AAFCS 100th Annual Conference & Expo June 25-28, 2009 in Knoxville, TN

Registration/Hotel/Other

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the name of the 100th Annual Conference & Expo and when and where will the conference take place?
Q. I’m not sure if I want to submit a theme-based educational session proposal, but I am thinking about it. What should I do?
Q. How do I submit my proposal?
Q. What categories of proposals are accepted online?
Q. I am interested in presenting an FCS history-related session to celebrate the AAFCS Centennial. Where should I submit that?
Q. Who decides what is in the conference program?
Q. If my AAFCS Committee or Community wants to propose a session, where should I submit it?
Q. When is the deadline for online proposal submission?
Q. What e-mail address and password should I use to access the online proposal submission system?
Q. What questions will I be asked when I work on my proposal? Are there word limits on my answers?
Q. What is the “order of presenters”?
Q. What are the credentials from AAFCS?
Q. What furniture will be in each presentation room?
Q. What AV will be in each presentation room?
Q. Do spaces count in my character limits when I am working on my proposal in the online submission system?
Q. What choices do I have for “length of time?”
Q. I am only available to present one day of the conference. How do I indicate in my proposal which day that is?
Q. I have no doubt that I want to submit a proposal. Why shouldn’t I go directly to the online system to work on my proposal?
Q. I am still developing my proposal in a word processing document, but am not ready to submit it. Should I still access the online system?
Q. I created an account for myself and began working on a proposal. But I only see questions about presenters. Why?
Q. I would like my co-presenters to proofread our proposal after I have put the information in the online system. How do I do that?
Q. I am already working on my proposal online and am having technical problems. Whom can I contact for help?
Q. How do I save my proposal?
Q. I submitted my proposal by clicking the “Save and Complete” button. Now I realize I need to change some information on my completed proposal. Is it too late?
Q. What is my Proposal ID or Submission Confirmation number?
Q. What address should I use when completing my proposal?
Q. When will I be notified of the outcome of the selection process and will everybody listed as a presenter be notified?
Q. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system after the deadline has passed so that I know what information I provided in my proposal?
Q. Why must I make a special request to have an overhead projector? Why won’t an overhead projector be in each presentation room?
Q. Must presenters register for the conference?
Q. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?
Q. When is the deadline for online proposal submission again?

Q. What is the name of the 100th Annual Conference & Expo and when and where will the conference take place?
A. Celebrating the Past, Sustaining the Future will take place from June 25 to June 28, 2009, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Q. I’m not sure if I want to submit a theme-based educational session proposal, but I am thinking about it. What should I do?
A. Read the FAQs and the Call for Theme-Based Educational Session Proposals. Once the online proposal submission system is “live,” please do not go online and begin working on a proposal if you believe you may abandon it, because even incomplete proposals are a financial burden for the Association. If you are sure that you want to submit after reading these FAQs and the Call for Theme-Based Educational Session Proposals, use the link to the online system at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/callfored.html.

Q. How do I submit my proposal?
A. All proposals* must be submitted through our online system. You can find the link to the online system at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/index.html. * Individuals who wish to submit proposals to present in the Community of Colleges, Universities, and Research (CUR) research poster session, Higher Education Unit (HEU) undergraduate research poster session, Community of Apparel, Textiles, and Design juried design showcase, and Community of Elementary, Secondary, and Adult Education curriculum showcase should NOT submit them to AAFCS as showcases or displays. Information on submitting individual proposals for these functions is posted under “Calls for Proposals” at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/index.html.

Q. What categories of proposals are accepted online?
A. The categories of proposals to be submitted online are
Theme-Based Educational Session: An educational session is a presentation that fits the conference theme, is instructive, is non-commercial*, is no longer than 90 minutes, is submitted by an individual presenter or a group of presenters, and is selected through a blind review process. AAFCS members and nonmembers are invited to submit educational session proposals. Please read the Call for Theme-Based Educational Session Proposals for more details about the conference theme and visit www.aafcs.org for more details about AAFCS membership.

Board or Business Meeting: A board meeting or business meeting proposal may be submitted by an official AAFCS entity (community, committee, affiliate, council, etc.), a proposed AAFCS Community, or a group related to AAFCS (FCSEA, CAFCS, etc.). Because space is limited, preference will be given to AAFCS entities. If a business meeting is to include a meal or refreshments, it is considered a meal function (see below).

