Ensuring that your department is compliant takes good leadership, good communication and continuous learning/training. I will continue to review and learn new regulations.
I will make sure to always refer our students to our website and catalog in an effort to ensure I am providing accurate and up to date information.
Carole,
Hi! The most controversial information to deliver is information perceived to be negative in nature. However, allowing the student to understand your institutions vulnerability is key to gaining their respect.
Cindy Bryant
The best practices for staying compliant include always using statements that are accurate and complete. If you are quoting numbers, make certain they are exact and documented. Avoid generalizations and superlatives, and do not be afraid to deliver information that may seem negative to you at the time - the honesty is more important than any perceived negativity, and it strengthens the rest of the information you have shared with that student.
Knowing your compliance rules. Do not give misleading or personal information out and be truthful at all times.
Candace,
Your institution is fortunate to have a compliance specialist on campus. It is important that people have someone to turn to with questions or concerns. How do you see this person's position being utilized the most?
Cindy Bryant
I think having a good policy and procedure manual from the compliance department will give everyone clear direction on what is expected of them. That ensures that no one is making up their own rules. Our school has a compliance person who does have rules for people to follow and they are updated with training first and then documents for future reference. She is also willing to explain things when any questions do arise.
Christopher,
Reading articles and websites to stay compliant are excellent ways to stay abreast of the changes. Another way is to subscribe to state and federal updates.
Cindy Bryant
Read articles and websites that outline changing policies/regulations in my industry.
Kevin,
You raise several good points. While I agree with your philosophy, I am curious as to how you would approach rolling out a compliance policy so that your team buys-in?
Cindy Bryant
More than anything, a robust Compliance program is built on a solid foundation of training that focuses not just on regulations but also the rationale behind their implementation. Regularly training functional areas throughout the institution whenever regulations change is key in ensuring that policies and practices remain compliant and consistent.
Staff need to understand the parameters of what is allowable in interactions with the public, but if they see these rules as unnecessary, irrelevant, or purposeless they may seek to act in a way that seems more "right" on a personal level. Educating employees on how the rules protect everyone at all times establishes a clear sense of ownership and desire to act in a compliant fashion.
Robert,
Many people view the standards as a way of creating limitations and busy work for the organization. You have a solid grasp of how and wyt standards were developed. I was hoping that you would be willing to share one of your best practices that has enabled you to maintain compliance?
Cindy Bryant
Generally speaking, accreditation standards are designed to provide structure to institutions with regards to academic quality and administrative record-keeping. The key to implementing good practices at the campus is to show them how compliance will benefit them on multiple levels.
Andrew,
Thank you for your post. Compliance programs are very different from standard policies and procedures. The 'C' word has a way of paralyzing those who hear it. To have a highly effective compliance program you must be prepared to solicit buy in from your faculty and staff. This requires providing them with vast information on the value of a compliant community. Once you have the associates commitment you can move forward with confidence that they will do their bet to support the cause.
Cindy Bryant
Colleges need to stress the importance of keeping informed on current rules and regulations. They should have staff training sessions on a regular basis. Dept heads should check periodically work being done to make sure it is being done right and it is accurate plus being complete. Conferences are excellent avenue to inter act and share information, learn new trends, along with learning from industry leaders.
I think any best practice in this regard involves knowing and understanding the rules and regulations, creating an environment of transparency as to why these are important and why we adhere to them, and incorporating regular ways of reviewing our knowledge and understanding and implementation of these rules and regulations so that we embody them as an institution.
Ensuring the success of compliance programs requires the support of leadership, staying abreast of regulatory changes, training on and reinforcing key principles to day-to-day administrators of those policies.
Richard ,
Great response! Staying knowledgeable about regulations and rules in your sector is no easy feat. The remedies that you mention are on target. Also I want to mention that being a part of the decision making regarding any rule or process promotes buy-in.
Cindy Bryant
I would say knowing the rules, and be forthright and transparent. Also, the best practices would also be to stick to the guidelines, and not try to persuade or give misleading information to anyone at all. I want my prospective or current students to be able to make an informed decision about our school, and the only way to do that is is to always be compliant.
Be part of the educational process on compliant practices, participate in professional development to stay updated on changes in rules and regulations, and contribute to the formulation of mechanisms to evaluate practices for compliance.
