Throughout its history the Council has relied heavily on interests, resources, and capabilities of its member institutions for designing and conducting programs. In addition to responding to work proposed by member institutions, UCEA periodically requests proposals for serving a lead or host institution role for programs of special interest. Host institutions are then selected by the UCEA Executive Committee to direct areas of work for specified terms, usually running for three years.

UCEA’s lead/host institution approach to program development and implementation provides access to the wide range of resources and expertise within the organization’s membership and an international communication network for disseminating findings. Though project activities vary according to purposes, most UCEA lead/host institutions assume responsibilities for work involving: (1) collection and synthesis of data about an area; (2) creation of exemplar models: (3) production of occasional papers, UCEA monographs, and/or UCEA resource notebooks; and (4) distribution of findings and new models through reports to professional meetings, special sessions in the UCEA Career Development format, and/or a series of regional workshops and conferences.

Individual Professors

Individuals from member universities have many opportunities for involvement in planning, leading, and carrying out UCEA activities. This involvement may come about in any of the following ways:

• Correspondence with lead/host institution contact persons of the UCEA staff about project activities,

• Invitation from the UCEA staff and lead/host institutions to those who possess special skills necessary for particular programs,

• Appointment by the Executive Committee to serve on the editorial and/or consulting boards of UCEA journals, and

• Invitation from leaders of UCEA programs to prepare papers or serve on discussion panels, either at the individual’s institution or in another UCEA university.

Graduate Students

Graduate students at member institutions are encouraged to attend UCEA seminars, institutes, and conferences. All full time students receive the UCEA Review. Selected students are also invited to participate in UCEA research and development projects through the following unique opportunities.

• Graduate Student Council
• Graduate Student Summit
• Clark Scholar Seminar
• William L. Boyd Politics of Education Workshop
• Jackson Scholar Program

Institution

• Serve as the Headquarters for UCEA
• Host one of the UCEA journals
• Host one of the UCEA centers
• Host one of the Annual Conventions

Details of Membership

Many of the benefits of membership are described in the section above entitled Opportunities for Participation. In addition, the basic benefits of membership are listed below.

Benefits

• Access to a national network of major universities and school districts that share an interest in research and program development to advance educational administration.
• Special notice and reduced fees for seminars, workshops, and other activities directed toward the continual improvement of educational administration.
• Free access to UCEA-sponsored publications which include Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, Journal of Research in Leadership Education, and the UCEA Review. In addition, UCEA frequently makes available books and monographs on special topics in educational administration at reduced prices for personnel in member universities.
• Opportunities for leadership roles in a variety of activities including research, development, training, and other dissemination projects.
• Listserv Subscription.

Photo Credit: Gorka Palazio