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the student will trust you more if you start off telling them the truth

Johnice,

Hi! Welcome to the forum. Integrity is the basis of education. As instructors we must practice truth and honesty in everything that we do. Once the student loses faith in us - it cannot be easily restored.

Cindy Bryant

You should be telling the student the truth at all times. If a student finds out they aren't being told the truth there are negative consequences that effect the student and the institution. The student can lose sight of the value of their education and become a negative promoter for the institution.

Melissa,

Truth is essential in everything we do as responsible human beings. When we veer from the truth we set our self up to fail.

Cindy Bryant

Deviating from the truth should never be a thought that crosses our mind! We should always tell them the truth and be transparent. Give the student the reality of what they can expect from their program and what they can expect from the job market as a graduate.

It is easier to tell the truth no matter how hard the situation or mistake may be. When you lie, its makes it much harder to get to the truth and you just keep digging your hole deeper and deeper.

Wendy,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the forum.

Cindy Bryant

When students see a community of trust they feel comfortable to give information that will help the student and staff.

As a Director of Financial Aid I know trust is important in anything you do. When I started working at the school, the student didn't have no trust in me. They judge me because of the other person who was in this postion. She had lied to them about their accounts and student wasn't getting their money on time. It was a mess and I had to clean it up, I started by tell them I would be honest with them about everthing concerning their financial aid. Also don't be afraid to come to the financial aid office. I deal with about 100 student by myself at this school. It took awhile,but I have gain their respect by being honest and their trust. To lie is to hurt yourself and other. Honesty save alot of problem for everyone.

Lizzie,

It is unfortunate when you follow a person that was not effective in their job performance. You spend a lot of time "back peddling" and apologizing for past mistakes. It may take a while to earn respect for your department and/or position but in the end the students will admire you.

Cindy Bryant

Enrolling in a college and applying for and using Title IV is a huge commitment and investment for the prospective student. It is our job as the school's staff to make sure the prospective student is fully informed with honest and factual information, so they can make a well informed decision. By being honest and informative the student can be assured that the staff is concerned with their best interest,and in turn creating a relationship based on trust. This relationship built on trust between the staff and students should be carried throughout the time the student attends, graduates, and works with staff to gain employment. A loss of trust can effect the students performance in the classroom and make them question their decision to go to school entirely. To create and maintain a trustworthy relationship can help our students succeed.

In the admissions process, the student is more likely hear what you are saying if you establish trust from the beginning. Students can see through someone dancing around an answer to a question. It is better to answer directly and explain why after the fact. In my opinion, you have one chance to make a great first impression. I would rather gain the trust of a potential student by telling them the truth than looking dishonest and telling half of the truth and misleading them. Admissions across this country are put in this situation every single day, how do you handle losing a student by telling them the truth and potentially losing the enrollment?

Kelly,

This is a WONDERFUL summary of the power of an environment of trust, the number one characteristic of a culture of compliance. Thank you!

Jay Hollowell

Hi Joseph,

I heard from a colleague once that it is much more costly, in every respect, to lose a customer than to gain one. Your comment, "I would rather gain the trust of a potential student by telling them the truth than looking dishonest and telling half of the truth and misleading them." is right on the mark. If a potential student's informed decision leads to not attending an institution, then so be it. However, if the informed decision is to attend, you already have the basis for a trusting and professional relationship on which to build. And, if we have been honest with students regarding the expectations of their performance in school and on the job, I would think that attrition is much less of a concern - a WIN-WIN situation for everyone involved. Thanks so much for your comments!

Jay Hollowell

Yes, they will and they will remember the lies more than the truth. Many times it can be a deciding factor if they feel like they have been lied to and it could cause them to spread the word to other students or potential students.

Integrity is not only the basis of education but should be the basis in life. If a potential student does not trust the school or an existing student loses trust, they tell their friends. I know it could be worse and they could go to the media or accrediting institution. However, word of mouth certainly affects the perception and reputation of the school and employees.

I also feel like when you lie about something, your truth will always come out, and usually it's really messy. Just a lot easier to be truthful.

Good morning! I would definitely agree that integrity is such an important and necessary part of education and admissions. These potential students are coming to your institution to pursue a better life, and they are essentially putting their futures in our hands. It is extremely important to be distinguished and honest. By disclosing all important relevant information, you are helping a potential student to make the right decision. This will ultimately solidify a trusting relationship between the student and the institution, and the impact of the imperfections we make them aware of, will be outweighed by their trust and their desire to want to succeed.

Telling the truth to students is the best marking tool because it can build trust with the student and that student will recommend the school

We actually show our students a realistic expectations video that is very up front with every detail of the program and letting them know what they can expect. It does not sugar coat anything. Some people actually self select out of the admissions process because we tell them it's not easy.

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