Misrepresentation
Misrepresentation has been defined by the Department of Education as any false, erroneous or misleading statement made by the institution. What advice would you give a new employee that would help them to avoid inadvertently misrepresenting the institution?
Typically institutions have an “on boarding†or training process before representatives can obtain their Agent Card as an authorized representative on an institution. Because regulations are changing and any fraudulent statement could result in a serious fine to the institution I would encourage new employees to not be afraid to say “I don’t know, but I will find out.†Seek out the executive for the correct answer before guessing or being afraid of sounding uninformed. The prospective student will appreciate your honesty and the institution will appreciate your attention to avoiding a misrepresentation infraction.
Excellent answer, Justina. I'm in complete agreement. I would also encourage new employees to learn as much as possible on their own about the college via the website, course catalog and visiting with program coordinators and faculty keeping in mind to stay away from words like "greatest" instructors or "best" equipment as per the training module.
When I first started working in education, I educated myself as much as possible. I firmly believe that this job takes around a year to "figure" out. The only way that you can prevent misrepresentation is by constantly educating your self on the latest regulations and laws. In my campus, we have implemented having the department chair for each program come to our friday meetings to update us on upcoming certification or regulation changes.
Hi Justina,
Many times new employees are very anxious to help students and in their efforts they may risk misrepresentation. I totally agree that they need to step back and seek exper advice to avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
Steve,
Great advice, many people fail to realize that the use of superlatives can lead to misrepresentation.
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
Alison,
As an educator we have a responsibility to educate ourselves in the rules and regulations that govern us.
Educating yourself through product knowledge is an excellent way to stay on top of the industry standards.
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
Learning about what defines misrepresentation is a great opportunity for any of us to become better at what we do. Everyone in this forum has made excellent comments. I think what I gained from this is 3 fold.
1. If you dont know, dont assume that you do. Ask someone who does know.
2. Education is an opportunity to provide someone with a "REALISTIC" future. (i.e. dont overelaborate or speculate)
3. Stick to the facts. We all know that we are here to help people obtain their goals. Opinions are nice, but facts represent truth.
In the end if we misrepresent information to our students we are setting them up for failure and none of us want that.
Transparency and Accuracy
Be transparent: Be sure to provide any information the student needs to know about the institution the agent is representing.
Be accurate: Be sure that any information provided to the student is 100% accurate and not misleading.
If the new agent finds themselves in a situation where one of the above said could be in jeopardy, it is in the best interest of the student and the school that the new agent seek out the assistance of a trained team member that can be both transparent and accurate.
Instruct new employees not to respond to any question that they are unsure of. They should instead say that they do not know, but will look into it and get back to the person asking the question.
I agree. I would tell then to be honest and tell the student they are not sure of the correct information but that they will find out.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for easy to follow points. I would like to add;
4. Always refer to the catalog and disclosures
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
Jeremy,
Chris has a great post in this area as well.
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
Fairly simple words of wisdom. Stick to the script. Don't quote specifics until they are expressed by someone that is certified to give you that information. Do not guess. Try to inform the student with doing someone else's job.
I would, and always do, tell new employees and even current employees, not to be afraid to say "I don't know"...and follow it up with, "but I will find someone who does know!"
We do our very best to provide initial and on-going training, constant communication and transparency with all of our employees, new or current. We make sure that our intranet provides all staff, faculty and students with the most current information and review it on an on-going basis.
Even as the Corporate Director of Education and Compliance, I always like to check first before I give an answer about anything I'm not 100% sure of. It's really the safest way! I think if I can model what I'd like the employees to do, it makes it easier for them to see it's really ok to say "I don't know."
Donna,
It is imperative to be sure that the information that we are providing students with is accurate. I woud prefer to keep a student waiting for a little while rather than give them poor information that could be construed as misrepresentation. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this matter.
Cindy Bryant
Extensive training is provided to new employees to:
Refer to the Catalog or Student Handbook to respond to questions.
Any unknowns should be addressed as an "I'm not certain of the correct answer; and will investigate to make sure that the response is correct.
When in doubt: refer to "an expert".
Karyn,
A blended approach to training is usually the best approach. Another best practice that has been shared throughout this course is mentoring. Many times new employees are concerned with minor questions (which can become major if the wrong answer is not given) that can easily be answered by a seasoned employee. This allows the new employee to learn the system and get to know another team member.
Cindy Bryant
If an employee was asked a question and they did not know the correct answer. I would encourage them to say they are not sure and that they will find out.
Jessica,
Excellent. I recommend that they set a date and time to get back with the student to meet their expectations.
Cindy Bryant
