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TRAINING COMMITTEE
Spring is just around the corner...
Don't forget that the
Training Committee would like to have your suggestions for
programs for the May 2-5, 20004, Conference in Virginia
Beach. I am attaching an Interest Session Form. Thanks for
all of your help and hope you all had a Happy Holiday break.
Gail S. Catron, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Financial Aid/Professor
Wytheville Community College
1000 E. Main Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
VOICE: 276-223-4766
FAX: 276-223-4778
gcatron@wcc.vccs.edu
NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
VASFAA OFFICER NOMINATION
This is the official notice
calling for nominations for VASFAA offices for which elections
will be held at the spring 2004 conference terms beginning
July 1, 2004.
The
following offices will be open
President-elect
Treasurer-elect
Representatives at large
Please
submit your nominations by 1/16/04…I would appreciate it if
nominators would consult with the potential nominee regarding
their willingness to serve and include a brief resume.
Preferred method of submission is Word format via email.
Simmonsb@vt.edu
Submitted
by Dr. Barry W. Simmons Sr., Director, Office of Scholarships
and Financial Aid Enrollment Services
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
AWARDS
COMMITTEE
VASFAA RECOGNITION & AWARDS
NOMINATIONS
This is the official notice
calling for nominations for those awards and recognitions
listed in Section 11 of the VASFAA Awards and Procedures
Manual as:
Life Member Award
Excellence Award
Service Award
New Professional of the Year Award
Additionally, we’d like to be aware of any retirements so we
can recognize those too.
While such
nominations may be submitted at any time, to provide for the
orderly consideration of nominees, please submit the
nominations to me by 1/16/04 in preferred Word format via
email to Simmonsb@vt.edu
Submitted
by Dr. Barry W. Simmons Sr., Director, Office of Scholarships
and Financial Aid Enrollment Services
VASFAA Information Services Commission:
INFORMATION SERVICES COMMISSION
Getting the Word (and Pictures) Out
Did you know that VASFAA had an
entire commission dedicated to information dissemination and
collection and community outreach? That’s right, the
Information Services Commission is tasked with ensuring that
the VASFAA membership is kept aware of important information
and events, collecting information from the membership as
needed, identifying community outreach opportunities and
keeping the community aware of VASFAA activities, providing
venues for information sharing, and collecting and archiving
photographic documentation of VASFAA and its membership
activities. There are four committees that make up the VASFAA
Information Services Commission.
The Newsletter Committee,
chaired for 2003-2004 by Gary Spoales (Bank of America),
publishes the VASFAA Voice, VASFAA’s official newsletter. The
newsletter, usually published quarterly, contains articles and
updates from committee chairs and board members, professional
interest articles from members, sponsors and vendors, ads from
our sponsors, information about upcoming elections, important
dates and events for the calendar, and other interesting
tidbits of information about the association and its members.
The Public Relations
Committee, chaired for 2003-2004 by Beth Parker (ECMC), is
tasked with finding creative means to inform Virginians about
VASFAA and the benefits the Association has to offer. They
work closely with the Awareness and Secondary School Relations
Committees to support any media needs for promotion of VASFAA
Activities throughout the year. The Public Relations
Committee usually establishes a philanthropic activity in
association in conjunction with the VASFAA conferences. The
committee also provides written documentation about VASFAA for
use by the membership, various VASFAA committees, and eternal
contact.
The Photography Committee,
chaired for 2003-2004 by Gerene Carter (CitiBank), is
responsible for maintaining photos and relationships necessary
to photograph all VASFAA events as requested, make photos
available to the membership, make photos available to state
and regional newsletters and other publications, and may
arrange a photo journal for presentation to the President.
This photographic history is also provided to the VASFAA
archivist for inclusion in the VASFAA archives.
The Electronic Services
Committee, chaired for 2003-2004 by Joe Dobrota (Regent
University), takes steps to enhance the breadth, depth, and
effectiveness and efficiency of VASFAA electronic
communications with our membership and other interested
parties. This committee reviews the needs of the Association
for computer hardware and software applications to ensure
their smooth and reliable functioning. As equipment
deteriorates, this committee recommends equipment purchases.
This committee works cooperatively with other VASFAA
committees and the VASFAA Board to fulfill the VASFAA purpose
and mission. And, last but by no means least, the committee is
also responsible for coordinating the maintenance of and
updates to the VASFAA web site.
If you’re the type of person
that likes to spread good news and likes to be in on the
latest and greatest breaking events within the association,
you should consider volunteering for on e of the committees
within the Information Services Commission.
Submitted by Erik Melis
Information Services Commissioner
NEW
CENTURY EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND COMMITTEE
VASFAA’s NEW CENTURY EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT FUND SEEKS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS
The innovative professional
development program provides financial assistance to members!
