General Meeting Information 1. Where is the 2013 AACP Interim Meeting being held? All programming will be held at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, A Wyndham Grand Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, from Feb. 9 12, 2013. The closest airport is San Juan International Airport. 2. Can I bring a guest to the meeting? Yes! Guest registration is $175 and includes entrance to the Welcome Reception on Sunday, Feb. 10, continental breakfast before the sessions and programming on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. This registration does not apply to faculty, administrators and/or staff of pharmacy schools. Guest registration to the CEO Deans Networking Reception and Dinner is $100, with an invitation from a CEO Dean only. 3. This is my first Interim Meeting, what should I expect? Welcome! We are glad you have chosen to attend the 2013 Interim Meeting. Network and socialize during our Welcome Reception. Share and learn from your colleagues during the plethora of social and professional opportunities we have planned for you. 4. Is my child permitted to attend the Interim Meeting? For health and safety considerations, children under the age of 16 years are not permitted to attend any functions. 5. Will child care be provided? AACP does not provide child care services. The Rio Mar Beach Resort does have nanny services available, scheduled in advance, through the concierge. Attendees requiring assistance with child care should contact the hotel concierge directly. 6. What is the dress code? Attire at the AACP sessions is business casual. Feel free to be comfortable in slacks, polo shirts, cardigans (for chilly meeting rooms), blazers, blouses and most importantly, comfortable shoes. Attire for the Welcome Reception on Sunday evening is resort dressy. 7. Is there accessibility for persons with disabilities? The goal of the Rio Mar Beach Resort is to meet every person s needs. For people with disabilities, that means providing a fully accessible environment. The hotel complies with the regulations set by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please make special arrangements ahead of time by contacting the hotel concierge. 8. Who do I contact for general meeting questions? For general meeting questions, please contact Emily K. MacLeod, meetings assistant, at 703-739-2330 ext. 1007. Hotel & Travel Information 1. What is the AACP hotel group rate and how do I reserve a room?
The AACP single/double occupancy group rate is $199 (+ 11% tax) per night inclusive of the resort fee and gratuities. For each additional adult after double occupancy, the room rate increases by $40 per person. Some benefits of the resort fee include: long-distance phone access, unlimited local calls, internal resort transportation, unlimited health club use, beach towels and chairs, in-room coffee and tea, daily local English newspaper, daily beach and pool amenities and $10.00 Casino match play, in-room safe and unlimited driving range golf balls. Additionally, a housekeeping gratuity of $2.50 per night will be added to the guest room folio, as well as a one-time porterage fee of $6.00 per person. To reserve a room, please book online or call 800-474-6627 and identify yourself with AACP to receive the discounted group rate. The guestroom cut-off date is Tuesday, January 15, or until all pre-allocated rooms have been reserved. Staying at the Rio Mar Beach Resort will allow AACP to keep your registration fees at the current rates. If AACP does not achieve a minimum number of overnight accommodations, the price of services will increase registration fees for future programs. Without your support, AACP faces significant financial penalties for unused sleeping rooms. 2. What are my transportation options once I arrive in Puerto Rico? Scheduled shuttle transportation is available to/from the San Juan International Airport for a fee. Guests should contact the hotel concierge to make reservations for this service. Transportation is provided by Dragonfly Adventures. Round trip adult tickets: $75 and children (2-12): $50. One-way Adult: $37.50 and one-way child: $25. To make reservations for airport transfers, click here. For driving directions from the airport to the Rio Mar Beach Resort, click here. Parking: $15 self parking, $20 valet with in and out privileges. 3. Is there accessibility for persons with disabilities? The goal of the Rio Mar Beach Resort is to meet every person s needs. For people with disabilities, that means providing a fully accessible environment. The hotel complies with the regulations set by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please make special arrangements ahead of time by contacting your hotel concierge. 4. What is the weather like in Rio Grande, PR, during the meeting dates? Puerto Rico offers a year round tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 82 degrees F. February is one of its driest months. 5. Do I need a passport? No. When you travel to Puerto Rico, it's like going anywhere within the U.S. All you need is a driver s license or other valid form of photo ID. 6. Will my cell phone work? Yes, your cell phone should work in San Juan, Rio Grande and most of the cities in Puerto Rico; however, please check with your cellular phone provider before departure. Verizon service customers will be roaming. Please review the Verizon International CDMA roaming help desk and rates.
