Office Stress
As the Executive Director of a small campus (400 students) and another location opening shortly. My question to the Financial Aid staff is what part of the process gives you the most stress and as a Director what could I do to help?
Marianne,
This is a difficult question. Each Financial Aid staff has a different take on what makes their jobs stressful. When managing an aid office I have tried to be as accessible as possible, especially during the first week of the start and including the FA staff in interdepartmental meetings. This will encourage the staff to be open when the stress level begins to rise and allow you to work with them to problem solve on the issue. Most Financial Aid Departments want to know that their thoughts and opinions count toward the overall success of the campus. If you have any specific issues let me know and I will try to provide recommendations.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Talk about a loaded question! As the Financial Aid Director, I find that one of the most important factors in running an efficient department is to maintain harmony between both the Admissions Department and the Financial Aid Department. Tying in both these departments could very well be the key element in avoiding many issues. Furthermore, having good communication and organization within the FA department is just as important. These two components are so important that together they avoid many problems from happening.
Laura,
I agree completely with your assessment - harmony amoung departments working to ensure that students are successful is the most important aspect. Strong communication will allow all to be aware of special circumstances that could have an impact to student's success.
It is critical that all aspects of the student experieince be open and fulfullied. Best wishes in your continued education online.
Sincerely, Chyrl
I agree with the posts. I am the only FAO responsible for two small campuses, I monitor roughly about 175 Financial Aid students. Inter-departamental harmony is a must! Also, allowing the FAO to answer any questions can prevent miscommunication
Michelle,
Respect and professionalism is critical between all departments within a campus (and multi-campus operations). It is important that all departments understand that the student must be assisted in a manner so he/she will be successful in the education process. It has been my experience that when the "right" person" answers the question the greater opportunity for everyone to be pleased with the results.
Sincerely, Chyrl
I would say communication is the most important thing.
Edith,
Communication is an important part of the process. Where do you think timeliness and accuracy rates in the process? It is important for the student to have a well-rounded experience when dealing with the Financial Aid process and staff.
Best wishes in your continued online education experience.
Sincerely,
Chyrl
I think the timelines and accuracy rates have to be as important as the level of service that is being given. So that as you say they have a well rounded experience. Thank you.
Edith,
Timeliness and accuracy in the processing of students will definitely improve the overall experience for everyone (student and college). All of us should strive for all students to have a well-rounded experience.
Sincerely,
Chyrl
In times of change (like opening up a new branch campus), most stress to the staff occurs from the fear of the unknown. How will this change affect my job? Will my duties/title/status change? Will there be new employees in the mix? How will effect our place in the overall business structure?
Most of the time, these fears are subconscious and remain unvoiced, but they are real nevertheless and can manifest themselves in strange ways. For example, a usually cooperative employee becomes withdrawn. A normally agreeable employee becomes somewhat surly. These are all reactions to the unaddressed stress they are feeling in times of change. The change need not necessarily be a profound one.
Most of the comments here have already touched on the importance of communication. However, the timing and persistence of the communication is just as important as the content.
For example, when you know a change is about to occur, fill the staff in on the particulars. Then, periodically update the staff as necessary on the progress of the change, keeping in mind that they are always more interested in how it will affect them personally.
As one participant mentioned, make it clear that you, as a Director, are always available for questions or to address any concerns. Be welcoming, open and honest, and avoid anything that seems like a canned response. People pick up very intuitively on that sort of thing.
Carmen,
Your comments are very good related to the need for all to communicate the status of projects and activities. The Fear Factor can be very negative and disruptive to the daily operations of a FA Office and the team. When the staff has concerns it can have a negative affect on the student's experience.
Good thoughts. Best wishes in your continued onlin education.
Chyrl
I think the most stressful part of the process is communication between staff and collection of information so that students can be processed in a timely manner.
The most helpful thing is good procedures to transfer the relevant information to the proper people so that they can each complete their tasks.
Hi Kate, One of the biggest problems when trying to package students in a timely and accurate manner is getting the information needed from the student. In order to service the students timely you need their help. It is important for the staff to communicate this message to the student so that there are no roadblocks during the process of funding them for their education.
Good luck in your continuing education, David
I absolutely agree that one of the most challenging, yet most important aspects of running an efficient Financial Aid Department, involves creating and maintaining harmony between the Financial Aid and Admissions Departments! I have been with my current institution for 18 months and I finally feel like we have developed the healthiest relationship we have had between these two departments!
Some things that we have done to foster this relationship is join each other's huddles on occasion, host FA trainings for new Admission Specialists so they can learn about our process, and keep the lines of communication open. We also plan to start having our FA Specialists sit with the Admissions team to learn about their process. We have found that the more each department understands about the other department's responsibilities, processes, challenges, etc., the more supportive, understanding, and patient each department is with the other.
In addition, I have found it particularly helpful to have regular one-on-one meetings with my FA staff, as well as regular team meetings. I make sure that I have one-on-one meetings even if it is simply to spend some time with that person and is not related to work at all.
Abby,
During my tenure at a college campus running the Financial Aid Department I always worked diligently with all departments to ensure harmony for the benefit of students. It was critical that all of my peers in Admission, Education, Business Office and any other areas knew the importance of the FA process to the students and our success was dependent on each other. It was very helpful in diffusing issues for students.
Sincerely, Chyrl
I would agree with David on this matter. While Financial Aid in genenral offers a wonderful atmosphere in regards to education and assists those who are financially in need the culmination of all necessary documents is truly stressful. While there important deadlines and requirements having to sometimes chase students and offer countless hours of customer service can be somewhat taxing in an already stressful enviornment.
Samuel,
It is important to maintain a balance in the financial aid office, especially during peak processing timeframes. The FA team must remember to work with their students in a manner that keeps the student (and family) at ease while collecting a great deal of information. Stress may be relieved through organization - if you are prepared for each student with defined requirements this may ease the stress of the process.
Best wishes in your continued online educational process.
Chyrl Ayers
I am fairly new to the financial aid world and just recently took over the FA position at my school. The number one thing that has stressed me out the most has been trying to pick up where the last person left off and also trying to figure out their train of thought on certain cases. Any suggestions on how to deal with this kind of stress?
Jessica,
That is tough request. I believe most of us struggle with what our predecessor did before us and why. My best advice is to take a deep breath and work backwards into the issues since most requirements of FA processing are dictated by regulations or guidance from ED. I try to determine the right methodology and then back into what the prior staff has done. Sometimes it is right but sometimes it is wrong. If wrong I try to figure out how to correct without penalty to the student.
Sincerely,
Chyrl Ayers
