March 2013
tacac’s vision statement
TACAC develops professionals committed to providing the highest quality counseling to ensure
students’ access to and persistence through post-secondary education.
President’s Message
In the last newsletter, I noted this spring was
indeed going to be a busy one for TACAC
and our leaders, and as expected, it has
been.
Beyond the great opportunities and
events occurring this spring and summer, I
want to highlight a few important events:
Winter Board Retreat
In January, the Executive Board used our Winter
Board Retreat to think critically about where we
were now as an organization and where we
wanted to be in the future. Two days of great
conversations and planning helped produce a
new and refined vision for TACAC – as seen
above.
Using this as our “North Star,” we
committed to making immediate and future
decisions with this vision in mind – how to best
ensure we develop professionals to do their
jobs as best as possible in the service of their
students and families. Major kudos and thanks
to your leaders for committing themselves to
this important endeavor and taking a stand to
make it happen!
Ad Hoc Committee | Executive Board Restructuring
From the Executive Board Meeting, one of
the charges and requests presented to me
to streamline and make the Executive Board
more functional and effective itself. Therefore,
an Ad Hoc Committee was created to do just
this. In the coming weeks and at the TACAC
state conference, we will be sharing the new
structures and systems we are planning to
implement later this spring under the leadership
of your President-Elect, Justin Doty. I could
not be more proud and thankful of the work of
both the committee members and Justin as we
continue to make TACAC even stronger.
TACAC Storms Capitol Hill
Under the planning and leadership of Kenneth
Bordelon, our TACAC Government Relations
Chair, Justin, Kenneth and I met with
congressional aides of 9 Texas U.S. Senators
and Representatives on Monday, March 4th at
NACAC’s official Hill Day visit. While many of the
folks we met with are supporters and advocates
of our work, several of our legislators and in
particular, their aides, were made aware of the
legislative priorities we were looking to have
included in this legislative session. Major shoutout to Kenneth for making our presence known in
our nation’s capital!
As I officially turn over the reins of the President
role to Justin Doty at next month’s state
conference, know I remain honored and humbled
to have been given the privilege to serve you and
the organization. I am looking forward to seeing
many of you and “Shaking Things Up” in San
Antonio next month at the state conference and
thanking you personally for all you do to serve
our profession!
I would like to reiterate a request I made in
the previous newsletter. I hope you will commit
yourself to doing at least one TACAC-related
event this coming spring and summer:
With much appreciation!
Advocacy in Action
Write, email and advocate for the issues you
believe in and ones that will help our students
and families to the Texas State Legislature.
NACAC/TACAC College Fairs
Attend, as well as have your students attend the
NACAC College Fairs in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth
and Houston the week of April 8-12 and the
TACAC sponsored College Fair in San Antonio on
Wednesday, April 10th.
Donald Kamentz
YES Prep Public Schools
[email protected]
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
TACAC State Conference
Attend the 33rd Annual TACAC State Conference
being held in San Antonio from Sunday-Tuesday,
April 21-23.
ACCI
Encourage and support your colleagues in
attending the Admissions and College Counseling
Institute being held at St. Edward’s University
from Sunday-Thursday, July 21-25.
treasurer’s report
membership news
government relations
upcoming events
committee updates
meet the 2013 officer and delegate candidates
{details, page 7 }
membership
prepared by: diana mcafee, tacac
treasurer’s report
prepared by: amanda kisselle (austin college), tacac treasurer
membership report
1,564
Regular, Active
25
Honorary/Complimentary
Expenses
Account Name
Executive Committee
Executive Assistant
Budgeted
Actual
remaining
5,000
5,133
(133)
27,967
16,041
11,926
1,476
774
684
College/University Members
Treasurer
2,250
38
2-Year Institution Members
Human Relations
5,500
-
5,500
698
Secondary School Members
Government Relations
1,500
-
1,500
62
Independent Counselors
Membership
1,100
838
263
62
Foundation/Organization Members
Mentorship
1,500
1,412
88
6
Company Members
Nominations and Awards
11
Retired Members
Professional Development
2
Student Associate Members
Annual Conference
550
-
550
2,500
-
2,500
125,000
5,985
119,015
ACCI
2,500
1,483
1,017
4,585
4,415
923
From Public Institutions
Information Support Services
9,000
493
From Private Institutions
Camp College
8,000
62
From Not-for-Profit Organizations
NACAC College Fairs
3,000
69
From For-Profit Organizations
Transfer of Funds
703
-
703
Leadership Development Inst.
