Reference and Address checks
At our schools we Maill information out once every three months to see who comes back, so we can update. Twice a year we ask for complete information from all the students which encluded new cell numbers or e-mail adresses. Upon exits I have them fill out the reference's on the McKenzie as will as the sheet with five reference we have from the start. I have then look over there information so they can change what need to be.
Paula,
This is an excellent practice to have in place. Staying consistent with this allows you to be on top of the most current student information. Now you can reach out to a student immediately rather than spending time trying to track someone down when they are already delinquent. Great example of being proactive!
Cheryl Kesson
That is a very creative way to check the addresses. Phone numbers are hard to keep up with since phone numbers change very often for our students. I want to make sure the old phone number is still in a database, but not called because it was old. It's hard to maintain all those numbers.
Laura,
I agree with you on keeping up to date with phone numbers. It seems that some are changed almost weekly. When we are trying to reach a student especially if they are delinquent we will often go back through older numbers to see if they have been reconnected. Often times you will find that they were only not in service for a short period of time.
Cheryl Kesson
We work in conjunction with our Registrars office, if a student is out more than three consecutive days they are called so if a wrong number exists they relay the information to our FA office immediately and an email notification will also be sent out. this helps us keep accurate and up to date information in their file.
Lorena Villarreal
Lorena ,
This is an excellent example of how we can lessen the number of students who disappear completely after dropping. Skips are an ongoing challenge for many institutions, and we appreciate any suggestions on how to predict which borrowers are likely to be problematic - communication between faculty, Registrar and FA (for example, in tracking attendance) is a great place to start!
Kellee Gunderson
We also send out statements and update addresses when the mail is returned. I think that this an excellent way to catch the student while thay are still in an active status.
Maylin,
Returned mail is a good way to obtain forwarding addresses, and is also a clue that the phone numbers we have for a student might not be up-to-date.
Mailing statements and other information to a student is quite helpful in this regard. I also like to find opportunities to gather updates that require the student actively provide information in order to proceed; in the same way a college might not release grades if there are outstanding library fees, a student may be required to update references before selecting classes for an upcoming semester, or provide an address where test results will be mailed.
Kellee Gunderson
