Edison provides greater student service BY RYAN HONEYMAN Director of Marketing & Community Relations Edison Community College For Ohio Community Media
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Coordinator of student grants and scholarships adviser Logan Billing works with a student on a loan application at Edison Community College. improve our student recruitment and retention.” The financial aid department at Edison is one of the areas where students and parents will be seeing a change when it comes to needing assistance. Changes in the new model will ensure that students facing problems that fall outside the realm of the everyday common questions about financial aid can now have easier access to advising, improving the processing time for financial aid of all types. Current and students new to Edison can expect to see the changes rolling out just after the start of the Fall semester. Student services personnel and advisers are currently working on altering job descriptions and preparing for training that will be completed by the time the new model launches. “This is more than an evolution of how we provide these services,” added Burnam. “We see this as
the emergence of a new model, much better adapted to ensuring that our service and function areas are being brought together in a manner that enhances the experience a student has at Edison.” The new model required staff and faculty tasked with implementing the new model to take a look at what was being done at other schools and then adapt it in a way that would provide the best service to the students coming to Edison. “This really shows, on Edison’s part, a willingness to continue to meet the demands and needs of our students,” said Teresa Roth, director of admissions. “Anytime you can eliminate many of the steps it normally takes to get an answer or something done and still continue to deliver excellent customer service to those who need assistance, you’re going to get a lot of positive feedback.”
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PIQUA — Edison Community College will be rolling out a new service model in student services beginning in mid-October that is designed to assist new, current and prospective students with any questions they may have about the admissions process, advising, financial aid and more. “We’re moving away from a ‘shop the mall’ model to more of a ‘personal shopper’ model,” said Scott Burnam, dean of enrollment services. “Instead of a student or parent coming in to ask a question and have that person wait or have to go seek out an answer elsewhere, we’ll have a front line of staff workers who can handle vast majority of issues that would come up.” The new model was created over the course of several weeks of working with consultants from other colleges. Under the new system, resources will be allocated to address the general, everyday needs of students, from phone calls and emails to face-to-face to ensure that service is delivered effectively and efficiently. “All of the things we’re implementing, from making it easier to get an answer about a class change to scheduling meetings with a faculty advisor are really all a part of the things we’re doing here at Edison to improve the success of our students,” said Maggie Sykes, dean of student success. “This is a great step as we continue to look for ways to actively
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