Many processes demand a student’s attention during their first few weeks of joining DePaul. With so many tasks they need to complete and important information they need to know, EMM is taking steps to improve and unify the messaging that newly admitted students receive.
One such step was the implementation of a cross-training session between EMM’s offices of Financial Aid and Undergraduate Admission. The event took place at the end of January 2018, an early touch-base between the two main areas of the university that engage students at the onset of their DePaul journey. The training provided insights on each area’s processes and timelines, a formalized information sharing between financial aid and admission counselors.
“Admissions and Financial Aid are the first two points of contact for newly admitted students,” shares Kelly Morgan, instructional trainer in Enrollment Services. “Understanding one another’s processes is essential to improve the way we work together to provide information. The cross-training was a great opportunity to share how, when and what we are communicating to students.”
At the half-day training, admission counselors received an overview of financial aid processes to help them with talking points during recruitment. Financial aid counselors viewed the new Blue Demon Domain portal that students use to interact with admissions staff. There are plans to make this an annual event, similar to one that takes place each year with other departments.
Every April, Financial Aid and Undergraduate Admission meet formally with other campus partners that interface with students during the enrollment process, such as the Department of Housing, New Student and Family Engagement, and EMM’s Office of the University Registrar. This annual Next Steps to Enrollment Overview Meeting provides in-depth information sharing for all areas involved, just before students begin arriving on campus for orientation.
“It helps us provide better counseling and service to students when we know what messages and deadlines they’re receiving from university partners,” says Morgan. “Our goal is to guide them through enrollment as seamlessly as possible and to make sure we’re providing one holistic message from DePaul.”