Adelaide just before O-Week. NAAUC has visited
these places delivering Professional Development Seminars- bringing new ideas
and advice to student committees such that they can go away and put on an
awesome show for their residents. If you're keen to get us at your college or
hall, send an email to our Vice Prez, Nathan Eva, at vp@naauc.edu.au.
MEMBERSHIP!!!! My last point of selling stuff. We sent out membership brochures
and forms to every college and hall that one could imagine back around O-Week-
so check your mail box! To get in on our PDS program, sweet-as members content
on the website and the 40th Annual Conference, your college needs to be a
member. Get it inya!
Until next time, NAAUC, I love you.
Dougy (a.k.a. Michael Douglas)
NAAUC President 2008