You, our members, are the foundation of the association. Your talent and expertise in dealing with all aspects of college transition are needed in order for us to do our work!
You are invited to get involved by completing the form on this page. Remember, each committee strives to have a balance of members in relation to geography, gender, ethnicity, and institutional affiliation.
Your continued interest and support are what makes IACAC an outstanding organization, recognized throughout the country for uncompromising service to the students we represent.
Read descriptions of ALL Committees
Credentials
The Credentials Committee shall determine eligibility as outlined in these By-Laws for membership in IACAC; make recommendations to the Executive Board regarding criteria for membership in IACAC; investigate membership eligibility questions referred to it by the Executive Board; and review these By-Laws and recommend revisions when deemed appropriate, including revisions required to maintain their consistency with the governing documents of NACAC.
Ideal number of committee members: 10-15
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Details and rule following. If you understand and appreciate the importance of clear rules that guide an organization, this is the committee for you!
Things to consider: The committee meets one time but feedback may be sought beyond the meeting.
District Seminars
The District Seminars Committee shall be responsible for creating, coordinating, and implementing IACAC District Seminars in Region 1 and Region 2. These seminars will address guidance and admission concerns for high schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities.
Ideal number of committee members: 50
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creating professional development opportunities for high school and post-secondary counselors, working together in small teams, and making connections with people in our profession.
Things to consider: This committee requires skills in event coordination, planning, and organization.
Education and Ethics
The Education and Ethics Committee shall educate members about the ethical best practices governing the admission profession.
Ideal number of committee members: 9
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: studying policies, think creatively and enjoy presenting.
Things to consider: A lot of the information we handle is confidential. Having been a member of Illinois ACAC for a few years is strongly encouraged.
Equity and Access (ad-hoc)
Information coming soon.
Ideal number of committee members:
You’d like this committee if you enjoy:
Elevate
Elevate is a professional development seminar series designed for women with more than eight years in higher education enrollment management looking to take the next step in her professional career or expand her professional portfolio. This committee will be comprised of Elevate alumna and is not open for members to join.
Government Relations
The Government Relations Committee shall establish and maintain an advocacy and communications network to inform and mobilize IACAC members regarding issues involving education policy, inclusion, access and success, and any other issue(s) determined to be core to the mission of IACAC; shall monitor legislative activity at the state and national level, and recommend relevant action to the Executive Board; shall plan an annual Springfield legislative advocacy day; and shall maintain liaison with the NACAC Government Relations Committee, ISCA, and other related organizations.
Ideal number of committee members: No maximum
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: taking a stand, affecting change, following state and national politics
High School Counselor Professional Development (HSCPD)
The purpose of the HSCPD committee is to provide free or low-cost professional development opportunities for school counselors throughout the state. We plan to coordinate quarterly PD events throughout the school year, offering both virtual and in-person opportunities. Our committee meets monthly to plan these events.
Ideal number of committee members: If you want to be a part of our committee, we want you to join!
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: brainstorming and facilitating professional development opportunities for the school counseling community, you want to connect and learn with school counselors from all over the state, you have school counseling practices to share and want to get more involved with IACAC through sharing your ideas and programming.
Illinois College Fair
The Illinois College Fair Committee shall be responsible for establishing the college fair calendar, overseeing policy and procedures, promoting the Illinois Regional College Fairs. Efforts will be made to include a member who serves on the Chicago National College Fair Committee.
Ideal number of committee members: Due to the need for additional volunteers for virtual events during the 2020-2021 school year, an increase is needed in committee members. In a “normal” year, we would like about 12 to 15 committee members.
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Planning, Building relationships, performing detail-oriented work and collaborating
Things to consider: Three to four meetings per year, but only expected to attend one meeting in person. Please attend other meetings in person or virtually. Expected to serve as a liaison to one IRCF host in the fall and one in the spring.
