Executive Vice President’s Letter

The decision to learn can come in different ways with different outcomes. As we heard from many experts during the recently held conference on school design, school-age children need the right environment both physically and emotionally to absorb what is being taught. As we progressed through our formal education, sometimes the decision to learn was made for us. In the book, The Decision to Learn, published by Center for Association Leadership, the motivation factors to learn are different from when we were in school with pre-determined curriculums. Adults determine their learning based on what skills they need for work and personal growth, or to renew their license. From an organizational perspective, education is rated as one of the major reasons individuals decide to join organizations, just below access to up-to-date information. Surprisingly, in a study conducted by the Siena College Research Institute for AIA New York State, members no longer make their learning decisions based on whether the program offered HSW credit; it is based on content. This is a far cry from the former data and real world programming that indicated if HSW wasn’t offered, it wasn’t going to appeal to our members. The assumed reason for this change is that HSW can be earned by a multitude of programming now available. Our Small Firm Symposium that carried no HSW was incredibly successful when offered face-to-face and virtually. Since March of 2020, programming at AIANYS has been strictly virtual and the decision for virtual education was easy. New York was in a shut down our members needed help. The decision on how to learn was made for them. Content was developed by listening to our member’s needs—information to protect their firms, their clients and their employees—and they needed it quickly. In order to be responsive under stressful circumstances, programming that typically took several months to plan now took weeks to produce. World renowned experts presented on healthy air, newly emerging legal challenges, changing firm cultures and of course school design that evolved from school safety to addressing environmental standards. As New York State is reopening, our members are again making decisions to learn. Our leadership is reviewing data on how to overcome barriers to learn like travel, family responsibilities, time, job responsibilities and of course the need for networking and social interaction. Our study taught us what the members want to learn; the tough decision will be how to deliver it as they make their decision on how best to learn. Professional education has always been a core part of AIANYS. Providing members resources for growth and success is what the AIA is all about. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you need to make your future decisions to learn and how we can be part of that decision. Let’s make those decisions together, as we always have, in response to our members.

Sincerely,

Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Hon. AIANYS Executive Vice President | AIA New York State