International education organizations such as NAFSA and the FORUM on Education Abroad rely on their members to play an active role in promoting and advocating the interests of the field. While it’s true that international education is filled with champions for their causes, there are so many more of us that fall into the more “passive” category of membership (and for very good reasons mind you – full-time jobs, family, a life…).

In many ways there is nothing wrong with being a passive member…  most of us are members not because we want to directly change or affect policy, but because we want to learn best practices and network with like-minded individuals.

Personally, I was always one to lurk and sit on the sidelines, assuming my concerns would be addressed by others (and to a large extent they were)… however, after getting involved in a working group and encouraging others to do so, I’ve learned that much can be accomplished without really overburdening oneself.

Recently, I was nominated as chair of the NAFSA Technology MIG (Member Interest Group), and was pleasantly surprised by what a receptive audience I found in my initial outreach. Many of the colleagues that I spoke with were happy to follow the MIG and support us in general (passive membership), while a substantial percentage were extremely enthusiastic about proposing sessions for conferences and becoming advocates for technology in international education in their home states and regions (active membership). This reaction has been truly refreshing to see.

The Technology MIG still has a long way to go to achieve the level of advocacy and participation that many of our sister groups enjoy (such as NAFSA’s Rainbow SIG and Sustainability MIG, or the FORUM Standards of Good Practices in Education Abroad), but if the first few weeks are any indication, we are on the right track.

Whatever international educational organization you are involved with, I implore you to consider taking a more active role. Who knows – you might shape the discourse of your area of interest!

Jeramy Johnson
NAFSA Technology MIG Chair
Vice President of Development, Academic Programs International

nafsa.org/member_services.ms/member_interest_groups/
linkedin.com/groups?about&gid=2942708&trk=anet_ug_grppro
facebook.com/nafsatechmig
twitter.com/nafsatechmig

Jeramy Johnson is the Study Abroad Editor, Academic Programs International, at Wandering Educators