From the Chair…A Hip Way to Spend Spring Break
My university’s spring break starts Monday, thus my 50 undergrads will have a week off and I will get a chance to catch my breath. While they head to the warm, sunny shores of the Caribbean Sea, I remain here on the cold, snowy banks of the Monongahela River.
Rather than dwelling on the weather, I decided to use time normally spent teaching to organize my AHIP renewal. I encourage MAC members to consider using this time before the start of spring to apply for AHIP or renew your academy membership (if necessary).
AHIP provides a structure for your professional development including continuing education, academic learning, teaching, publishing, presenting, and participation in professional activities. It also formally recognizes these efforts through the AHIP designation.
If you are thinking about applying, I encourage you to visit http://mlanet.org/academy/. This page explains the process and levels of membership and provides the forms you need to get started. If you feel overwhelmed, I encourage you to contact MAC’s Credentialing Liaison, Cynthia Henderson. Cynthia has advised me that she would be pleased to answer questions and serve as a resource.
If you are planning to renew, all AHIP processes are now online and MLA will only accept forms submitted electronically. Also, Cynthia notes, “if you are renewing at the same level you only need to document 50 points of continuing education and individual accomplishments.” Since I just wrote up my own renewal, I can assure you that it’s an easy process!
As the students head off to the sunshine, I hope you will consider shining light on your professional accomplishments using the AHIP process. Once you start, I believe you will find it’s not too hard and the end result is worth the effort. If you prefer not to work on AHIP, I invite you to join me on the cold, snowy banks of the Monongahela…
David Nolfi, Chair
Mid-Atlantic Chapter, MLA