Inclusion, Access, and Success
The Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee shall develop and recommend goals which promote sensitivity to human differences and guide the expansion of equal access for all students to postsecondary educational opportunities. The committee shall plan and recommend strategies for implementing a multicultural agenda for the association. The IAS committee develops educational programs for counseling professionals working with students who, for reasons of disadvantaged experiences, are often denied access to post-secondary educational opportunities.
Ideal number of committee members: No max.
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: College access, advocacy, inclusion, student success, social justice work.
Things to consider: 5 meetings throughout the year.
Membership
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for reviewing and developing, and recommending promotional communication for membership in IACAC. The committee is also responsible for the recruitment and welcoming of new members as well as the retention of past members. The chair/s of this committee shall oversee production of the membership directory.
Ideal number of committee members: 20
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: marketing and recruitment, thinking creatively, and promoting IACAC.
Things to consider: You should be comfortable communicating the values and benefit of IACAC membership, which you will be trained to do!
Mentorship
The Mentorship Committee shall function as an outreach of IACAC to provide new and veteran members with an opportunity to form partnerships for professional development.
Ideal number of committee members: no maximum
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: networking, reaching out to others, being inclusive, being social, collaborating with others, hosting/planning events.
Things to consider: you must be comfortable with outreach to mentors/mentees &/or planning & executing events.
Middle Management Institute
The Middle Management Institute Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing summer middle management training for post-secondary college admission professionals with three or more years of experience.
Ideal number of committee members: 7-10
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: event planning & management, working with a team, creating educational sessions that help develop future leaders and are passionate about professional development and growth of IACAC members
Things to consider: must be comfortable taking on delegated tasks (contacting event sites, arranging catering, contacting guest speakers, etc.) available for monthly zoom meetings Sept. – May, and able to attend MMI conference (typically scheduled in mid-June). Past MMI alums are preferred.
National College Fair
The National College Fair Committee shall be responsible for assisting the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) in planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing the NACAC College Fair in Illinois. The membership of this committee shall be diverse and embrace secondary, postsecondary and community-based organizations.
Ideal number of committee members: 10
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creating new educational programs/sessions for families and being a part of an on-sight team. This committee allows you to interact on a more national level by working with NACAC, universities from around the world, and thousands of students.
New Counselor Institute
The New Counselor Institute Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing New Counselor Institute for postsecondary college admission counselors.
Ideal number of committee members: 8-14
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creative professional development and working with the newest members of the admissions counseling profession.
Things to consider: If you are interested in joining this committee, please join our Group in the members only portal so that we know you are interested. This will serve as the pathway to joining the committee. The committee is streamlining our volunteer processes, so if there’s a topic you would enjoy speaking/presenting on, anyone is welcome to join our group. Volunteer opportunities may be year-long or one-time only!
Nominating
The Nominating Committee shall nominate a candidate or candidates for each office to be voted on by the membership at each annual membership meeting. The membership of this committee shall be as provided in Section 1 of Article IV.
Ideal number of committee members: 10-15
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Matching people to jobs, recognizing talented members who may be ready to take on more formal leadership roles.
Things to consider: Members of this committee should have some level of history with IACAC to know who has shown commitment to the association over time and to know the personalities of those who may take on a leadership role.
Professional Connections
The IACAC Professional Connections Committee aims to create partnerships with any and all possible entities that can help move college counseling and accessibility forward including, but not limited to, like organizations, high schools, colleges, organizations, programs, and people throughout the state. We can benefit from each other with the sharing of ideas and resources to make both our organization and other organizations stronger.
Ideal number of committee members: 25-30
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: collaborating with others, building relationships, being inclusive, and promoting IACAC.
Things to consider: We meet once a month to hear updates from organizations we partner with and all meetings are held virtually. As a member, the role includes being a part of one of three goals for the committee.
Professional Development Grants
The Professional Development Grants Committee shall be responsible for promoting, reviewing and awarding grants for professional development opportunities within IACAC and NACAC.
