Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
MASFAA Executive Council Meeting
LOCATION
College Board Office, Waltham MA
DATE
9/22/05
In attendance: Sherry Andersen, Daniel Barkowitz, Shawn Bennett, Carla Berg, Rob Callahan, Kate Carnivale, Cheryl Constantine, Sherri Culp, Jill D’Amico, Karen Derouin, Beth Feinberg, Gail Holt, Kristi Jovell, , Cathy Kedski, David Kelly, Michele Kosboth, Julie Menendez, Sean Porter, , Martha Savery, Betsy Scola, Lori Seuch, Kimberly Truong, Carmen Velez, , Donna Wood-Lozier, Jason Shumaker , Julie Wickstrom, David Goldman, Diana Beaudoin, Julie Menendez, Greg Senosk, Eileen O’Leary
Absent: Kathryn Osmond, Jason Kahn, Elvie Reyes, Lauren Urbanek, Brian Smith, Jamie Palmieri
President Cathy Kedski callled the meeting to order at 11:32 A.M.
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
Cathy Kedski
Cathy opened the meeting, introduced new people that were missing from retreat. Reviewed who gets to vote – elected positions only. Co-chairs do not vote. Thanked everyone for efforts on revising the budget to balance it.
PRESIDENT-ELECT’S REMARKS
Sherri Culp
Busy soliciting nominations for scholarships. Encouraging us all to nominate someone. Also wanted us to know we can submit award nominations online.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Submitted minutes from retreat – made some changes, accepted as amended.
Michele Kosboth
TREASURER’S REPORT
Tony Erwin
Passed out new treasurer report. There have been problems with the bookkeeping from 04-05, which he has rectified. However, we were really in the red by more than anticipated. He plans on doing a treasurer’s report each month to keep everything on the up and up. He assures us there is no money missing, it was bookkeeping problems, not theft of any sort. The reserve is still in good shape. Tony indicated that we will be audited this year because our income is over a certain point, which will help assure the membership that there is no missing funds.
Daniel B. raised the question of whether this issue brings to light a possible weakness in the treasurer process. Do we need more than one person in the treasurer role. Also brought up is that there were not monthly treasurer reports after March. Tony feels that there are pieces in place that would provide the double checks. We need to be less concerned with friendships and take more responsibility for accountability. We should add to the treasurer’s role that there should be monthly reports.
Reviewed budget: discussed the problems with the budget. Every committee has sacrificed some in this coming year. What has been handed out is what was approved in June.
Discussion ensued on vendor gifts – will revisit it for next year’s budget.
Also suggested for a future meeting we revisit the scholarships the council hosts.
Agreed to:
Leave income as is.
College Goal S. is not being counted.
Conf. registration – no change
Memb. Dues – no change
Sponsorship – increased to $135,800
Awards – no change
CEED – reduction to 1400
Conference committee – down to 111,000
Early Awareness – down to 16950
EASFAA – leaving some money in, but won’t be used except for the state gift.
Exec Council –
Gov. relations – 2000
GPCC – down to $5000
JTF – down to 16,000 – will split out events for budget
Membership – no change
Newsletter – no change
PD&T – down to 10690
Public relations – 15350 – Tony will be listing events separately so we can see what each costs.
Sponsorship – 800
Technology – up by 500
With these totals the grand total is a surplus of $3752
Cathy called a vote to accept the budget changes. It was accepted.
A motion was made to accept the treasurers report. It was approved.
DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Carla Berg
Sent around sponsorship report. We are up in sponsorship by $25,000 from what was budgeted. Several sponsors increased to Diamond level. Will be sending out thank you letters soon.
NOMINATIONS
Sherry Andersen
Not having elections at the conference. Mailings going out soon for nominations. Hoping to have a slate for nominations by Nov. 1st. Cathy would like to move the link for elections to the front page.
ASSOCIATE MEMBER AT LARGE
Lori Seuch
Thanked people for their help and wants to set up an assoc. member listserv.
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Diana Beaudoin Carmen Velez
Reports that the 60% we reported last time was overstating – 17% up is more like it in terms of renewal memberships. Had some technological issues with online payments. Asked for committee chairs to email names of committee members so she can check membership. Carmen is back to work parttime. 89 members are on as new members, but may be old members that went on as a new member. 536 paid members.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Jason Kahn David Goldman Jamey Palmieri
A few things have been eliminated for the sake of the budget, registration is having problems going live.
No cyber café, no lunch to take away on Friday.
Question came up about who pays for the EASFAA rep and EASFAA pays for her to come, but we provide a room. We will still pay for conference committee members to attend the conference.
