How to find number of combinations help!

There are 44 members on the board of directors for a Nnon-profit institution.

I have to find
a. If they must elect a chairperson, first vice chairperson, second vice chairperson, and secretary, how many different slates of candidates are possible?

and
b. If they must form an ethics subcommittee of four members, how many different subcommittees are possible?


I know you're supposed to use factorials, but I keep getting this crazy number. Also, for part b, do you go ahead and subtract those members you slated for part a before calculating?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stephmhenry

There are 44 members on the board of directors for a Nnon-profit institution.
a. If they must elect a chairperson, first vice chairperson, second vice chairperson, and secretary, how many different slates of candidates are possible?
and
b. If they must form an ethics subcommittee of four members, how many different subcommittees are possible?

I know you're supposed to use factorials, but I keep getting this crazy number. Also, for part b, do you go ahead and subtract those members you slated for part a before calculating?

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Part (a) is permutation, while part is a simple combination.
But I have no idea if the two groups can overlap. That should have been stated one way or the other in the question.