Meal Function: A meal function proposal may be submitted by an official AAFCS entity (community, committee, affiliate, council, etc.), a proposed AAFCS Community, or a group related to AAFCS (FCSEA, CAFCS, etc.). A meal function can include a business meeting and/or a presentation, such as an awards ceremony. Because space is limited, preference will be given to AAFCS entities.

Showcase or Display: A showcase or display proposal may be submitted by an official AAFCS entity (community, committee, affiliate, council, etc.), a proposed AAFCS Community, or a group related to AAFCS (FCSEA, CAFCS, etc.) and may include a special room set-up to permit demonstrations and/or displays of materials and/or equipment. Design showcases, tabletop displays, and poster sessions are examples of showcases or displays. Because space is limited, preference will be given to AAFCS entities.

Please note: Some invited showcases or displays have already been included in the Annual Conference program due to their popularity at past AAFCS conferences. Individuals who wish to submit proposals to present in the Community of Colleges, Universities, and Research (CUR) research poster session, Higher Education Unit (HEU) undergraduate student research poster session, Community of Apparel, Textiles, and Design juried showcase and exhibition, and Community of Elementary, Secondary, and Adult Education curriculum showcase should NOT submit them to AAFCS as showcases or displays. Information on submitting individual proposals for these functions is posted under “Calls for Proposals” at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/index.html.

Event of Interest: A proposal of this type may be submitted by an individual AAFCS member, official AAFCS entity (community, committee, affiliate, council, etc.), a proposed AAFCS Community, or a group related to AAFCS (FCSEA, CAFCS, etc.) and is a proposal that does not fit into any of the above categories, but that the submitter feels will add value to the conference. Testing, credentialing, leadership development, and fundraising training sessions are examples of events of interest. Because space is limited, preference will be given to AAFCS members and entities.

Please note: Some invited events of interest have already been included in the Annual Conference program due to their popularity at past AAFCS conferences. Individuals who wish to submit proposals to present in the Community of Colleges, Universities, and Research (CUR) research oral presentations should NOT submit them to AAFCS as events of interest. Information on submitting individual proposals for this function is posted under “Calls for Proposals” at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/index.html. If you wish to submit a proposal to present at "Research to Practice" Rounds, more information will be available on the AAFCS website in December 2008.

*Commercial messages are limited to the Expo and exhibitor learning labs. Organizations or companies that are interested in participating in the conference should call 800-424-8080 or email connect@aafcs.org.

Q. I am interested in presenting an FCS history-related session to celebrate the AAFCS Centennial. Where should I submit that?
A. Please read the Call for Theme-Based Educational Session Proposals under “Calls for Proposals” at http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/09/index.html. If your session fits the conference theme and meets the other criteria listed, submit your proposal as a theme-based educational session through the online proposal submission system.

Q. Who decides what is in the conference program?
A. The AAFCS Annual Conference Committee reviews all sessions and makes the final determination as to what is included in the program. Proposal submitters will be notified about the outcome in late January 2009.

Q. If my AAFCS Committee or Community wants to propose a session, where should I submit it?
A. If your committee is interested in having a business meeting, choose the board or business meeting category, or if your business meeting will include a meal, choose the meal function category. Communities will hold their business meetings at special times set aside for Communities to meet. Workshops that are being proposed by AAFCS Communities or Committees, including development, public policy, membership, and awards and recognition, should be submitted as events of interest, NOT peer-reviewed, theme-based educational sessions. Please visit the Other Types of Conference Proposals page for more details.

Q. When is the deadline for online proposal submission?
A. All proposals must be submitted by 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 14, 2008.

Q. What e-mail address and password should I use to access the online proposal submission system?
A. You can use any working e-mail address and can assign it any password that is between 6 and 16 characters. You do NOT need to use your AAFCS member number as your password. If you have ever submitted a conference proposal online, you can use the same e-mail address and password you used to submit that proposal, provided the e-mail address works.

