Synergy:Financial Aid in the

Combined Office Model

MASFAA 2002

November 14, 2002

Moderated by Daniel Barkowitz, MIT

What is Synergy?

1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

2. Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.

Today’s agenda

A Rationale for Synergy in Action

Some examples: Overview of structure / Customer Interactions /

Lessons learned / Transition Kim Downs, Boston College Michelle Mattie, Westfield State College Patty Reilly, Tufts University Michele Kosboth, Lasell College

Questions and Answers / General Discussion

Moving from Vertical to Horizontal Views of the Organization

VP / Dean or President

The old way

FinancialAid Registrar Bursar

“In this environment, subordinate managers tend to perceive other functions as enemies, rather than as partners in the battle against the competition.” – Rummler & Brache,

Improving Performance

The new view:One example

Financial Aid Student Acct. Registrar

Customer

Paying the billAwarding Billing Enrollment

“…the greatest opportunities for performance improvement often lie in the functional interfaces – those points at which the baton… is being passed from one department to

another.” – Rummler & Brache

The Federal ChallengeUnder 34 CFR 668.16 (c) (2), (Standards of Administrative Capability): Divides the functions of authorizing payments and disbursing or

delivering funds so that no office has responsibility for both functions with respect to any particular student aided under the programs. For example, the functions of authorizing payments and disbursing or delivering funds must be divided so that for any particular student aided under the programs, the two functions are carried out by at least two organizationally independent individuals who are not members of the same family, as defined in Sec. 668.15, or who do not together exercise substantial control, as defined in Sec. 668.15, over the institution

How to work with this? What makes up an office? How is someone organizationally independent? By student

Definitions from 668.15The Secretary considers a member of a person’s family to be a parent, sibling, spouse, child, spouse’s parent or sibling, or sibling’s or child’s spouse.The Secretary generally considers a person to exercise substantial control over an institution or third-party servicer, if the person—

(i) Directly or indirectly holds at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer;

(ii) Holds, together with other members of his or her family, at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer;

(iii) Represents, either alone or together with other persons, under a voting trust, power of attorney, proxy, or similar agreement one or more persons who hold, either individually or in combination with the other persons represented or the person representing them, at least a 25 percent ownership in the institution or servicer; or

(iv) Is a member of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, or other executive officer of

(A) The institution or servicer; or (B) An entity that holds at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the

institution or servicer

Ways of organizing

Enrollment Management

Student Service ModelsFinancial ServicesGeneral Services

MIT’s Answer

Other?

Outreach to customers

Financial Aid – use the term?Web PresencePhone lines

Titling of staff

Designated Account Reps / Account Teams?

Officer of the Day model?

Benefits

Manage the “white space” effectively

Budgetary savings

Build linkages with account teams

Unified vision of student service

Michelle Mattie

Patty Reilly,Tufts University

Tufts University

Medford Campus

5000 Undergraduate Students

2000 Graduate Students

3500 Receive Financial Aid

Financial Aid Professional Staff of Six

Tufts University

Why?

Student Service Improvement

Dowling Hall Space

Increased Efficiencies

Tufts University

How?Hired Outside Consultant – August ‘98

Redesign Team – November ‘98 – May ‘99

10 people x 2.5 days/wk for 6 months

Nine implementation Teams – June ‘99 – June ‘00

met once a week for 9 months

Moving Day – June ‘00

Tufts University

Tufts Student Services

3 Functional Teams:

Financial Services – Financial Aid, Bursar, Student Employment

Academic Services – Deans Office, Registrar, Advising

Career Services

3 Support Teams:

Student Service Desk

Program Support

Technology

Tufts University

What works well?

Families Love It

Coordination of Services

Some Staff Savings

Tufts University

What Doesn’t Work Well

Communications

Priority Setting

Staffing Issues

Tufts University

Lessons Learned

Learn From Site Visits to Other Schools

Use Technology as Problem Solver

Pay Attention to Space Issues

Staff Support is Crucial

Michele Kosboth

Enrollment Management at Lasell

Enrollment Management Model:Financial Planning, Registrar and

Admissions report to VP for Enrollment Management.

