Hello friends, and welcome to the new year. As we flip the calendar, we look out over the weeks and months to come, blank pages awaiting the stories we have yet to tell. This is true for all of us, both personally and professionally. It is also true organizationally for our campuses and ACUHO-I. We may not know what the future holds, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for possible developments.
Future thinking is not new for our Association (nor, hopefully, for your campuses). We have developed a thoughtful and thorough strategic plan, and we take many of our cues from the Future of the Profession initiative. Heck, it has the word “future” right there in the title. Along with these guiding documents, though, future thinking is also a mindset. To that end, the ACUHO-I Executive Board has begun to focus on developing and leveraging strategic foresight and will continue to do so.
In this case, I refer to “foresight” as a specific mindset and methodology that will enhance our ability to identify and anticipate possible futures. It is sort of like polishing our crystal balls. One of the first lessons we learned is that the duty of foresight requires all of us to act in the best interests of our successors’ futures. We do this by intentionally learning, making short-term sacrifices, and strengthening our long-term actions. This is true for Board members and campus leaders as well. Admittedly, this is not always easy, particularly in our line of work. It can seem that there is always an incident to manage, a deadline to meet, or a budget to balance. Who has time to think about tomorrow with all this (waves hands at everything) that is happening right now?
One of the first lessons we learned is that the duty of foresight requires all of us to act in the best interests of our successors’ futures.
The difference, I think, is that even as we address our pressing concerns, we can consider those ingrained elements that might just be holding us back. In the foresight parlance, those are known as orthodox beliefs. These may not be visible to our eyes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t influence how we think and make decisions. They can keep us held down in the past, slow us from achieving our best futures, and hinder our opportunities to thrive. It is also essential to know that this orthodoxy is not necessarily something to be solved or eliminated. It is also not something we should just throw up our hands and resign ourselves to. But once it is recognized and acknowledged, it can be integrated into that foresight planning.
There is no question that 2025 will be filled with many change factors. I wish I could tell you definitively what comes next. Instead, all I can do is assure you that your Executive Board will be watching for those signals, big and small, that provide clues to potential scenarios about how our Association and campuses will operate. Considering these possibilities will inform future strategic plans, resource allocation, and priority setting. This is also where you can play an important role. I urge all of you to help keep ACUHO-I and your professional colleagues informed about what is happening on your campus, in your state, or in your country. Share your news with Board members and staff. Post questions and concerns to the online community. There is strength in numbers, and together we will face whatever the future may bring.
— Kathy Bush Hobgood, ACUHO-I President
Talking Stick magazine takes its name from the symbol of international friendship presented to ACUHO-I in 1973 by the Ohiat Band of the British Columbia Indian Nation. The talking stick, or speaker’s staff, is hand-carved, and the inscription explains, “It is a sign of authority carried when proclamations are to be made or a meeting of chiefs is in session. It is a token of common heritage both to Canadians and Americans.”
