Frequently Asked Questions

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Q1. What is the name of the 103rd 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. Do I hold an AAFCS credential?
Q5. What is the "order of presenters"?
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 in my proposal which day that is?
Q9. What is my Reference ID number?
Q10. When were notifications of the outcome of the selection process sent, and who was notified?
Q11. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system even though the deadline has passed so that I know what information I provided?
Q12. Must presenters register for the conference?
Q13. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?

Q1. What is the name of the 103rd Annual Conference & Expo and when and where will the conference take place?
A1. Connecting Professionals: Leadership in Action will take place from June 24 to June 27, 2012, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Q2. Who decides what is in the conference program?
A2. The AAFCS Annual Conference Program Advisory 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 2012.

Q3. When was the deadline for online proposal submissions?
A3. All proposals must have been submitted by 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 17, 2011.

Q4. Do I hold an AAFCS credential?
A4. 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 three 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
CPFFE - Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator

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.

Q5. What is the "order of presenters"?
A5. 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--if a presenter cancels, please notify AAFCS immediately at annualconf@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 2012 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.

Q7. What AV will be in each presentation room?
A7. The STANDARD†† set of AV equipment is an electrical cart and screen. If needed, a table microphone OR podium microphone can be provided at no charge. AAFCS is excited to announce that this year LCD projectors will be provided for all Theme-Based Educational Sessions, as well as most Sessions of Special Interest (based on availability). Equipment such as laser pointers, overhead projectors, 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 rent equipment from the AV company contracting with the Association for the conference. The AV Rental Form can be found here. In order to rent from the AV company, please fill out this form and mail it to Greg Alexander, 350 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis, IN 46255. You may also email it to Greg at peter.alexander@whitelodging.com.
†† "Standard" indicates what will be available in each room, unless otherwise requested.

Q8. I am only available to present one day of the conference. How do I indicate in my proposal 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 Reference ID number?
A9. The Reference ID number is found near the top left-hand corner of your proposal, and in the confirmation email that you recieved after submitting. 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 the Reference ID number with other identifying numbers, such as your AAFCS member ID.

Q10. When were notifications of the outcome of the selection process sent, and who was notified?
A10. A message was sent only to the proposal submitter in mid-December, regardless of outcome. If you did not receive a message, please contact the proposal submitter; if you are the submitter, please contact Sara Tantillo at annualconf@aafcs.org.

Q11. Will I be able to continue accessing the online proposal system even though the deadline has passed so that I know what information I provided?
A11. No, the online proposal system was closed at 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on October 17, 2011. 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 2012.

Q12. Must presenters register for the conference?
A12. 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.

Q13. I have submitted my proposal and need more information about the conference. What are the registration rates and who are the conference speakers?
A13. Registration is open now! Please click here to register and learn more about the rates and exciting sessions in store for you at the 103rd Annual Conference!