9 NACA Benefits Your School Should Tap into Right Now 

Are you making the most of your NACA school membership? 

With everything happening on campus, it’s easy to forget about some of the exclusive perks and resources that come with being a member of the Association.  

Whether you're a student leader or campus professional, your NACA membership is packed with opportunities to enhance your campus programming, connect with peers, and access valuable tools—many of which you might not even be using.

Consider this your friendly reminder to take full advantage of everything NACA has to offer – and the share them with your colleagues across campus (remember your membership covers the whole institution)!  

Here are 9 NACA benefits you should be tapping into right now: 

1. NACA 24/7: The Online Campus Activities Database - NACA 24/7 matches you with the talent, vendors, or activations you’re seeking for your campus. The web-based platform serves as an act/service directory, price comparison tool, request for proposal, availabilty checker, and booking collaborator all-in-one. See what fellow schools are interested in and booking, collaborate on dates to gain discounts, and connect directly with artists, agents, and vendors to make sourcing and planning your programs and events easier and faster than ever before! 
2. Employability Skills Assessment – This assessment tool allows students to evaluate themselves on the skills employers seek, and it provides them with suggestions for mastering these skills through their involvement on campus and personal reflection. As an added option, this tool also allows advisors to evaluate students on these same skills so that the advisor evaluation and self-evaluation can be compared. The evaluation results include national averages so students can also compare their scores with those of their peers from around the country. The assessment was built in response to research by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) in which employers identify the skills they are seeking from recent college graduates.
3. The Latest Campus Activities Research - The Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship (JCAPS) is a social science peer-reviewed journal. It focuses on publishing rigorous, relevant, and respected scholarship related to postsecondary education co-curricular campus activities, and translating such scholarship to practice. The Journal especially encourages submissions from practitioners throughout higher education and is published twice a year. 
4. Competencies - Although many Campus Activities professionals have certificates and/or degrees in student affairs or higher education administration, there are certain competencies that are specific to the field of campus activities that are not always covered in the curriculum. NACA has developed 3 competencies resources for Campus Activities Professionals, Student Leaders, and Diversity & Inclusion. The NACA competencies are not meant to be a checklist of professional or personal attributes, but rather a guide to use in developing individual growth in oneself or those they supervise through performance evaluation criteria or even in job descriptions. 
5. CAS Standards - The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) offers general standards for 47 functional areas in higher education. As a CAS organizational member, NACA is able to offer the Standards for Campus Activities Programs and the Standards for Leadership Education & Development to NACA members at no charge. These standards will help you create quality programs that engage students and contribute to their learning and development. 
6. NACA Connect Groups - Updated and integrated into the website this past year, NACA Connect consists of online member discussion groups that allow you to connect and share with colleagues. Pose questions, post job openings, share successes, and leverage your peers instead of reinventing the wheel. If you have a need for a new group, just let us know and we can create it! 
7. Scholarships – The NACA Foundation offers numerous scholarships that are available to undergraduate students, graduate students, professional staff. and associate members on an annual basis. Amounts vary by scholarship but can be as much as $5,000! Also, to help ease financial barriers, the NACA Foundation has created a professional development grant to be awarded to qualified individuals to help offset the costs to attend professional development activities sponsored by NACA.  This can be used to attend a conference or towards the fees to obtain your Certification for Student Affairs Educators core or Campus Activities specialty.  
8. Research Grants – The Dr. Adam Peck Research Grants are designed to advance the field of Campus Activities by encouraging the development and distribution of knowledge that has potential to improve the experiences of college students through their involvement in campus activities. Faculty, staff and graduate students who plan to conduct research on issues related to campus activities and student engagement are eligible to apply. Grants range from $500 to $2,500 and applications are typically due in mid-October. 
9. Volunteering – Volunteering is a major benefit to help give you opportunities for professional development in areas you may not be able to gain through your day job. It is also a great way to build your network and connect with other higher education professional across the nation. Roles vary in size and scope from micro-volunteering to year-long opportunities, regional or national, event-based or project-based, so there are lots of ways to share your talents and gain the competency-based skills you need for your career trajectory. 

Creating vibrant and engaging student experiences is no easy feat. Your NACA membership can help you ease the challenge of finding great entertainment, discovering relevant and timely Campus Activities resources and research, and growing personally and professionally.  

Have questions about how to make the most of your NACA school membership? Let us know at [email protected].