President’s Letter
Dear Colleagues, As 2021 draws to a close, I would like to highlight some of the marvelous things that happened in our organization over this past year and thank you for all you have done. It has not been an easy year at all, but together we have been able to embrace hope and accomplish so much.
2022, so please be sure to read notification emails and peruse our main website to find out what we are offering, both for students at more levels of German language study and for instructors. During this most unusual year we established a strong financial foundation for our own professional development fund. The AATG Professional Development Fund is dedicated to helping our members champion more professional development opportunities for themselves using AATG organizational support. This fund was brought about primarily through donations from many of our AATG chapters as well as many personal donors. Each donation source understands that having a dedicated professional development fund both enhances our organization and provides more value to our members. Thank you to each chapter and each personal donor for your generosity during this time.
This year began with heightened awareness of matters concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Members voted to amend the AATG Constitution to create a permanent DEI committee and to establish a board position focused on DEI. Starting in 2022, our standing DEI committee will be represented by Chiann Tsui, the first elected Equity Officer to the Board of Directors. We also made changes to items like board policies so that members can report bias incidents if they happen at AATG -sponsored events. We are continuing to implement changes to our programs and program application processes so that members can indicate more precisely their preferences and needs. The inclusion of more options means we can include those needs and preferences into our program offerings. These positive changes help to move us towards the goals of fully welcoming and accepting each person who is interested in making the AATG their professional home.
Realizing that much has changed in a relatively short time span, Mike Shaughnessy and I met in late May in Colorado to work on the framework for a long-range
The revitalization of established AATG programs and the creation of new funded program offerings is underway. Our program offerings have been reduced since 2020 due to the pandemic, but the ambitious expansion of our programs in 2022 will bring more opportunities for AATG members. Wet i ona now lhave a new Programs Director, I nt erna Veronika Burney, who is pursuing two chief goals relating St ud ent Guid e to programs. The first objective is the revitalization, which includes things like summer study trips for students. Veronika is doing a splendid job working with our partner organizations and refreshing program options. The second goal is new program offerings with increased options and broader appeal. For example, we are looking closely at programs that cater to post-secondary students, knowing that experiences in-country can be quite beneficial. We are planning to have our programs return in Summer
Mike Shaughnessy and I met in late May 2021 to work on the framework of a long-range planning retreat for the Board of Directors.
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