Positioning Yourself on Campus
description
Transcript of Positioning Yourself on Campus
Positioning Yourself
on Campus
Sara Beth Holman2014 MASFAA PresidentDirector of Financial AidLawrence UniversityAppleton, WI
If you learn just a single
thing Scout, you’ll get along
a lot better with all kinds of
folks. You never really
understand a person until
you consider things from his
point of view…until you
climb into his skin and walk
around in it.
Atticus Finch in “To Kill A
Mockingbird” (1962)
Positioning Yourself
on Campus
6:00 amTime to stop hitting snooze & get ready for work . . .
My Calendar• 8:30 am – Staff Meeting• 9:45 am – Appeals Committee
• 11:00 am – Conference Call• 11:30 am – Review Docs• 1:00 pm – Committee Meeting
• 2:30 pm – Open Office Hours
• 6:00 pm – Financial Aid Night
• 9:00 pm – Home at Last!
Shower thoughts . . . . I
wonder if I have time
for that massage today
during lunch? Not likely. Ugh, I forgot that I have a meeting
with the “Doomsday”
Committee. Maybe we’ll actually get something accomplished. Yeah,
right, and maybe the
Pell Grant will double.
I wonder if I can get Ryan to go for me . . .
that’s a thought. I probably should put something in the crockpot for dinner. Oh,
wait, guess not – I have
a financial aid night tonight . . .
What is Self Awareness?• Knowing yourself• Understanding why you
do what you do & why you feel the way you feel• Seeing yourself as
others see you• Solicit & be open to honest feedback from others
The Commute and my wondering mind . . . Why are some people so #^!@ frustrating to work with? Oops, that’s a quarter in the bad word jar at home. Good thing we don’t have one of those in the office - we could fund a few students with just that. Look at that jerk, he just cut right in front of me and it is not even Wednesday! I am definitely going to need to stop and get a large Diet coke today. . .
7:00 am Commute
Self Awareness• Benefits of Being Self Aware
• Find situations in which you
will be most effective
• Capitalize on your strengths
& manage your weaknesses
• Know what gets you excited
& motivated
• Know when to say “No”
“It takes courage to grow up and turn
out to be who you really are.”
-E.E. Cummings
8:30 amStaff Meeting
Build
ing
a So
lid
Team
Starts with solid leadership!
Lead
ersh
ip
a true leader has the confidence to stand alone,
the courage to make tough
decisions and the compassion to listen to the
needs of others. He doesn't
set out to be a leader, but
becomes one by the quality
of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the
end, leaders are much like
eagles... they do not flock;
you find them one at a time.
Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
- Henry Ford
Build
ing
a So
lid
Team
• Have a mission• Make sure your staff knows what is expected of them• Make their opinions
count- follow up on ideas• Do NOT micromanage!
• If you’re doing it all yourself, you’re doing it wrong!
Building a Solid Team
• Empower
• Share your goals & set clear
expectations
• Provide them with the training and
learning opportunities they need
to be successful
• Involve employees in decision
making – but give them the
resources they need to make a
decision
• Don’t just give them the grunt
work – give them the opportunity
to be involved and noticed!
"The basic building block of good
teambuilding is for a leader to promote
the feeling that every human being is
unique and adds value."
Building a Solid Team
• Delegate . . . successfully!
• If you have an outcome in
mind, tell them
• The big picture – are they
aware of it?
• Have you provided the
resources they need?
• Progress - what is your
expectation for feedback?
• Say thank you!
"A team is more than a
collection of people. It is a
process of give and take."
Building a Solid Team
• Know when to ask for help
• Asking for help is not a sign of
weakness or failure . . . but not
asking for help when you need it
is!
• Asking for help means you are
open to ideas, possibilities,
advice, etc.
• Tap into those who have the
resources you need
• Most people will do their best to
help – they want to help!
Leadership is knowing when to ask for help,
accepting it with grace, and learning how to
offer it.
~ Larysa Slobodian
Own Your MistakesBu
ildin
g a
Solid
Te
am • Take Responsibility
• Use Mistakes as a Learning Opportunity
Share the AccoladesBu
ildin
g a
Solid
Te
am• Recognize the work of others
• Show Appreciation
10:00 amAppeals Committee
It doesn’t hurt to ask . . .
A student's mother wanted us to
increase COA because a fraternity
had made a panty raid on the
sorority & stolen several of her
bras...,.."they were all from
Victoria's Secret and very
expensive."
In asking for a budget adjustment, a
student included their liquor stores
purchases for food...
I was a brand new financial aid counselor, listening to a law student share his sob story of why he needed a budget revision. His roommate was home all day, she didn't have a job, ate all his food, etc. I looked him right in the eye and said "Girlfriends are NOT an educational expense.“
Jayme Jarrett, Ohio Northern University
Defining “reasonable allowance” for personal expenses . . .
