Additional FAQs will be added as more leaders experience The Academy and questions arise.
What is the NAIFA National Online Leadership Academy?
The Academy is an online community designed to train you, the local and state association leaders, incoming leaders, and executives in your respective role. The Academy will provide knowledge of National programs and initiatives and tools and resources available to assist you. In addition, it will offer you the ongoing ability to communicate with session speakers, fellow leaders, executives, and National staff through session discussion/comment areas.
The Academy is open throughout the association year and provides the ability to move at your own pace and at your chosen location. You may choose to experience sessions individually, as a group and/or incorporate them into your state Association Leadership Conference / Local Success Planning.
The Academy was developed in collaboration with NAIFA volunteers, executives and National staff. It is hosted by the NAIFA National President-elect.
Is Academy participation restricted?
No. The Academy is open to all local, state and national association leaders and executives.
May I share the materials and videos in The Academy with others?
Yes. However, all association leaders, incoming leaders and executives should formally register and successfully complete/graduate from The Academy.
When/how often is The Academy content updated?
The Sessions are updated annually; to be released in the spring. However, The Academy is an interactive online community with supporting material being added and updated continuously. As a participant, please be an active contributor to the community using the discussion / comment area available in each session.
I graduated from The Academy in the past do I have to complete it again this year?
The Academy was developed to provide continuous training and launches every April with new content. Therefore, we do encourage all local, state and national association leaders and executives to take advantage and complete The Academy on an annual basis, and revisit throughout the year, in order to remain abreast of new information, tools, resources and topics available to assist you in your role.
How long are The Academy sessions?
Each of the eight (8) sessions range from approximately 15 to 90 minutes. The length of each video appears by each video.
Why are there five (5) sub sessions available in Session 2?
Session 2 focuses on "What is my Role" and offers position specific sessions in the areas of President, President-elect, Membership Chair, YAT Chair and Executive. Leaders are welcome to participate in the sub session geared toward their position, in all the sessions or none of the sessions if they do not apply.
How do I register for The Academy?
Visit www.naifaleadershipacademy.com to register. You will need your valid 7-digit member number. The member number is printed on your Advisor Today address label above your name. If you cannot locate or if you are not a NAIFA member or NAIFA executive and would like to participate in this program, please contact the Member Services Center. You must be a current NAIFA member to access The Academy.
Is there a registration fee?
There is no registration fee.
How do I complete The Academy? Do I have to go through all six sessions?
To complete/graduate from The Academy, you must register, review all sessions, complete all end-of-session evaluations, and complete the overall evaluation. You must watch all video presentations, except for Session 2. For that session, you need only watch the presentation for your particular area: President, President-Elect, Membership Chair, YAT Chair or Executive. You may watch all four videos, if you are interested in doing so. As you complete each survey the system tracks your progress and provides a confirmation table similar to the one below:
| Completed Sessions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Session | Code | Date Completed |
| Welcome to the Academy | 1 | Apr 20, 2012 10:32:00 AM |
| Executive | 2EX | Apr 20, 2012 10:34:55 AM |
| All Things Advocacy: Staff, Tools and Resources | 3 | Apr 20, 2012 10:35:15 AM |
| All Things Professional Development: Staff, Tools | 4 | Apr 20, 2012 10:35:42 AM |
| Membership: From First Application to LifeTime Mem | 5 | Apr 20, 2012 10:35:56 AM |
Will I receive a certificate after successfully completing The Academy?
Yes. Once you successfully register, participate in each session, complete each session survey and the overall Academy survey, a certificate will be provided for you to print at your own convenience.
How do I communicate online with my peers participating in The Academy?
Discussion / comment areas are provided for each session to facilitate online collaboration with your peers.
How do I communicate with session speakers and NAIFA staff?
Send questions and comments for session speakers and NAIFA staff to academy@naifa.org.
How soon will questions be answered that I post in the online community discussion / comment area?
Questions will be answered within 2-3 days. If your question(s) requires immediate assistance, please use the “help” contact information provided below.
How do I ensure incoming leaders receive information regarding The Academy and are able to participate?
Report them to NAIFA using the Online Officer and Chair Reporting System. Once entered, access and registration capabilities will be available the following business day.
What will NAIFA National do with the session survey results?
NAIFA National will evaluate the results, share with Academy content contributors and utilize information to continue to build on and improve the online leadership training, tools and resources available.
Did The Academy replace the National Leadership Conference (NLC)?
Yes. The Academy replaced the NLC beginning in 2011.
Will The Academy replace the Local Success Planning resources offered to state associations to utilize as the foundation for their local training and strategic planning during their Association Leadership Conference?
Yes. In 2012, the Committee on Associations (COA) conducted its annual review of the LSP strategic/action planning resources and determined that more associations could benefit from the program if it was provided free of charge and integrated in The Academy. This recommendation was approved by the NAIFA National Board. As a result, action planning resources and team building videos developed by the COA have been integrated into the 2013 Academy.
The new Action Planning session provides resources to assist leaders in developing an action plan based on their specific position/role which they can then provide to their leadership teams to assist in collectively coming together to plan for the association year.
As always, State associations are encouraged to incorporate Academy sessions (now including an Action Planning session) into their local training during their Association Leadership Conference.
Does The Academy replace the the Leaders Training Center?
No. The Academy does not replace the NAIFA Online Leaders Training Center. The Training Center is a centralized library that houses various planning resources, tutorials, videos, and programs.
What if the videos don't play?
The Academy videos are all hosted on YouTube. If the videos do not play for you, your company, office or internet service provider may be blocking access to YouTube. You may want to try a home or library computer. Please contact your company's technical staff or your internet service provider for assistance.
How do I get the videos to play on a larger screen?
Move your curser to the video control bar, click on the YouTube logo and the words "Watch on YouTube" will appear. The video will open a new browser window in YouTube.com. To see the video in full screen, move your curser to the control bar and click on the far right icon. The words "full screen" will appear when your cursor is over the icon.
Does it matter which web browser I use to access The Academy?
No. However, please keep in mind that some browsers may not support certain functions (i.e. evaluations, session comment feed subscriptions, etc.)
- Technical Difficulties: Email academy@naifa.org or call 703-770-8100 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.
- Session Content: Email academy@naifa.org
- Online Community Assistance: Email academy@naifa.org
- Finding my Member Number: Email membersupport@naifa.org or call 877-866-2432
