Committee Reports

Conference Committee
Submitted by Pamela Bauer, Citibank Student Loans, Conference Committee Member

Chair: Jack Williams, Rider College

This year’s fall conference will be held at Bally’s in Atlantic City on November 11th-13th. It is the 35th anniversary of NJASFAA and a conference that you won’t want to miss!

The conference committee is focused on providing a conference that will meet the needs of all members of NJASFAA. This year you will find suggested concurrent program tracks for various levels of financial aid administrators – newer professionals, assistant/associate director levels, and seasoned directors. In addition to many roundtable discussions, there will be an electronic training room for hands-on training to better understand products that you are using.
The committee is also working to provide a unique and exciting evening of fun and laughs! The theme of the conference is “Let’s Make a Deal” – a game show that started a little more than 35 years ago, in 1963. Members of the audience would often try to get the host’s attention to become a contestant by wearing crazy hats, signs, or even costumes. Then the contestants were faced with difficult decisions such as: What would you rather have: this cash, what’s in this box, or what’s behind the curtain? If the contestant selects the right one, then they often get something of great value. The danger was always that the contestant had an option of trading their prizes – and risked getting worthless prizes, called zonks – examples of this include a giant jar of peanut butter, a cow, and so on.

What’s the Big Deal?
NJASFAA is making a special effort to increase the conference participation for all institutions and non-members as well. The first two Doors are opportunities you may keep and not trade away.

For those schools that will send conferees for the entire three day program, the registration fee will be as follows:

• Door #1 – The first person registered from a school will pay full price. The second and third person registered from the same school will pay half price. (Additional participants beyond three from the same school will pay full price.)
  
  
• Door #2 – Two conferees from the same school attending the first general session, “View from Washington, D.C.,” will receive two free vouchers for the Spring 2004 Conference. (The vouchers are transferable to any member of the school’s staff.)

Registration procedures will be forthcoming through the NJASFAA website. In order to assist with the registration procedure, please register all conferees at the same time. Make your room reservations may be made by calling Bally’s in Atlantic City directly at (800) 225-5977 or (609) 340-2000. The cost of the rooms is $105 per night. Refer to reference code GBSF3 when making your room reservation.