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CLAC Affinity Groups
CLAC Affinity Groups
Think of an Affinity Group as a specialized "brain trust."
Think of an Affinity Group as a specialized "brain trust."
Affinity groups are where you find your people; the smaller, high-intensity circle where the real "shop talk" happens. These groups allow people with similar roles or shared identities to bridge the geographic gap between campuses and tackle challenges unique to the liberal arts environment.
What Makes it an "Affinity"Group?
What Makes it an "Affinity"Group?
It’s not just a committee; it’s built on a shared connection. In a professional network like CLAC, this usually falls into two buckets:
Role-Based Affinity: People who do the exact same job at different colleges (e.g., "Chief Information Officers," "Instructional Designers," or "System Administrators"). Since you might be the only person doing your job on your specific campus, these peers are your true colleagues
Identity or Interest-Based Affinity: People who share a common background or a specific mission-driven goal (e.g., "Cybersecurity," or "AI in Liberal Arts")
Why They Matter for Liberal Arts Colleges?
Why They Matter for Liberal Arts Colleges?
Small colleges often face the "silo" problem—you're so busy being a jack-of-all-trades that you lose sight of broader trends. Affinity groups provide:
The "Sanity Check": Realizing that the weird software bug or budget constraint you're facing is happening at five other colleges, too
Collective Bargaining (of Ideas): Sharing templates, policies, or workflows so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every Tuesday
A Safe Space: Discussing challenges specific to small-campus culture without having to explain the "liberal arts" context to outsiders
How They Function?
How They Function?
Most CLAC affinity groups operate through:
Dedicated Listservs & Slack Channels: For quick "Does anyone use this tool?" queries
Regular Virtual Huddles: Monthly or quarterly check-ins
CLAC Conference Meetups: A chance to put faces to names and grab a coffee with the people who "get it"
Questions?
Questions?
If you have questions, contact the CLAC Membership Coordinator or contact info@liberalarts.org.
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