Restructuring for Impact: How NACADA Positioned Its Governance, Operations, and Membership Experience for a Stronger Future

NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising is the premier international association supporting excellence in academic advising in higher education. With over 13,000 members, primarily full-time advisors and advising administrators, NACADA advances student success through professional development, research, and community building.

The Challenge

In 2022, NACADA reached an inflection point. Rapid growth in membership and programming, combined with post-pandemic pressures on higher education, exposed strains across its governance structure, staffing model, and volunteer pathways. While the association remained mission-driven and highly valued by members, underlying concerns were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. 

Key challenges included: 

• Volunteer governance complexity and role confusion. NACADA’s Board, Council, and Divisions had overlapping responsibilities and communication barriers, leading to inefficiencies and unclear decision-making pathways. 

• Staff burnout and cultural instability. Organizational culture needed improvement and job satisfaction was low; staff reported feeling overworked, under-resourced, and disconnected from leadership communication flows. Many were actively looking for another job or considering a career change. 

• Lack of processes and policy consistency. Policies existed but were not consistently followed, and new policies lacked systematic development or transparency. 

• Professional development needs shifting. Member survey data revealed high expectations for updated delivery formats, clearer educational pathways, and increased advocacy for the value of academic advising. 

NACADA recognized that without coordinated, strategic restructuring, these challenges could inhibit its ability to serve members, scale programming, and maintain organizational health. 

The Approach

NACADA partnered with Bostrom Consulting to conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment spanning October 2022 to October 2023. The consulting team undertook a multi-phase approach:

Discovery and Research 

Bostrom conducted multiple focus groups, staff and volunteer interviews, document reviews, and a membership-wide survey with over 2,000 respondents. The research assessed the governance experience, Executive Office culture, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and member professional development needs. 

Governance Restructuring Recommendations 

Bostrom presented a strategy for streamlining governance by: 

• Integrating the Board and Council into a single governing body for clarity, reduced redundancy, and increased strategic capacity. 

• Establishing a strong Nominating Committee to ensure diversity and competency-based leadership selection. 

• Setting clearer expectations, term structures, and orientation practices for all volunteer leaders. 

Volunteer Talent Pathways and Division Realignment 

The team recommended standardizing volunteer roles, reducing the number of Advising Communities, and creating sunset/renewal processes for volunteer units to ensure focus and impact. Micro-volunteering was introduced as a modern engagement strategy to reduce barriers to participation.

Executive Office Culture and Staffing Improvements 

Because organizational culture emerged as the most urgent issue requiring attention, Bostrom provided target recommendations to: 

• Reorganize staffing structure into cohesive teams 

• Clarify roles, enforce policies, and standardize communication 

• Increase leadership visibility and accountability 

• Invest in technology upgrades, including CRM and website redevelopment 

• Prioritize staff satisfaction and retention as foundational to member service delivery

Member Education and Advocacy Strategy 

Using survey data, Bostrom advised NACADA to sharpen its educational focus on: 

• High-value events (Annual/Regional Conferences, webinars) 

• Streamlined Institutes and new virtual delivery models 

• Topic development aligned to member-identified critical skills and emerging issues (e.g., mental health, technology, DEI, workload challenges) 

Additionally, Bostrom encouraged NACADA to develop a long-term advocacy initiative promoting the value and impact of academic advising—an unmet and widely requested member need.

The Results

NACADA’s leadership gained a data-driven, actionable roadmap that reoriented the association toward sustainable governance, staff stability, and member-aligned programming. While implementation is ongoing, early shifts are already visible:

Improved Staff Climate and Leadership Alignment 

In late summer 2023, the new Executive Director, using the “Recommendations” from the Final Report, immediately began addressing identified cultural concerns, resulting in increased optimism, strengthened communication, and clearer direction among staff.

A Streamlined Governance Path Forward 

The recommended merger of the Board of Directors and Council, adoption of a structured and objective nominations process, and redefinition of volunteer pathways are in process and position NACADA for more cohesive and strategic leadership. 

Stronger Member-Centered Educational Strategy 

Survey data validated NACADA’s strengths and clarified where programming should expand or contract. With its Regional Conferences, webinars, and skill-based tracks prioritized, NACADA can concentrate resources where members find the highest value.

Clear Direction for Technology and Operational Modernization 

With the recommendation to upgrade systems and automate member vs. nonmember access and pricing, NACADA modernized the user experience and enhanced membership value.

Affirmation of NACADA’s Strong Reputation 

Despite internal challenges, the membership survey produced a Net Promoter Score of 51, which is categorized as excellent (based on the score range from -100 to +100), confirming deep trust and loyalty among members.

Key Takeaways

• Culture is the foundation. NACADA could not advance governance or member initiatives without first stabilizing its staff environment, a lesson applicable across the association sector. 

• Simplification drives effectiveness. Reducing structural complexity in governance and volunteer engagement improves clarity, reduces duplication, and enhances decision-making. 

• Data must guide programming. By grounding professional development priorities in member-reported needs, NACADA ensures relevance and long-term value by meeting these needs. 

• Advocacy is emerging as essential. The profession is asking NACADA to lead in defining and communicating the value of academic advising, recommending key advisor-to-student ratios and benchmarks, and signaling a strategic opportunity for future impact.