Fall Conference
SCASFAA held its 38th annual Fall Conference at the Inn and Conference
Center at Clemson University on October 25-26, 2004. The theme was
“Elect SCASFAA…the Winning Ticket.” Total attendance
was an unprecedented 186 members, including 24 first-time attendees.
Carl Wells, Director of Access and Equity/Diversity Training at the
University of South Carolina, opened the conference with an entertaining
and enlightening session entitled, “Creating a Winning Customer
Service Ticket.” In addition to federal and state updates, sessions
were presented on handling angry customers, training tools offered
by the Department of Education, issues surrounding dependency overrides,
and our new ‘job description’ as IRS agents. Members enjoyed
an evening outdoor bar-b-que after which a representative from each
political party spoke about the higher education platform of his party.
Jeff Holliday (Anderson College) and the members of the program committee
provided our members with an outstanding conference.
New Aid Officer Training
SCASFAA conducted its annual New Aid Officers’ Workshop on December
2-3 in Columbia, SC. Elizabeth Milam-Lomas (Clemson University), SCASFAA
vice president, organized this training opportunity which attracted
more than 40 participants. Kim Jenerette (USC Upstate) and Carolyn
Sparks (Spartanburg Methodist College) served as instructors at the
workshop.
Membership Survey
Earlier in the fall, Nancy Garmroth (Spartanburg Technical College),
SCASFAA president-elect, created a survey for our members to express
their attitudes and opinions regarding services offered to them through
SCASFAA. The surveys are now being tallied to ascertain if SCASFAA
is indeed meeting the needs of its members or how to adjust our course
to address the changing needs of our members.
High School Counselors
Meg Hurt (Coastal Carolina University), chair of the counselor and
consumer relations committee, and members of this committee have published
the annual fall edition of F.A.C.E. the Facts. Two newsletters
are written and mailed each year to high school counselors and contain
information on financial aid programs, regulations, and application
procedures to help counselors in their work with students applying
for aid. Counselors also receive email notification that they may
access F.A.C.E. the Facts on-line at the SCASFAA website.
Peer Support Network
SCASFAA’s Peer Support Network was organized in 2003-04 by Ed
Miller (USC-Columbia) as a resource for its members. Volunteers have
offered to serve as ‘experts’ on various topics in financial
aid and allowed their names, areas of expertise, and contact information
to be listed on SCASFAA’s website. Since the inception of the
program, our volunteers have received nearly 300 requests for assistance.
Diversity Workshops
Bridget Blackwell (USC-Columbia) and the diversity committee are planning
two workshops in February 2005 on the topic, “Diversity: A Mosaic
of Possibilities.”
Workshops will focus on developing skills to facilitate a learning
environment, improving productivity and communications, and enhancing
respect for the value that each individual brings to the organization.
Pat Woods (TG) will present the workshops in Columbia and Greenville.
Looking Toward the Spring
When spring finally arrives, SCASFAA folks will be longing for the
beach. The Spring Conference will be held April 17-20 at the Ocean
Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. Jennifer Jones-Gaddy (SCSLC) and
the program committee are working diligently to provide an outstanding
event with a few surprises.
Looking to the Future
SCASFAA will head to Charleston for its fall 2005 conference (October
10-11) and then make the annual pilgrimage to the beach in the spring
of 2006 (April 23-26).
I am pleased that SCASFAA will join our sister state to the north
in the fall of 2006 at The Grove Park Inn and Conference Center in
Asheville for a combined conference. We look forward to making plans
for that special event.
DECEMBER
2004
