Constitution Day - September 17

Constitution Day is September 17. The Federal Register notes in part, "...educational institutions receiving Federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year." 

More information can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/constitutionday.html and http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/constitution-day.php. 

How does your school meet this requirement? Share with your SASFAA colleagues on our Facebook page, or you may e-mail me with ideas.

Jody Darby
Communications and Outreach Chair
SASFAA, 2014-2015

Save the Date - SASFAA's 2014 Leadership Symposium

Are you are interested in obtaining personal and practical skills associated with being a good leader?  If so, we have the event for you!  Save the date! SASFAA's 2014 Leadership Symposium will be held in November! Registration will be open soon.  Space is limited! More detailed information is below.

When:  November 20-22, 2014

Where:  Birmingham, AL - Hyatt Regency

This symposium, utilizing a solid core of faculty with the assistance of an outside speaker, will explore what it takes to be an effective leader as well as the responsibilities that go along with it.  Good leadership requires a certain level of managerial skills. We will explore developing your individual leadership style, as well as highlighting practical applications for planning and goal-setting, building a winning team, and conducting effective meetings.  This will be a very hands-on symposium and will require some reading prior to the actual event, but seating is limited (each state may sponsor two participants and there are 20 additional slots available).

Due to the date of event quickly approaching, we are duplicating this same information to the listserv and to SASFAA's Facebook page. We are trying, however, to reduce duplication as much as possible with most information.

Reaching Generation Hashtag

Reaching Generation Hashtag: Leveraging Social Media to Support Student Success

In the first of our two part social media webinar series, join us as we hear from Dr. Reynol Junco, author of the recently released book, “Engaging Students Through Social Media.” Drawing upon his years of research and data collection regarding student technology use, Dr. Junco will explain how social networks can be used to not only disseminate general institution information, but can also provide a platform for colleges and universities to improve engagement, academic performance, and persistence amongst students.

You will learn about the impact of social media within higher education , role of social media in predictive analytics and relationship between social media and student identity. Participants are able to send questions prior to the webinar via #reytalks and webinars@inceptia.org.

Date: September 18, 2014

Time: 12:00 p.m. (PT)/1:00 p.m. (MT)/2:00 p.m. (CT)/3:00 p.m. (ET)

Cost: Complimentary

Speakers: Dr. Reynol Junco, Associate Professor of Education and Human Computer Interaction, Iowa State University

Carissa Uhlman, Vice President of Student Success, Inceptia

Register here: http://tinyurl.com/qf3c9qf\

If you have questions, you may contact Lenny Akins, Inceptia, Lenny Akins, lennya@inceptia.org.

Update from the Board

Dear Members and Friends:

It's hard to believe the summer is almost over and we are gearing up for another exciting school year.

I hope each of you have had time to spend the summer visiting family and friends and taking time to relax and enjoy the blessings we all have been given.

Your 2014-15 Executive Board held our first meeting in August in Memphis, TN--the site of our 2015 Annual Conference.  Below are highlights from the meeting:

·         Ensure that SASFAA remains fiscally sound.

·         Approved Operating Budget for 2014-15 $409,725.00

·         Approved sites for the 2015 & 2016 Transition Meetings: (Trade Winds/St. Pete, FL)

·         All Committee Members were approved! (Thank you for volunteering!)

·         Approved Training Opportunities:  (Information is forthcoming from your Vice President, Marian Dill.)

·         Immediate Past President, Zita Barree, will be seeking nominations for Treasurer, Vice President, and President. (Get involved!  Contact your current state President.)

·         Seeking Nominations for our SASFAA Awards

·         Communications & Outreach: Jody Darby, chair of the committee, encourages all members to send updates from their state they want to share so that he can send out via the SASFAA Nine News!

·         Long Range Planning: Sandy Neel, chair of committee, will be reviewing and creating a blueprint that is filled with specific strategies and tactics designed to meet stated objectives of SASFAA.  She and her committee will work to ensure a bright horizon for the next five years.

