NASFAA Volunteer Facts

Many of NASFAA's projects and activities are carried out by volunteers who serve on committees and task forces that are appointed annually.

To facilitate the selection and the activities of volunteers within the Association's structure, it is necessary to establish consistent guidelines and expectations that are understood by all parties. The following policies have been established to assist in this important effort.

Selection Guidelines	Committee Descriptions
Responsibilities of Volunteers
Travel and Expense Policies	Roadmap To Involvement

Selection Guidelines

1. Typically, individual participation is limited to one committee to ensure greater membership participation.

2. Selected volunteers must be from member institutions or be an affiliate or constituent NASFAA member.

3. Appointments are made annually. However, this does not preclude reappointment to the same or a different committee.

4. The selection process is sensitive to the goal of broad representation with respect to ethnic origin, sex, region, and type and control of institution.

5. Individuals selected have demonstrated their leadership and decision-making skills through professional activities at the state and/or regional level.

6. Annually the volunteer records of the past three years, at a minimum, are reviewed to ensure that current volunteers who previously volunteered, but were not selected, are given full consideration.

Responsibilities of Volunteers

1. Both current committee/task force members and those seeking new appointments must submit a Volunteer Form and any accompanying information requested to be considered for an assignment.

2. All volunteers must summarize their key professional activities and designate the level in which they were performed.

3. Volunteers appointed to committees/task forces are expected to attend all scheduled meetings. This includes the meeting held in conjunction with the annual conference.

4. Committee assignments must be completed in a timely manner.

5. The input of other aid administrators must be actively sought.

6. Divergent points of view must be incorporated in committee decisions and recommendations.

7. The specified term must be served.

Travel and Expense Policies

NASFAA pays expenses incurred by volunteers for committees/task forces in accordance with the following policies:

1. Hotel accommodations, based on double occupancy;

2. An established per diem for meals;

3. Coach or other least expensive airline travel. This may be arranged through the NASFAA office; and

4. Meetings are held in Washington, D.C., and generally over a weekend.

Association-approved guidelines also apply to committee/task force expenses and NASFAA Instructor expenses.

Responsibilities for volunteers serving on specific committees and task forces begin July 1, 2008. As a member of NASFAA, it is expected that you will attend the annual conference. Committee and task force members meet prior to the annual conference. If you are selected as a 2008 volunteer you will be contacted in advance informing you of your committee obligations, including attending your first committee meeting that will be held in conjunction with the conference. This year’s Conference is in Orlando, FL July 6-9, 2008. For specific conference information visit www.nasfaa.org/Conference.asp.

As always, please encourage members of your staff to complete the Volunteer Form on the NASFAA Web site. The form must be submitted by April 11, 2008 to insure full consideration for selection.

Committee Descriptions

The following are the anticipated committee descriptions and needs for the 2008-2009 volunteer season. The actual number and types of committees vary from year to year at the discretion of the National Chair.

Association Governance and Membership Committee
Chair: Michael Bennett, Brookdale Community College

This committee maintains the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policies and procedures that carry out the purposes of the Association; develops long-term recommendations regarding NASFAA's mission, structure, operation, and service to members; and monitors and makes recommendations regarding the Association's strategic long-range plan. It is also proactive in the development of new ideas and initiatives to enhance member services, and provides oversight of NASFAA member relations and activities. The committee does not meet in conjunction with the annual conference, but does meet twice during the year.

Awards Committee
Chair: Janet Dodson, Doane College

This committee facilitates the consideration of worthy candidates for NASFAA awards and ensures consistent application of the selection criteria. The Awards Committee generally meets in conjunction with the annual conference and conducts the remainder of its business via conference call.

Editorial Board, Journal of Student Financial Aid
Editor: Joe Paul Case, Amherst College

Editorial Board members solicit, edit, and make decisions about the publication of articles for the Journal. Staff involvement is to ensure grammatical correctness and readability, to handle production, and to ensure that the publication complies with Association and/or postal standards. The Journal is published to promote and encourage research and scholarly articles on student financial aid, report the results of relevant research, deal with significant issues in the field, and describe new and innovative programs. If the Editorial Board meets, it is only in conjunction with the annual conference.

