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Office of Enrollment Management 118 |
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Judith I. Bailey, Ed.D. Senior Executive Director of Enrollment
Management baileyj@ecu.edu |
October 1, 2007 Dear Colleagues: First, let me thank you for the support you have provided our students and the Offices of Financial Aid and Student Financial Services as we have moved through our first Fall opening using Student Banner to enroll and award financial aid to ECU’s largest student body ever. The mission of student
financial services offices is to
assist students in achieving their academic goals through the accurate and
timely awarding of financial assistance, primarily through financial aid
awards. To achieve our mission, ECU is making the necessary commitments to provide high quality service and support to our students. These commitments require changes in our organizational structure, work processes and approach to customer service. The actions listed below are effective October 1, 2007. Commitment to coordinating student financial services: 1) The Financial Aid and Student Financial Services (Cashiering, Student Loan Collection, and Student Accounting) offices, each headed by a director, will report to the Senior Director of Student Financial Services. Serving in the role of Senior Director of Student Financial Services on an interim basis will be Dee Bowling. Ms. Bowling has been working jointly with the two offices on customer service issues since August. The Senior Director of Student Financial Services will report jointly to Enrollment Management and Financial Services. Appropriate protocols will be implemented to assure separation of powers. An organizational chart is attached. Commitment to being a high performing Financial Aid Office: 1) The Financial Aid Office has been reorganized based upon the workflow processes in Banner Financial Aid and specific talents of staff members. 2) In order to expedite the completion of Fall financial aid award processes and reports, and to prepare for Spring 2008, the University has engaged three additional consultants from Financial Aid Services (FAS) to be with ECU at least until January. We anticipate engaging a minimum of two consultants for nine months to a year. Further, the Senior Vice President of FAS will be on campus at least monthly to assist with evaluating processes and progress. Enhancing staff skills with experienced consultants is not unusual in institutions with major transitions in financial aid leadership. 3) Interim Financial Aid Director Laszewski, on assignment to ECU from Financial Aid Services, will be leaving us in October and will be replaced by a consultant who will serve as Interim Director until July 2008 or until a permanent director is named. 4) The search for a permanent financial aid director, to be chaired by Dean Niswander, will begin in during Spring Semester, ideally in late January. 5)
Several financial aid staff members have accepted new
responsibilities across campus:
Victoria Ogden is joining Career Services; Andrea Savage, Housing;
Chandra Johnson and Vivian Merritt, Human Resources. We will be filling these and other
vacancies with a combination of consultants and new positions. 6)
Financial Aid staff will maintain a high level of quality
control in their work through becoming proficient in Banner, managing
information and workflow in accordance with best practices and ensuring
compliance with applicable regulations.
7)
To support Financial Aid staff in providing financial
assistance to students in a timely and accurate manner, ECU will provide
training opportunities and additional staff to meet critical needs. Commitment to
improving service to and communication with students: 1)
To improve communications with and service to students, a 2)
The center will also be responsible for coordinating
messages regarding financial services, including financial aid, available to
students. An important part of such
communication is to establish expectations for student timeliness and ECU’s
staff’s commitment to meet stated delivery dates when those expectations are
met. The center will use a variety of
media to communicate with students and will work closely with offices in
enrollment management and academic and student affairs to assist with
coordinating messages regarding financial information and deadlines that
affect students. Commitment to
measuring our accomplishments: The
effectiveness of these initiatives will be measured by our success in
achieving the following goals: 1)
Fall 2007 Financial Aid awards are completed by October
15, including ECU CBTI awards. 2)
Timely disbursement of financial funds for Spring 2008. 3)
4)
Reduction in number of inquiries/complaints by students
and parents regarding disbursement of financial aid. 5)
Data entry process will be enhanced, file room will be
organized and security issues will be
resolved by end of semester. 6) Staff will be proficient in Financial Aid Banner. The
actions outlined above represent an overall commitment to improve quality of
service, timeliness of financial aid awards, and accuracy of communication to
ECU students and their families. The
specific actions are a beginning and will evolve as our ability to serve our
students at a higher standard improves.
These are the initial steps. Together,
staff will work across departmental structures of Student Financial Aid and
Student Financial Services (Cashiering, Student Loan Collection and
Accounting) to provide a seamless and helpful experience to our students. However, it is only with the support and
dedication of all ECU colleagues that any one office can be successful in
meeting students’ needs. Thank
you in advance for helping ECU become the university known for outstanding
service to students. Regards, Judi
Bailey Enrollment
Management Services |
