If there is any doubt in your mind about answering a students question, utilize other resources.
Nicholas,
Excellent advice. I think it's also important when you refer a student to another resource, to follow up and ensure they obtained answers to their questions.
Traci Lee
Yes, I agree. Integrity and honesty is everything. It impacts everyone. It impacts the student, the school, and ultimately the community. We always want to do the right thing at all times.
When in doubt...don't shout it about! It is always best to let the person know you will find out and whatever you do....do it in a prompt manner. Do not leave a question unanswered. Present it in a professional way.
Never Misrepresent what your institute has to offer or what you can do for a student. Making false promises might get a student in your school but they will not be happy and you run a risk of loosing them and it will not be good advertising for future students.Integrity comes into play and that is what we never loose sight of.
Sheila,
Great comments! I agree on the importance of promptness. It's a good way to demonstrate a commitment to good service.
Traci Lee
I do not think your present salary should be discussed with students or other employees. You can talk about how sucessful you are and your experience plays an important part in what you make. That is all up to each individual. You can say that you are very happy with your job and the industry has been good to you.
Every company has different pay guidlines and you can seek out what you want.
If they are ever posed a question that they are unsure of, find someone who can accurately answer before you misrepresent the institution with false information.
Always check your thoughts before they become words.
Jaclyn,
This is great advice for everyone - in handling work AND personal situations!
Traci Lee
First and foremost, a new employee must advocate for themselves to ensure they have received proper training in compliance and misrepresentation rules. I would direct a new employee to avoid any potential "sales tactics" and to stick to the facts. Learning as much as possible about the institution and its programs can give the employee plenty of factual information to share with potential students and avoid the "need" to fill in the blanks with potentially misleading information.
The advice i would give a new employee that would help them to avoid inadvertently misrepsenting the institution is to stick to the catalog the rules are provided for you and as long as you stay within the guidlines and core value of the institution you can't go wrong.
Always have the Do's and Don't post up in your office so you can memorize them. You want to represent your organizatiom with pride and integrity.
Racheal,
I completely agree that using the catalog as the primary source of information ensures consistency and alignment with expectations.
Traci Lee
I would tell any new employee to make sure that everything that they are saying is true an use the correct terms so that they may not be misleading.
stacy,
I agree - and I also think that even current, long-time employees can use training and reminders on what is acceptable to say as it is easy to fall into terminology that could be misleading. For example, it is easy for an employee, in their positive attitude toward the institution, to inadvertently use words like "best" or "biggest" or other words that cannot always be validated and are subject to allegations of misrepresentation.
Traci Lee
As an instructor at my institution for 5+ years now, I am often providing advice to newer employees regarding representation of information about our school & the program I work in. First off, with so much to know about an institution's program, not to mention all of the nuances relating to institutional information & compliance, I would highly recommend a true training session to any new employee. Some good starting steps would be to read the policy & compliance manuals that are on hand, as well as speak to those who have been with the company for a long time.
As far as specific advice, honesty is the most obvious thing, meaning stick with the facts. Also, if you aren't sure of something, don't guess - just let the prospective student know that you don't have the answer but that you will get someone (i.e. supervisor, admissions, FA, or career services rep.) to give them the correct answer. Another thing would be to focus on the positives of your organization(in a realistic/no-exaggerated manner), rather than try to compare yourself to a competitor.
Honesty, integrity, & enthusiasm can go a long way to making a great impression about your institution without compromising rules, regulations, or ethics!
We are in a important position to help people to better thier life and the lives of their family. This is a huge responsibilty. We must always do the right thing and be forthright with all the accurate information so they are able to make the right choice for their future. Never guess, never embelish and never just wing it. We are professionals learn the facts and continually review and study for our position.
As with anything, if you are unsure of the answer to a question, the worst thing for you to do is try to make up an answer. Instead, a simple, "I'm not sure, that's a good question. Let me find out for you" will more than suffice. It is better to delay an answer than to give an incorrect one.
part of the orientation process should cover this type of situation. Anyone who does not have an excact knowledge of what they are talking about should answer honestly that they do not know and that they will look in the catolog for the correct answer or offer to get the help of someone who may know the answer to the quetion.
