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This is the final newsletter item I’ll submit as president of
VASFAA. To continue a practice I began after our the fall
VASFAA conference, I’ll  share my opening comments
given at the
opening luncheon of our most recent conference, the Spring 2003
VASFAA Conference held at the Ramada Oceanfront in Virginia
Beach, Virginia. VASFAA celebrated its 35th
anniversary at that conference.
Welcome all,
aid administrators, college officials, public policy makers,
those involved in encouraging and helping students further their
education, vendors and commercial sponsors, students,
parents…and who have I left out? Oh yes, and recent graduates.
Well, I hope I’ve left no one out. Welcome to Virginia Beach.
So very close to the first permanent new world settlement,
Jamestown. Here in the midst of our country’s military
establishment. Here where patriotism reigns. We are VASFAA,
the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators. We are a professional organization. Let me say
that again, we are a professional organization. We’re all about
embracing change and we’ve been doing that for 35 years in
Virginia. Embracing change to provide for the future of our
nation.
Happy 35th
birthday VASFAA.
Let’s put the concept of change
into its proper perspective. We all age; if we don’t age we
die. Aging is natural…think of the transitions we pass
through…infant to toddler to child to adolescent to young adult
to adult to older adult to old adult to old old adult. Such a
progression, through many developmental transitions, is one of
the most natural things on earth. So we all should enjoy and
embrace change.
Please indulge me for a
moment. As president of VASFAA, I have the responsibility of
setting direction and tenor for the organization. While the
direction is important, the tenor, or essence of the
organization is most important. And the president must convey
that to the membership. If I have one legacy, I want it to be
that I share my vision and my concept of the tenor of the
organization with its membership in a public forum at our
opening luncheon at each conference. So, be patient and I
promise I’ll be as brief as possible.
While I’ve practiced financial aid
in Virginia since only 1988, began in 1972 by writing a grant,
as a student, to a private foundation to provide scholarship
assistance to students pursuing medical technology. Well, I got
the $40,000 grant. And that’s how it started. I graduated from
college on a Sunday, and became director of financial aid on
Monday.
And it’s been an absolute ball
ever since then. To be involved in the programmatic advances,
the technological advances, the increase in dollars available to
students…and the joy of watching students achieve their
educational dreams. All of these happenings represent
transition, or change. Many of you have similar stories; you
just sort of fell into the profession. Now seriously, how many
of you remember that as nine-year olds you dreamed of becoming a
financial aid administrator? But think of the emotional charge
we get from watching our students grow and mature and change
during their educational careers at our institutions; to watch
our own institutions grow and change; and what amusement and
wonderment our vendors get from watching those of us at
educational institutions grow and change.
Not many, most of us fell into the
profession and then began to realize how much of an impact we
could have on the lives of others and the future of our
country. The future of our country…a pretty noble cause…but
we’re in good company here…remember the deeds and dreams of
Washington, Jefferson and Madison…all Virginians….all with
legacies beyond the normal traditional primary/secondary school
outlook.
And we contribute to the
achievement of that outlook as a profession. Some years ago,
the Harvard Business Review discussed the elements of a
profession. Among those elements was a body of knowledge, a set
of ethics, an organizational framework as well as other
features. What’s important to us today is the fact that VASFAA
has been, is and will continue to be our underlying structure as
a profession. While students are our raison d’etre,
VASFAA is our support network. And VASFAA’s been our under
girding strength for 35 years.
Happy 35th
birthday VASFAA.
Just think of the
relationships, professional and personal, that each of you has
developed though VASFAA. Think of the joy, the frustration, the
disappointment, the victory, the utter elation you have shared
with those met through VASFAA. While this is a celebration, we
must also remember the sad times, the down times, the hopeless
times…because above all, VASFAA helped us through those down
times, when no one on your campus understood what you were going
through. And think of the help you received when you canvassed
your VASFAA colleagues for an answer you were hesitant to put to
the “usdoe.”
So not only do we celebrate
VASFAA’s 35th anniversary, we celebrate our 35th
anniversary as a profession in Virginia. Happy anniversary
fellow Virginia financial aid professionals!
So the first elemental essence you
need to carry away form this conference is that we are
professionals.
As professionals, we are leaders.
