Part II: How can a college become entirely student-centric?
Part II, the second installment in the series, features Maria, a working mother and adult learner enrolling at a student-centric institution. In part I of this series , I left off with Maria and her enrollment advisor communicating via text, Zoom, and phone to walk through the application process.
Today, I explore?financial aid?and?academic advising,?but the final step is attaining Maria's transcript before submitting her application.
Maria was concerned she would have trouble obtaining her college transcript because it's pretty old. Working together, Maria and her advisor acquired and submitted her associate degree transcript, alleviating any concerns.
Noticing Maria's professional work experience, her advisor mentioned that she might be eligible for academic credit through a portfolio course and suggested speaking with her academic advisor (whom Maria will meet later.)
Once she has all the necessary materials and submits her application, Maria must apply for financial aid to return to school while working.
FINANCIAL AID OFFICER
Maria's enrollment advisor introduces her to a financial aid officer via email to set up a time to chat.?
As a working professional and a mother, Maria knows her financial profile has changed compared to the first time she applied. Maria is eager to start the process, so she visits the FASFA website. However, Maria becomes overwhelmed by the website - needing help with the process and documentation requirements.
She starts second-guessing if going back to college is suitable for her. Or maybe, she thinks, the timing isn't right—how is she going to google every question, dig up tax returns, and ensure she's maximizing her potential financial aid?
Luckily, Maria's financial aid officer reaches out, explaining she is there to answer all her questions, assuring they will get through this process with as little hair-ripping-out as possible. Working together, they complete the FAFSA application and even apply for scholarships for which Maria is eligible.
Maria breathed a sigh, relieved as she did not have to stumble through this process alone.
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH
A couple of weeks later, Maria receives her college acceptance letter and financial aid package.?Congratulations are in order!
Maria's original enrollment advisor circles back to celebrate this achievement and explains her personalized financial aid package.
Maria learns that all her associate degree credits will transfer— at this point, she needs only?half?of her anticipated credits to achieve a bachelor's degree.
Maria is eligible for Pell funding. She also earns a scholarship the college offers for adult learners pursuing a degree with prior academic credit. Maria is?only on the hook for fees and course materials, most of which, her enrollment advisor assures, are available for low or no cost through the school's central online learning platform (remember this later.)
Maria learns that all her associate degree credits will transfer— at this point, she needs only?half?of her anticipated credits to achieve a bachelor's degree. That is a considerable cost and time savings.
THE HANDOFF: ENROLLMENT TO ACADEMIC
At this stage of the student-centric institution, the enrollment advisor hosts a group introductory call with Maria and her academic advisor. The purpose is to get up to speed on what Maria has accomplished thus far and tackle the next steps.
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Before signing off, Maria's enrollment advisor conveys that her new primary point of contact is her academic advisor but assures her that they will always be a resource should she need their assistance.
Next, Maria must select her first-term classes.
This institution operates on a system with multiple start dates per year, meaning Maria has just a few weeks before courses begin. Like many working professionals going back to college, Maria is still deciding about course selection and how best to balance her personal, professional, and new academic life.
And don't forget that taking the portfolio course to translate Maria's work experience into academic credit is a top priority.
As Maria peruses the course catalog, many questions pop up...
Since Maria works as an administrative assistant during the day, she and her academic advisor connect in the evening via Zoom. They discuss her goal of becoming a human resources officer. From her initial research and conversations with her enrollment advisor, Maria knows the general path toward a bachelor's degree in HR.
During their call, Maria and her academic advisor reviewed the requirements and course schedule for the HR program. By the end of the meeting, the two created a clearly defined degree map outlining everything she must accomplish to attain her bachelor's degree.
Next, Maria will work with someone in the prior learning office to create and submit a portfolio for assessment to review the skills she has gained on the job since earning her associate degree. On average, a student receives a year's worth of academic credit through this course, speeding up their time-to-degree and lessening the overall cost.
Maria's academic advisor helps her register for the first semester.
Maria feels this institution values her as a genuine individual rather than just another body in a seat. Far from Maria's experience as an associate degree candidate, she has never felt supported like this—she just felt like a number.
The advisor's goal is to make Maria feel that, while her courses will be challenging, every other aspect should be easy and accessible.
Her advisor sends a quick reference fact sheet as a guide, and a degree map as a go-to resource. They walk through the online platform Maria will use for her classes, syllabi, course materials, advising appointments, office hours, grade tracking, IT support, and more.
This back-and-forth open communication strategy between advisors and students is a crucial equity mechanism for student-centric institutions - supporting each student uniquely rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Maria feels this student-centric institution values her as a genuine individual rather than just another body in a seat. Far from Maria's experience as an associate degree candidate, she has never felt supported like this—she just felt like a number.
How will Maria adjust to the technology?
What happens when she runs into an issue?
Stay tuned for the answers to these questions and more in Part III.
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1 年This a great follow-up to part 1, Don Kilburn! Looking forward to Maria's experience in the next piece.