University Business - April 2010 - (Page 17)

DATA P O I N T 92% Total percentage of respondents who describe the influence on policy of the faculty governing body as either important (50%) or very important (42%) —Association of Governing Boards/TIAA-CREF Institute SOUND BITE Future Shock Note to Mom and Dad: help curb Underage drinking FOr sOmE tImE, It has BEEn cOmmOn FOr admInIstratOrs tO InFOrm parents when their under-21 son or daughter commits a major alcohol violation or faces suspension. now, more institutions are notifying mom and dad about even minor offenses. the letter home is thought to help curb underage drinking before it becomes a huge problem. In January, Virginia Tech began informing parents or guardians any time a student is found responsible for an alcohol or drug violation. With the former three-strike policy, officials found more cases of minor offenses were occurring, and parents complained about not being informed until after there was a serious problem. “any parent would prefer to get a letter from us than a phone call that a student has died from alcohol poisoning,” points out Edward spencer, vice president for student affairs. changes in laws and attitudes support parental notification policies. spencer points to the stronger parental involvement with today’s students than before. Plus, FErPa enables officials to inform parents of underaged students about alcohol or drug violations. the University at Albany, state University of new York began notifying parents of any alcohol offense about four years ago as part of its alcohol prevention measures. director of residential Life Laurie Garafola partly credits the policy to a decline in violations overall, and she says students are talking with their folks about policy offenses more, before a letter reaches home. schools such as George Washington University (d.c.), and the University of Kansas share similar policies. In 2008, tennessee passed a state law for public institutions to notify parents of alcohol violations. —M.H. ‘w e have plans and a backup, but now we need a backup to the backup plan. —Brett Pritchard, director of public and high school relations, Central Alabama Community College, about disaster response plans ‘ As spring semester 2010 drAws to A close, a new generation of aspiring students are plugging into Facebook, twitter, and importantly, student activities portals—pumping out concert tickets, premium movie seats, and gourmet pizzas (critical nourishment for burning the midnight oil for spring semester cram sessions). Looking at next fall’s entering freshmen enrollment pool, chances are the student’s online inquiry has triggered a personalized text message within five minutes, and a personal follow-up telephone call within 24 hours—so he or she knows that their college of choice is willing and able to facilitate a smooth admissions path. indeed, today’s virtual admissions office offers a range of services beyond recruitment, including career counseling, individualized learning assessment, class placement and academic advising and, significantly, financial aid and course registration. Anyone who has recently navigated the student admission process knows that behind the voice is a welloiled enrollment marketing enterprise that invites a one-stop admissions process, supported by 24/7 call centers and direct mail fulfillment. what is really amazing is that behind the scenes, this complex mix of student services delivered to an east Coast campus is being orchestrated by a 20-something outsourced admission pro on the west Coast who can relate to next-generation students. Just ask John Hall, Ceo of greenwood & Hall, a California-based relationship management solutions provider. “the right outsourcing relationship may generate cost savings, but more importantly, it will create positive returns,” he says. “examples of those returns might be significant increases in student recruitment, more automation, financial aid efficiencies, better retention rates, higher levels of student satisfaction, lower default rates, or greater alumni involvement.” see the full version of this column online. —Columnists James Martin and James E. Samels are authors of turnaround: Leading stressed Colleges and Universities to excellence (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009). Martin is a professor of English at Mount Ida College (Mass.). Samels is president/CEO of The Education Alliance. April 2010 | 17 Outsourcing, Insourcing— and Everything in Between universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2010

University Business - April 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Internet Technology
Certified for Safety
Managing the Enterprise on Limited Resources
A New Chapter for Campus Bookstores
Independent Outlook
What's New
End Note

University Business - April 2010