Reas
onab
le o
r Nec
essa
ry
Expe
nse?
I had a family who were in
tears in my office...they lost
their vacation home due to
hardship....never mind that
the home they resided was
paid for years ago....so they
wanted an increase in the
student's COA to take a family vacation....since they
no longer had their vacation
home....
11:00 amConference Call
Incr
ease
you
r Ar
sena
l • Build relationships with other financial aid professionals
• Get involved at the state, regional, and national level
Incr
ease
you
r Ar
sena
l
• Take advantage of opportunities for personal and professional growth
• Promote your awesomeness• Keep your supervisor informed • Validate your activities by
sharing results• Share your knowledge with
others
Incr
ease
you
r Ar
sena
l • Help others find success• What information or
expertise do you have that
will help others?• How can you share it with
them?
11:30 amReview Documents
Special
Circumstance
Form
I have a residency form that says “indicate each state that you have lived in and the time period you lived in those states”
The Challenging Questions We Ask On Forms . . .
Answer…MN 11/26/96 until “still living”
On the Common Application a student listed her father’s occupation as “Homemaker.” A call from the student requesting additional financial aid prompted us to look at this information. It didn’t make sense because the father had $40K+ of income.
Then we looked at the tax return. Dad is a self-employed contractor that builds homes.
“Here’s a copy of my award from the school I used to attend. Now you know what I should be awarded.”
Just In Case We Don’t Know What We Are Doing . . .
Hi there, I just turned in a final paper to finish an incomplete class. I look forward to the boost in financial aid now that I have achieved a junior-level amount of credits.
1:00 pm“Doomsday” Committee Meeting
People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.
Thomas Sowell
Meetings: Being an Active Participant
• Have a purpose• Make sure all invited know the what,
why, when, & where• What question do you want answered
or issue resolved?
• Be Prepared• Demonstrate that you value peoples
time by sending relevant information out ahead of time and staying on task
• Only invite those who are necessary• If you think you can “wing it” you risk
losing your planned focus• What do you expect of attendees?
There are 55 ceiling tiles in this meeting room and 6
fixtures with fluorescent
bulbs.
Meetings: Being an Active Participant
• Get input from all present• Don’t let a few people
dominate the discussion
• Don’t make assumptions or have unrealistic expectations• Be clear about actions,
outcomes, and expectations• Follow up
• Know when to move on
• Don’t hoard
information
• Be a team player
• Value is in sharing what
you know
“Being powerful is like being a lady . . . if you
have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
Margaret Thatcher
Are you serious? We just sat hear for an hour rehashing the same thing we’ve talked about for the last 3 meetings and now you give us this information? Do you know how much time we’ve wasted, not to mention how much money each of these meetings is costing the university?
• How do you get what you need from Information Hoarders?• Ask Questions . . . lots of
questions!• Play Dumb• What exactly does that mean?• Can you give me an example?• What would happen if . . .?
Whe
n Qu
estio
ns
are
the
Answ
er
Beco
min
g a
“Go
To”
Pers
on o
n Ca
mpu
s
• Treat allies as equals, regardless of their position• Be the person willing
to go above & beyond• Don’t be the party
pooper• Choose your battles wisely
Misu
nder
stan
din g
Misunderstandings are a normal part of communication either
because we unintentionally
or intentionally use the wrong words or because we don’t understand what
is being said to us. To prevent misunderstanding
know who you’re talking to,
be respectful, and be sure
of what you want to say.
Deal
ing
with
Co
nflict
• Avoid Conflict Avoidance• Before confronting conflict,
know what you are looking for
in resolution• State the issue • Be Brief• Stick to facts • Do not be judgmental (stay away
from saying “I feel”)• Allow them to respond• Avoid arguing (which often
means avoid defending why you
feel the way you do)• Focus on the issue
2:30 pmOpen Office Hours
Having just started at a new institution as their new director, I jumped in to help the growing lines. I stepped out of my office and say "May I help the next person in line?" A lady near the front turned and looked at me and said "We want someone who DOES financial aid...". She laughed and turned back in line. I managed to help everyone in line before she made it in to see a specialist. She was too embarrassed to come see me. I have been "doing" financial aid for 20 years!
Pam Palermo Northwestern Michigan College
I Need to Speak to the Director . . .
Consumer
Information
“You mean I have to read
every line of every letter
you send to me?”
"No one told
me."
"Don't ask me, my parents do
everything."
"FAFSA, what is that?“
"I never got that e-mail...“
"What's the point of my student working so hard for a 4.0 in high school if it means he's not getting paid anything for college?"
"But I REALLY don't remember ever
taking out a student loan - wouldn't I
have had to sign something first?!" "It really takes that long to get an aid package? What do ya'll do all day?"
