Blog Post

Updated 9/2/2021: Names and roles noted in this blog post have changed. If you are interested in volunteering at SCUP, please visit the volunteering page to explore available opportunities.

Maya Angelou’s sentiments certainly turned my head with one statement. It’s not just about receiving but turning around and throwing the ball back. It’s continuing the back and forth, the “catch” if you will—the conversations, the collaborations. 

In a previous post, I introduced our SCUP Regional Chairs who lead valuable programming and critical conversations to SCUP’s members at the regional level. In addition to our regional volunteers, SCUP has 150+ volunteers who are discussing critical issues, ideating for new content, and implementing programs for our community.  

We have a professional development committee, led by Ivan Banks of Alcorn State University, tasked with helping SCUP develop a community of learners poised to grow both professionally and personally. And our eight-person academy council governs the work of SCUP’s four planning academies and address topics critical to the success of planning professionals in higher education: institutional direction, academic planning, campus planning, and resource and budget planning. These are all complemented by our annual conference planning committee and the various regional event planning committees.

SCUP’s membership committee, chaired by Michelle Santoro from Skanska USA, aims to unify SCUP’s recruitment efforts providing more opportunities for the higher education community to connect and engage. Our advancement committee, chaired by Elizabeth Tutleman from Temple University, identifies and creates professional growth opportunities for emerging leaders in our community. While our governance and leadership committee cultivates SCUP’s future board leaders, and our finance and audit committee ensures financial sustainability. 

So here’s the ask—it is for you to do your part in the catch. The next time you see one of our amazing volunteer leaders, please take the time to say thank you and start a conversation around what they are doing to help SCUP’s community move forward.