500
-
500
2012-2013 Totals
$ 196,570
notables
MYRA GONZALEz (Texas A&M) is now the Director
of a newly proposed Master’s program in
the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M
University. She will be involved in graduate
student recruitment and admission.
(Texas State) has been
appointed to the Standing Committee on
Government Relations for NACAC, effective
next October for a three-year term.
KENNETH BORDELON
June giddings (Houston A+ Challenge) has
been appointed to the Standing Committee
on National College Fairs for NACAC, effective
next October for a three year term. Her
expertise, talent and commitment led to her
selection.
Do you have noteworthly news to share with us?
please feel free to e-mail Carol Wasden,
TACAC Membership committee chair at:
[email protected]
don’t miss out on updates,
event details, and news
about our profession!
www.tacac.org
-
8,000
961
2,039
$ 37,913
$ 158,657
20
8
(12)
47,550
46,517
(1,033)
Income
Interest
Membership Dues
Annual Conference
130,000
32,535
(97,465)
ACCI
3,500
2,241
(1,259)
Leadership Development Inst
1,500
-
(1,500)
NACAC Grants
1,000
-
(1,000)
13,000
-
(13,000)
NACAC College Fairs
2012-2013 Totals
$ 196,570
$ 81,301
($ 115,269)
Account Balances
TACAC General Checking
126,852.31
ACCI
23,427.11
Bank of American Investment
19,390.19
DWS Investment
99,073.54
2012-2013 Totals
$ 268,743
all balances as of January 31, 2013
in this issue | membership spotlight : Erika
Delgado Scott
PROGRAM MANAGER | ADVISE TEXAS | TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
{ page 3 }
2013 national college fairs
3rd Biennial
Austin Lobby Day
On February, 6th, TACAC members
met in Austin to promote our legislative priorities. A huge thank you to
the members who participated in this
important event!
member spotlight
get to know the tacac family!
Meet ERIKA DELGADO SCOTT
program manager, advise tx college advising corps
texas a&m university
Number of years in TACAC: 3
Why are you a member of TACAC?
I worked in Admissions and College
Counseling at the beginning of my career
and was a member of NACAC while working
in California, but was not involved in a
regional/statewide professional organization.
Now that I have settled in Texas and have
worked in College Access for the past three
years, it has become important to me to be
part of an organization that represents and
supports the work I do every day. I was an
ACCI participant and have attended TACAC
conferences for the past few years; I always
learn so much and meet so many great
people who are passionate about the many
issues and opportunities surrounding college
admissions. In addition, I am hoping to
become more involved in giving of my time
for the many efforts sponsored and lead by
TACAC and its membership.
What TACAC programs have you taken advantage of,
and why?
The Annual conferences. This is the best
time for me to reconnect with the many
talented and dynamic professionals doing
great work in this field and become more
informed about the current issues and best
practices. It is the perfect venue to sharpen
my practitioner scholar skills in order to take
back to my staff tools and resources that will
help them truly serve the young people of
Texas with the best of what higher education
has to offer.
What impact does TACAC have on your professional life?
Most recently, a few of my staff members
were selected as Fellows for the national
conference; the greatest impact TACAC has in
my professional life right now, is providing these
types of opportunities to new and rising young
professionals. Becoming involved in TACAC for
my staff members will undoubtedly make an
impact not only on the services they provide
the students with whom they work, but it will
positively influence their own career explorations.
How does your being a member of TACAC help the
students you serve?
TACAC provides numerous opportunities and
resources to support practitioners in the work
they do. TACAC creates environments and
venues through which we can not only share
current ideas and best practices, but more
importantly, challenge each other and create
new ideas for the continuous improvement of
the services we provide to our students. TACAC
helps to keep me current!
