From: Michelle H. Brown-Nevers, Ed.D. (mhb14@columbia.edu)
Date: Fri Jul 07 2000 - 16:40:06 EDT
Friends and Colleagues,
I want to thank you for the wealth of information and humor you shared
with me. I am working on a brief synopsis. However, in the interest of
time, I want to share the list's comments. I chose not to include the
identities of those who commented, with the exception of Doug. His
comments were public :-)
It's not too late to share more thoughts. Here goes:
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First and foremost: If you can't laugh at yourself, you shouldn't be in
the business.
Second: **WE** are always right, and Financial Aid is, well, you
know...(Just kidding, FinAid, honest!)
Ok, Michelle, here's the serious stuff:
1. Know your population - who is your customer? Grad? Undergrad?
Commuting/resident?
2. Know your schools and who to contact in each.
3. Really, really get to know the financial aid folks or at least one
really good contact.
4. Know your staff and do things, not necessarily monetary, to reward
them for the hard work they do.
5. Know what your office does and what the business cycle for your
school is - quarters, semesters, special sessions, etc.
6. Be prepared to discuss distance ed and come up with payment
alternatives for distance students.
7. Know your federal regs **and** Anne Gross at Nacubo.
8. Use this list as much as possible because we're all incredible
founts of knowledge and we support each other like no other.
And listen to Doug = we don't work on cruise ships, darn it!
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This ought to be great fun, thank you for doing it. I hope you enjoy
humor. Here goes!
Always follow the rules and always be flexible!
Adore, honor and worship your cashiers.
BALANCE, BALANCE, and BALANCE AGAIN!
Think STREAMLINE and CONTROLS.
There is a group called Professional Development Group "PDG" that may
have some insights.
I would hire primarily for problem solving skills and analytical
thinking skills, having a balanced grasp of customer service, and the
proven ability to team build, motivate and supervise staff, ie. help
them find meaning in a somewhat traditionally boring or meaningless job.
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This is something I wish that someone had done for me when I first
started... To do it real justice, I'd need to spend more time than I can
spare, so I'm afraid I'll have to just give you some random thoughts.
Perhaps with the contributions of my colleagues you'll have something of
value to present.
1) Support your staff, but make sure they hold students in a positive
light. It is easy to get for staff to get jaded when most of their
dealings are with the handful of problem students, even though the vast
majority are wonderful.
2) Review published information to make sure it is clear, concise and
uniform. Students are human, and we humans read aren't terribly good at
reading procedures. You'll be lucky if they read it at all. Make sure
that other enrollment services staff and faculty are aware of and
SUPPORT student account policies.
3) Read your policy and procedure manuals. If you don't have any,
develop them. It is a good way to learn the job and to identify areas
for improvement. Make sure that they are designed to benefit the
greatest number of students. Don't let exceptions rule.
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My first thought was "RUN" which on days like today is what I wish I had
done. :) However, I know that is not what you had in mind with your
request. So I hope you don't mind a little humor.
Assuming that this person did not have a strong background relating to
the Bursar's Office, I would tell a new Bursar to:
? Get organized
? Take one day at a time
? Don't let all the Federal Regulations overwhelm you
? Keep your sense of humor
? Attend conferences geared to the beginner
? Make contacts then keep in touch with those contacts even if you do
not have a question or issue to resolve
? Sign on to the bursar's listserve
Hope this helps.
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1. Always laugh, it helps.
2. Keep learning - you never have a handle on it - it changes faster
than handles can be attached.
3. Keep a diary - you will need to write that book one day - the one
called "Just When You Think You've Heard it All."
4..Enjoy the students - they are our business.
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Hi Michelle, Here is a list of "things" one should know
1. Bill frequently and consistently.
2. Make a Billing schedule and follow it.
3. Treat your systems person like gold, he/she is worth their weight in
it.
4. Constantly review your Accounts Receivable and compare it to the same
period in the prior year. If it is up, find out why.
5. Customer Service is of the utmost importance treat every complaint
seriously, remember that the students are the ones who make our jobs
possible.( bad news travels fast)
6. Foster a good relationship with the financial aid and registrar's
office and remember that we are all working towards the same goal.
7. Learn what you can about financial aid, a little knowledge can go a
long way.
8. Evaluate internal controls in your office immediately. Too many
people with too much access can cause too many problems.
9. Cross Train your staff, this will minimize your exposure in the
event of absences.
That is all for know. Please excuse any spelling errors, I was
rushing!:-)
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Kathy,
Your response was nicely stated. I also feel it is important for this
new person to be able to tell people what a "bursar" is when asked. We
DO NOT work on cruise ships! See below.
Doug
With all the discussion about the definition of the word "bursar", I
decided to do some research myself. Kathy, I also consulted Webster on
the matter, and found that bursar is derived from the Medieval Latin
word "bursarius" or "bursa" which means purse. Therefore, a bursar is a
keeper of the purse. For those of you who read the Bible, you will
recall that Judas Iscariot was the keeper of the purse for Jesus and his
apostles.
So Judas was a bursar! No wonder we have such a bad reputation!
It was such a great response, that I have kept it all these years. Now
you know what to say when someone asks what a Bursar is!
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General advice:
Learn to say no, politely but firmly.
By whatever means, usually computer, monitor the school's population.
Monitor admissions and registrar and whatever department affects student
charges.
Be organized and follow up on issues to be solved.
Seek to solve problems yourself without directing student through a maze
of
personnel.
Be unfailingly polite.
Return phone calls.
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Michelle H. Brown-Nevers, Ed.D.
Director, Student Administrative Services
Columbia University - Health Sciences Division
650 West 168th Street, Unit 45
New York, NY 10032
(212) 305-6822 Office
(212) 305-1590 Fax
mhb14@columbia.edu
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