Parent: “Can you tell me what part of my son’s financial aid award is loans?”
FA: “He has a Subsidized Stafford of $4,500, an Unsubsidized Stafford of $2,000 and a Perkins of $2,100.”
Parent: “So which of those does he have to pay back?”
My student loan is not financial aid because I have to pay it back.
I just found a hidden law that
says if I don’t find a job in the
field I majored in, I don’t have to
pay back my student loans.
What do you mean I can't have that money if I drop out. I'm entitled to that money!
The student had a child, but it was questionable as to whether the student actually provided support for the child because he was living with the baby’s mother in her mother’s household (grandmother). The grandmother called trying to understand the situation and after a brief explanation, she asked, “ Is FAFSA going to force my daughter to marry this guy? Oh God no! Please say no.”
Don’t Hold Anything Back . . .
“I have a condition that you’re aggravating.”
One time in a SAP appeal at one of my former schools a student wrote that he could not complete his classes because of medical issues. He said he had been mugged and "beaten to death". I figured if God reinstated his life, who was I to deny him aid.
Ted Malone, Purdue University
" I really need help to pay for school - I completed the FAFSA and my EFC is below zero.“
Gayla Jenkins University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Occasionally, a Student May Exaggerate . . . Just a Little Bit
I wanted to report a neighbor who
used his financial aid money to buy a
horse trailer.
Can't I bring the papers in after I get back from the beach? I need my refund for my vacation.
Cynthia Hudok, Fairmont State University
What do you mean my student loan funds are not in yet, but today's Halloween. Now I don't know how I'll get my costume!
Christina Rose
Did you really just say that?
“I have a personal relationship with the financial aid director.”
4:00 pmThe phone rings . . . We have to
have WHAT done by WHEN?
Navig
atin
g In
stitu
tiona
l Pol
itics • Understand the campus
climate• Align office goals with institutional goals• Know the “hot button”
issues
Navig
atin
g In
stitu
tiona
l Pol
itics • Bring suggested solutions
– not just problems – to the table• Be aware of your
nonverbal communication• Do not blindside your
employee(s), your boss, or
a colleague
Desirability Factor:
Which One are You?
Low Desirability
• Can’t you just help
me with this?
• It will never get
done if we have to
call her.
• The thought of
working with that
office makes me
cringe.
• She is so negative.
Her glass isn’t
even half empty –
there is no glass!
High Desirability
• Oh, I know who we
can call!
• You can really
count on her to
get the job done
right and on time.
• That office is great
to work with!
• She has such a
“can do” attitude,
let’s definitely ask
her to help.
Navig
atin
g In
stitu
tiona
l Pol
itics
• Identify the Power Players
& the “Go To” people• Who are the holders of
information?• Who makes the decisions?• Who influences the decision
makers?• Observe interactions• Who collaborates with
whom?• How do things get done?
FA 1
01 fo
r fa
culty
and
staff
• Do other offices on campus really know what
you do?• Do they understand the financial situations students are faced with?
• Do they reach out to you regarding individual students?• What do you have to offer
them?
Navig
atin
g In
stitu
tiona
l Pol
itics
• It’s not so much who you know, but who knows you!• See and Be Seen• Get out & about on campus
• Email is not the only communication tool – don’t be afraid to pick up the phone
6:00 pmFinancial Aid Night
Stuff FAAs Say . . .
....a Freudian slip? Student had submitted a "special circumstance" form requesting that we re-evaluate his aid. When he phoned he asked the officer on the line if we "evaluated his circumcision yet..." it was all the officer could do to respond in a somewhat normal voice....
"I filled out my faza, when will my money get dispursed to me?"
Where exactly do I find the MUFASSA form? Yep, she meant FAFSA not the dad from Lion King!
Interpreting Financial Aid Terminology . . .
EFC
+ Gi
ft Ai
d >
COA
My parent’s contribution is fixed at $7,500 a year (despite a $160K+ AGI.)
I don't suppose you know of any outside scholarship/grant
opportunities that consider actual need
instead of EFC?
"I'll pay in full next spring after I get my lottery winning payment.“
Cornerstone University
When To Suggest A Back-Up Plan . . .
Can't you just write off our daughter's tuition this year?
8:00 pmHeading Home!
Reca
p of
the
Day
• Be Self Aware• Ask for and accept help• Empower & Delegate• Prepare for meetings• Connect with Decision
Makers• Engage with faculty and other administrators
• Reach out to other FA Professionals• Become the “Go To” person
Make
Wor
k FU
N! • Celebrate Successes• Enjoy Treats• Play Games• Take time to talk and listen• Laugh!
Don’
t los
e sig
ht
of w
hat i
s im
porta
nt