Any additional thoughts you’d like to add?
Becoming involved in an organization like TACAC
can lead professionals to positive outcomes and
learning opportunities. And volunteering on a
committee is the best way to get connected and
meet new people. I look forward to many more
years with TACAC!
21-23, 2013
33rd annual tacac conference | april
san antonio, tx
the conference will include:
5th annual golf tournament
pre-conference professional development
workshops
conference sessions covering
hot topics & important updates for our profession
community-outreach service project
NACAC imagine fund raffle
2013-2014 executive board announced
counselor card swap
and the always exciting conference social!
This year’s conference is to be held at the Crowne Plaza
Riverwalk San Antonio April 21-23. We are thrilled to be able
to be in the city during San Antonio’s Fiesta!
Conference Rates are: $195 for TACAC members and $230
for non-members. Registration for Local Counselors’ Day
(Monday) is $80.
Rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza (888.623.2800)
find more helpful information and
register online at:
http://www.tacac.org/annual-conference
2013 Fellows Progam:
Thank you to all who nominated and applied for this year’s
TACAC Fellows Program. We received forty-eight (48) total
applications and nominations. Our committee of readers
had the difficult task of selecting ten (10) from the many
outstanding candidate submissions.
Congratulations to our 2013 TACAC Fellows!
Erin Ciceri
Advise TX College Advisor, Charles H. Milby High School (Houston)
Elizabeth Pasillas
Post Secondary Preparedness Counselor, Clint ISD (El Paso)
Clara Ramirez
Advise TX College Advisor, John Tyler High School (Tyler)
Kelly Rivera
Admissions Representative, Lamar University (Beaumont)
Joseph Sanchez
Head High School Counselor, Coronado High School (El Paso)
Tony Sarda
Regional Admissions Representative, Lamar University (Houston)
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about the conference, please
contact one of the conferencep planning committee
members:
Diana McAfee, Registration Chair
Angelica Melendez, Conference Coordinator
Justin Doty, Conference Chair
Heath Einstein, Exhibitor & Sponsor Chair
Myra Fuentes, Volunteer Chair
Monica Lopez, Fellows Program Chair
Brittney Toliver
Admissions Advisor, Texas State Technical College-Ft. Bend (Richmond)
Yiechia Warren
Advise TX College Advisor, Brazosport High School (Freeport)
Terra Lynn Williams
Advise TX College Advisor, C.E. King High School (Houston)
Jill Willis
Guidance Counselor, DaVinci School for Science and the Arts (El Paso)
Please help us in congratulating and welcoming these
recipients to the 2013 Conference in San Antonio!
33rd annual tacac conference | { continued }
Silent Raffle
The Silent Raffle team is still
securing items. Funds raised will
benefit both the TACAC Fund and
the NACAC Imagine Fund which
helps further the cause across
our nation by providing financial
support for additional professional
development opportunities and
student outreach programs.
We are looking for members
who are willing to donate unique
raffle items and for universities
to donate spirit baskets. Items
are tax deductible. If you are
interested in donating items,
please email Tiffani Hoot at:
[email protected].
professional
development
We hope you’ll plan to participate in the
Do you have any composition books,
scantrons or writing utensils you can
donate?
The Access Fair will combine postsecondary representatives and
community based organizations during
what was formerly known as the Card
Swap. The addition of CBO’s will add a
great new dynamic to this event!
If so, make sure to include those
items in your bags for travel. If
not, our service project benefitting
the San Antonio Immigrant Youth
Movement will have a college
bookstore available where you can
purchase items for donation.
High School Counselors
In addition, you will also have an
opportunity to write your words
of encouragement for immigrant
students who DREAM big!
Find more information and register
Plan to Support this Year’s
Community Service Project
Access Fair
You’ll have the opportunities
to tour four San Antonio Area
Universities while in town!
www.tacac.org
2013 san antonio college fair
first annual san antonio college fair sponsored by TACAC - April 10, 2013
The Professional Development Committee has been
very busy. We have conducted Drive-in Workshops
for High School Counselors all over Texas (Austin, Ft.
