Online Communities are a virtual gathering place for the health professions advising to network with colleagues, seek advice, and contribute to ongoing discussions. For them to be a useful tool, it requires our stewardship. Access is limited to advisors employed by colleges and universities to provide advising to pre-health professions students, health professions schools admissions personnel, and health professions education association staff. The community is private to maintain the proper focus and professional atmosphere. If the focus of this community is to be "health professions advising", then each one of us must take the time to learn and use the community effectively and appropriately.
The following guidelines apply to messages sent to an entire discussion or to an individual member in a community:
Provide Specific Subject Headings: Be Specific … many readers will decide to read, skim, or ignore your message based on the subject heading.
Focus Your Topic: Responses to your own messages will be greater when you keep your topic focused on and limited to a single subject. Asking specific questions will result in quicker and better responses. If you send two shorter single-topic messages rather than one long one, you're likely to get better responses.
Maintain Confidentiality: Sending a message is like putting a postcard on the bulletin board of the busiest hallway on campus. Please keep in mind, it is NEVER appropriate to discuss specific confidential information. It is fine to discuss difficult cases, as long as "the names and identifying information changed to protect the innocent".
Be Professional and Respectful: Focus on the content of posts and not on the people making them. Please extend the benefit of the doubt to newer guests and members; there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Offer assistance and guidance when you see the opportunity to help.
Respect intellectual property: Post content that you have personally created or have permission to use and have properly attributed to the content creator. If someone posts content that you would like to use (e.g., a student resource), contact them and gain permission to use it with their attribution.
Do not post commercial messages. Discussion boards and Special Interest Groups are to be used for interest sharing purposes only. It is not appropriate to tout your own programs, courses, books, or other goods and services in which you have a financial or commercial interest. Commercial representatives should review the advertising opportunities available on the NAAHP Advertising Page page.
- Position Announcements may be submitted for inclusion on the NAAHP Job Board.
- Student Opportunities for shadowing, internships, summer opportunities, etc. may be submitted for inclusion on our website
- Open houses, virtual fairs, info sessions, or other events for specific schools or programs may be submitted for inclusion on our Upcoming Events Calendar.
- Posts regarding a NAAHP-affiliated event or information as a member of a professional association or application service are permitted.
Contact the NAAHP Research Committee regarding survey requests. All requests should be made to the Co-Chairs of the Research Committee. The committee is also available to assist members in the development of survey instruments and is open to suggestions on questions to include on the Annual NAAHP Advisor Survey, administered in the fall.
If a community member violates these guidelines, their posts may be deleted and their participation in the community may be limited or discontinued.
These guidelines are subject to change in accordance with evolving membership consensus and interaction.
Last Update: February 21, 2023.