Applications are now being
accepted for financial awards from the New Century Educational
Endowment Fund. This fund was created four years ago with a
$50,000 grant from the VASFAA general fund. The "Buddy
Awards", named after VASFAA Past President and Life Member
Buddy Johnston, offer support for the professional development
of VASFAA members and their sponsoring institutions.
Past recipients received awards
to fund a study to improve retention, pay tuition for the
SASFAA summer workshop, and fund a staff retreat to improve
services through new technologies. Most recently, the Fund
has supported a two-year professional development grant for a
state university in supporting their new “all-inclusive”
student employment program. The Fund has also committed to
providing financial support to a future experienced financial
aid officers' summit.
The application for a 2004-2005
award is posted on your VASFAA home page (www.VASFAA.org)
under "Forms Bank". Do you have a creative idea for a
professional development activity for which you or your staff
could use some funding? Awards typically are granted for $50
to $1000 per recipient. Applications may be made at any time
and grants awarded anytime throughout the year.
Applications will be reviewed
and recommended by the Funds' President’s Council, which is
appointed by the VASFAA Board of Directors. The President’s
Council for 2004-2005 includes: John Crowley (VASFAA
Treasurer), Betty Diamond, Vern Fairchilds, Sherwin Hibbets
(VASFAA President), Mildred Jackson, Buddy Johnston (Chair),
Rod Moore, Tom Morehouse (VASFAA President-Elect), and Sherrye
Ward.
Please submit your
application by April 1, 2004 to:
H. S.
"Buddy" Johnston
USA Funds Services
4580 Mallard Point Way, Unit 3
Dublin, VA 24084
Phone number: 540-674-4801; Fax number 540-674-6265
Awards will be announced at the
2004 Spring Conference at VA Beach!
Submitted by H.S. “Buddy”
Johnston
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
VASFAA LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
VASFAA and I have the advantage of expert and thoughtful
guidance from Brad Barnett, Randy Craig, Sid Dugas, Guy Gibbs,
and Tom Morehouse. I am fortunate to have this experienced
group of volunteers join me on the Strategic Planning
Committee this year.
A strategic plan guides an organization as it moves into the
future. Your Strategic Planning Committee is in the process
of updating VASFAA's strategic plan to position our
organization to be successful and thrive over the next five
years.
We have utilized the ListServ to solicit input from you, the
membership, on each section of our current plan. Thanks to
Randy Craig for his stewardship of this portion of the
project, and to all of you who responded with comments and
suggestions.
The current plan is available at
www.vasfaa.org. Please e-mail me at sclough@khec.com
if you have any last minute contributions to our discussions.
The committee will be meeting soon to review the current plan,
consider the membership's input, and discuss challenges and
opportunities which may confront our organization over the
next years. We will draft a plan to guide VASFAA toward
continued success as an organization, which we will submit to
our Executive Board for review and approval.
Submitted by Sharon H. Clough
Chair, VASFAA Strategic Planning Committee
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
During the Fall Conference held
in Richmond, the VASFAA Diversity Committee conducted a survey
concerning diversity practices within our various
organizations and institutions. There were a number of
participants, and as promised, this article summarizes our
findings.
Our member organizations employ
a variety of ways to promote diversity. Publications,
workshops and retreats are some of the ways diversity is
promoted within our member institutions and organizations.
Some institutions actually have formed their own diversity
committees while others have made diversity part of the
institutional goals and initiatives. Finally, one of the main
ways member organizations promote diversity is in their hiring
practices.
VASFAA members promote diversity
among their customers first and foremost by ensuring that
services are provided to all, regardless of individual
differences. Publications, workshops, fairs and community
events are used to facilitate service to our diverse consumer
base.
There are a variety of
individuals and offices with primary diversity responsibility
within VASFAA member organizations. The range includes
outside organizers, Alumni Associations and even the
President’s Office. Public Relations and Human Resources
Offices tend to have primary diversity responsibility at the
majority of the reporting organizations.
Organizations that reported
defined policies and procedures in dealing with diversity
issues indicated a variety of ways to handle their concerns.
The Human Resources Offices and EEO Offices were typically
responsible for defining the policies and procedures. Some
organizations included diversity policies and procedures in
their staff handbooks or as part of the Organizational Mission
Statement.
Diversity tools included tool
kits, handouts and award certificates upon completion of
workshops or seminars. Human Resource videos and articles
appearing in trade magazines were also used as diversity
tools.
The Diversity Committee would
like to thank those who completed surveys. This information
will also be available at the Spring Conference. There will
be a follow-up contest during the Spring Conference for member
institutions to showcase their Diversity Tools. Prizes will
be awarded for (1) Most innovative and (2) Most creative.
Please consider sharing your tools with the VASFAA membership
through this contest.
Submitted by Kerrie Roth, Chair,
ODU
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