Ideal number of committee members: 3
You’d like this committee if you have a passion for helping others grow within our profession. This will allow you to share the many opportunities available to membership and truly empower our colleagues to better serve students and families.
Retirees
Part of the Membership Committee, Alumni offers opportunities for retired members to share their expertise and provide continued service to the profession.
Ideal number of committee members: unlimited
You’d like this committee if you are retired!
Scholarship
IACAC established the Scholarship Foundation to award 10 students, annually, with an award of $1,000. Our responsibility is to collect and review scholarship applications, resumes and essays of these students and work together to identify the most deserving students.
Ideal number of committee members: unlimited
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: you love to read!
Things to consider: this requires time to review the applications in the winter months (February, March)
Summer Tours
The Summer Tours Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing summer bus and/or plane tours to colleges for counselors involved in the college transition process.
Ideal number of committee members: 8
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: traveling in the summer to visit a variety of new potential destinations for your students. Committee members will help plan the trip throughout the year, including selecting the schools to be visited, and serve as a tour group leader while on the trip.
Things to consider: Committee members must be available to attend either the 6-day trip in late June or the 3-day trip in mid-July. Prior experience attending at least one trip in the past is mandatory.
Transfer Advisory
IACAC’s Transfer Advisory Committee serves all members of the transfer process: Community College Admissions, Transfer Center Coordinators and Directors as well as the four-year institution transfer admission counselors/Transfer Coordinators. This committee provides transfer-specific professional development opportunities and supports special projects and initiatives that serve transfer students.
Ideal number of committee members: 20
You’ll like this committee if you enjoy: transfer students, interested in strengthening connections between high school, community colleges, and 4 year institutions, and someone who has time to assist in the various subcommittees.
Read descriptions of individual committees below.
Credentials
Credentials
The Credentials Committee shall determine eligibility as outlined in these By-Laws for membership in IACAC; make recommendations to the Executive Board regarding criteria for membership in IACAC; investigate membership eligibility questions referred to it by the Executive Board; and review these By-Laws and recommend revisions when deemed appropriate, including revisions required to maintain their consistency with the governing documents of NACAC.
Ideal number of committee members: 10-15
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Details and rule following. If you understand and appreciate the importance of clear rules that guide an organization, this is the committee for you!
Things to consider: The committee meets one time but feedback may be sought beyond the meeting.
District Seminars
District Seminars
The District Seminars Committee shall be responsible for creating, coordinating, and implementing IACAC District Seminars in Region 1 and Region 2. These seminars will address guidance and admission concerns for high schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities.
Ideal number of committee members: 50
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creating professional development opportunities for high school and post-secondary counselors, working together in small teams, and making connections with people in our profession.
Things to consider: This committee requires skills in event coordination, planning, and organization.
Education and Ethics
Education and Ethics
The Education and Ethics Committee shall educate members about the ethical best practices governing the admission profession.
Ideal number of committee members: 9
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: studying policies, think creatively and enjoy presenting.
Things to consider: A lot of the information we handle is confidential. Having been a member of Illinois ACAC for a few years is strongly encouraged.
Elevate
Elevate
Elevate is a professional development seminar series designed for women with more than eight years in higher education enrollment management looking to take the next step in her professional career or expand her professional portfolio. This committee will be comprised of Elevate alumna and is not open for members to join.
Equity and Access (ad-hoc)
Equity and Access (ad-hoc)
Information coming soon.
Ideal number of committee members:
You’d like this committee if you enjoy:
Government Relations
Government Relations
The Government Relations Committee shall establish and maintain an advocacy and communications network to inform and mobilize IACAC members regarding issues involving education policy, inclusion, access and success, and any other issue(s) determined to be core to the mission of IACAC; shall monitor legislative activity at the state and national level, and recommend relevant action to the Executive Board; shall plan an annual Springfield legislative advocacy day; and shall maintain liaison with the NACAC Government Relations Committee, ISCA, and other related organizations.
Ideal number of committee members: No maximum
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: taking a stand, affecting change, following state and national politics
High School Counselor Professional Development (HSCPD)
The purpose of the HSCPD committee is to provide free or low-cost professional development opportunities for school counselors throughout the state. We plan to coordinate quarterly PD events throughout the school year, offering both virtual and in-person opportunities. Our committee meets monthly to plan these events.
Ideal number of committee members: If you want to be a part of our committee, we want you to join!
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: brainstorming and facilitating professional development opportunities for the school counseling community, you want to connect and learn with school counselors from all over the state, you have school counseling practices to share and want to get more involved with IACAC through sharing your ideas and programming.
Illinois College Fair
Illinois College Fair
The Illinois College Fair Committee shall be responsible for establishing the college fair calendar, overseeing policy and procedures, promoting the Illinois Regional College Fairs. Efforts will be made to include a member who serves on the Chicago National College Fair Committee.
Ideal number of committee members: Due to the need for additional volunteers for virtual events during the 2020-2021 school year, an increase is needed in committee members. In a “normal” year, we would like about 12 to 15 committee members.
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Planning, Building relationships, performing detail-oriented work and collaborating
Things to consider: Three to four meetings per year, but only expected to attend one meeting in person. Please attend other meetings in person or virtually. Expected to serve as a liaison to one IRCF host in the fall and one in the spring.
Inclusion, Access, and Success
Inclusion, Access, and Success
The Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee shall develop and recommend goals which promote sensitivity to human differences and guide the expansion of equal access for all students to postsecondary educational opportunities. The committee shall plan and recommend strategies for implementing a multicultural agenda for the association.The IAS committee develops educational programs for counseling professionals working with students who, for reasons of disadvantaged experiences, are often denied access to post-secondary educational opportunities.
Ideal number of committee members: No max.
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: College access, advocacy, inclusion, student success, social justice work.
Things to consider: 5 meetings throughout the year.
Innovation Fund
Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund Committee is a NEW committee that is now a part of the IACAC Fiscal Policy. IACAC is currently privileged to have a Surplus Fund and we have been working hard to keep things as transparent as possible to show how much there is in the Surplus Funds at any given time of the fiscal year. We would like to open up for requests on how to use these funds for that fiscal year or the next. The committee would be responsible to receive the requests and filter through them and work with the Finance Committee to select appropriate projects to use the funds.
Ideal number of committee members: 8 or 9
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: being a part of policy and procedure and have a passion for making change. This will allow you to learn about the background of IACAC, how things came to be and how we strive to empower our colleagues to better serve students and families.
Membership
Membership
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for reviewing and developing, and recommending promotional communication for membership in IACAC. The committee is also responsible for the recruitment and welcoming of new members as well as the retention of past members. The chair/s of this committee shall oversee production of the membership directory.
Ideal number of committee members: 20
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: marketing and recruitment, thinking creatively, and promoting IACAC.
Things to consider: You should be comfortable communicating the values and benefit of IACAC membership, which you will be trained to do!
Mentorship
Mentorship
The Mentorship Committee shall function as an outreach of IACAC to provide new and veteran members with an opportunity to form partnerships for professional development.
Ideal number of committee members: no maximum
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: networking, reaching out to others, being inclusive, being social, collaborating with others, hosting/planning events.
Things to consider: you must be comfortable with outreach to mentors/mentees &/or planning & executing events.
Middle Management Institute (MMI)
Middle Management Institute
The Middle Management Institute Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing summer middle management training for post-secondary college admission professionals with three or more years of experience.
Ideal number of committee members: 12-15
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: event planning & management, working with a team, creating educational sessions that help develop future leaders and are passionate about professional development and growth of IACAC members
Things to consider: must be comfortable taking on delegated tasks (contacting event sites, arranging catering, contacting guest speakers, etc.) available for monthly zoom meetings Sept. – May, and able to attend MMI conference (typically scheduled in mid-June). Past MMI alums are preferred.
