Share Your Talents: Volunteer for an AACS Committee
Is giving back on your list of New Year’s resolutions? AACS is looking for a few good volunteers to share their talents on an AACS committee. One of the keys to success for any association is the strength of its committees. AACS is fortunate to have had a history of strong committee leadership and activity. If you are interested in getting more involved with your association by serving on a committee we invite you to complete this form by December 11th.

FREE Secret Shop Offer for AACS Annual Convention Attendees
How effective is your staff on the phone? AACS Annual Convention attendees can find out for free! This special secret shop offer for your school or salon is in partnership with SalesComm, a premier telephone and sales training company. SalesComm will record a secret shop call then deliver that call back to you as the owner/director. This recording can help you identify training opportunities for staff to improve as professionals and representatives of your school or business. Convention attendees, consider it AACS's gift to you for your continued support. Visit salescomm.com to redeem this free secret shop offer.

AACS Action Alert - Delay Gainful Employment Implementation Regulations
On November 19, AACS will host a private breakfast with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander seeking his leadership to delay implementation of the Gainful Employment regulations by ensuring the inclusion of Section 310 of S. 1695 in the final Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations or Omnibus legislation Congress must pass before the current Continuing Resolution expires on Friday, December 11, 2015. To assist AACS in delivering this vitally important message, the AACS Board, GRC and other school representatives in attendance will be joined by Champions of Industry from Sports Clips, Great Clips, Ratner Companies, Regis Corporation and the Professional Beauty Association. Join us in support through AACS' latest Call to Action. Visit AACSAction.org!

Reminder - U.S. Department of ED to Host GE Webinars Today and Tomorrow
Over the course of the next two days the U.S. Department of Education will host two Gainful Employment webinars, providing interested and affected parties with additional information and guidance on how to properly review and prepare follow up to the "Completer List" and introducing impacted institutions to the new Data Challenges and Appeals Solution (DCAS) system. For more details on the Department's upcoming webinars and the recently released Electronic Announcements, AACS reminds institutions to frequently visit the Gainful Employment Information 2014/2015 – Information Page on IFAP.

Creative Jam Rocks the Windy City
Bring together 25 passionate cosmetology educators, industry icons and a high-energy weekend of fun and learning in the Windy City and what do you get? An amazing Creative Jam experience, courtesy of Pivot Point International! Congratulations to the 25 Beauty Changes Lives Leo Passage Endowment Fund winners who rocked the Windy City this weekend. Check out images from this weekend’s amazing Creative Jam experience.

How to Accurately Track Your Social Media Buzz - Tip Sheet
Ten years ago, marketers had to rely primarily on customer surveys and mainstream media coverage to track the buzz created by a new campaign or product launch. Social media has turned the world into a focus group and today, social media monitoring and research tools give marketers the lens to see exactly what people are saying about organizations and brands. Something as daunting and indefinable as social media buzz can prove to be a powerful arrow in the marketer’s quiver. By listening to conversations, identifying influencers and learning to draw insights from those conversations, marketers can use buzz as a tactic, before, during and after campaigns.

Five Telephone Communication Skill Tips
In the age of texting and instant online messages, the art of telephone communication sometimes seems as if it is going by the wayside. Talking with a prospective student or customer on the phone can often be a difficult task.  Without seeing an individual’s face, messages can become muddled and meanings misinterpreted. If you want to improve your telephone communication skills, check out these five steps.