Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the name of the 101st Annual Conference & Expo and when and where will the conference take place?
Q2. Who decides what is in the conference program?
Q3. When was the deadline for online proposal submission?
Q4. What is the “order of presenters”?
Q5. Do I hold an AAFCS credential?
Q6. What furniture will be in each presentation room?
Q7. What AV will be in each presentation room?
Q8. I am only available to present one day of the conference. How do I indicate which day that is?
Q9. What is my Proposal ID or Submission Confirmation number?
Q10. When will I be notified of the outcome of the selection process and will everybody listed as a presenter be notified?
Q11. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system, even though the deadline has passed?
Q12. Why must I make a special request to have an overhead projector? Why won’t an overhead projector be in each presentation room?
Q13. Must presenters register for the conference?
Q14. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?
Q15. When was the deadline for online proposal submission again?
Q1. What is the name of the 101st Annual Conference & Expo and when and where will the conference take place?
A1. New Century for FCS: New Challenges, New Solutions will take place from June 24 to June 26, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Q2. Who decides what is in the conference program?
A2. 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 2010.
Q3. When was the deadline for online proposal submission?
A3. All proposals must have been submitted by 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 19, 2009.
Q4. What is the “order of presenters”?
A4. 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.
Q5. Do I hold an AAFCS credential?
A5. You do if you took an AAFCS competency exam, passed the exam, paid a fee, and continue to pay a maintenance fee and report the required number of Professional Development Units (PDUs). 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.
Q6. What furniture will be in each presentation room?
A6. 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 2010 when the conference schedule is available, and proposal submitters will be notified if fees are to be charged.
Q7. What AV will be in each presentation room?
A7. 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 101st Annual Conference section of the website when available.
Q8. I am only available to present one day of the conference. How do I indicate which day that is?
A8. In order to present, you must be available to present on any day of the conference, because the conference schedule is subject to change.
Q9. What is my Proposal ID or Submission Confirmation number?
A9. 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.
Q10. When will I be notified of the outcome of the selection process and will everybody listed as a presenter be notified?
A10. A message will be sent only to the proposal submitter in late January 2010. 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.
Q11. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system, even though the deadline has passed?
A11. No, the online proposal system was closed at 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 19, 2009. Please refer to the copy that you printed when you completed your proposal. If your proposal is accepted, you will be given an opportunity to update your proposal in February 2010.
Q12. Why must I make a special request to have an overhead projector? Why won’t an overhead projector be in each presentation room?
A12. 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.
Q13. Must presenters register for the conference?
A13. 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.
Q14. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?
A14. We are as excited as you about the 101st Annual Conference & Expo. As information becomes available, we will post it to the 101st Annual Conference & Expo section of the website. We will be providing a “Quick Links” menu at the top of every 101st Annual Conference & Expo page to help you find the information you need.
Q15. When was the deadline for online proposal submission again?
A15. All proposals must have been submitted by 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 19, 2009.
"Each time I attend an AAFCS Annual Conference, I learn so much about family and consumer sciences (FCS) as a profession, new developments in the field and the Association, and information that I can use in both my personal life and my career. The networking opportunities are equally as beneficial and rewarding as the knowledge I acquire. I enjoy being able to collaborate with professionals in FCS and other fields. Attending the AAFCS Annual Conference is a valuable opporunity for anyone in an FCS-related occupation."
- Gregg E. McCullough, CFCS
