Pamela,
I'm so happy you have found a great "fit" between your personal values and that of your organization. This alignment is essential to personal and professional health for so many reasons. As for your last point on students who are "in need" and yet may not succeed - I tend to focus on what skills we can add to our own "toolbox" to support these people to help them succeed. Does that make sense?
Dr. Jean Norris
In the past, I have worked for schools in which I felt 'uncomfortable'. Part of me felt out of sinc with their philosophies. As a graduate of the school I work in now, I feel proud to showcase this school and the profession we prepare students for. I know the school intimately and the ethics it upholds and teaches. This makes it easy to promote the school and invite qualified students in without prejudice.
I need to fine tune my senses for "Promoting access and services to those students most LIKELY TO BENEFIT for the training offered". There is a fine line between identifying students who may 'benefit from' and those who are 'in need' and may not succeed. It is a moral issue that I would like advice on.
Kimber, great point here and what a great opportunity. By tailoring your questions and the interview experience to your students, you are doing your part to build that relationship.
Dr. Jean Norris
I think the one area I need to work on is addressing every single students needs, as not every student needs the same assistance or guidance on everything. I feel as though if I take a few extra minutes to work with students I will be able to tell what it is they will need from me throughout the admissions process, as well as assistance they may need well at the school as a student.
jihae,
It sounds like you get the opportunity to work with a diverse population of students, which is wonderful. Taking a sincere and genuine interest in their culture and background might be a good place to start. Allowing your student the chance to educate you about what they know best may be what's needed to "break the ice". What are some other things that you've done in the past to help students in this situation or clarify communication?
Shannon Gormley
I am trying not to prejudge or discriminate, but, my school has so many students from all over the world.
Because of their poor English and culture difference, it is really difficult for me to understand and interact with the students.
How can I help them out,or reduce mis-understanding at least?
Jason,
Excellent insight. It sounds like you would like to ensure your reps have information to be prepared to respond appropriately in any situation. What are some resources that you would consider adding to increase your team's knowledge?
Dr. Jean Norris
I think number nine is our greatest challenge. We do not have as many materials as we should for our reps to actively seek out a acquire new training and new skills. It normally comes from one on one training, and I would like to compile more resources for those reps who follow the code of conduct and seek out additional training.
Evonne,
It sounds like you're committed to keeping updated on what's happening in your industry, congratulations! Every little bit counts. It might also be helpful to talk to some of your colleagues regarding ways in which they stay updated for ideas.
Shannon Gormley
There are many ways, as I am discovering. As you mentioned, newsletters are very helpful. They not only provide updates but also advertise various webinars for additional training.
Evonne,
It sounds like you found this information helpful,which is great! Staying up to date with information that is directly related to the industry is helpful in providing current information to your students as well as making sure you increase your knowledge and credibility too. Signing up for newsletters in the industry as well as Google alerts can be helpful in staying current. What other ways do you think you might try to stay current?
Shannon Gormley
I think the greatest challenges for me were numbers 9 and 11. Statement 9 relates to seeking out training to stay up to date on the current and relevant information available. This directly ties into statement 11 that ignorance is not a legal defense and our job is to stay informed. Interviewing students is time-consuming and at times, it seems that is the only task I had time for. However, to be most effective in my interviews, I must be knowledgeable of current information--rather it be product knowledge or industry standards.
This training is a great first step in staying knowledgeable.
My challenge as a Counselor, am not a Admission personal, I believe is not being able to help those Prospect that are not legal in this country. As a Minister my self I know that they can get support by a Church who will cover there tuition and help them with their legal Issues.
Thank you for your honesty Josh. Sometimes it can be hard to not let our perceptions and bias affect our interaction with students. It sounds like you have a solid plan for moving forward.
Shannon Gormley
Guy, thank you for your honesty. It sounds like you will continue to follow the protocol outlined by your organzation. Great job!
Shannon Gormley
I plan to take a look at the preconceived notions that I have about students from their appearance. I think that I sometimes I adjust my tour and interaction based on the preconceived notions I have of whether or not someone will legitimately be able to pay for the program. I am going to work from the assumption that all who I interact are equally qualified candidates and worthy of my best efforts.
I think one of the biggest challenges is avoiding answering financial aid questions and objections, especially when I know the answers. I plan to continue to forward the FA questions and concerns to that department even when I can answer them on my own.
Eigna, thanks for sharing this and being honest. So it sounds like you were having an issue with potential students expecting that you would fill out paperwork for them and have come up with solutions utilizing different resources and tools for them. By doing this not only are you working to stay compliant, but you are also helping the student.
Shannon Gormley
Wtihin the Admissions Professional's Code of Conduct, I find that it is a challege to provide guidance to students when they need to fill out any of their documents for admission or financial aid. My experiece has been that students prefer that a Admissions Officer or Financial Aid Administrator do the work for them. We have addressed the issue by providing students with dual language information through welcome packages, tutorials, manuals or links that will provide them with the necessary guidance.
Julio,
Yes, it seems that many organizations, not just schools are going digital. What can you do personally that will help with keeping your student's information private?
Shannon Gormley
