WASFAA Committee Report

Committee: Graduate Professional Issues Committee

Meeting Date: 06/29-30/06 Meeting Location: Los Angeles

Report Type: Quarterly Annual

Submitted by: Colleen MacDonald

Summary of Activities:

The Graduate Professional Issues Commttee began soliciting members through the ATAC wesbite and informaiton from the Catherine King-Todd, the Volunteer Chair.

Current members:

Jerome Thurman, NextStudent

Lindsay Ritchie, California State University - San Marcos

Tyese Dunn, Nevada State College

Nicole N McMillin (formerly Corbin), Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho)

We would like to have representation from other states and sectors as well as attempt to increase gender and diversity members. Particularly, it would be great to have representation from adminsitrators at a Medical , Law , Divinity, Business, Other Graduate, and an office which serves all students (from undergraduate to PhDs). I have contacted the Catherine King-Todd, the Volunteer Chair. With her assistance, an email was sent to the state presidents to assist in locating/recommending their members for committees to achieve state and sector representation to the extent possible. Unfortuantely, I received little traction. I am hoping to make improvements in the next two months.

WASFAA Graduate Professional Issues Committee Goals for 2006-07

1. Bring issues of relevance to graduate and professional aid administrators and students to the attention of the Association and the Executive Council.

2. Respond with endorsement of the Executive Council, to any State or Federal Issues with a Graduate and Professional perspective.

3. Advise other committees when Graduate and Professional concerns need to be addressed and ensure Graduate and Professional representation on all appropriate committees.

4. Work with the Conference Committee to ensure interest sessions are presented with graduate and professional aid administrators' needs in mind.

5. Explore improvements to Membership Committee to collect better data about the membership serving the graduate and professional community.

These goals align with Strategic Plan goals #1, to collaborate and coordinate with conference committee in order to serve our members more applicable training and professional development opportunities; #2, to communicate the public policy decisions; and #7, to improve the methods of communication with membership.

In support of GPIC Goal #5, our Committee sent suggestions to Wendy Olson, the Membership Committee Chair additional categories of questions to ask when collecting membership information in order to to further distinguish the membership.

Responsible for Grad/Professional Students

• Not Specified

• Yes (Frequent or Significant)

• No -(Neither Frequent nor Significant)

Responsible for Health Professional Students

• Not Specified

• Yes (Frequent or Significant)

• No -(Neither Frequent nor Significant)