Worth, Dallas and Abilene).
We would like to give special thanks to Charlotte
Winkelmann, Angelica Melendez, Abby Noel, Elisabeth
Jones, Veronica Adams, Christine Curtis-Carr and Will
Medina for organizing these great events that have
helped hundreds of professionals all over Texas!
In addition, the wheels are turning and we are looking
at developing a Middle Management Institute. Think
of it as a 5 Year Reunion for ACCI attendees that
are transitioning from ground-pounder to strategic
enrollment manager! We will be conducting a Hot
Topic Session during the annual TACAC Conference
in San Antonio. Please join us as we plan to add
another professional development opportunity for our
members!
We hope you have been enjoying the monthly PD
If you have articles you would like to submit
for us to add to the bulletin, please email us! We
look forward to a great Texas ACAC Conference in San
Antonio. We hope to see you there!
Bulletin.
THIS UPDATE PROVIDED BY TACAC Professional Co-Chairs:
Mickey Saloma | SMU Lyle School of Engineering
[email protected]
Courtney Skerritt | The Hockaday School
[email protected]
Update: Registration for College Representatives to attend this event has now closed!
We are looking to a successful first annual event!
acci 2013
Planning is already underway for TACAC’s summer
Admission & College Counseling Institute
for new and experienced secondary school counselors
and college admission counselors with less than a
year’s experience. The Institute will be held at:
St. Edward’s University (Austin)
July 22-25, 2013.
Register today at:
www.tacac.org/acci
help lead acci in 2014-2016!
TACAC is currently seeking nominations for the Curriculum
Chairs for the Admission and College Counseling Institute
2014-2016. One higher education and one secondary
faculty chair are needed. Each chair will serve for three
consecutive years and will be required to shadow the current
chairs at the 2013 ACCI held at St. Edward’s University.
ACCI Curriculum Chair Expectations:
• 10 years experience in secondary and/or higher education
• Be an active member of TACAC
• Serve for three consecutive years, and serve in transition to
new chair in the fourth year.
Primary Responsibilities:
• Create training curriculum for new professionals with
emphasis on college counseling and best practices.
• Execute successful training sessions for audience of 50-120.
40 LPC credit hours are offered for this Institute.
• Select, train, and coordinate Institute faculty and staff.
• Attend 3-4 meetings as needed throughout the year.
• Coordinate training documents and materials based on the
timeline established by the ACCI Team.
• Reside onsite for entire Institute during all years you are
the Chairs, as well as the preceding year.
• Remain innovative and abreast of industry and technology
standards and advancements.
To apply, please submit the following:
1. Online ACCI Curriculum Chair Application
http://bit.ly/XnlCTw
2. Professional vitae or Resume
3. Three professional references
4. A portfolio or listing of completed professional
presentations or research completed
Submit materials by Friday, March 29, 2013 to:
Marisol M. Scheer
University of the Incarnate Word – UIW Online
4301 Broadway, CPO 324
San Antonio, TX 78209
Questions about this position? Contact current Faculty Chairs:
Carol Wasden ([email protected]) – Secondary
Wes Waggoner ([email protected]) – Higher Ed
camp college
Call for 2014-2017 Host Instutions
TACAC is looking for two institutions that would be willing to
host Camp College for two out of the next four years, i.e.,
one year on and then next one off. Essentially, we are asking for
one institution to host in 2014 and 2016, and another institution
to host in 2015 and 2017.
The purpose of Camp College is to host 100-120 rising high
to teach them about the college
admission and financial aid processes.
school juniors and seniors
Approximately 45 college admission professionals (from both
the high school side and the college admission side) volunteer as
“Mentors” to spend three days with the students covering topics
such as “How to Select a College,” “How to Obtain Financial Aid,”
“How to Write College Essays,” and “How College Applications
are Assessed.”
