On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling (RMACAC), I would like to welcome you to our organization’s website.  It has been a year in the making, but what you see now is our new, redesigned attempt to give you all the information you need about our Executive Board, Committees and Chairs, Annual Conference, Professional Development and other goings on in the five state region that makes up RMACAC.  As one of 23 regional affiliates of the National Association of College Admission Counseling which was established in 1937 and serves over 11,000 members worldwide, we face the unique challenge of trying to serve the diverse needs of our members in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Although we share the same goal of helping students transition from high school to college with particular emphasis on access and equity for all, that goal may be met in a variety of ways.

Annual activities sponsored by RMACAC include regional college fairs held in Albuquerque, NM, Roswell, NM (new in 2011) Salt Lake City, UT and Denver, CO.  A national fair, hosted by NACAC, is also held every Fall in Phoenix, AZ as is a Performing and Visual Arts Fair in Denver.  We are incredibly excited to be the host affiliate for the 2012 NACAC National Conference in Denver, October 4-6.  We will be spending much of this year getting ready for this gathering and welcome any assistance you may want to volunteer.  In addition to the National Conference, professional development opportunities continue for our high school and college admission counselor members with the RMACAC Spring Conference whose location generally rotates among our five states.  In an effort however to expand our horizons and provide a wider range of experiences, RMACAC is joining with our neighboring affiliates-Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) and Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC)- to present an "uber" conference May 2-4, 2012 in Reno, NV.  We hope many of you will be able to join us for this educational     and guaranteed fun event.  Finally, we are co-sponsors of KOO (Keeping the Options Open) an annual workshop which began 24 years ago to expand the college counseling knowledge base of new high school counselors.

Another aspect of RMACAC, and benefit to members, is the involvement we have with regional and national legislative issues related to higher education.  We know that our student's ability to achieve their goal of a college education is affected greatly by the decisions made by state legislators and national representatives.  RMACAC's efforts to influence and inform these individuals begins with a co-sponsored Legislative Action Day held mid-February in Denver and continues with our presence in Washington, DC at a nationally sponsored event in March on Capitol Hill.

Another challenge faced by RMACAC and its membership is communication.  A huge step taken to alleviate this issue was the establishment of the List Serve hosted by the University of Arizona.  It has proven to be an invaluable resource for sharing information, presenting issues, discussing concerns, advertising job openings or just venting.  The RMACAC Newsletter, produced 2-3 times a year, has become a publication filled with substantive educational articles in addition to serving as a source of news of the goings on in our organization and with our members.

It is my hope, as President of RMACAC for 2011-12, that you will take time to explore the rest of this website and learn how we can be supportive in reaching our mutual goal of helping students.  There are members of our Executive Board ready and waiting to get you involved so please let us know how we might help.  If you find yourself seeking more opportunities, join one of our committees;  We are always seeking volunteers.  From Human Relations to Conference Planning, from Public Relations to Membership, from Admissions Practices to Technology, from Government Relations to College Fairs- learn more about this vibrant, growing organization and the dedicated, committed people who make it go.  I am privileged to call these individuals my colleagues and my friends and consider the time I have spent with RMACAC, NACAC and its members, one of the highlights of my 35+ years in the college counseling profession.

Sincerely,

Susan Hunt      

RMACAC President