Board Matters - November 2007

Dear honor society members,

Board Matters was created as a means to keep members and chapters up-to-date on activities occurring at the international level. This column will be a regularly updated on the honor society Web site during the 2007-09 biennium. It will include significant actions taken by the board of directors, as well as updates from the work groups assembled to accomplish the honor society’s strategic goals and Presidential Call to Action.

As you will see in this first Board Matters update, the 2007-09 biennium is off to a busy start! Identifying desired outcomes for the biennium and making appointments to numerous subsidiary boards, advisory councils and task forces were accomplished during the first few months. 

Seven individuals as well as staff, board and regional coordinator liaisons were appointed to each of the three honor society subsidiary boards: the Foundation Board, Nursing Knowledge International Board and Building Corporation Board. The primary charge for the subsidiaries noted below:

• The 2007-09 Foundation Board, chaired by Dr. Marcia Stanhope, supports the honor society through active fundraising and conscientious stewardship.
• The 2007-09 Nursing Knowledge International Board, chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Weiner, serves the knowledge needs of the global nursing community by providing evidence-based knowledge solutions, developed for nurses, by nurses. Solutions are both free and fee-based.
• The 2007-09 Building Corporation Board, chaired by Dr. Ann Marie Brooks, holds title to and oversees the management of real and personal property for the benefit of the honor society.

Approximately 15 additional individuals were appointed to each of the four advisory councils and the 13 task forces already identified for the 2007-09 biennium. Staff, board and regional coordinator liaisons were also appointed to these groups. Significant efforts were made to assure age, ethnic, gender, educational preparation, workplace and geographical diversity in each workgroup. In addition, young and new members were included in all workgroups. The initial advisory councils and task forces for the 2007-09 biennium are noted below:

• The Service Advisory Council, chaired by Dr. Karen Carlson, is exploring the expansion of service contributions by members and chapters.
• The International Service Learning Task Force, chaired by Tamara McKinnon, is exploring the creation of an international service learning model for the honor society.
• The Membership Advisory Council, chaired by Dr. K. Sue Haddock, is examining innovative membership models, exploring alternatives for increasing global membership and reviewing the core values associated with membership in the honor society.
• The Membership Involvement and Retention Task Force, chaired by Katherine Ricossa, is charged with identifying and promoting best practices for membership involvement and retention at the chapter level.
• The Research and Scholarship Advisory Council, chaired by Dr. Clarann Weinert, is exploring strategies for assuring that the quantity, quality and timeliness of the honor society’s knowledge resources is appropriate and that research continues to be an important part of how the honor society achieves its mission.
• The Research and Scholarship Task Force, chaired by Dr. Alyce Schultz, is evaluating the abstract submission, review and acceptance process for the annual International Research Congress and biennial convention.
• The Chapter Leadership and Mentoring Task Force, chaired by Dr. Fay Bower, is identifying best practices in chapter mentoring programs and developing templates for both individual member and new officer mentoring programs at the chapter level.
• The Chief Nursing Officers and Deans Advisory Council, co-chaired by Dr. Jane Kirschling and Jeanette Ives Erickson, is identifying and pursuing strategies for promoting collaboration and synergy between honor society nurse leaders in academe and service globally.
• The International Academic Nursing Alliance, chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Percival, is dedicated to creating an electronic database whereby nursing programs from around the world can pool their educational resources and share curricular content.
• The Virtual Chapter Steering Committee, chaired by Dr. Suzanne Prevost, is exploring the development of virtual chapters within the honor society.
• The Global Advisory Council, chaired by Dr. Karen Morin, is identifying strategies for raising the consciousness about global nursing and health care issues at the chapter and regional level and providing ongoing guidance regarding the global growth of the honor society.
• The Leadership Development Task Force, chaired by Nancy Dickenson-Hazard, is developing curriculum content for leadership development programs.
• The 2008 and 2009 International Research Congress Planning Task Forces, chaired by headquarters’ staff, is reviewing abstract submissions, overseeing program content development, selecting keynote speakers, approving education objectives and creating an orientation plan for volunteers for their respective International Research Congress.
• The 2008 and 2009 International Research Congress On-Site Task Forces, also chaired by headquarters’ staff, is coordinating all on-site activities at their respective International Research Congress.
• The Biennial Convention 2009 Planning Task Force, chaired by headquarters’ staff, is reviewing abstract submissions, overseeing program content development, selecting keynote speakers, approving education objectives and creating an orientation plan for volunteers for the 2009 biennial convention in Indianapolis.

In addition, there are three elected committees: the Governance committee, the Leadership Succession Committee and the Regional Chapter Coordinating Committee. 

• The Governance Committee, chaired by Dr. Linda Cooper, is charged with overseeing bylaws compliance, making recommendations for bylaws changes and overseeing member and chapter eligibility issues.
• The Leadership Succession Committee, chaired by Dr. Carol Picard, prepares the international ballot and proactively addresses ongoing leadership succession needs.
• The Regional Chapter Coordinating Committee, chaired by Jane Allen, is made up of 15 Regional Coordinators, who work together to facilitate the work of chapter leaders by advancing initiatives that meet the needs of chapters and fulfill the honor society’s mission.

The goals established for the 2007-09 biennium are ambitious.  They are also readily achievable; given the expertise and willingness of the over 300 individuals who have already agreed to serve on the current subsidiary boards, committees, advisory councils and task forces.  I thank them in advance for offering their time and talents to achieve these important goals.  Let the work begin!

This column will be used to update their progress during the biennium and to announce new opportunities for service. As always, I invite your input and ideas as we begin this journey together.

Carol J. Huston, RN, MSN, DPA, FAAN

President
Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International