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
Julie Wickstrom Rob Callahan
Contracting for tech support: 8 hours per month in work is available on the contract. Spent a lot of money in extra hours last year. Trying to plan better – asking committees to get updates to them 2 months in advance so that they can spread the work out and not paying additional hours. Updates to stuff already on the site doesn’t cost us, it is new stuff or new formatting is what costs us money.
Regarding adding a keyword search – uses google but only looks within our domain. URL homepage is prepared, but not going to be used this year.
Made all public relations updates requested.
The listserv – suggesting we use a bulletin board option on the website instead of the emails unless the person wanted to get an email. A suggestion was made to go with an announcement only style listserv in addition to the bulletin board option.
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Sean Porter Brian Smith
Jillians event tonight. Cut back on this event hoping that all goes well. Proposing that MASFAA no longer do the calendars and pins. It would save over $3000 in the budget. Believes that the purpose of MASFAA is different now than in the past and more money should go into PD&T and social networking. He has unofficially polled the diamond sponsors and they are all okay with it. He recommends doing something at the final event to recognize the vendors.
Lori suggests that we do something to prevent the perception that MASFAA is in trouble from getting out there.
A motion was made to have Sean and Lori approach the diamond sponsors about not doing the calendar. It was accepted. Also doing away with the pins. Allows for a better event at the end of the year than anticipated. Had cut back to begin with, now can do a slightly better event than anticipated.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING COMMITTEE
Greg Senosk Jason Shumaker
Wants to do electronic registration which has a $750 fee for the first time set up. Cathy said go ahead with it. Talked about the learn from the directors workshop – postponed to Dec. 9th at Bentley. Need Analysis training is Nov. 29th and Dec. 1st. Discussed whether or not a cash management workshop would happen. Their committee is very full and active.
GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
Julie Menendez Cheryl Constantine
Sessions are set. Asked if there is a technology option to help send the invitations and online registration, which costs money. They will do it themselves instead.
NEWSLETTER
Lauren Urbanek David Kelly
Lauren had eye surgery so she is not here. The newsletter is almost ready to go to print, still time to get in it if you need. They would like to reinstate the grapevine, updates to people’s jobs, lifestyle changes, marriages, babies things like that.
Cathy noted that they can print stuff from lenders who haven’t paid yet for one month, then they have to pay to get in the newsletter.
EASFAA
Kristi Jovell
There are two sites for EASFAA fall training – Suffolk and Clark Univ. – Administrative capability/compliance is the topic. EASFAA members pay $25, non members $75. EASFAA is in Burlington VT May 7 – 10. There will be an EASFAA leadership training session at MASFAA during the conference. EASFAA is accepting proposals for sessions.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Reported they had too many people apply to be on the committee. 18 people are on the committee. Will be handling many meetings by conference call. Setting up meetings with congressmen and elected officials and participate statehouse days in conjunction with MEFA.
Reauthorization is extended again.
Eileen O’Leary Kathryn Osmond
COMMITTEE ON ENHANCING ETHNIC DIVERSITY
Elvie Reyes Kimberly Truong
Scheduled to meet next week for the first meeting. Still looking for committee members. Still looking for a good meeting space. MIT and Suffolk offered space.
EARLY AWARENESS AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Kate Carnivale Jill D’Amico
Shared info on speaker. The speaker has asked that the students who will be attending read his book prior to attending so they can interact on a better level. Using the same theme for the day as last year. – Going to College day. Still looking for tshirts and school supplies to stuff the bags with. Asking for 100 of each kind of supply. Putting off printing of the newpaper until next year so they can revamp it, putting everything on the web. Looking at a site for the Journey program –at Assumption College.
COLLEGE GOAL SUNDAY
Gail Holt Sherri Culp
Printing up the new flyers. Flyers will be handed out at various places, MEFA nites, higher ed center downtown, guidance counselor trainings done by the college board. Working with videographer for a public service announcement hopefully done by Dec. 1. Have the cities selected, need to nail down a few specific sites. Press releases going out soon, one per month. Going to work with governors office and Sen. Kennedy for announcements of the program.
JUST THE FACTS! TRAINING COMMITTEE
Martha Savery Daniel Barkowitz
14 registered for the east site and 4 for the west site. 25 is the max in the east. Need 5 in west to run the program. Regis is the east site, and Springfield is the west site. The train the trainer session went well. Was held out in Sturbridge. Taken out cash management piece from the session on refund recalcs. And recommending it be offered separately at some point.
Would love to have more committee members!
OLD BUSINESS
Reminder that if you don’t have a picture taken for the website, get one to Rob.
NEW BUSINESS
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