Lander Medlin is APPA's executive vice president. She can be reached at lander@appa.org..

The value of co-locating APPA's Forum with NACUBO's Annual Meeting in 2003 (and for that matter, jointly meeting with NACUBO and SCUP in 2006) is captured in APPA's strategic plan. First, our vision of becoming a "Global Partner in Learning" is surrounded by the importance of achieving three desired outcomes of competency, collaboration, and credibility. As such, progress toward these three outcomes is enhanced by our ability to increase the awareness of the facilities profession with senior institutional officers. In essence, this is what an international association can and should do on behalf of its members. A collaboratively held meeting of this type provides an unprecedented connection and opportunity for communication and informal dialogue that can and should enhance the credibility of each profession to the other.

Competency
As funny as it may sound, it is still true, "An educated customer is our best customer!" What better way to educate and inform such an essential stakeholder as the business officer? And, what better way to become more educated and informed about the language and perspective of the business officer ourselves? Co-locating our Annual Meeting/Forum gives both associations the opportunity to share, expand, refine, and transfer the body of knowledge of our respective professions -facilities management and business/ financial management-to one another. In addition, we have the opportunity to enhance our leadership position as well. So often when we are selling a program or telling our story to the business professional, we talk in "project- or engineering-ese" rather than the language of business and finance.
The combined educational content of these two meetings, captured under one roof-Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee-gives the facilities professional an enormous advantage in becoming more educated in important business acumen; provides the business officer a corresponding opportunity to become more educated in the language of facilities and construction management; and gives all attendees the opportunity to examine issues of institutional policy in a way never before explored together. The timing of this event could not be more appropriate, albeit essential given today's educational environment, future needs, and issues.

Collaboration
With reduced resources available at the state and institutional levels, what better time to collaborate or partner on issues and concerns that are essential to the survival and success of the institution! Here, we will have the opportunity to focus our attention on the importance of facilities management relative to such concerns as: institutional policy, academic planning, budgeting and finance, community building, higher education policy, and physical planning.

From these concerns, it is clear there are four critical issues that not only face higher education, but provide significant opportunities for APPA and NACUBO members to make important contributions. They are: 1) attracting and retaining students and faculty; 2) community building; 3) the cost of education; and 4) the impact of changing technologies. For example, when it comes to attracting and retaining students and faculty, the quality and character of the physical campus continues to be noted as one of, if not the most important, determinants of students who choose a given institution.

As for community building, the most successful institutions are those considered critical to the cultural and economic development of their local and/or regional communities. The cost of education cannot be evaluated without addressing the significance of the cost of building and maintaining campus facilities. And, finally, the impact of technology is dramatically changing the way education is delivered and is also driving the character of new and existing facilities. By working collaboratively, APPA can have enormous impact on these critical, strategic issues at the institutional policy level.

Credibility
By focusing our knowledge and expertise on some of the specific issues that affect the four "environments" mentioned above, APPA can become more influential in effecting decision making at the most critical institutional levels. A joint meeting enhances APPA's position and capability in determining how best to integrate facilities-related issues into the discussion of institutional policy. In this way, APPA professionals are leading and directing the institutional agenda rather than only reacting to it. In essence, we must showcase just how important it is that facilities management issues be an integral part of the higher education discussion agenda with all institutional officers. These concerns must be demonstrated in a compelling way so that APPA's concerns are everyone's concerns. Our joint meeting in 2003 and the one to follow with NACUBO/SCUP in 2006 allows APPA to promote and represent an issue-oriented strategy and agenda that will enhance the role of the facilities professional in institutional decision making.

In establishing joint meetings and programs, APPA is able to bring your efforts and interests to bear more directly with institutional decision makers. However, you have a choice-attend, participate, and engage in a dialogue that has the potential to continue in a fruitful way when you return to your institution; OR, choose not to attend and miss these opportunities.

I hope you will choose to attend and further the ultimate goal of increasing the aware ness of the facilities profession with senior institutional officers. For it is through your attendance, and active involvement and participation, that you will increase your competency, improve your collaborative abilities, and enhance your credibility.

In the preparation and writing of this column, the author wishes to give enormous credit and thanks for the advice, guidance, and previous writings of Rod Rose-an APPA At-Large Board member and principal with the JCM Group located in California.