7. Will I need to convert money? No, the U.S. dollar is the only currency you ll need. 8. Do I need to know Spanish? Both Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico. The people who work in the tourist trade waiters, shopkeepers, guides, etc. usually speak fluent English. 9. Should I rent a car? Most major national car rental companies have offices on the island, along with many local agencies. The highways are well paved and generally easy to navigate. But before you book your rental, consider the following: Cost In general, you ll pay a bit more than the average price of a rental in the U.S. (try the local competition for better rates). You may also be required to pay liability insurance: credit cards that offer auto coverage in the continental U.S. don t always extend that coverage to Puerto Rico, and your insurance company may not cover the island. What do you want to do? If you plan to explore the island in depth, you ll definitely need a car. Also, people traveling to Vieques and Culebra should consider renting a jeep or car once they get there. But, if you are sticking around San Juan, forget the rental. Old San Juan is a walking city, and you can easily get around the city in a taxi or a bus. Parking and traffic can be a nightmare in the city, and a rental might be more trouble than it's worth. Numeric Confusion For reasons best known to themselves, Puerto Ricans use both miles and kilometers. Distances are posted in kilometers, while speed limits are shown in miles. Also, gas is sold in liters, not gallons. Traffic Puerto Rican motorists are in a great, careening hurry to get places, and the orderly laws of road conduct are more loose guidelines than strict rules here. This makes for a sometimes harrowing experience for timid drivers. If aggressive drivers scare you, a rental might not be your thing. 10. Is the Rio Mar Beach Resort hotel pet-friendly? Yes, the Rio Mar Beach Resort does allow dogs under 40 lbs. for a non-refundable fee of $100. The animal cannot be let alone in the guest room unless it is in a kennel. Registration 1. How can I register for the meeting? Registration for the Interim Meeting will open in the beginning of November. Please visit the Interim Meeting tab on the AACP Web site to register for meeting. 2. Will I receive a refund if I cancel? Refunds will be processed on all cancellations received in writing by Friday, Jan. 11, excluding a $75 administrative fee. Due to meeting costs, no portion of the registration fee will be refunded for cancellations after Jan. 11.
3. When does online pre-registration open and close? Pre-registration/online registration rates expire on Friday, Jan. 11. If you are preregistering for online special rates and paying by check, your check must be postmarked by Jan. 11. Onsite registration rates will apply for payments received via mail postmarked after Jan. 11. Meeting registration will also be available onsite at the AACP Registration and Information Desk at the Convention Center Atrium of the Rio Mar Beach Resort. 4. Who do I contact to make a change in my meeting registration? For any meeting registration questions related to payments, please contact Pam L. Barrett, accountant, at 703-739-2330 ext. 1042. 5. If I m paying my meeting registration by check, to where do I send my payment? Please send checks to: AACP PO Box 41537 Baltimore, MD 21203-6537 Please send overnight checks to: AACP Attn: Pam L. Barrett 1727 King Street, Floor 2 Alexandria, VA 22314 6. What are the AACP Registration and Information Desk hours? Saturday, Feb. 9: 11:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10: 7:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11: 7:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12: 7:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 7. Where do I pick up my name badge and materials? Your name badge and registration packet will be available onsite at the AACP Registration and Information Desk at the Convention Center Atrium of the Rio Mar Beach Resort. Interim Meeting Programming 1. Is there programming for CEO Deans? The CEO Deans pre-session is on Saturday, Feb. 9 and is for CEO Deans only. If you are a CEO Dean and would like to attend the programming on Saturday, Feb. 9, please remember to include this as an event when you register for the 2013 Interim Meeting. 2. Do I have to register for the CEO Deans Pre-session? There is no additional fee to attend the CEO Deans pre-session but you must register for it by adding it as an event by Jan. 11 (if you are attending the full Interim Meeting) or registering for it separately if you are not attending the Interim Meeting. 3. What is institutional effectiveness?
Institutional effectiveness consists of a set of ongoing and systematic institutional processes and practices that include planning, the evaluation of programs and services, the identification and measurement of outcomes across all institutional units, and the use of data and assessment results to inform decision-making. All of these activities are accomplished with the purpose of improving programs and services and increasing student success and institutional quality (The Center for Applied Research). Essentially, it is a measurement of how well an institution is achieving its mission and goals. 4. Is there programming for the Administrative and Financial Officers SIG members? Sunday s Interim Meeting programming will be of interest to the Administrative and Financial Officers SIG and AACP recommends they participate if they plan on attending. The AFO SIG will meet on Monday, February 11, and Tuesday, February 12, to work toward developing disaster recovery plan templates for each of these various topics: fire, bomb threats, shooter, biohazard spill, tornado, lab safety violations, epidemic, etc. Those interested in the attending the AFO SIG session must be registered for the full Interim Meeting. 5. Who should attend the Interim Meeting? Preliminary deans, associate/assistant deans, department chairs, assessment directors and aspiring Leaders in the Academy. Continuing Education 1. Does AACP provide CE credits during the Interim Meeting? No, AACP does not provide CE credits during the Interim Meeting. Educational Sessions 1. How do I get copies of the presentations? Educational presentations will be available on the AACP Web site at the end of January.