Candidate for SASFAA Vice President
Barry W. Simmons Sr.

Candidate Statement
I am honored to be nominated as a candidate for Vice President. As the Association’s lead on training, the Vice President is critical to the profession’s continued professional development. While nuts and bolts issues are always at the forefront of our training agenda, we must continue to recognize the broader, more human challenges we deal with in our everyday practice of financial aid administration. Integrating access, public policy and research, diversity, ethics, enrollment management and creativity into our training agenda must become more of a priority. You will see from my background I am qualified to provide experience and quality in in the fulfillment of SASFAA’s professional development and training mission as Vice President.

Barry W. Simmons Sr., a native of Southside Virginia, graduated from Elon University. His master's and doctorate are from UNC Greensboro with studies in higher education management, cognitive psychology, organizational development/training and public policy accountability. As Director of Scholarships of Financial Aid at Virginia Tech, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Simmons monitors over $206 million in assistance to more than 21,000 students and holds membership on the University Council on International Programs, Enrollment Management Committee, Computer Requirements Steering Committee, and was a charter member of the Multicultural Affairs Committee.

He served as Associate Coordinator of Admissions and Financial Aid at Elon College acting as a change agent to marry admissions and financial aid in the 1970's. At UNC Greensboro, Simmons implemented satisfactory academic progress evaluation, coordinated Graduate School minority recruitment and assisted to establish the first Office of Research Services. He also was elected President of the Graduate Student Council. During his tenure at St. Paul's College, Simmons was responsible for the Admissions, Registrar's, and the Financial Aid offices as assistant vice president. He also restored compliance with all US Department of Education administrative capability requirements for Title IV financial aid at the college.

At Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Simmons directed the Institutional Quality Assurance Program and Experiemental Sites Program, managed the academic campus financial aid counseling center, and directed special projects before his appointment as Assistant Director of Enrollment Services responsible for policy development, personnel management and public relations in University Outreach. He served two terms on the University Task Force on Quality Service, developing customer service initiatives for over 21,000 students and more than 14,000 faculty and staff.

Recognized as a passionate advocate of access to post high school educational opportunities and educational diversity, Simmons serves on the board of Project Discovery, a state-wide college preparation support program, and is a member of the Commonwealth College Access Network Founding Steering Committee. His professional presentations include customer service, diversity, research topics, professional judgment and enrollment management. He is quoted frequently in the press discussing admissions, financial aid and other higher education issues, and has served as a consultant in admissions and financial aid to higher education institutions. His academic interests include public policy and research, strategic planning and issues of self-governance/accountability. Publications include an article on curriculum theory for training in student financial aid in the Journal of Student Financial Aid and co-authorship of a monograph on research in financial aid in 2001 with a second edition published by the National Association of Student Financial Aid administrators (NASFAA) in 2005. He is a joint author of a NASFAA monograph on the federal budget process currently in press.

As a past president of the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA), Simmons has also served on the Financial Aid Advisory Panel to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia and as advisor to the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification Commission. He has chaired VASFAA committees, including State Relations, Research, State Training and High School Relations. Dr. Simmons served as a faculty member of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA) Summer Aid Institute and member of the Professional Development Committee, and chaired the SASFAA Federal Legislative Relations Committee from 1997-99. On the national scene, Simmons has served on the NASFAA Research Committee, the NASFAA Diversity Committee and the NASFAA Governance Committee. He chairs the Research Committee for 2005-06 and is a NASFAA/UNCF SOE Reviewer. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Commission on Human Resources and Social Change of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.

On the personal side, Simmons’ hobbies include emceeing high school band competitions, restoring pipe theatre organs and science fiction. When not in Blacksburg, he resides with his family in Baskerville, VA.

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