Application Strategies :
Tips for Preparing a Renewal Application
From OnBoard
- Newsletter of the BCG
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Ruth Ann Hager, "Tips
for Preparing a Renewal Application ," OnBoard 6(September
2000): 20-21.
Worried about your renewal? Concerned about the reports,
projects, or examples to include? Advance planning can
make the renewal process a great deal easier. When should
that planning begin? A good time to begin is shortly after
receiving word of certification or renewal. Why so soon?
By making plans early, the work of gathering the material
that goes into the renewal process will take place over
the next four years rather than being a mad frantic dash
right before the renewal is due. Submitting a renewal porfolio
can be done in five steps: organize, produce, age, check,
and send.
Organize
Start two file folders, one marked Writing and teh other
marked Activities. Place into the Writing folder:
- client reports that are examples of outstanding work
- client permissions to submit those reports for certification
renewal
- copies of published materials such as journal articles
and syllabus material
After placing these items int he folder, copy the computer
files that produced them to a separate "renewal" folder
on the hard drive and also to a disk. Many computer hard
drives do not last four years so the diskette or Zip cartridge
can act as an additional back-up of these selected files.
Place into the Activities folder a list of:
- activities that benefit and promote genealogy
- awards received
- volunteer commitments, society memberships, and leadership
roles within those societies
Include in that same folder records that verify those
activities such as newsletter articles, conference brochures,
or news of volunteer activities.
Establish the practice of seeking written permission from
each new research client to include material resulting
from the research assignment as part of the certification
renewal process. Each new project has the capacity to be
the most outstanding work completed in the last five years.
If contact is lost due to the client's incapacity or a
move, it might be impossible to acquire that permission
at a later date.
Produce
Having gathered all this material over four years, producing
the renewal portfolio will be mainly a selection process.
Start a lightweight binder and mark a tab divider for each
section or category of the material that is requested.
Making the porfolio a reference tool that is easy to navigate
in a time-efficient manner ensures that the judges' time
and effort go toward evaluating the content, not trying
to make sense of what has been submitted.
Review the BCG renewal requirements, then pull out the
Writing file folder and select which materials
fulfill those requirements and best demonstrate research
and writing skills. Next, open the Activities folder and
produce a list of activities, awards, society memberships,
and volunteer hours. While photocopies verifying all activities
on the list cannot be included, take the time to carefully
select the most interesting and significant examples. If
the file folder has been faithfully maintained, any materials
needed to verify those events should be readily available
in the file.
Which client reports to include is always a major question.
When reviewing possible choices, look for a selection of
reports that show a variety of challenges and demostrate
knowledge of a wide range of sources. Consider including:
- one that is a longer, more detailed report
- possibly one that is complex in nature
- one that is shorter and simpler, yet very well done.
After assembling the portfolio, take time to review it
and consider the extent of professional growth over the
past four years. An important part of the renewal process
is gaining a greater awareness of that growth as a professional.
Knowledge of that progress, and the confidence that comes
with it, can act as encouragement to stretch professionally
and continue to expand knowledge, skills, and capabilities.
Age
Like making wine, producing a strong renewal portfolio can
benefit from the aging process. After assembling all selected
materials in the portfolio, set the entire project aside
for a few days and forget about it. As grape juice can
turn into either fine wine or potent vinegar through the
aging process, so too can a portfolio look really great
or a bit weak in places when viewed with a fresh perspective.
Check
The checking phase will be most effective if adequate aging has
been done. To begin checking, look at the overall portfolio
first. From strictly a content standpoint, are the reports
the best examples of the work completed over the last four
years? Have all renewal requirements been covered by the
submitted materials? Is there anything that needs to be added
or removed?
Once confident about the selection of reports and articles,
and the completeness of the activities list, it is time
to do a final close-scrutiny check of the portfolio. While
reports must be submitted as they were sent to the client,
and published materials as they appeared at publication,
newly written material such as the list of activities,
can and should be thoroughly checked for spelling, grammar,
and clarity. Find someone with particular skills and knowledge
in these areas to proofread this material. Look for someone
who has attention to detail, will mark needed corrections,
and can and will make constructive suggestions. After receiving
the proof copy marked with corrections and suggestions,
consider which of those suggestions to accept. Which will
strengthen the matierla, making it easier to follow and
understand? It is not mandatory to accept editing suggestions
so do not follow them blindly!
Be sure to check the completeness and arrangement of the
materials. Are the reports and their supporting materials
complete and in logical order so the judges reviewing them
can easily follow what was done? Do the published articles
include a citation of publication information? Have all
materials been arranged within the portfolio in the order
requested? Has all the information been completed on the
submission forms? Has the form been signed and a check
written for the renewal fee? Does the portfolio weigh two
pounds or less? If it is over two pounds, has the necessary
extra postage been included? What type of a back-up copy
exists - disk or paper format? If, heaven forbid, the portfolio
were lost in the mail or seriously damaged, what would
it take to reproduce it?
Send
Decide how to send the renewal portfolio to BCG. Make sure
the packaging is secure enough to ensure the portfolio's
safe arrival. s it important to know that BCG as has received
the package? If so, paperclip a stamped self-addressed
postcard to the check for the renewal fee or to the front
of the portfolio for the Executive Director to return,
verifying the receipt of the package.
When considering a shipping method and whether to pay
the extra for an "express delivery," keep in mind that
the Executive Director picks up deliveries from the BCG
post office box once every seven to ten days. Because of
that schedule, sending renewal matierial by an overnight
or one-day "express delivery" is not likely to hasten the
process. After the package has been mailed or shipped,
sit back and relax!
The renewal process is intended to be a time for evaluation,
by the researcher as well as the judges. Consider renewal
a professional "check-up" taken every five years. It can
provide early diagnosis for any problems, and encourage
continued growth. Establishing an information collection
system early and following the basic steps mentioned above
will make the renewal process easier and more beneficial.
Ruth Ann Hager, CGRSSM
This article was originally published in OnBoard,
BCG's educational newsletter and is protected by copyright.
Individuals may download and print copies for their personal
study. Educators are granted permission to provide copies
to their students as long as BCG, OnBoard, and the
appropriate author are credited as the source of the material.
Republication elsewhere is not permitted.
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