Communicating Electronically with Your Students

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Communicating Electronically with Your Students
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Rick GardnerAssociate Director of
OperationsOffice of Financial Aid and
Scholarships

• James Madison University - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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Evolution of Communication

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vGWfWJGSTY94feature
  player_detailpage

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Presentation Outline

• Challenges
• Delivery Methods
• Facebook/Twitter
• Financial Aid Website
• Student Administration System
• Email
• Best Practices

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Challenges

• High volume of students you need to inform
• Fighting back against Information Overload
• Getting students to act on your communication

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Delivery Methods

• Pull strategies (student self-serve)
• Financial Aid Office Web page
• Newsletters
• FAQs
• Push Strategies
• Student Administration System
• Email
• Facebook
• Twitter (?)

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Delivery Methods

• Pull strategies (student self-serve)
• Student Administration System
• Financial Aid Office Web page
• Newsletters
• FAQs

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Delivery Methods

• Push Strategies
• Facebook/Twitter
• Student Administration System
• Email

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JMUs Facebook Page
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JMUs Facebook Page
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Best Practices

• Deliver the information at the right time
• Use the right delivery method
• Give the right information
• Use automation

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Deliver the information at the right time

• Entrance Counselling? No thanks, I already
  know were the entrance to campus is

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Deliver the information at the right time

• Entrance Counselling No thanks, I already know
  were the entrance to campus is
• Solution

Appears immediately after accepting loans in the
student administration system.
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My favorite all time electronic communication
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Use the right delivery method

• Websites
• Traditionally good for non-student specific
  information but can be very effective if tailored
  as discussed above
• Email
• Great for individual student communication,
  especially if replying to students inquiries.
• Somewhat effective in pushing out general
  information
• Facebook/Twitter
• Great for broadcast type information if the
  students are connected to the page/twitter
  account

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Give the right information

• Tell them what they need to know
• Include steps and/or website links to help them
  stay on the right track
• Include contact information so they know how to
  get questions answered
• Dont forget to let them know when they have
  completed a requirement

Humorous Tweet You know you are broke when
American Express calls and says Leave home
without it
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Give the right information
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Give the right information
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Use automation
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Use automation whenever possible

• Automation is the key ingredient necessary to
  communicate to large volumes of students in a
  timely manner
• Daily emails for missing and completed
  requirements
• Weekly reminders
• To-Do Lists

Humorous Tweet The invisible man marries the
invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look
at either.
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Communication Summary - Missing MPN example

• Students get alerted in Student Administration
  System
• They get email notification and weekly email
  follow ups
• They have a to do list item created in Student
  Administration System
• They have a Financial Aid Hold put on their
  account
• They are notified when the requirements are met

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Final Thoughts

• Some of the processes we discussed are meant to
  also communicate student status to the
  Bursar/Business Office
• You can tell when your communication strategy is
  working because your phone will not ring as often
  and the questions you get will not be repetitive.
• When a student says they did not read the email
  from the financial aid office, use it as a
  teaching moment.
• There are two types of people you always read
  email from
• 1. People you get money from
• 2. People you owe money to

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Questions?