Lean Applied to Leave of Absences

1. Lean Applied to Leave of Absences

2. Mission Vision Berea College’s Leave of Absence program exists to assure that students are able, for good reason, to pause their degree progression in order to attend to more pressing and immediate personal, medical, educational, occupational, or family related needs. Adoption of Processes: • To simplify and clarify the procedures related to: (1) Granting, (2) Recording, and (3) Administrating Leave of Absence Policy • To reduce time dedicated to administration of Leave of Absence policy (most of this will be gained by students on their return and the administrative office that facilitate that return) • Planned reduction of time on processing “exit” and “entry” of one hour per LOA student. • Achieved through the reduction of steps for exit • Achieved through reduction of steps for entry • Achieved with superior instructions/checklists for students. • To eliminate errors, incomplete processing, and lack of notification to appropriate stakeholders. • To provide a clear institutional vision that students on Leave of Absences are expected to return to Berea College and processes should reflect this fundamental assumption.

3. Charter • Mission –To provide a well-functioning Leave of Absences opportunity to support the mission of Berea College. • Burning platform –Students returning from leave of absences are often “lost” in the shuffle and do not know how to get everything lined up for their return. • Process Description –In the past, students taking a leave of absence were asked to return their computer and lost access to myBerea the email system. • Problem Statement – Students on leave should be treated more like ordinary students. They should keep their advisor, computer, and access to myBerea and email. • Sponsor – Derrick Singleton • Process Owner – Scott Steele • Team Lead – Scott Steele • Facilitator – Scott Steele • Team – Scott Steele, Curtis Sandberg, Chris Lakes, Wanda Burch, Gus Gerassimides, Sara Corrnet

4. SIPOC Suppliers Inputs Process Outputs Customers • Students • Advisors • Student Life • Instructors • Labor Supervisor • Office of Academic Services • Other Staff • Campus Christian Center • Student Labor • Health/Counseling • Tech Resource Center Requests for LOA Signatures Forms Policy Documentation Students Faculty Staff Financial Aid Enrollment Policies Committee LOA Policy Process of Granting Limited tracking Assumptions Regarding Student Return Reports Letters Good Outcomes Information

5. High Level LOA Process From Student Data is entered In Banner Possibility of LOA Emerges Decision is Made Student Status Changes Student Returns to Campus Advisor and Class Assignment Paper work is completed From Faculty or Staff

6. Opportunity for Leave of Absence • Data Systems • Thoughtful Decision Process • Clear Policy • Lack of Standard Work • Lack of Tracking System • Information is located on paper or in the minds of personnel not in data-base Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats • Lack of Understanding of Whole Process • Busy people • Improve Service • Improved Data Management SWOT Profile

7. Gap Analysis Opportunities and Priorities • Leave of Absence provides a needed opportunity for a small group of Berea College students. However LOA can be somewhat cumbersome to navigate as a student and time-consuming to administrate. • Opportunities exist to: • Simplify and clarify • Reduce errors • Increase information exchange • Ease transition for returning students • Priorities • Enhance student experience • Reduce time dedicated to administrating LOA

8. Value Stream-Post IT Notes

9. Value Stream Mapping

10. The Value of 5 Whys During the value mapping the “5 whys” were often implemented. Most fundamentally the “5 whys” helped the stake holders determine that a subtle change in policy led to the possible simplification of “exist” and “entry” procedures for LOA students. Change of assumption: From—students on LOA may or may not return. To—students on LOA will return. Results: • Modified LOA Clearance Form (LOA students do not need to follow all the steps of students withdrawing; saves student administration time). • Modified Approval Letter • Change of processes • Reduction in time in processing of LOA [one hour per LOA saved] • Hoped for result—greater percentage of students returning from LOA.

11. New LOA Clearance Form

12. Standard Work with Check List

13. BANNER Processing Changes The advising relationship will no longer be broken. This eliminates the need to reestablish advising relationship and improves communication between Advisor and Advisee in preparation for return. • SFAREGS – Enter B#, make sure that the current term is entered, ctrl page down, when the students status reads “EL” go to record and select remove, save. (If message comes up displaying holds and cannot register, before you can page down you must type “ovr” in the holds field and then proceed with the preceding steps.) • SGASTDN (status screen) – Take term out, ctrl page down, duplicate record, enter current term, select reason (ex. GR, FC, etc.), save. Go to comments tab, enter current term, type in verbatim format (WITHDRAWAL, double space, yymmdd ((ex. 130828)), double space, REASON= single space, reason code ((ex. LF)), save (f10). • SPAIDEN – Go to address tab (make sure to display CO address), enter end date, save. • SGAADVR – In the top right term field you would enter the following term from the student’s withdrawal (ex. if the withdrawal is for 201311, enter 201312), ctrl page down, select maintenance and select end advisor, save. • SPAAPIN – make sure that current term for which the LOA is requested is changed back in the top right term field, ctrl page down, remove record, save. • GOATPAD – ctrl page down, check disabled for the pin, save. Student PIN is no longer disabled facilitating return to regular status

14. APPROVAL letter changes Non-value added. There was little to no reason to change/modify student access to information technology systems.

15. Subtle Policy Adjustment Submitted to Technology Resource Center – In previous semesters when a student has taken a Leave of Absence we have removed their access to myBerea and required that they return their laptop computer, the same as we do for student who officially withdraw from the college.  At the beginning of the spring semester, when a student is approved for a Leave of Absence from the College we would like for them to retain access to their myBerea account, and have the option of keeping their laptop during their Leave of Absence.  This change supports other policy shifts we are making in how we treat students on Leave, such as communicating with them through email while they are away, and allowing them to register for the next term’s classes during the regular open registration period while they are on leave.

16. New Value Stream Mapping Modified

17. Conclusions Asking “5 whys” helps lead to an alternative operating assumption allow the reduction of steps to process and lead time. • Approximately one hour of time is likely to be saved on each LOA. • Approximately 6 steps are removed from a process that has approximately 30 steps. • Saved Steps: • Compute turn in— • Break Advisor relationship • Reestablish Advisor relationship • Initiate the step • Find an advisor • Ending of Banner PIN • Reestablishing Banner PIN • Administrative involvement in registration (students will complete on their own)