Keeping Up with Changes
Discuss what methods are used to keep you informed about changes at your institution that affect your job in the admissions department. What could make this process more effective?
As the Executive Director of the campus, one of my responsibilities is to assure that all campus policies and practices are compliant with the expectations and requirements of our state licensor, our accrediting agency, and our corporate compliance rules. In order to stay compliant, we must stay abreast of changes to the expectations of any of these entities. Methods that we use to keep current are frequently viewing the licensing and accrediting websites, carefully reading and sharing email and mail notices of changes, and discussing changes at Admissions Department and All-Staff meetings. We also network with other campuses to identify best practices to assit in the process of learning about policy and procedure changes, and assure that they are disseminated and implemented in a timely manner.
Kimberly,
Networking with other campuses to identify best practices is a great idea. I wanted to share that we have several groups in the Career College Lounge that do just that. Please feel free to create your own private group in the Lounge to post and share best practices. Go to www.careercollegelounge.com.
Cindy Bryant
I receive notification from our corporate office when regulations or rules change. We implement those changes immediately through addendums or whatever is necessary to assure we are in compliance. I feel confident with the integrity of my school, the desire that we have to give our students the best possible education, to be here to provide that, we must be informed.
Clara,
Staying up-to-date and compliant can be a daunting task. It is always best to up date information as soon as possible. Thanks!
Cindy Bryant
One method of staying compliant within my organization is that we receive notification via webex trainings when regulations and/or rules change. Changes are then updated through addendum form that are posted on to our portal for review.
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly meetings to address any changes are always resourceful...
Our institution, because of our small size, holds meetings with our entire staff whenever there maybe be possible changes in curriculum or processes. We have discussions and agreements about future changes, that way when a change is made our staff already is aware prior. We also send out remind emails as well as one on one conversations about changes.
Juan,
Creating a collaborative environment where everyone can learn about recent changes and share their ideas is a great way to involve people in the overall operation. This creates "buy-in" and "buy-in" creates a stronger school.
Cindy Bryant
Stay compliant with the new regulations that come up and keep know the catalog inside and out
Michael,
Welcome to the forum. How do you manage to keep abreast of the ever-changing regulatory environment?
Cindy Bryant
The methods we use to keep us informed about changes at our institution vary depending on the information itself. In some cases the information is communicated through a phone call, email or memorandum. The process could be more effective if we were informed in a centralized location that would be updated immediately.
Jerry ,
It can be challenging to impart information instantaneously. I have found it useful to keep disclosures and important documents stored electronically via the internet or Google docs where they can be updated as needed and downloaded on a case by case basis. If this method is used effectively all is needed is a simple email notification and the changes are disseminated to the students asap.
Cindy Bryant
One of the smartest things we have done was to narrow the number of people involved in providing our institution with regulatory and accrediting updates. Too many hands were involved for a while. The school as a whole receives weekly updates from a compliance officer, and any significant changes are handled through scheduled training sessions by the admissions and recruiting directors. Department heads are involved and they are responsible for ensuring that what affects the admissions and recruiting process, may affect their respective departments. Admission requirements is everyone's responsibility, and everyone needs to be crystal clear on what they can and cannot say.
Mary,
Creating a compliant environment takes practice and can be hard work through trial and error. It appears that you have worked through many scenarios to find what works best for your institution. Following up through training is key in insuring that compliance metrics are being met.
Cindy Bryant
