NASFAA's Director Download

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's senior vice president of government relations, to dig into the latest state of play surrounding the federal budgeting process. The team highlights how Congress’ end of September deadline could impact a host of priorities for the Department of Education (ED), including its FAFSA simplification rollout, negotiated rulemaking, and general operations. The group also highlights ED’s new repayment plan and discusses some summer news coverage concerning perceptions of investments, and risks associated with higher education.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie return after a brief summer hiatus as they cover the Senate hearing on FAFSA simplification, discussing past efforts and the chances of any FAFSA-related legislation being included in any upcoming bills. Allie details the latest bipartisan proposal aimed at providing additional COVID-19 relief before the upcoming November election and Megan provides an update on a continuing resolution making its way through Congress before funding expires at the end of September. Finally, Jill details a recent report from the Department of Education’s internal watchdog regarding implementation and oversight of the CARES Act. Plus, the group catches up on life events that took place over the past few weeks.

This week’s two-part episode of “Director Download,” touches on best practices when it comes to using social media to connect with those around you both professionally and personally. In part one, Justin and Beth are joined by the social media coordinator at Houston Community College, Shar-day Campbell, who talks about how to make the case on campus for a social media strategy, and how Facebook and Twitter can be used by the financial aid office to make students feel less alone in their pursuit of higher education. For part of two of this episode, which begins at minute 29, we welcome back NASFAA’s legal counsel Julia Judish— who was previously featured on “A Hug or a Handshake”—to discuss the legal ramifications of posting online as a professional, and how social media policies and procedures may change by institution-type.

In this episode of "Director Download," Justin is joined by NASFAA's National Chairs Lori Vedder, Billie Jo Hamilton, and Paula Luff to discuss how and when to make changes in your career. Drawing on their own experiences, the group discusses when you know it's time to make a change, how to put yourself in the best position to grow in your career, and why you shouldn't fear the word "ambition." Justin also interviews Martin Yate, a career management author and coach, on how to position yourself in the "inner circle" at work, how to draw on your manager's expertise to prepare for a career move, and the best time during the year to move to a new job.

In this episode of "Director Download," Justin, Beth, and special guests Jim Kennedy and Andrew Hammontree talk about how financial aid administrators can best communicate up to leadership and management and have their voices heard during campus-wide discussions. The group discusses strategies from how to appeal to a higher-up by learning how and when he or she likes to receive both positive and negative news, to ways to reject impractical ideas from other college and university leaders without seeming overly pessimistic. Finally, the group shares the methods of communication that have served them well in their careers, and why it's so important to know your audience.

In this episode of "Director Download," Justin, Beth, Joelle, and special guest JoEllen Soucier tackle a topic that invites both excitement and fear around the office—outsourcing. The group delves into what types of operations are the best fit for outsourcing within the world of financial aid, and what is needed in-house to properly manage and oversee third-party workers. The group also discusses how to handle changes with outsourced vendors, such as when ending contracts or moving from one partner to another, and how to best make the case to executives for outsourcing certain tasks.

In this episode of “Director Download,” Justin, Beth, Joelle, and special guest Jim White delve into the myths and realities of teleworking, and discuss how offering opportunities for employees to work from home can both inspire more productivity and invite new challenges. Plus, the group hears from career specialist Brie Reynolds who emphasizes the need for constant communication to build a successful relationship with teleworkers, and explains how investing in the right technology can make your whole team—wherever they are—feel closer together. Questioning whether you should be offering your employees remote opportunities, or looking for ways to make the case for working from home to your manager? Tune in to this episode for guidance on how to approach the subject of teleworking from both perspectives.

In the latest edition of NASFAA's "Director Download," 2017-18 National Chair Billie Jo Hamilton and National Chair-Elect Paula Luff join Justin and Allie for a discussion on how enrollment management is impacting the financial aid world. The group talks over whether enrollment management is a passing trend, or something that will stick with the financial aid profession for years to come. How do you maintain access while ensuring institutional success? What do aspiring leaders need to know about building a student population to meet both institutional and student goals? Listen on to find out the answers to these questions and more.

In the latest episode of "Director Download," Justin, Beth, and Allie are joined by special guest Julia Judish, special counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and NASFAA's longtime HR attorney. In this episode the group discusses how to manage professional relationships, maintain a healthy and safe workplace culture, and how to identify and navigate tricky situations when it comes to personal space and appropriate interactions. Julia breaks down best practices for communicating with others in the office, recognizing the impact of power dynamics, and how and when to speak to someone should you feel uncomfortable.

In the second episode of "Director Download," Justin, Beth, Joelle, and special guest Brad Barnett discuss an eternal issue leaders face everyday — finding a fulfilling work-life balance and helping to instill a healthy work culture at the office — in anticipation of NASFAA’s Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo. In this episode, the group talks about what it means to achieve a work-life balance, why there is guilt associated with disconnecting during vacation, and how to serve as a role model for others in terms of taking breaks on the job. Life-coach, author, and entrepreneur Elizabeth Saunders also joins Justin for a one-on-one interview to share how she assists clients struggling to juggle their responsibilities at work and details the art of creating time budgets.