Index of Student Presenters - Alpha Chi

Cheatham/Youngblood moved to postpone discussion of the strategic plan until the 2013 meeting, since a new executive
director starts work June 1, 2012. Discussion followed, with some individuals suggesting that the Council needed to discuss the
strategic plan now. Michelson made a friendly amendment that we take this item off the agenda and make it one of the first items the
new executive director pursues. Motion carried.
7. President’s Report. Dr. FitzGerald then began the Report of the President and Executive Committee by commenting that
this was first meeting of the new administration. It will be interesting dealing with both a new President and a new Executive Director.
However, with a strong team effort we will succeed. Last summer the Executive Committee meeting was held in Nashville where it
selected a hotel and discussed plans for the National Convention in 2013. The hotel we chose is beautiful and across the street from
Vanderbilt University. It is also situated near evening activities for our students. Vice President Judy Cheatham and her committee
deserve our thanks for a job well done. This past year a great deal of my time was spent reviewing the applications for Executive
Director. We had many excellent candidates. For several weeks the Search Committee had weekly phone conferences to get the
applications down to a manageable number for interviewing. Once this was accomplished, we narrowed it down to two finalists who
appeared before the 2011 Council at this convention.
In addition I assigned Council members to committee duties, in February attended the Association of College Honor Societies
annual meeting in San Diego, appointed Dr. Michelson to install the new chapter at DeVry University-Cincinnati Metro, asked Dr.
Organ to install the new chapters at Florida College and Dominican University, and appointed myself to install the chapter at New
England Institute of Technology this spring. Thank you for your support over the past year.
8. Executive Director’s Report.
A. General Summary: As Alpha Chi this spring completes its 90th year and embarks on its 91st, the society appears to be
healthy in every important respect. The most telling indicators are a significant increase in member registrations in 2010-2011, a good
start on the 2011-2012 registrations, the approval of four new chapters in this school year, solid financial footing, and an expansion of
member benefits through corporate partners.
B. Membership Registration Report: In 2010-11, Alpha Chi registered a record 12,577 new members, most of who
registered through the online Induction Management System. I credit the 16% increase over the 2009-10 total to the efficiency of the
IMS; students find it easy to use, and some sponsors are able to invite more students than before without the cost of additional labor
and postage. For 2011-12, registrations were the highest for the fall term in Alpha Chi’s history, and I expect the 2011-12 totals to
come close to matching that of last year. In the spring of 2011, the society registered its 400,000th member, a milestone celebrated at
this 2012 super-regional convention.
C. New Chapters: We have enjoyed the best expansion growth in several years. The National Council has approved the
following chapters since last year’s Council meeting: New England Institute of Technology, Rhode Island Gamma; Dominican
University, Illinois Kappa; Florida College, Florida Xi; and DeVry University-Cincinnati Metro, Ohio Theta, which is the 398th
chapter to be approved in Alpha Chi’s history.
D. Financial Status: Since 2008 we have made an annual draw of approximately 5% on the endowment, invested the
amount in a one-year CD, and cashed in the CD to pay for increased convention costs, beginning with the experimental 2010 superregional
convention. This strategy, combined with the membership fee increase in 2010, has allowed us to fund three consecutive
national meetings for which the national office provided substantial travel subsidies for the first time. National and regional
investment in these conventions amounts to a grant of approximately $500 per delegate to each convention. Gains in our investment
portfolio during this time have kept pace over all with our 5% draw on endowment.
E. Corporate Partners: During 2011-12, two new member benefits have been added through partnerships with companies.
A discount hotel booking service, Local Hospitality, created an Alpha Chi-branded site that members and others can use to reserve
hotel rooms worldwide with savings over typical rates. All the savings are passed on to members rather than there being a financial
benefit to the society itself. Nationwide Insurance and Alpha Chi have contracted in an affinity partnership by which the society earns
royalties on insurance policies sold to its members; in addition, members receive a member discount on vehicle and pet insurance
policies. Alpha Chi received a $12,500 signing bonus, and annually for the five years of the contract the society will receive a $5,000
sponsorship grant and a guaranteed $20,000 in royalties. Nationwide, like corporate partner Bank of America, will receive periodic
updates of Alpha Chi membership records to use in direct mail marketing efforts. These most recent partnerships represent an effort to
provide additional tangible benefits that will make Alpha Chi membership more attractive to those invited.
F. ACHS Meeting: Along with President Peg FitzGerald, I represented Alpha Chi at the February 2012 annual meeting of
the Association of College Honor Societies in San Diego. I co-presented a breakfast roundtable discussion on online registration
systems and was recognized by ACHS on my impending retirement from Alpha Chi.
G. Staff Operation: My dear friends Lara Noah and Melinda Hicks continue to give extremely productive and effective
service to Alpha Chi, and they will provide invaluable continuity with the change in executive director leadership. We have two
excellent student workers, one who manages mailings and production of certificates and the other who directs our social media
outreach. The latter position is a new one that we must continue to focus on, perhaps with a series of well-qualified student workers.
The monitoring and technical support required by the IMS have taken more staff time than Lara and Melinda can continue to carve out
of their other duties, and consideration for hiring an additional professional staff member needs to be given soon.
H. New Executive Director: I have been involved in the executive director search only as a consultant, but my observation is
that the committee has given careful and thorough attention to the process. I have confidence that the new director will lead Alpha Chi
to new levels of success. During the period of transition and beyond my retirement, I will be ready to help in any way I can, knowing
that the staff will all have to figure out the new dynamics of having an executive director working at a distance from the national
office.
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