As you can see, we are off to a great start!  We are here to serve you!   

The Executive Board will be meeting again in November, so if you have any concerns or suggestions that you would like for us to address, please contact me at nbasford@admin.fsu.edu.

As we head into a very busy season, I wish each of you the very best.  Keeping our theme for the year in our minds will hopefully help each of us to get through the busy months ahead.

Uncovering Our Purpose, Power, and Passion

Take care,

Nathan

Is becoming a SASFAA New Aid Instructor in your future?

Greetings,

Are you interested in serving or do you know someone that would be a great a great instructor for the summer NAOW?  There are openings for the 2015 year.   The proposed date for the workshop is June 14-19, 2015.  The workshop is designed to provide a working knowledge of the federal financial aid programs, as well as an understanding of the laws and regulations that govern these programs.

Below are the guidelines for faculty selection and their duties.  If you are interested or would like to recommend a colleague, please complete and return the “Instructor Recommendation Form” on/before Wednesday, September 3, 2014.   Faculty positions will be reviewed by the Professional Advancement Committee in September and presented to the SASFAA Board in November.  Individuals will be notified of selection by December 1, 2014.  Instructors and alternates will be selected during the process.

Guidelines for Faculty Selection (P&P 6.14.1)

• Faculty members must be financial aid administrators who have been employed in the student financial aid profession for at least three (3) years, with preference given to those administrators with greater experience.
• Faculty cannot serve more than two (2) consecutive years except with the approval of the Board.
• Faculty must be active members of SASFAA.
• The vice president, in consultation with the president, will select the faculty. Recommendations will be solicited from the Professional Development Committee.
• Faculty selection criteria shall include state, type of institution or agency where employed, minority representation, teaching ability and professional attitude. Competency, professionalism and teaching ability shall be determining factors when selecting faculty.

Job Description and Responsibilities

·         The instructor is expected to attend a planning retreat in the spring prior to the workshop.

·         The instructor agrees to stay on site for the entire workshop.

·         The instructor is expected to arrive at the summer workshop site on Friday prior to the beginning of the workshop (Sunday) and remain through the following Friday (close of the workshop). [Eight days]

·         Agree to participate in all workshop-sponsored events.

·         Understand that the commitment of being a NAOW Instructor is a two-year commitment with an annual contract issued at the discretion of the SASFAA Vice-President.

·         Serve as the instructors for one-day workshop held in conjunction with the annual conference.  

·         Review curriculum materials provided.  This should be done prior to arrival at the workshop.

·         Work closely with teaching partner to make the classroom experience of the highest quality.

·         Encourage participants in classroom and social activities, helping them to feel welcome and comfortable.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me by email at mdill@leeuniversity.edu.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Marian Dill

SASFAA Vice President (2014-2015)

Greetings from your SASFAA President

Your 2014-15 SASFAA Executive board will be meeting July 25-26^th in Memphis, Tennessee.  We plan to discuss the following:

• Operational Budget approval for 2014-15,
• All Policy & Procedure updates recommended by board members,
• Future Conference Site locations,
• Training Opportunities for 2014-15,
• SASFAA 2015 Conference,
• State updates from State Presidents, and
• Governance and Planning (GAP)  Long Range Planning.

As you know, our theme for the year is:  “Uncovering our Purpose, Power & Passion”

As we meet, we will keep this theme in mind as we discuss the above items, and also look at where we want our Association to be in the future.

The entire board is reading an excellent book that was recommended by NASFAA: “Road to Relevance” by Harrison Coerver & Mary Byers.  This book provides strategies for associations to consider when they begin reviewing their long range planning.  Operating as we have traditionally done for the last few years is not a viable option, and we must be disciplined strategists. During the year we will use insight from the book to lead our association to an ever-more valued, sustainable, and relevant future. 

Updates from the meeting will be sent after our meeting. As always, I welcome all your comments and ideas.

Regards,

Nathan

nbasford@admin.fsu.edu