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Erin,

Not having to advertise your institution speaks highly of your reputation within your community. Bravo!

Cindy Bryant

I use email most often because it provides a record and can be easily referenced however, I do feel using the telephone can be more effective because your sincerity can be conveyed better.

Email is a fast method of communication and often you will receive better response as the recipient can be better prepared when they follow-up and can do do on their "time"

Linda,

Can you think of another reason that emails can be more effective when communicating with a student?

Cindy Bryant

to assure the content is compliant

Linda,

Hi! Welcome to the forum. Are you able to share how communication can assist in assuring that content is compliant?

Cindy Bryant

In a transactional email there should be no misleading headers and the subject of the emails should be clearly defined in the subject line. Any adverstisements would need to be identified. LOCATION must be indicated. An opt out should be included and honored within the 10 day period.

Linda,

Understanding the Can-Spam Act is critical to the admissions process. It sounds as if you have a great grasp on the rules that surround communicating with students.

Cindy Bryant

In our school we use phone or in-person communication, followed up by an email, so we both are in the same page, and also can have record in case we need it in the future.

I prefer to use email as my key form of communication because its easy to keep track of and quick to refer back to if need be.

Treva,

Many people have utilized email as a strong means of communicating with students. I believe that you should use what works for you.

Cindy Bryant

We use phone and in person communication for the majority of our interactions with students. The phone is usually our first line of communication with perspective students followed up by in person interviews. Once a student has enrolled we continue with in person discussions and incorporate some email correspondence. Most communications that happen in person require student statements or requests that are made in writing so we can document certain student requests such as LOAs, withdrawal requests etc.

Kelly,

Requiring students to appear in person for withdrawals and LOA's is a valuable process. Many times student's change their mind when they are face to face with a school associate.

Cindy Bryant

We communicate through phone calls, it's more personal and it's easier to explain the information we have to go over and are able to answer questions more effectively.

E-mail is my primary method of communication for internal and external communications. It provides a permanent record of the conversation for both the sender and recipient and tracks it for future reference. E-mail communication also reduces the chance of misunderstanding between the parties.

Documentation is key. In the words of our Accreditation Agency, "If it is not documented, it never happened."

E-mail is a good tool to document things, but it often informal and without structure. I will utilize email to send out Memorandums and Meeting Minutes, but I will always follow up with a hard copy. I want to make sure that the important information are seen by the staff/faculty and immediately implemented. In addition, documentation is followed up by maintaining an organized file system both electronically and hard-copy. Don't forget to back up files! Sometimes, between dead hard drives and lost laptops, the hard copy may be the only documentation left.

Carol,

Emails are very useful in tracking important information. Have you found texting your students to be useful as well?

Cindy Bryant

I am also mostly a person-to-person communicator. As the Bursar, I need to see that my words are having an effect. I look to body language and tone to help me understand attitude and intention, which can both be lost in a written communication. Sometimes a student needs help of some sort, but doesn't want to ask for it. This often becomes clear in the course of a conversation. If some suggestions are not met well, I can offer others. We take in so much information with our eyes and ears!

Mala,

Thank you for joining the forum! As a bursar you deal with peoples money and debts-whether or not they can or cannot pay. If you have the ability to speak with them personally you may be able to have an impact on their actions. Being able to read their body language sometimes allows you insight into how to deal with each individual.

Cindy Bryant

I utilize phone communications and in person communications, preferably in person. I am not tempted to step outside of compliance but being face to face with someone allows me a better understanding of their perceptions of what I am telling them. Non verbal cues are an important part of making sure that the students that I work with are receiving the information in a clear and concise manner.

Wayne,

Thank you for sharing, you have a great point regarding a person's nonverbal cues. Sometimes we need to be face to face with people to achieve the best understanding.

Cindy Bryant

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