I’m writing to update you on some recent decisions about virtual opportunities for member engagement with the POD Network. Not all of these decisions have been easy and I am grateful for the various POD members, leaders, and staff who have contributed to our efforts to do right by members and the organization.
I fully recognize that the work is not yet finished and we have heard from some members that they are dissatisfied with recent decisions. This message is intended to offer a window into decision-making and organizational finances that may be new information for many within the POD Network. I ask that as you consider the information shared in this message, please recognize that I am representing the work of a good number of folks–mostly volunteers–who are working hard to ensure responsiveness of the POD Network to member needs, recognizing the challenging times that higher education and our larger world are facing, and considering the financial health and sustainability of the very organization that so many of us cherish and have come to lean on in so many ways. In this moment, I call upon your attention, grace, and trust as we find paths forward–together.
POD Network, A Community Effort
The mission of the POD Network is to provide professional development and a community of practice for scholars and practitioners of educational development, and to serve as a leading voice on matters related to teaching and learning in higher education. It is a mission that is rooted in the values of collaboration, equity, and evidence.
For the POD Network, equitable access and involvement includes extending consideration and care to the entire ecosystem of the organization which, in addition to members, includes the POD Office staff—two full-time staff members and one part-time assistant—the volunteer leadership of the Executive and Core Committees, as well as the dozens of volunteers leading committees, Special Interest Groups (SIG), affinity groups, and publications. In the consideration of member needs, we also weigh the demands placed on our community of professionals to provide services to their colleagues while also managing the needs of their personal lives—including health, caretaking responsibilities, and financial constraints—along with their professional responsibilities. With the continued volatility and uncertainty our institutions are facing at this time, it is ever more essential that we consider the well-being of community members doing the labor of the organization and the management of human resources in that regard.
We are deeply grateful to the volunteers who remain dedicated to the collaborative development of the POD Network, while navigating the current climate of higher education and the future of the field of educational development. We remain attentive to member feedback and welcome opportunities to expand the accessibility and inclusivity of POD Network programming. We are committed to evolving in ways that support a deeper sense of belonging for all. The POD Network remains deeply committed to equity and is actively working to enhance and create meaningful, sustainable virtual engagement through multiple means.
Responsiveness to Member Needs
Over the past year, the POD Network leadership, including the Executive Director and the Executive and Core Committees, have been engaged in considering the needs for a virtual conference and sustainable pathways for launching an additional member-wide program.
In Spring 2024, in response to the Disabled Affinity Group Petition for Virtual Programming, the Core Committee established an Ad Hoc on Virtual Programming charged with “proposing a pilot virtual program meant to serve all POD Network members – with particular consideration given to the needs of non-traveling members – to be offered in Spring 2025.” The Ad Hoc Committee completed their work in Fall 2024 and provided the following recommendations to the Core Committee, which were considered during the November 2024 Business Meeting:
- Pilot an online conference in June 2025
- Communicate widely and frequently the virtual offerings and resources offered by the POD Network
- Explore opportunities to expand online events and resources
After lengthy deliberation and consideration, the Core Committee voted in January 2025 that the POD Network did not have the necessary infrastructure in human resources and financial structure—which includes covering annual operational expenses and current contractual obligations—to pilot an online conference in the Summer of 2025. More broadly, the changing financial landscape of higher education, the associated fiscal challenges posed for the organization, and its financial sustainability were strongly considered. The Core Committee voted to move forward with implementing the remaining recommendations and committed to making transparent the processes for sharing concerns and developing new member-wide programming.
We remain committed to partnering with members to better align our offerings with the evolving professional development needs of our diverse community. We are grateful for the collective insight of the POD Network and will continue working toward solutions that reflect both our shared values and organizational realities.
Virtual Participation at the POD Network Annual Conference
The decision to integrate virtual participation into last year’s 49th Annual Conference, instead of offering a concurrent online conference, was made due to a lack of volunteer capacity and survey data indicating both a dissatisfaction with the online conference and the continued decline of virtual participation. This was communicated in a message to all members discussing changes to the 49th Annual Conference in March 2024.
The POD Network piloted hybrid sessions during the 49th Annual Conference in Chicago, providing opportunities for both virtual presentation and on-the-ground participation. While some of the hybrid sessions were successful in their implementation, technical issues, a lack of technical and programmatic support, and insufficient equipment reportedly led to an inconsistent and low-quality experience for virtual presenters and attendees in other sessions.
The POD Network remains committed to lowering barriers to access and providing opportunities for virtual engagement with the Annual Conference that meet the expectations of POD Network members and community participants. This year, presenters will have the ability to present virtually for two session types: PODTalks and Research Sessions. In addition, the following sessions will also be broadcast/live-streamed to virtual participants: Keynote Presentation, President’s Address, Awards Presentation, and Anchor Session.
This year, we are focusing our resources on supporting a quality and consistent conference experience within the bounds of our budgetary and human support resources. By focusing on PODTalks and Research Sessions as a first step, the POD Network is working towards building the necessary infrastructure to expand hybrid offerings and develop a more equitable Annual Conference experience that can be sustained by future volunteers.
