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<p>Dear Kimberly and members of FAC,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Thank you, for your email and for providing the detailed context regarding the Financial Aid Council's (FAC) needs from June 10th to 28th. Your insights have been invaluable in our discussions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The Vice Presidents for Student Services have discussed the Financial Aid Council Office Closure proposal. We reached a consensus and will recommend that all offices statewide close for SBCTC Webex sessions. These closures will enable our teams to participate
fully in these essential training and support activities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>However, we did not agree on the proposal for a three-week office closure. The primary challenge lies in different colleges' varied campus cultures and organizational structures. For example, some campuses operate "one-stop" centers that address student
questions while allowing financial aid staff dedicated processing time. Others utilize telework days to achieve the same goal. These differences make it challenging to establish a uniform approach to office closures.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>We deeply appreciate FAC's understanding of these complexities, and we want to assure FAC that we will continue to advocate for solutions that best support the needs of our Financial Aid offices while respecting each campus's unique operations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Thank you for your continued leadership and dedication.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Karl Smith </span></b><span style="color:#1F497D">(he/him/his)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Vice President of Student Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Tacoma Community College<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:ksmith@tacomacc.edu"><span style="color:blue">ksmith@tacomacc.edu</span></a><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">(253) 566-5127</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://tacomacc.edu/"><span style="color:blue">https://tacomacc.edu/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DV6SV79"><span style="color:blue">How am I doing?</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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