Managing Financial Aid in an Unpredictable Environment Barbara Miller Director of Financial Aid Stevenson University Heather McDonnell Associate Dean of Financial Aid and Admission Sarah Lawrence College

 Know your financial aid environment – how are you perceived?  Figure out what’s broken or needs improvement  Steady your operations then refocus on external matters  How can your office reach maximum efficiency? Take a Look Around You – (Hopefully Before You Sign on the Dotted Line!)

 ‘Investigate’ the University and the Office  Get to know staff – responsibilities, likes, dislikes, needs, wants  Talk on- and off-the-record with supervisor  Meet with faculty, staff, and students – perceptions  Gather reports – data is your friend (per Heather McDonnell)  Staffing survey Planning for the Dream….

 Know your pluses  Know and analyze your minuses  Know the politics  Know your friends  Know your enemies  Know your strengths  Know your weaknesses Environmental Scan

 Staff  Reward to retain  Systems  Communication between man and machine  Software  Help or hindrance  Synergy  Working well across the organization  Structure  Know your org chart The Pluses

 Staff  Diagnose discontentment immediately  Neutralize Gloomy Gus  Systems  Barrier to bridge  Software  Up to date/ latest version  Synergy  Lack of engagement with other office  Structure  Don’t know the territory The Minuses

 Office ‘rules’  Attitude  Questions  Respect  Goals  Recognition Setting Staff Expectations

 Know your strengths and weaknesses  Don’t expect too much too soon – be realistic  Set reasonable goals  Take time to listen/learn  Recognize others  Keep a positive and professional attitude  Get involved Personal Expectations

 Examine and test the changes before going beyond the office doors  Use explicit non FA language when notifying others  Present the change by quoting an interpreted regulation  Offer and accept solutions  Test, test, test, test….. It’s always about Change

Data is the Dowager They can’t argue with the numbers even though they will try

Data Driven? A conversation or discussion not informed or framed by data is nothing more than an opinion……

You Gotta Get Out Conferences  Broader perspective  Greater chance to network  More access to respected peers  Connections  R&R Webinars  Single issue focus  Convenient  Cost effective  Easier to be distracted or not sign on  Anonymous

 Self-worth  Growth/Advancement  Achievement/Recognition  Responsibility  Creative Expression  Training/Space/Equipment Building Your Team

Surviving the Storms  Build your team by inclusion  Motivate by example  Reward on every occasion  Redirect the lost  Be unselfish with your expertise  Knowledge is power  Think and act positively  Keep the negative thoughts away from the office and out of your head  Plan and have a vision  Speak it every day

In the storm

 Understaffed/low morale  Under ‘technologied’/manual processes  Lack of respect  Conservative processes/created for the ‘exceptions’  ‘Perceived’ poor services  Staff felt unappreciated and unsupported  ‘Bunker mentality’  Continual ‘band aids’  ‘Never good enough – no matter what’ What If You Find a Nightmare – One Example

 Focused on morale  Changed the look of the office  Improved technology  Group discussions  Set priorities  Participated in campus events  Improved communications  Regular meetings Sometimes It’s the Little Things

 Focused on customer service – Call Center was established  Increased grant funding  Regular meetings with other areas  Financial Aid 101 for faculty and staff  FAFSA promotion  Staff shirts And Then?

 Flex scheduling for staff  ‘Different’ forms of communication  Liaisons to other offices  Review of caseloads and job duties and responsibilities  Set annual goals for each staff member  Offered student workshops on campus  Evaluate – what worked and what didn’t Finally…

It doesn’t last forever