OATdb Archive - Sam Houston State University

OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Financial Aid

Goal

Student Service

To increase the level of service provided to our students.

Objective

Staff Development

Perform regular staff development training to strengthen understanding of existing programs and train staff on new policies, procedures and programs.

KPI

Students Calling More Than Once

Fewer call-backs would indicate that first encounters would be clear and concise so that students would know what to expect in the loan application and award process. Our goal is to have less than 50% call-backs.

Result

Insuffient Data To Support Reduction In Student Call-Backs

It has been determined that the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office was not be able to sufficiently track the number of call-backs that we receive from students/parents/others. We are unable to verify whether or not this KPI was met.

Action

Staff Scheduling Change To Increase Efficiency

We do currently track the number of incoming, handled, and abandoned calls, but our phone system does not track the information of the individual calling. We will make improvements within the office to improve Student Service, so that we are better able to assist students, but we cannot realistically expect call volume to decrease, especially during peak times and due to enrollment growth. One change that has been implemented for the 2013-14 school year is staff scheduling. Each area of expertise in the office is scheduled one day per week to process their work, have team meetings, and hold team trainings. During this day off they will not be expected to assist students from the front or on the phone. We expect that this change will improve efficiency with processing students' files for quicker award processing, therefore possibly reducing overall phone calls received.

Goal

Technological Enhancement

To utilize the Banner software features and functionality.

Objective

Summer Awards

This will be the second summer to use the Banner platform to assist with awards. The objective is to learn how to make the process work seamlessly in Banner

KPI

Number Of Summer Awards

The number of summer awards will demonstrate effective use of the Banner platform in the summer semesters with a goal of 3200 applicants during the summer.

Result

Summer Awards Increased From 2012 To 2013

Prior to summer 2013 the Financial Aid Office had to request a work order through IT once per week in order to award students summer financial aid. We were not able to make it part of our internal Banner processes until summer 2013. The total number of students awarded for summer 2012 was 3885, and the total number of students awarded for summer 2013 was 5052, a 30% increase. This performance objective went beyond expectations.

Action

Summer Awards No Longer A Necessary Objective

Although the goal of technological enhancement will stay in place for the 2013-14 assessment cycle, our office will be making changes to the objectives that have gained in importance. Now that summer awards are part of an automated process, we do not see it as an objective that we need to assess for future cycles.

Goal

Consumer Information

Increased, clearer consumer information available should make the Financial Aid process more transparent.

Objective

Improve Consumer Information Outlets

Enhancing consumer information will reduce repetitive calls, especially during peak times, by giving a detailed explanation of what students can expect at each stage of the award process.

KPI

Revise/Improve Written And Electronic Consumer Information

The goal is to revise written and electronic consumer information so that repetitive calls are reduced by 10% for Spring 2013.

Result

Insufficient Data For Correlation Between Revised Consumer Information And Call-Backs

It has been determined that the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office was not be able to sufficiently track the number of call-backs that we receive from students/parents/others in relation to revised print and electronic communication. We are unable to verify whether or not this KPI was met.

Action

Consumer Information Objective In Need Of Revision

This objective is not measurable through anything we currently have in place. We do have a need to increase knowledge through Consumer Information, and we will be making enhancements such as revising our website, adding financial aid information to the Parent Bearkat Account, creating new brochures, and other such ways to make financial aid information more transparent to consumers. We will define new measurable objectives for the next assessment cycle.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

One major change implemented during the 2012-13 cycle was the development of a Q&A team within the Financial Aid office. Five staff members were chosen from different areas of expertise. They met weekly to discuss frequently asked questions from the previous week and sent out a weekly email updating the office on how to answer such questions. This greatly assisted with informing the staff and allowing them to quickly and efficiently answer the majority of questions. The Q&A team is still in place, although we are not able to measure how this has assisted with our goal of fewer call-backs.

We are now able to fully award summer through a Banner process run by the Financial Aid office, rather than needing to submit a work order through IT. This objective was met through the changes put in place, so it will not be an objective in future cycles.

Plan for continuous improvement We determined from our findings, or rather lack of findings, that we are not able to measure increases or decreases in the number of call-backs through the phone system we currently have in place. Objectives will have to be revised to focus on other measurable objectives within the goals. Goals may also be revised to better fit upcoming changes in the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office. We also determined that summer awards are no longer something we need to assess, and we will be adding new objectives in the area of technology.

In order to increase efficiency in the office, we have several projects in place. We are currently transitioning to processing paperwork electronically rather than using hard copies. We will be implementing Tutor Track, a card swiping system that will help us keep track of who is coming in to the office, how often, and why they are coming in. This will help us to determine our weak areas where additional internal training is needed or where consumer information can be revised. We are also developing a new relationship with Undergraduate Admissions to better collaborate for recruitment and retention. With all of these changes, we will work to implement measurable objectives for 2013-14.