Positioning Yourself on Campus

1. Positioning Yourself on Campus Sara Beth Holman 2014 MASFAA President Director of Financial Aid Lawrence University

2. If you learn just a single thing Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Atticus Finch in “To Kill A Mockingbird” (1962)

3. 6:00 am Time to stop hitting snooze & get ready for work . . .

4. My Calendar • 8:30 am – Staff Meeting • 9:45 am – Appeals Committee • 11:00 am – Conference Call • 11:30 am – Review Docs • 1:00 pm – Committee Meeting • 2:30 pm – Open Office Hours • 6:00 pm – Financial Aid Night • 9:00 pm – Home at Last! Shower thoughts . . . . I wonder if I have time for that massage today during lunch? Not likely. Ugh, I forgot that I have a meeting with the “Doomsday” Committee. Maybe we’ll actually get something accomplished. Yeah, right, and maybe the Pell Grant will double. I wonder if I can get Ryan to go for me . . . that’s a thought. I probably should put something in the crockpot for dinner. Oh, wait, guess not – I have a financial aid night tonight . . .

5. Knowing yourself • Understanding why you do what you do & why you feel the way you feel • Seeing yourself as others see you • Solicit & be open to honest feedback from others 7:00 am Commute The Commute and my wondering mind . . . Why are some people so #^!@ frustrating to work with? Oops, that’s a quarter in the bad word jar at home. Good thing we don’t have one of those in the office - we could fund a few students with just that. Look at that jerk, he just cut right in front of me and it is not even Wednesday! I am definitely going to need to stop and get a large Diet coke today . . . What is Self Awareness?

6. Find situations in which you will be most effective • Capitalize on your strengths & manage your weaknesses • Know what gets you excited & motivated • Know when to say “No” Benefits of Being Self-Aware “It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” -E.E. Cummings

7. 8:30 am Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress.Working together is success. - Henry Ford Staff Meeting

8. Starts with solid leadership! Building a Solid Team

9. A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He doesn't set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles... they do not flock; you find them one at a time. • ~ Douglas McArthur Leadership

10. Have a mission • Make sure your staff knows what is expected of them • Make their opinions count- follow up on ideas • Do NOT micromanage! • If you’re doing it all yourself, you’re doing it wrong! Building a Solid Team

11. Share your goals & set clear expectations • Provide them with the training and learning opportunities they need to be successful • Involve employees in decision making – but give them the resources they need to make a decision • Don’t just give them the grunt work – give them the opportunity to be involved and noticed! Empower "The basic building block of good teambuilding is for a leader to promote the feeling that every human being is unique and adds value."

12. If you have an outcome in mind, tell them • The big picture – are they aware of it? • Have you provided the resources they need? • Progress - what is your expectation for feedback? • Say thank you! Delegate . . . successfully "A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take."

13. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or failure . . . but not asking for help when you need it is! • Asking for help means you are open to ideas, possibilities, advice, etc. • Tap into those who have the resources you need • Most people will do their best to help – they want to help! Know When to Ask For Help Leadership is knowing  when to ask for help, accepting it with grace, and learning how to offer it. ~LarysaSlobodian

14. Take Responsibility • Use Mistakes as a Learning Opportunity Own Your Mistakes

15. Recognize the work of others • Show Appreciation Share the Accolades

16. 10:00 am Appeals Committee

17. A student's mother wanted us to increase COA because a fraternity had made a panty raid on the sorority & stolen several of her bras...,.."they were all from Victoria's Secret and very expensive." In asking for a budget adjustment, a student included their liquor stores purchases for food... It doesn’t hurt to ask . . .

18. Defining “reasonable allowance” for personal expenses . . . I was a brand new financial aid counselor, listening to a law student share his sob story of why he needed a budget revision. His roommate was home all day, she didn't have a job, ate all his food, etc. I looked him right in the eye and said "Girlfriends are NOT an educational expense.“ Jayme Jarrett, Ohio Northern University

19. I had a family who were in tears in my office...they lost their vacation home due to hardship....never mind that the home they resided was paid for years ago....so they wanted an increase in the student's COA to take a family vacation....since they no longer had their vacation home.... Reasonable or Necessary Expense?

20. 11:00 am Conference Call

21. Build relationships with other financial aid professionals • Get involved at the state, regional, and national level Increase your Arsenal

22. Take advantage of opportunities for personal and professional growth • Promote your awesomeness • Keep your supervisor informed • Validate your activities by sharing results • Share your knowledge with others Increase your Arsenal

23. Help others find success • What information or expertise do you have that will help others? • How can you share it with them? Increase your Arsenal

24. 11:30 am Review Documents

25. Special Circumstance Form

26. The Challenging Questions We Ask On Forms . . . I have a residency form that says “indicate each state that you have lived in and the time period you lived in those states” Answer…MN 11/26/96 until “still living” On the Common Application a student listed her father’s occupation as “Homemaker.” A call from the student requesting additional financial aid prompted us to look at this information. It didn’t make sense because the father had $40K+ of income. Then we looked at the tax return. Dad is a self-employed contractor that builds homes.

27. Just In Case We Don’t Know What We Are Doing . . . “Here’s a copy of my award from the school I used to attend. Now you know what I should be awarded.” Hi there, I just turned in a final paper to finish an incomplete class. I look forward to the boost in financial aid now that I have achieved a junior-level amount of credits.