Bursar/Student Accounts reports to VP for Finance, but is housed in same building with Financial Planning and Registrar. Admissions is in the house next door.

Lasell College

1000 Full time students

New Grad program – 13 students

Financial Planning staff of 2: Director, Assistant Director but share half of two support staff – one with Registrar, one with Bursar

Lasell CollegeKey to success at Lasell College: Student centered, customer service oriented philosophy that begins at the top with the President. Access to each others databases and cross training to be able to provide information without shuffling students around.Admissions staff trained on basic FA information, helps during peak season with contacting students for missing paperwork, answering questions etc. Communication and Coordination – we are small so it is easy, but critical.

Kim Downs

Boston College

Integration for the Future 2002Student Services - A One Stop Center

Presented at MASFAA

Nov 13-15 2002

Boston College

15,000 studentsJesuit-Catholic University4 undergraduate schools6 graduate schoolsWoods College of Advancing Studies

Current OrganizationCurrent Organization

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Dean Enrollment

Mgmt

Dean Enrollment

Mgmt

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Director of Academic, & General Services

• General Services Customer Support Phones ID Cards Parking• Academic Services• Records• Transcripts

Director of Operations

• Cross Functional Responsibility• One Card Services Meal Plan Dorm Access Outside Vendors• Processing• Bursar• Local and Technical Support

Director of Financial Services

• Fin Aid• Student Loans• Collection• Student Employment

Student Services Director

BC Office of Student Services

BC Student Services - General Services

BC Student Services - General Services

Financial Services - Counselor Row

BC Student Services - Financial Services

BC Student Services - Processing Support

BC Student Services - Processing Support

Lyons Hall - Center of BC Campus

Agora on the Web (BC’s Meeting Place)

Features Include: Informational View/Change Directory Information Obtain Email Address Check on the Status Of Loans View Classmate Roster View Course History, current schedule and grades View Degree Audit View Employment information View financial aid application and awards View Student Account View Eagle One Card Balances

Agora on the Web (BC’s Meeting Place)

Features Include: Transactions Complete a Medical Insurance Waiver Complete Stafford Entrance Counseling Create or add money to Eagle One Card Deactivate ID and request replacement Create a second billing address Generate a degree audit Simulate a degree audit Set Privacy preferences Request a refund Make an ACH Payment Request transcripts or enrollment certifications/track

request

Successes

One-stop location

Space

Training

Student and parent surveys

Staff development

Process redesign

Parent Survey

93 percent of parents who had visited the office were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the in-person assistance they received.88 percent were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the ease of reaching BC by phone.95 percent said they son or daughter was “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the university’s secure Web site for student services.82 percent of respondents reported they would use a secure Internet site for conducting business with the university.

Student Survey

Importance rankings: Answering questions accurately Courtesy and respect Within promised time-frames Convenient operating hours* Correct the first time Prompt service* Confidence that employees will provide service correctly* Clarity of written communication Clarity of voice procedures Clarity of web procedures Ability to do business on web Attractiveness of web materials

*High importance; low satisfaction

ChallengesTelephone calls

Staff turnover

Continuous activity

Learning and development

Communication

Campus cultural differences

Process Redesign

Fees

ID photos

Overrides

Orientation

Meal plan

3rd party servicers

Databases

Academic regulations

Commencement

Study abroad

ACH/Credit Cards

Parking

Student ServicesLessons Learned Start with more people then you will eventually need,

then reduce Drive organization & technology components with

process changes Protect your team members

Train them, leave them alone, then train them again

Patience Rewards

Location, Location, Location. Make your space fit your organization

Maintain timelines & workplans, no matter how much they change

Break out of the hierarchy

Student ServicesFacts of Life Time will solve many things.

It will take one to two years to settle the dust Staff can not learn all there is to know in a short

time frame. There is more to organize than you can organize One day at a time

There will be staff who will and will not accept change Good people will leave…hire new good people Protect key roles Management must be part of daily operations

Operational Role is critical

Questions and Answers / General Discussion