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American Society of Andrology 2021-2026 Strategic Plan

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Mission: The American Society of Andrology (ASA) is dedicated to advancing discovery and education in andrology, the study of male reproductive health, by promoting knowledge, expertise, strategic leadership, and collaboration in the basic and clinical sciences.

Vision: The ASA seeks to be an international leader in the promotion, education, and discovery in andrology by nurturing the careers, expertise, and ideas of diverse stakeholders in andrology, including scientists and clinicians; and by educating the public.

Core Values:
The ASA embraces the following values and culture:

  • Active involvement and inclusion of professionals involved in research, education, and clinical practice,
  • Promotion of male reproductive health outcomes in humans and animals,
  • Curiosity, integrity, and rigor in male reproductive health research and clinical practice,
  • Dissemination of knowledge through peer-reviewed scholarship, academic collaboration, and collegial, educational offerings,
  • Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to Society membership, and clinical and scientific practice,
  • Excellence in the promotion of career development in andrology.

BACKGROUND:

In 2025, the ASA will celebrate its 50th year as an association. The Society is at a critical turning point to redefine and refine who it serves and what the value of the ASA will be in the future for our members, the scientific and medical disciplines we represent, and the public we seek to reach. The role of scientific organizations is rapidly changing, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this change was preceded by alterations in research funding, related shifts in research agendas and interests in various disciplines of male reproductive health, and declining numbers of young scientists entering fields within andrology.

The ASA is the premier professional society of clinicians and basic scientists specializing in the science and medicine of male reproductive health. Our strength lies in bringing andrologists with diverse training and skill sets together to identify and solve complex problems through patient studies, animal model research, and bench science. For the ASA to survive and thrive as an organization, we need to develop and implement a new Strategic Plan that will enable ASA members to advance the field through innovative, collaborative endeavors. This Plan must establish the roadmap and operational principles to guide the ASA leadership into the future. To ensure success of the Plan, organizational change must be a priority. This requires a thorough examination and optimization of the governance structure to provide the most effective operations.

In 2020, a Strategic Planning Committee was charged with soliciting member input and developing a new draft plan to be reviewed and approved by the ASA membership. Because many of the elements of the 2012 Strategic Plan are still relevant, the Planning Committee worked from the 2012 plan and from prior exercises in recent years such as SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and gap analyses to develop the 2021-26 Strategic Plan.

A member survey and collaborative document tool was used to solicit ideas and suggestions from ASA members, and specific feedback was sought and provided by ASA Past Presidents. The Strategic Planning Committee developed a draft Strategic Plan for presentation to the ASA Board and to the ASA membership in virtual forum sessions, with approval review to occur at the Annual Business Meeting in April 2021.

Five major Strategic Priorities were identified. Representative objectives for each priority are identified; however, operational and tactical strategies are not detailed here. Following approval of the plan, the ASA Board of Directors and ASA Committees will align their work with each priority and develop specific tactics and strategies to implement the Plan. In addition, outcomes metrics of success or key performance indicators (KPIs) will be developed as assessable, aspirational targets of progress and success. Regular assessment of the Plan and progress towards implementation will be a priority, as will regular communication to the ASA membership.

STRATEGIC PLAN: 5 YR PLAN
STRATEGIC PRIORITY I: Provide the highest quality basic, clinical, and translational scientific knowledge of male reproductive health.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY I RATIONALE:

The value of the ASA to current and potential new members is strengthened by being the leader in dissemination of high-quality scientific knowledge of male reproductive health. The annual meeting, journal, and media venues are all essential – not only for imparting knowledge to andrologists– but also for educating the general public.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY I OBJECTIVES:

  1. Ensure continuous improvement of Andrology as a leading journal in the field.
  2. Expand upon and increase formats and platforms for communicating with and providing educational content to the membership, and to the general public.
  3. Improve the value of the Annual Meeting to: (1) increase meeting attendance, attendee engagement in the meeting, and revenue from the Annual meeting; (2) enhance participation among minority and underrepresented scientists, and
    (3) expand the collaboration, networking, mentoring, and scientific and clinical interests to make the meeting more appealing to diverse audiences.
  1. Implement virtual programming at the Annual Meeting and an intentional schedule of programming throughout the year that makes the ASA more accessible to members, including international audiences.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY II: Promote and enhance the mission of the American Society of Andrology.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY II RATIONALE:

    To achieve the goals of the Society, the ASA must be recognized, be accepted, and function as the preeminent andrology community where strong collaborations between clinician-researchers and basic scientists are established and nurtured.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY II OBJECTIVES:

    1. Create sustainable avenues for linking clinicians and basic scientists together to recognize and discuss problems that can be addressed synergistically.
    2. Maintain and expand communications and partnerships between Society members to develop a stronger sense of common purpose and community.
    3. Support the professional development of trainees and early-stage
    4. Build working relationships with policy makers, granting agencies, and foundations to keep our members apprised of research and funding trends and to inform policy decisions.
    5. Expand outreach to the general public concerning matters of male reproductive health.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY III: Membership growth and meeting the needs of our members.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY III RATIONALE:

    The Society enjoys its internationally based membership with a diverse mixture of clinicians and research scientists, and its affiliation and partnership with the International Society of Andrology (ISA). The presence of a nearly balanced ratio of PhDs and MDs supports the society’s mission to provide a fertile environment for clinicians and basic scientists in andrology. ASA will continue to refine, develop, and evaluate its member attributes, so that the society can understand and serve the membership better. The ASA will leverage its diversity more fully, as well as sustain and strengthen current programs and develop new initiatives that encourage engagement and membership retention of under-represented groups.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY III OBJECTIVES:

    1. Develop strategies and value propositions to retain existing membership, and work to recruit new members.
    2. Sustain and strengthen current programs and invest in new initiatives needed to enhance diversity among the ASA membership, especially under-represented groups.
    3. Provide opportunities for training/education/leadership development and innovation as pillars to support sustained membership growth.
    4. Expand mutually beneficial partnerships with national and international societies.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY IV: Strengthen leadership and governance.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY IV RATIONALE:

    The Society will invest in developing strong leadership to advance the mission, vision, and values of the ASA. The Society will improve training of members in the pipeline for leadership roles. Opportunities for senior leadership will be developed to maintain institutional memory. Committee members will be actively recruited to develop the next generation of ASA leadership. The Society’s committee structure will be evaluated to develop the optimal structure for furthering the mission of the ASA.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY IV OBJECTIVES:

    1. Expand training period and tenure of Society presidential leadership.
    2. Develop succession planning for committee chairs.
    3. Engage membership through active recruitment for service on committees.
    4. Evaluate and revise committee structure.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY V: Ensure and strengthen fiscal stability and viability.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY V RATIONALE:

    Maintaining a balanced budget is critical to the fiscal health of the ASA and is required for all aspects of the Society’s mission and goals. The two major components of maintaining a balanced budget are sufficient sources of revenue and strict oversight of expenditures. Responsibility of overseeing the financial health of the Society resides with the Treasurer, the Finance Committee, the Business Office, and, ultimately, the Board of Directors. To attain fiscal stability and viability, the Society must improve its revenue stream and maintain sufficient financial reserves.

    STRATEGIC PRIORITY V OBJECTIVES:

    1. Develop and maintain a balanced budget.
    2. Sustain and strengthen current revenue and develop new sources of revenue.
    3. Continue to build endowments and fully utilize income available from endowments.
    4. Establish and maintain a liquid asset reserve greater than two times the annual operating budget.