Students and Mentors will be expected to stay in the dorms of
the host institution, eat in the dining facilities, access computer
labs, and participate in night-time activities hosted in various
facilities throughout the campus such as rec centers or gyms
to fully experience college life. While Camp College is designed
primarily to be a service for underrepresented college-bound
students from the around the state, Camp College will work
with the host institution to ensure that the investment will be
mutually beneficial for the students and the host institution. This
opportunity is a meaningful way for universities to showcase
their campus amenities and resources to potential students and
perform a much needed community service simultaneously.
Recently, Camp College has moved to a format requiring
Mentors to arrive prior to the start of Camp College for training
purposes. Subsequently, the duration of the actual program
will be three nights for students. Also, in order to avoid
scheduling conflicts, Camp College is traditionally held in the
month of June.
While TACAC will provide funding for round-trip bus transportation
from various major metropolitan areas, the host institution is
expected to underwrite all of the on-campus expenses of Camp
College. If cost is a concern, a format of two nights for students
could be explored.
If your institution would like to host, please complete the
Camp College Host Institution Application for 2014 & 2016
and 2015 & 2017 by April 10, 2013.
http://bit.ly/YE6b8X
If you have any questions, please contact Jordan Sass at
[email protected] or Mike Marshall at [email protected]
GET TO KNOW YOUR 2013 TACAC CANDIDATEs
Carol Wasden, Director of College Counseling, The Hockaday School
President-Elect
How have you been involved in TACAC?
What does TACAC mean to you?
I believe TACAC should be the first
resource we all turn to when we have
questions about how to do our jobs better.
Our members have an incredible wealth of
knowledge, and we are all stronger when
we work together. I actively encourage
TACAC members to join committees,
present at conferences, and find other
opportunities to grow professionally, and I
frequently reach out to colleagues for their
guidance in my own work. I’m grateful for
the TACAC community!
I’m not a Texas native, but I got here as
fast as I could! I joined TACAC immediately
when I moved to Dallas in 2007, and that
first year I presented at the Dallas DriveIn Workshop. Since then, I have been the
Secondary Curriculum Chair for ACCI and
was instrumental in creating the ACCI
pre-conference workshop to extend the
professional development experience for
our attendees. As the Membership Co-Chair,
I have profiled multiple TACAC members in
our newsletters and increased the number
of out-of-state members. I have presented
at the annual conference every year since
2009. I have coordinated a Dallas DriveIn Workshop, served as a member of the
Communications committee, volunteered
at Camp College, volunteered at the DFW
NACAC Fairs, and volunteered at multiple
conferences. I have attended multiple
LDIs and the HEART series workshop, and
I currently serve as a mentor.
What are your goals for this position?
To be as effective as possible, we as
professionals must be well-educated about
all aspects of our jobs, from promoting a
college-going culture to understanding
financial aid processes to knowing how
technology can serve us better. The work
we do is as complicated as the students
and parents we serve. As President, I
hope to grow the excellent programming
TACAC already provides by bringing more
professional development opportunities to
more corners of the state and to create
an open and ongoing problem-solving
and philosophical conversation among our
members. I’m thankful for all that TACAC
has given me, and I want to develop even
more tools that will support our members
in the important work they do.
GET TO KNOW YOUR 2013 nACAC Delegate CANDIDATEs
Nelson Delgado, Acting Director of Undergraduate Admission, St. Mary’s University
delegate, college/university
What does TACAC mean to you?
How have you been involved in TACAC?
I have been involved in TACAC as a member
of the organization, and I have participated
in the yearly conferences as well as assisted
with local event planning.
TACAC to me is a very important
organization. It is one in which professional
colleagues from secondary institutions
get to interact with members of higher
education institutions. The exchange
of innovative ideas and proposals
for changing policies occur thanks to
organizations like TACAC. There is no
better way to understand the concerns
of the students we all serve than to have
an organization like TACAC as a common
body. This organization sets standards that
are followed by our institutions in order to
provide the best educational experience
for our students.
What are your goals for this position?
As a delegate for TACAC, my main
goal is to learn the different concerns
regarding our educational system, as well
as research opportunities for solutions
to problems faced by our college bound
student population.