Editorial Board, Student Aid Transcript
Editor: Linda Conard, NASFAA

The Editorial Board makes recommendations about the publication of articles for the Transcript. If the Editorial Board meets, it is only in conjunction with the annual conference.

Federal Issues Committee
Bonnie Joerschke, Purdue University

Contingent on the progress of the reauthorization process, this Task Force will consult with the membership and develop the Association's position on issues and specific statutory or regulatory changes in the federal student assistance programs and their delivery systems. The Task Force then prepares and coordinates recommendations for advocacy and coordination with other higher education associations, the Department of Education and other administration agencies, and the Congress, with the concurrence of the NASFAA Board of Directors.

Finance Committee
Chair: Robert Walker, Creighton University

This Committee oversees NASFAA's fiscal affairs and is usually composed of members of the Board of Directors.

Graduate/Professional Issues Committee
Chair: Sherry Gladney, Louisiana State University Health Sciences - Shreveport

The purpose of this committee is to bring together members from a broad range of graduate and professional disciplines to educate, inform and advance discussion of legislative and organizational efforts involving issues of graduate and professional school and student concern.

Institutional Program Management Committee
Chair: Barry Simmons, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

The purpose of the Institutional Program Management Committee is to develop products to enhance members’ abilities to manage programs, operations, and services.

Leadership Development and Professional Advancement Committee
Chair: Patrick McTee, University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences

This committee fosters the development and coordination of leadership training and other leadership development activities and assists in developing, coordinating, and evaluating the agenda for the annual Leadership Conference. Committee members may be asked to attend all or a portion of the Leadership Conference, which usually takes place in early March and begins on a Sunday evening and lasts through Tuesday noon.

National Conference Committee
Chair: Cheryl Lyons, University of Central Arkansas

This committee plans NASFAA's National Conference. The 2007-08 committee will plan the 2008 conference program, conference site, vendor area and all promotion and marketing materials.

Nominations and Elections Committee
Chair: Michael Bennett, Brookdale Community College

This committee’s membership is elected from each region rather than appointed by the National Chair. If you are interested in serving NASFAA in this capacity, please discuss your options with your current regional president.

Research Committee
Chair: Fred Carter, Birmingham Southern University

This committee promotes and facilitates student aid research; identifies training opportunities for aid administrators interested in conducting research; conducts and/or coordinates research on the status of the student aid profession; promotes the publication and use of research results; and interacts with other NASFAA committees and other professional organizations on research topics of mutual interest.

Student Access & Diversity Committee
Chair: Elaine Rivera, The University of Texas - Pan American

The purposes of this committee are to assess the state and condition of student access in terms of students from low-income families and underserved populations, and to provide the Board and membership with guidance and suggested approaches to enhance post-secondary educational participation for these target populations.

Technology Initiatives Committee
Chair: Timothy Opgenorth, University of Illinois at Chicago

The purposes of this committee are to support electronic services for members and communications among members through the use of electronic media, and to make recommendations regarding enhanced electronic services and the most effective use technology.

Training and Best Practices Committee
Chair: Ellen Shilkret, Vassar College

The purposes of this committee are to foster the development and coordination of comprehensive training activities at the state, regional and national levels. This is accomplished through the development of training topics for the Fall Training Series and Best Practices Symposia in the spring. This committee also fosters the development and coordination of comprehensive training activities at the state, regional and national levels.

The NASFAA brochure Roadmap to Involvement explains how volunteers can plan their paths to involvement in financial aid associations at the state, regional, and national levels

Please feel free to contact Cynthia Leach (Leachc@NASFAA.org) at NASFAA if you have any questions about the committee selection process or materials.

Updated January 9, 2007 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2007. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited
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