If you are a mid-level professional who is looking for opportunities to build skills and discover strategies to advance your career in higher education, start making plans for this summer! Presented in partnership with ACUHO–I, ACUI, and NIRSA, the 2022 Aspiring Directors Institute is a three-day intensive professional development program, which will be hosted at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from July 12–14.

Why attend?

“The Aspiring Directors Institute connected me with amazing colleagues, instilled greater confidence in me, and provided insights as I take more steps in my professional journey,” says 2021 Aspiring Directors Institute attendee and Associate Director, University Programs & Jaguar Productions, Interim Student Center Director for Facilities at University of South Alabama, James Contratto.

Each day of the three-day Institute will offer curated sessions, in addition to structured opportunities for discussion, meaning making, and relationship building throughout. Join your peers from across student affairs, to learn about relevant trends impacting higher education with a lens of social justice and equity woven throughout explorations of staffing, organizational development, planning, and fiscal management.

Effective supervision of diverse talent benefits from unbiased assessment and thoughtful goal setting; competency development is your key to successfully navigating institutional dynamics to manage resources effectively. Start making your plans to join your cohort of student affairs colleagues, July 12-14 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Learn on your terms

If physical travel isn’t in the cards for you this year, be sure to check out NIRSA Learning for upcoming live online events, to browse on-demand webinars and discussions, and for access to resources and publications tailored for the profession! If you’re a campus recreation professional, you’ll want to bookmark this page to be your new starting point for all of your questions related to campus recreation.

The right mentor can change your career and your life

Another great opportunity to learn and grow is by participating in NIRSA’s Mentor Match program. NIRSA is here to give committed professionals in the field of collegiate recreation a helping hand when it comes to finding a mentor and facilitating that informal knowledge sharing and mental and emotional support.

Mentorships and mentoring help professionals to gain fresh ideas, hone networking and leadership skills, learn more about the profession and professionalism, and even can play a part in facilitating career moves! So, whether you’ve been in the field of campus recreation for thirty years or thirty days, we invite all NIRSA members to join the Mentor Match program today.

  • For more information, contact NIRSA Senior Director, Membership & Programs, Dennis Carpenter.