National College Fair
National College Fair
The National College Fair Committee shall be responsible for assisting the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) in planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing the NACAC College Fair in Illinois. The membership of this committee shall be diverse and embrace secondary, postsecondary and community-based organizations.
Ideal number of committee members: 10
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creating new educational programs/sessions for families and being a part of an on-sight team. This committee allows you to interact on a more national level by working with NACAC, universities from around the world, and thousands of students.
New Counselor Institute
New Counselor Institute
The New Counselor Institute Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and staffing New Counselor Institute for postsecondary college admission counselors.
Ideal number of committee members: 8-14
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: creative professional development and working with the newest members of the admissions counseling profession.
Things to consider: If you are interested in joining this committee, please join our Group in the members only portal so that we know you are interested. This will serve as the pathway to joining the committee. The committee is streamlining our volunteer processes, so if there’s a topic you would enjoy speaking/presenting on, anyone is welcome to join our group. Volunteer opportunities may be year-long or one-time only!
Nominating
Nominating
The Nominating Committee shall nominate a candidate or candidates for each office to be voted on by the membership at each annual membership meeting. The membership of this committee shall be as provided in Section 1 of Article IV.
Ideal number of committee members: 10-15
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: Matching people to jobs, recognizing talented members who may be ready to take on more formal leadership roles.
Things to consider: Members of this committee should have some level of history with IACAC to know who has shown commitment to the association over time and to know the personalities of those who may take on a leadership role.
Professional Connections
Professional Connections
The IACAC Professional Connections Committee aims to create partnerships with any and all possible entities that can help move college counseling and accessibility forward including, but not limited to, like organizations, high schools, colleges, organizations, programs, and people throughout the state. We can benefit from each other with the sharing of ideas and resources to make both our organization and other organizations stronger.
Ideal number of committee members: 25-30
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: collaborating with others, building relationships, being inclusive, and promoting IACAC.
Things to consider: We meet once a month to hear updates from organizations we partner with and all meetings are held virtually. As a member, the role includes being a part of one of three goals for the committee.
Professional Development Grants
Professional Development Grants
The Professional Development Grants Committee shall be responsible for promoting, reviewing and awarding grants for professional development opportunities within IACAC and NACAC.
Ideal number of committee members: 3
You’d like this committee if you have a passion for helping others grow within our profession. This will allow you to share the many opportunities available to membership and truly empower our colleagues to better serve students and families.
Retirees
Retirees
Part of the Membership Committee, Alumni offers opportunities for retired members to share their expertise and provide continued service to the profession.
Ideal number of committee members: unlimited
You’d like this committee if you are retired!
Scholarship
Scholarship
IACAC established the Scholarship Foundation to award 10 students, annually, with an award of $1,000. Our responsibility is to collect and review scholarship applications, resumes and essays of these students and work together to identify the most deserving students.
Ideal number of committee members: unlimited
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: you love to read!
Things to consider: this requires time to review the applications in the winter months (February, March)
Summer Tours
Summer Tours
The Summer Tours Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing summer bus and/or plane tours to colleges for counselors involved in the college transition process.
Ideal number of committee members: 8
You’d like this committee if you enjoy: traveling in the summer to visit a variety of new potential destinations for your students. Committee members will help plan the trip throughout the year, including selecting the schools to be visited, and serve as a tour group leader while on the trip.
Things to consider: Committee members must be available to attend either the 6-day trip in late June or the 3-day trip in mid-July. Prior experience attending at least one trip in the past is mandatory.
Transfer Advisory
Transfer Advisory
IACAC’s Transfer Advisory Committee serves all members of the transfer process: Community College Admissions, Transfer Center Coordinators and Directors as well as the four-year institution transfer admission counselors/Transfer Coordinators. This committee provides transfer-specific professional development opportunities and supports special projects and initiatives that serve transfer students.
Ideal number of committee members: 20
You’ll like this committee if you enjoy: transfer students, interested in strengthening connections between high school, community colleges, and 4 year institutions, and someone who has time to assist in the various subcommittees.