Q. What questions will I be asked when I work on my proposal? Are there word limits on my answers?
A. In general, you should be prepared to answer questions about two areas—the presenters involved and the session itself. Before you begin submitting your proposal(s) online, be sure you have the following information:

Presenter(s)* – order of presenters (if multiple presenters), name, contact information, membership status, credential(s) in family and consumer sciences and other relevant credentials or degrees, and years of professional experience
Session(s) – title (max. 150 characters), description (max. 1,000 characters), group name (max. 500 characters)**, length of time, anticipated number of attendees, AV and room set-up needs, primary area of content***, learning objectives (max. 150 characters each)***, instructional method***, and outline (max. 4500 characters)***

*information not provided to reviewers
**for all proposals except theme-based educational sessions
***theme-based educational sessions only

Q. What is the “order of presenters”?
A. Typically, the proposal submitter will list the names in an order that reflects each person’s contribution to the presentation; i.e., the first name listed is the name of the person who has contributed most to the presentation. The order of presenters will not affect the acceptance of the proposal for presentation—the reviewers will not be seeing the names of the presenters. The information is requested only because it will be used in the program book. Please do not list anyone who will not be presenting at the conference.

Q. What are the credentials from AAFCS?
A. AAFCS offers one broad field credential and two concentration credentials in family and consumer sciences:

CFCS - Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences
CFCS-HDFS - Certified in Human Development and Family Studies
CFCS-HNFS - Certified in Hospitality, Nutrition, and Food Science

Those who would like to obtain one of these credentials should sign up to take a competency exam, pass the exam, and pay a fee.
CFCS, Retired
Effective September 1, 2005, a credential category called CFCS, Retired, is available to those who are already certified. Individuals who meet the AAFCS eligibility requirements to be classified as “retired” may opt for the “retired” category of CFCS professionals. To be eligible, a retiree must be 60 or more years of age, have met retirement guidelines at their place of employment, and must no longer be gainfully employed; it is the responsibility of the CFCS professional to request retired status for their CFCS credential. The “CFCS, Retired” certification category allows maintenance of the professional credential with no further requirement for reporting ongoing professional development. Retirees who will continue to both complete and report professional development units would continue their active “CFCS” status. For more information on obtaining and maintaining AAFCS credentials, contact the FCS Credentialing Center at 703-706-4600, 800-424-8080, or certification@aafcs.org.

Q. What furniture will be in each presentation room?
A. The STANDARD† room set-up is theater style with a skirted head table for 3 people and a materials table at the rear of the room. Instead of the standard room set-up you may choose rounds for 8-10 people, a skirted head table for 3 people, and a materials table at the rear of the room; or you may choose a conference set-up, which is one table surrounded by chairs. You may also choose a special set-up and describe it. Most meeting rooms will be pre-set in the standard style, although a few will be pre-set in the rounds or conference style. Sessions that require multiple rooms, room set changes, or extra furniture may incur labor and/or furniture rental charges. We anticipate that the assessment of fees will occur rarely, if at all. The final determination about these fees will be made in early 2009 when the conference schedule is available, and proposal submitters will be notified if fees are to be charged.
† “Standard” indicates what will be available in each room, unless otherwise requested.

Q. What AV will be in each presentation room?
A. The STANDARD† set of AV equipment is an electrical cart and screen. If needed, an overhead projector and a table microphone OR podium microphone can be provided at no charge. Equipment such as LCD projectors, laser pointers, and TV/VCRs are NOT part of the standard set. If any of this non-standard equipment is needed, you may bring your own equipment into the hotel or convention center or rent equipment from the AV company contracting with the Association for the conference. There will be an AV rental form posted to the 100th Annual Conference section of the website when available.
† “Standard” indicates what will be available in each room, unless otherwise requested.

Q. Do spaces count in my character limits when I am working on my proposal in the online submission system?
A. Yes.

Q. What choices do I have for “length of time”?
A. Theme-based educational sessions and meal functions will be no longer than one-and-a-half hours, and board and business meetings, showcases or displays, and events of interest will be no longer than two hours.

Q. I am only available to present one day of the conference. How do I indicate in my proposal which day that is?
A. In order to present, you must be available to present on any day of the conference, because the conference schedule is subject to change.

Q. I have no doubt that I want to submit a proposal. Why can’t I go directly to the online system to work on my proposal?
A. Spelling and grammatical errors will result in a lower score, but there are no spell or grammar check functions available in the online system. Proposal submitters may prefer to develop the proposal in a word processing program, where grammar and spelling can be checked more easily before the proposal is copied and pasted into the online system.