Some of you may remember my remarks at last year’s Annual Conference in which I emphasized that the POD Network is all of you. I was making the point that we are a largely volunteer organization, with a significantly smaller full-time staff in comparison to other higher education associations you may engage with. Our dedicated Conference Committee of four educational development professionals invests approximately 100 hours each throughout the year to develop and produce the Annual Conference experience for over 1,000 attendees, with the POD Office providing essential support. Additionally, our numerous Proposal Reviewers and Session Coordinators—you, your peers, and your colleagues—devote their time and expertise to thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewing proposal submissions. My point here is that the Annual Conference is a significant organizational effort, but also one that is accompanied by a range of other (primarily virtual) opportunities.
Member Engagement Opportunities
The committees, SIGs, affinity groups, and publications of the POD Network are led by dedicated educational development professionals who commit their time and expertise to developing the POD Network as a community. They work to create shared community spaces for dialogue and professional development by way of virtual roundtable discussions, webinars, and interactive sessions, resources to improve the practice and aid organizational development, as well as opportunities to advance scholarship in higher education. What we have learned through the work of the Ad Hoc on Virtual Programming is that we need to attend to increasing the visibility of existing virtual opportunities.
The following are a sampling of the virtual offerings of the POD Network, organized by your colleagues and peers and supported by the POD Office, that offer opportunities to gather for learning, thought leadership, and professional dialogue and connection, with many opportunities being open-source to all higher education professionals in addition to POD Network members:
- PODLive: A free webinar series designed to support educational developers across diverse institutional contexts and career stages. These interactive sessions provide opportunities for members to engage with emerging research, share best practices, and develop practical strategies to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Educational development professionals can submit proposals to facilitate sessions. An archive of recordings is available to members. (A program of the Professional Development Committee)
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs): SIGs bring together interested members around enduring subjects of interest and importance in the field of educational development. SIGs may hold meetings, host book clubs, invite special guest speakers to present, as well as develop and engage in collaborative projects for the field.
- POD Connects: POD Connects places people into small groups of 4-5 colleagues who commit to meeting at regular intervals to advance their professional goals and well-being. Members of the group provide each other with accountability toward their individual goals, learn from colleagues in different institutional contexts, and share ideas and resources. A diversity of perspectives makes these conversations more valuable and, therefore, we highly encourage people from all backgrounds and identities to participate in POD Connects. (A program of the Professional Development Committee)
- Affinity Groups: The POD Network has a number of affinity groups to support community development for members. Affinity groups provide a forum for individuals who share a common identity to connect, support one another, and share wisdom about navigating the social exclusion of institutions.
We encourage and welcome members to take part in leadership through committees, SIGs, affinity groups and to collaborate across the POD Network in cultivating diverse opportunities for both professional and personal growth–strengthening the community we all share.
Fiduciary Responsibility of the Core and Executive Committees and the Financial Philosophy of POD Network
The POD Network is governed by the Core Committee (Board of Directors), which is led by the President and Executive Committee and includes 21 educational development professionals. With support from the Finance Committee, they are responsible for guiding the organization’s strategic direction and ensuring its financial health and sustainability.
The POD Network Governance Manual (GM), which is publicly available on the POD Network website, provides guidance that drives the organization’s financial decision-making. The fiscal policies outlined in the GM, refined over a number of years, have worked to maintain a stable fiscal posture during turbulent times, which we continue to face.
The POD Network aims to create an annual budget for Operational Funds that balances or results in a surplus, meaning projected revenue meets or exceeds projected expenses. Deficit budgets are avoided unless there are extreme circumstances, such as a global crisis, and all other options have been explored. The organization maintains Operating Reserves to ensure it can continue functioning during urgent or unexpected situations, such as program cancellations or emergency expenses. These reserves must equal at least 50% of annual expenses to provide a six-month financial buffer. Any revenue received and not needed for daily operations or reserves are placed in Investment Funds, which are intended to generate revenue to sustain the organization.
In recent years, income from investment funds has been used to support Needs-Based Financial Support for Annual Conference travel as recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the Executive and Core Committees. Additionally, each year the Executive Director and Finance Committee have worked to ensure that funding is available for the emergent needs of members by reserving funds for budget requests by committee and SIG leaders to bring forth substantive programmatic initiatives (many of which are offered virtually) that are member-informed, provide a plan for sustainability, aligned with volunteer capacity, and have been developed according to the POD Network values of collaboration, equity, and evidence, taking the whole of the organization into consideration.
Solidarity in Challenging and Uncertain Times
In these uncertain times, the state of higher education calls us to return to the heart of our work: one another. As we navigate mounting challenges across our personal and professional lives, may we recognize that this community is made up of dedicated individuals, each doing their best to care for themselves, their families, and the field we love. The work ahead remains critical, and while the pressures are real, so too is our collective strength. May we continue to move forward—together—with purpose, compassion, and resolve.