Professional Development, Diversity and Inclusiveness
Professional Development of members and diversity and inclusiveness are both part of MSFAA’s Mission Statement and Guiding Principles. This LRSP supports the continued efforts of providing two high quality and well planned training conferences per year to include key note speakers and breakout sessions on diversity and inclusion. Participants of the survey conducted in June 2015 provided an extensive list of potential speakers and trainers on this topic. Survey participants are also in favor of continuing with two training conferences per year, winter and summer.
In addition to two high quality training conferences, this LRSP recommends the continuation of the Leadership program in alternate years and the Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) to occur on an annual basis. LOT was first launched in the spring of 2015 to address training and preparing leadership for campus roles and MSFAA board leadership. While the Leadership program is a two day program for those aspiring to become more active financial aid professionals, LOT is a six week program in which in person presentations and weekly conference call presentations occur. This program aspires to create MSFAA and campus leaders of tomorrow.
Survey participants were strongly in favor of starting a MSFAA Mentoring Program. This would afford the opportunity for multiple MSFAA members to be paired with a newer aid professional that may need assistance acclimating to the financial aid profession, help building collegial relationships within the financial aid community and to become inspired to participate in MSFAA activities. It is recommended that a mentoring program be put in place as soon as possible to begin engaging members that indicated through the survey that this was important to them as members. The mentoring program should be reviewed annually for its effectiveness and be viewed as an ongoing program for MSFAA membership.
