WASFAA Committee Report

Committee: Research

Meeting Date: November 8 and 9, 2007Meeting Location:San Diego

Report Type: Quarterly Annual

Submitted by: Cheryl Kibarian and David Tolman

Committee Members (Name/Place of Employment/Address/Phone/Email):

Cheryl Kibarian, Chair

National Student Loan Program

Glendale, AZ 602/692-3370,

David Tolman, Chair

Boise State University

Boise, ID, 208/426-1540,

Sharon Wurm, member

Nevada System of Higher Education

Reno, NV, 775/784-4901,

Diana Watson-Paul, member

Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR,541/

Deborah Halasz, member

Cortiva Institute, Seattle, WA,

Kate Peterson, member

Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

(541) 737-0759,

Committee Goals:

a. Work with the state associations in the region to assist them in research activity

b. Work with the NASFAA ResearchCommittee to coordinate research activities and share research information

c. To always include in our goals collaboration with NASFAA and the region’s state financial aid associations.

d. Research Goal: Conduct research to gather and analyze statistics related to membership diversity.

e. Maintain our WASFAA Research website where WASFAA members receive assistance in conductingresearch

f. To provide email surveys to WASFAA members to gather information important to WASFAA and the financial aid community.

g. The committee will provide information to the membership from data collected from various research surveys completed bymembers.

Summary of Activities:

a. The committee assisted the EDAC committee by placing their survey in SurveyMonkey, disseminating it, and providing the results back to the EDAC committee.

b. FAMS survey (under construction). Results will allow WASFAA to determine value of having UserMeeting break-out sessions at annual conference

c. Sharon is contacting a grad student who is doing research on Gear Up in NV to determine potential for sponsorship.

d. Future Project Ideas: 1) Ask schools how to find researchers; 2) What statistics do schools need; 3) Ask each WASFAA committee for a survey; 4) Survey the membership regarding the WASFAA Research Website that was developed late last year; 5) request WASFAA state presidents to make announcements - call for surveys or survey needs - through their listservs

Progress Toward Strategic Plan Goals/Activities:

Goals D, F & G satisfied through our assistance with the EDAC survey

Approved Budget Breakdown and Actual Expenditures to Date:

$3000 is the approved budget for 2007-2008. $256.23 has been spent to date.

Suggestions for Committee Chair/Co-Chair or Officer Successor:

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