A PRESIDENT'S PAUSE

On Track for “Going the Distance”!

by Sherwin Hibbets, Regent University
2003-2004 VASFAA President

“Happy New Year!” to all as we start the 2004 calendar year.  I trust all had a safe and merry holiday season!  But, now it is back to doing what we all do so well…getting those students registered and their financial aid processed for bill payment…thereby ensuring continued access and progress toward fulfilling their education dreams! 

As we move on along the track and round the corner that is the middle of the school year, we can look over the shoulder briefly to see the progress made as we pick up speed to finish 2003-2004 in peak form! 

The VASFAA Fall Conference has been completed.  Indications are that we had the second largest attendance of registered attendees in the last seven years!  Kudos again to the Conference Committee (chaired by Leslie Thomas of George Mason University), the Training Committee (chaired by Gail Catron of Wytheville Community College), and the Vendor/Sponsor Relations Committee (chaired by Tanya White of Old Dominion University), all the presenters, moderators, and everyone who had a part in making the conference a great success. 

The half-day New Aid Officers Workshop (NAOW) preceding the Fall Conference was under the direction of Representative-at-Large, Brad Barnett of James Madison University.  This year, for the first time, we offered a “day rate” for those who wanted to attend the NAOW, but were not able to attend the entire conference.   This proved to be a positive offering and we had 38 new colleagues register for this session.  The possibility of a full-day expanded version of this workshop preceding the Spring Conference in May has been proffered.

On November 9-10, 2003, VASFAA co-sponsored an Awareness Summit in conjunction with SCHEV and the Education Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) in Richmond, VA.  The theme was Virginia Partnerships for College Access.  The Summit was attended by more than 100 invited guests from around the Commonwealth and neighboring states. Christina Milano, Executive Director of the National College Access Network and Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio College Access Network was the keynote speaker.  Her address highlighted access issues ascertained from a review of the demographic data of various geographical areas of the state and how it relates to enrollment at Virginia institutions.  The goal to foster a cooperative effort to centralize Virginia’s college access services and to coordinate a network of service providers was validated as a need.  As a result of the Summit a listserv has been established for those interested in networking on college access issues in the state.  (If you are interested in subscribing to the listserv, please see the information here.)  The originating committee of this event met on December 11, 2003 to define the next steps to address issues covered in the Summit.  The key outcome of this subsequent meeting was the establishment of a steering committee to formalize a proposal for an ongoing organizational structure to carry on and enhance the work began through this original Summit.  There are seven people on this committee, including Dr. Barry Simmons of Virginia Tech, Lee Andes of SCHEV, and Linda Woodley of ECMC.  We look forward to further updates on this new entity!

VASFAA’s Secondary School Relations Committee, chaired by Anita Aymer, is in the process of completing the second month of a comprehensive schedule of High School Guidance Counselor Workshops at 13 sites around the state this year.  Some comments received to date indicate that the session attended was the best one ever.  VASFAA is glad to be able to assist in meeting this annual need for training of High School Guidance Counselors.

Thanks to the support and initiative of our colleagues at James Madison University’s Student Work Experience Center, VASFAA co-sponsored a Job Location and Development (JLD) Forum on December 12, 2003.  The purpose of this session was to provide representatives from Virginia public and private institutions of higher education with the opportunity to discuss their current JLD programs or their interest in establishing a JLD program.  This forum provided student employment professionals with the opportunity to learn from one another and acquire new ideas for providing services to their constituents.   Topics of discussion included, among other things:

·         Applying for a JLD Program

·         ABCs of JLD

·         Job Posting Methods

·         Marketing to Students and Employers

·         Federal Regulations

·         Tracking Requirements

Some of the early feedback from this forum indicates a very positive response, as indicated in this sample:

“I know what I need to do to get started and the risks involved.  I also have a better understanding of the benefits of the program.”

“It was helpful to see how it is being used in reality as opposed to just reading the regulations.”

We believe that this initiative has provided a greater understanding of the JLD opportunity and will increase participation interest.

The Awareness Committee, chaired by Angie Hawkins, is pushing forward with significant plans for January, 2004.  At the time of this writing the efforts are to include call-in shows on television stations in the Richmond and Tidewater area as well as the Super-Saturday event.  Watch for more information in your e-mail box!

We could go on with additional details of other Association work that is underway, e.g., the Experienced Aid Officers’ Workshop that is being re-worked, the Strategic Plan for the Association being prepared for updating and extending, the Policies and Procedures Manual being updated, and of course, the Spring Conference details that are being ironed out for another great professional development experience.  But, at this point I would like to end by encouraging you to ensure that you have reviewed the Strategic Plan and made suggestions on the various parts that were distributed in November and December.  Your input is vital to ensure that the Association reflects who we are and where we want to go.  If you have not yet done so, please review the Strategic Plan online and give your feedback as soon as possible.  The committee is working diligently to update it for discussion at our Winter Board meeting.

As a final note in this segment of the 2003-2004 course, please keep the following dates in mind: