Regional Chair – All Regions

Position Overview

SCUP’s regional councils play a pivotal role in fostering community, collaboration, and leadership development within the organization. By facilitating programmatic exchanges, connecting members, and supporting volunteer and leadership opportunities, these councils advance integrated planning across higher education. Their efforts align with SCUP’s strategic goals of promoting institutional resilience, expanding learning opportunities, and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. In doing so, the councils directly support SCUP’s mission to empower higher education professionals in shaping an inclusive, innovative, and responsive future.

Regional chairs lead their respective regional council in these efforts. In addition, regional chairs serve on a regional chair committee that supports an integrated plan across the organization. One regional chair from the regional chair committee will represent the regional leadership on the SCUP Council.

About Selection

Regional chairs are elected by members of their respective regions.

Committee Structure

Each SCUP Regional Council is composed of a region-specific chair, a community engagement chair, a professional development chair, a sponsor chair, a volunteer chair, and a communications chair.

Responsibilities

SCUP’s regions play a vital role in delivering a diverse array of programs and services to the SCUP community. This is achieved through close collaboration with SCUP staff and regional chairs, which involves:

• Interpreting needs and content issues voiced by members.
• Developing and supporting programs reflecting needed content.
• Facilitating connections and networking opportunities for the SCUP community.
• Creating sponsorship strategies to support the delivery of key programs and services.
• Fostering leadership succession by nurturing potential leaders for regional councils and other SCUP leadership opportunities.
• Implementing programming and processes guided by SCUP Board policies.
• Ensuring opportunities for volunteer activity within regional membership.
• Ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives from our community are equitably represented and integrated into our programs and initiatives.

Benefits

• Opportunities to develop and showcase your leadership, communication, networking, and collaboration skills.
• Access to engage with a diverse range of disciplines and industries across the SCUP community, fostering cross-sector collaboration.
• Increased engagement with the SCUP community and higher education leaders at local, regional, and national levels, enhancing professional relationships.
• Heightened visibility for you and your organization, promoting your work locally, regionally, and nationally.
• Access to exclusive resources, innovative strategies, and opportunities to influence the dynamic needs of higher education.
• Contribute to meaningful initiatives that shape the future of integrated planning in higher education.
• Engagement in a supportive community dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the profession.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Membership in SCUP for four years and a resident of the region to be served (temporary lapses in membership of less than one year are allowed).
• Significant experience in or be actively engaged in higher education.
• Commitment to participate in an orientation plus SCUP council meetings (1-2 face-to-face, plus additional video conference calls as needed).
• Willingness to lead a regional council retreat each year, plus monthly conference calls.
• Demonstrated significant leadership in other ways at the regional level.

Desired Qualifications:

• History of supporting regional activities such as reviewing proposals, supporting the planning and implementation of regional events.
• Insight into the unique aspects that define the SCUP region.
• Experience with organizing volunteer activities and the aptitude for recognizing volunteer potential.

Desired Attributes:

• Commitment to the future of the organization and the capacity to facilitate change.
• Ability to navigate within SCUP’s organizational culture.
• An in-depth understanding of the SCUP Strategic Plan and ability to think strategically.
• An understanding of the interplay between academic, facilities, and resource planning and the power to think systemically.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to dedicate time in service to SCUP.

Time Commitment

• Term: 3 year term, starting on the last day of Annual Conference (usually July) + 6-12 month shadow/onboarding period.
• Volunteer time: 5-11+ hours per month depending on time of year.
  • Regional conference committee meetings – as determined by regional council.
  • Travel: Regional conference 1x per year, SCUP Council 1x per year, annual conference 1x per year, regional retreat 1x per year.
  • Regional chairs are also expected at SCUP’s annual conference at the chair’s expense. Regional chairs have funding to travel to their own regional events.
  • Possible travel: Regional workshop/symposia.

  Training

  • Orientation as directed by SCUP staff
    • Brand
    • BrandCommittee role & chair role
    • BrandCommittee professional development as needed
  • Shadowing Current Leadership
    • Following candidate selection, incoming chair will shadow the current chair up until their official term starts in July (typically a 6-12 month period of time)