Advising and Financial Aid Building a Collaborative Campus Meeting a Mandate: Financial Aid Regulations and Implications for Academic Advisement Advising and Financial Aid Building a Collaborative Campus Dr. Natalie Brown Program Director for Academic Advisement, Transfer Center and International Student Services Sharon Wurm Executive Director for Financial Aid and Student Success Truckee Meadows Community College

Introduction Key facts about Truckee Meadows Community College Demographics Fall 2016: FTE: 6,103 Headcount: 11,325 Advising facts 7 full-time Academic Advisors, 2-4 Peer Advisors Main duties include advising, orientation, and transfer center services FA facts 7 full-time FA professionals, 5 full-time classified, 1 Peer Advisor and 16 student employees Introduction Sharon

Collaboration Definition Types of collaboration Working together to achieve a goal Mutually beneficial relationship Sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability for achieving results Types of collaboration Peas in a pod New partners in crime Challengers Collaboration Natalie

Successful Collaborations Good timing and clear need Strong stakeholder groups Broad-based involvement Credibility and openness of process Ability to overcome mistrust or skepticism Realistic expectations Successful Collaborations Natalie

Big Picture Unique organizational structure Buy in Promote the effort Build leadership capacity of all stakeholders Potential Challenges Increased complexity of communication Unanticipated costs in resources Benefits of collaboration Maximize limited resources Access specialized knowledge or skills Improve efficiency Big Picture Natalie

Organizational Structure Re-org of student services in 2012 reassigned academic advisement reporting FA Director became Director of FA and Student Success Executive Director of Financial Aid and Student Success Academic Advisement, Transfer Center and International Student Services Access, Outreach and Recruitment Financial Aid and Financial Literacy Veterans Services Organizational Structure Sharon

Working Together Students Collaborations between departments Academic Advisement Access, Outreach and Recruitment Financial Aid and Financial Literacy Veterans Services Working Together Natalie

“THE” Financial Aid Regulation Purpose: To develop an implementation plan for compliance with 34 CFR 668, which restricts federal financial aid (FA) funding to students as it relates to the courses or credits that are not within their degree program. Sharon

Financial Aid may only be awarded for classes required for a student’s degree program Students are not restricted from exploration Will improve transferability Will lead to a more coherent academic program experience for all students Will not be dropped or have holds Degree programs will be evaluated and modified as needed - department chairs support this Students will avoid the excess credit fee and excessive debt Will help ALL students to better stay on track to graduate The Regs Sharon

Partnership Partnership Student Financial Aid Academic Advisement Sharon Financial Aid Academic Advisement

Approval and Denial The Mod Updated after student appointment Sharon

2016-2017 Course Applicability Mod Summer 2016 Fall 2016 Spring 2017 Total # students selected 312 1,372 1,240 2,154* # courses flagged 484 2,803 2,404 5,691 Repeat Indicators** 7 28 35 70 Exceptions 271 1,517 1,161 2,949 Denials 206 1,257 1,208 2,672 Data Natalie *2154 unduplicated students throughout the 2016-2017 academic year **Repeat indicators are automatically processed without being reviewed by Academic Advisement

Course Applicability Exception Data Natalie

Course Applicability Denial Data Natalie

On the Same Page Coding Natalie/Sharon Course Denials - non-FA eligible courses Denial Reason Code No advising ever or in last 12 months D1 Course for non-TMCC degree (e.g. UNR nursing, IETP, upper level COs) D2 Another course for same GE requirement in progress in same or previous term D3 Has other elective credits in progress in same or previous term D4 No advising notes on allied health program D5 Course already dropped by student D6 Wrong math/eng for degree program D7 Needs to update degree declaration D8 Other - include specific notes D9 Course Denials - FA eligible courses Approval (exception) Reason Ok based on placement A1 Blanket or approved substitution A2 TMCC allied health requirement A3 Dual degree declared A4 Degree change updated A5 Prereq or co-req to degree requirement A6 Diversity A7 US/NV Constitutions A8 A9 On the Same Page Coding Natalie/Sharon

Take Aways Tips for Success Involve as many colleagues on campus as possible Admissions, Records Student Accounts Institutional Research Academic VP’s office Faculty Deans Students Marketing Take Aways Sharon/Natalie

Take Aways Possible Pitfalls Leadership buy-in Ensure a win-win for colleagues Know that there will be obstructionists and develop strategies to deflect (wine?) Strength in your convictions Data-driven decision making Ensure student support Take Aways Sharon/Natalie

Take Aways More students are seeking academic advisement Students are finally allowed to declare dual degrees Academic programs are constantly evaluating their curriculum to best meet the needs of students Next goal is to better understand course applicability in general through constant analysis Take Aways Natalie

Dr. Natalie Brown Program Director Academic Advisement, Transfer Center and International Student Services nbrown@tmcc.edu Sharon Wurm Executive Director of Financial Aid and Student Success swurm@tmcc.edu