Q. I am still developing my proposal in a word processing document, but am not ready to submit it. Should I still access the online system?
A. The online system allows you to begin a proposal, save it, and come back to it as often as needed. When you are finished with your proposal, submit it by clicking on the “Save and Complete” button. Otherwise, your proposal will be listed as incomplete when the deadline for proposal submission has passed. Although you do not need to complete your proposal when you first create it, please keep in mind that even incomplete proposals are an unnecessary expense for the Association.

Q. I created an account for myself and began working on a proposal. But I only see questions about presenters. Why?
A. You must choose your proposal type before you will see the questions that pertain to your proposal type. This is because the questions vary depending on the proposal type selected. When you begin working on your proposal, you will see first a screen of submission instructions. Next you will be asked questions about the presenters. Only after you answer the presenter questions will you choose your proposal type. (Make your selection carefully, as this is the only part of your proposal you cannot update at a later time.)

Q. I would like my co-presenters to proofread our proposal after I have put the information in the online system. How do I do that?
A. Share your e-mail address and password with your co-presenters. If they log in as you, they will have access to the proposal.

Q. I am already working on my proposal online and am having technical problems. Whom can I contact for help?
A. If you are having a technical problem and wish to contact technical support while working on your proposal, click on a link (in the upper, right-hand corner of your proposal) called “Problems, Questions, Comments?” A pop-up window will appear. Complete the form that is in the pop-up window and click on the submit button. Technical support is open from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Q. How do I save my proposal?
A. Proposals can be saved in the online system and edited until October 14, 2008 11:59:59pm Eastern Time. To save, click on “Save and Continue.” To submit, click on “Save and Complete.” Please note that even submitted proposals can be edited until October 14, 2008 11:59:59pm Eastern Time. Proposals that have not been submitted by October 14, 2008 11:59:59pm Eastern Time with “Save and Complete” are considered incomplete.

Q. I submitted my proposal by clicking the “Save and Complete” button. Now I realize I need to change some information on my completed proposal. Is it too late?
A. It is not too late. You can make changes even to your submitted proposals by logging onto the online system. You can do this as often as needed until 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 14, 2008.

Q. What is my Proposal ID or Submission Confirmation number?
A. The Proposal ID or Submission Confirmation number is found near the top right-hand corner of your proposal. It is a unique number assigned only to your proposal, and helps us locate your proposal if you have questions about it. Be careful not to confuse this number with other identifying numbers, such as your AAFCS Member ID.

Q. What address should I use when completing my proposal?
A. In the contact information section of your proposal, you will be asked for a mailing address and e-mail address. The addresses that you provide will be used to contact you, and, if you present at the 100th Annual Conference, may be printed in the presenter directory. You may provide a business address or a home address, but if you provide a home address, please do not add a business name to it, unless you want the business name printed with the home address in the presenter directory.

Q. When will I be notified of the outcome of the selection process and will everybody listed as a presenter be notified?
A. A message will be sent to the proposal submitter in late January 2009. The proposal submitter is considered the main contact person and is responsible for notifying all other participants of acceptance, rejection, scheduling, and any other information provided by AAFCS.

Q. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system after the deadline has passed so that I know what information I provided?
A. The online proposal system will be closed at 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 14, 2008. But when you submit your proposal before the deadline, you will be given an opportunity to print your proposal. Please do so and keep a copy of it.

Q. Why must I make a special request to have an overhead projector? Why won’t an overhead projector be in each presentation room?
A. The Association pays for every piece of equipment used during the meeting. Because many presenters prefer to bring their own LCD projectors and laptop computers for PowerPoint® presentations, providing an overhead projector for each presentation room is an unnecessary expense.

Q. Must presenters register for the conference?
A. All participants in accepted sessions must register for the conference. Visit www.aafcs.org, call 703-706-4600 or 800-424-8080, or e-mail staff@aafcs.org for more information on registration options when they are available.

Q. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?
A. We are as excited as you about the 100th Annual Conference & Expo. As information becomes available, we will post it to the 100th Annual Conference & Expo section of the website. We will be providing a “Quick Links” menu at the top of every 100th Annual Conference & Expo page to help you find the information you need.

Q. When is the deadline for online proposal submission again?
A. All proposals must be submitted by 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 14, 2008.