GET TO KNOW YOUR 2013 nACAC Delegate CANDIDATEs
Chris Blackwell, College Placement Counselor, Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
delegate, secondary
How have you been involved in TACAC?
What does TACAC mean to you?
TACAC is an organization made up of
passionate and motivated members with
needs that are very specific to our state. It
consists of people who operate in a variety
of different contexts but who all care about
the students with whom they work. I am
fortunate to be a part of such an amazing
group of compassionate individuals who
share the goal of improving the lives of
their students through post-secondary
education. I would proudly “flip” to
represent you as the NACAC delegate for
our Texas ACAC.
I still remember my first TACAC conference
as a brand new admission counselor for
Saint Louis University, heading all the way
down to Corpus Christi in 2006. I had just
finished my first year “on the road”, didn’t
really know what a state ACAC was, and
had been so focused on recruiting students
that I hadn’t tried to develop relationships
with my colleagues in Texas. As soon as
I stepped off the airplane, I was greeted
by familiar faces and also welcomed by
complete strangers. As an out-of-state
guy looking to learn from the wealth of
resources available as a member of TACAC,
I quickly found this group was something
special. Affectionately known by most as
“the guy who does the back flip”, I joined
the Conference Planning Committee that
spring and helped coordinate volunteers
from an office in St. Louis; the following
year, though I had been relocated to
Chicago, I retained my TACAC membership
and my committee responsibilities.
My first year actually living in Texas, I
helped coordinate the First-Timers session,
enthusiastically introducing new members
to the opportunities within the organization.
Every year I look forward to seeing fellow
Texans at the NACAC conference and again
in the spring at our annual event.
What are your goals for this position?
As a NACAC delegate, I plan to represent
Texas’ interests in the National Assembly
by staying educated on the topics most
important to our state. I will also bring
back to our organization the information
discussed and voted upon in the Assembly
to adequately inform our members about
these matters and how it pertains to them.
J.B. Jones, Counselor, Rockwall Heath High School
delegate, secondary
How have you been involved in TACAC?
What does TACAC mean to you?
Opportunity and growth – personally and
professionally
Shared opportunities and a way to connect
with others who have same passions and
determination I have for helping students.
Officially, I have been a TACAC member
since I became a high school Counselor in
2005; however, I have been more active
since 2007 participating in NACAC and
TACAC webinars, attending TACAC Drive-In
Workshops, and responding to colleagues
requests for information. It is important to
be partnered with each other to find the
BEST options for our students throughout
high school and middle school.
Understanding the changing climate for
post-secondary opportunities is similar to
the Wells Fargo commercial of “herding
cats” – still love that symbolism because it
so very well defines my tasks to connect
students to their best options.
What are your goals for this position?
I need to find out more on the options
available for my students and all our
students. We are in this together and
Representing TACAC at NACAC events
is a great way to broaden my access to
opportunities, and to share what I find.
I also need to be able to connect parents
to all the options and the process steps
to attain those options for our students
without the parents over-obsessing. The
resources – the interactions of memvbers
– the breadth of experience I can interact
with more easily will alow me to spread
the word on aspects I cannot grasp at the
moment.
so many ways to
YOUR
VOTE
COUNTS.
stay connected
volunteer on a tacac committee
browse the professional
development monthly e-mail
attend a mentorship
h.e.a.r.t. series event
attend ACCI or LDI
volunteer at camp college
and don’t forget to
join us April 21-23 2013
33rd Annual TACAC Conference
Voting will open next Monday, March 25
{All voting will be done online.
Members will receive an email with a link to the ballot.}
ballots will close Sunday night, April 21
2012
2013
TACAC OFFICERS
Donald Kamentz, YES Prep Public Schools
president/chief delegate
Justin Doty, Trinity University
president-elect/college delegate
Ray Brown, Texas Christian University
past-president
announcements regarding the
2013 election results will be made at the
annual conference in san antonio!
Kim West, Rockwall ISD
SECRETARY
Amanda Kisselle, Austin College
treasurer
Diana McAfee, TACAC
executive assistant