Report from the Diversity Committee
Dee Talley, Chair

The following SASFAA colleagues have agreed to serve as members of the 2004-2005 SASFAA Diversity Committee:

• Sam Chuks, Faulkner State Community College (AL)
• Al Pratt, Chase Education First (FL)
• Anita Haynes, Emory University (GA)
• Em McNair Texas Guarantee Agency (GA)
• Michael Morgan, KHEAA (KY)
• LaShonda Chamberlain, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MS)
• RoseMary Stelma, East Carolina University – (NC)
• Bridget Blackwell, University of South Carolina-Columbia (SC)
• Robbie Snapp, Middle Tennessee State University (TN)
• Liza Bruce, ECMC Group (VA)

The committee’s plans for the 2004-2005 year include the following activities:

1. Work with the Conference Committee to plan a cultural outing for the membership. Atlanta has many historic and cultural sites that could prove to be of benefit to the Association. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau are being contacted by the committee in an effort to identify possible historic and cultural activities.
2. Identify a speaker for a general session that would benefit the entire membership. Several speakers that are being considered include: Dr. George Reed, Program Director of the National Association for Equal Opportunity; Mark Abelson, a diversity consultant; Frank Scalon; and our own SASFAA colleagues Mike O’Grady and Michael Tapscott.
3. Have a one day Minority Leadership Conference with innovative and distinguished speakers that can offer effective leadership skills to SASFAA members.
4. Work with the Conference Committee to plan concurrent interest sessions on diversity.
5. Updating the Diversity brochure from 2003-2004.
6. Developing a directory called “Minorities for the Asking”, which would be similar to the booklet developed by SASFAA in 1990-91. The directory was designed to promote professional development among minorities in SASFAA, and to encourage more minority participation in our regional association. Information was solicited from minorities in SASFAA and permission was requested to include these members in the publication.

7. Developing a diversity survey to determine what diversity means to SASFAA members and what activities they would like SASFAA to offer to them in this area.
8. Determine the feasibility of continuing to have a SASFAA diversity booth at the conference.
9. Initiate development of a general financial aid brochure in Spanish that could be posted on SASFAA’s website for member institutions to download and distribute to their students.
10. Work to develop diversity needs other than race concerns; diversity is more than black and white.

The committee has a great deal of work ahead, but they are confident that they can meet their goals. In an effort to keep down expenses, the committee will do as much of its work as it can via conference calls and e-mails.

Report from the Federal Relations Committee
Marie Bennett, Chair

The Committee chairman is Marie Bennett of Virginia. The members of the 2004-2005 Committee, and chairmen of their respective state committees are:

The committee held its first meeting in this summer and agreed to begin preparation for the next round of reauthorization by identifying student-centric issues that are expected to be at the fore front of future work on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Amendments in 2005. Each committee member agreed to the development of an executive summary analysis of an assigned issue. In October, the committee will review drafts and determine if any recommendations will be sent to the board on any positions we think SASFAA should take. Other issues will be identified and assessed after the national elections.