Leadership is our second elemental essence. We’re leaders on
our campuses and in our organizations. We possess expert
knowledge on arcane and sometimes confusing federal and state
regulations. We advocate for student interests while looking
out for the health and future of our institutions. We’re
leaders in the sense that we display certain behaviors and
champion certain attitudes. As professionals, we’re role
models…and we must be acutely aware that we have a
responsibility to lead…and to put ourselves in the path to
leadership. That means that you need to prepare to seek
elective positions within VASFAA.
The elective opportunities are
almost boundless in VASFAA. And contrary to popular belief,
there’s no certain progression or sequence you must follow.
Everyone does it their own way. While service as a
representative at large helps to prepare you for higher offices,
there’s no hard and fast rule here. If we had a suggested
progression, it would be first, volunteer for committee
service. If you like that, then let it be known that you’d like
to serve as a committee chair or co-chair. Then, maybe you’re
interested in serving in an elective office. Don’t be
shy…nominate yourself when the nominations committee is seeking
nominations. Historically, this has taken place after the fall
conference. Don’t know what office you’d like to seek or don’t’
really know what a particular office does? Then read our bylaws
and policies and procedures and then ask a current or prior
officer. We don’t bite and it’s ok to ask such questions. I’d
much rather have someone ask me a question and me to give an
accurate answer than for a member to go around uninformed and
basing their actions on an incorrect assumption.
And while you’re preparing for
that elective office, please be sure to fill out the volunteer
form for incoming president Hibbets.
In my opening address for our fall
conference, I talked about three of my areas of
concentration…diversity, early awareness and the public policy
arena. We’ve made great strides in all three during this year.
We still have more progress to make. And in the area of
diversity, let me share with you six leadership principles of
diversity. I developed these for a presentation at this year’s
nasfaa leadership
conference.
Know thyself---make sure your
actions reflect your talk
Take risk---try untested individuals in leadership positions
Champion---don’t let
an opportunity pass you by to talk about diversity
Be realistic---no bs or pc---don’t sugarcoat
Don’t stereotype --- we all do it, be aware of it
Be strategic---think forward, look for opportunity to change
This whole arena of
diversity is one many of those in the majority consistently
underestimate. Wake up…look at the demographics and embrace
diversity and embrace change.
The third essence I want to convey
goes back to the concept of embracing change in general.
Whether you realize it or not, as financial aid professionals,
we are significant change agents. Our actions comprise the
economic engine that make post high school educational
opportunities financially attainable to our citizenry…we make
the future of our great democracy. And we have recently found
that our future has been threatened and we have had to respond.
Our country’s recent military actions also point to the nature
of change not just in our back yard, but in the global
community. We cannot remain isolated nor can we be Polyannas
in the security and future of our nation. Our work as aid
administrators not only supports the future of our nation, but
also the security of our nation.
Many of us have seen some of our
student’s sent off to battle in the past 18 months. Some of
them will not come back. Let us pause for a moment to remember
those who have sacrificed for their country.
Change, the ever constant cycle of
change…no always happy and gleeful, sometimes sad and tragic.
It’s natural, it’s inherent it’s unstoppable. So embrace change
and be a part of Change. One change coming up in 2004-05 will
be our movement to one annual conference. As President-Elect
Hibbets has pointed out, there’s a survey on your table. Please
complete it and had it in on your way out at the conclusion of
this luncheon. Win a VASFAA conference registration for
2003-04.
In closing, let me remind you that
VASFAA, representing 35 years of change, plans for change though
our strategic plan. Again, change is natural so why not plan
for it? In your registration packets is a yellow sheet of
paper that displays a quiz on the VASFAA Strategic Plan. Take
the time to complete the quiz during the conference. The plan
is displayed near the registration area as well as on our web
site. Or, you may want to take the quiz home and complete it
and submit it later. Just make sure you get it to Sharon
Clough, here address is on the quiz, by 5/23/03. Win a 2003-04
free conference registration.
So, we’re here to celebrate
VASFAA’s 35 anniversary, and continue our legacy as a
profession. And our essence contains the elements of
professionalism, leadership through participation and embracing
change as a natural force. All of which leads to sustaining our
great nation. Thank you and happy 35th to VASFAA.
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