28. 1:00 pm “Doomsday” Committee Meeting People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything. Thomas Sowell

29. Have a purpose • Make sure all invited know the what, why, when, & where • What question do you want answered or issue resolved? • Be Prepared • Demonstrate that you value peoples time by sending relevant information out ahead of time and staying on task • Only invite those who are necessary • If you think you can “wing it” you risk losing your planned focus • What do you expect of attendees? There are 55 ceiling tiles in this meeting room and 6 fixtures with fluorescent bulbs. Meetings: Being an Active Participant

30. Get input from all present • Don’t let a few people dominate the discussion • Don’t make assumptions or have unrealistic expectations • Be clear about actions, outcomes, and expectations • Follow up • Know when to move on Active Participation

31. Don’t hoard information • Be a team player • Value is in sharing what you know Play Nice! “Being powerful is like being a lady . . . if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Margaret Thatcher

32. How do you get what you need from Information Hoarders? • Ask Questions . . . lots of questions! • Play Dumb • What exactly does that mean? • Can you give me an example? • What would happen if . . . ? Are you serious? We just sat hear for an hour rehashing the same thing we’ve talked about for the last 3 meetings and now you give us this information? Do you know how much time we’ve wasted, not to mention how much money each of these meetings is costing the university? When Questions are the Answer

33. Treat allies as equals, regardless of their position • Be the person willing to go above & beyond • Don’t be the “Negative Nellie” • Choose your battles wisely Be a “Go To” Person on Campus

34. “Misunderstandings are a normal part of communication either because we unintentionally or intentionally use the wrong words or because we don’t understand what is being said to us. To prevent misunderstanding know who you’re talking to, be respectful, and be sure of what you want to say.” Misunderstandings

35. Avoid Conflict Avoidance • Before confronting conflict, know what you are looking for in resolution • State the issue • Be Brief • Stick to facts • Do not be judgmental (stay away from saying “I feel”) • Allow them to respond • Avoid arguing (which often means avoid defending why you feel the way you do) • Focus on the issue Dealing with Conflict

36. 2:30 pm Open Office Hours

37. I Need to Speak to the Director . . . Having just started at a new institution as their new director, I jumped in to help the growing lines. I stepped out of my office and say "May I help the next person in line?" A lady near the front turned and looked at me and said "We want someone who DOES financial aid...". She laughed and turned back in line. I managed to help everyone in line before she made it in to see a specialist. She was too embarrassed to come see me. I have been "doing" financial aid for 20 years! Pam Palermo Northwestern Michigan College

38. "Don't ask me, my parents do everything." Consumer Information "FAFSA, what is that?“ “You mean I have to read every line of every letter you send to me?” "No one told me." "I never got that e-mail...“

39. "It really takes that long to get an aid package? What do ya'll do all day?" "But I REALLY don't remember ever taking out a student loan - wouldn't I have had to sign something first?!" Parent: “Can you tell me what part of my son’s financial aid award is loans?” FA: “He has a Direct Subsidized Loan of $4,500, an Direct Unsubsidized Loan of $2,000 and a Perkins Loan of $2,100.” Parent: “So which of those does he have to pay back?” "What's the point of my student working so hard for a 4.0 in high school if it means he's not getting paid anything for college?"

40. What do you mean I can't have that money if I drop out. I'm entitled to that money! My student loan is not financial aid because I have to pay it back. I just found a hidden law that says if I don’t find a job in the field I majored in, I don’t have to pay back my student loans.

41. Don’t Hold Anything Back . . . The student had a child, but it was questionable as to whether the student actually provided support for the child because he was living with the baby’s mother in her mother’s household (grandmother). The grandmother called trying to understand the situation and after a brief explanation, she asked, “ Is FAFSA going to force my daughter to marry this guy? Oh God no! Please say no.” “I have a condition that you’re aggravating.”

42. Occasionally, a Student May Exaggerate . . . Just a Little Bit One time in a SAP appeal at one of my former schools a student wrote that he could not complete his classes because of medical issues. He said he had been mugged and "beaten to death". I figured if God reinstated his life, who was I to deny him aid. Ted Malone, Purdue University " I really need help to pay for school - I completed the FAFSA and my EFC is below zero.“ Gayla Jenkins University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

43. Did you really just say that? I wanted to report a neighbor who used his financial aid money to buy a horse trailer. Can't I bring the papers in after I get back from the beach? I need my refund for my vacation. Cynthia Hudok, Fairmont State University What do you mean my student loan funds are not in yet, but today's Halloween. Now I don't know how I'll get my costume! Christina Rose “I have a personal relationship with the financial aid director.”

44. 4:00 pm The phone rings . . . We have to have WHAT done by WHEN?

45. Understand the campus climate • Align office goals with institutional goals • Know the “hot button” issues • Be aware of your nonverbal communication • Do not blindside your employee(s), your boss, or a colleague • Bring suggested solutions – not just problems – to the table Navigating Institutional Politics

46. Identify the Power Players & the “Go To” people • Who are the holders of information? • Who makes the decisions? • Who influences the decision makers? • Observe interactions • Who collaborates with whom? • How do things get done? Navigating Institutional Politics

47. High Desirability Oh, I know who we can call! You can really count on her to get the job done right and on time. That office is great to work with! She has such a “can do” attitude, let’s definitely ask her to help. Low Desirability • Can’t you just help me with this? • It will never get done if we have to call her. • The thought of working with that office makes me cringe. • She is so negative. Her glass isn’t even half empty – there is no glass! Desirability Factor

48. Connecting with faculty and staff • Do other offices on campus really know what you do? • Do they understand the financial situations students are faced with? • Do they reach out to you regarding individual students? • What do you have to offer them? What’s in it for them?

49. It’s not so much who you know, but who knows you! • See and Be Seen - get out & about on campus • Email is not the only communication tool – don’t be afraid to pick up the phone Navigating Institutional Politics

50. 6:00 pm Financial Aid Night