Student Feedback Management Team
July 2012 Recommendations to Deans’ Council
Updated July 2013
Develop protocol/guidelines for faculty who want to take students on off-campus trips/visits for class (is there assistance, liability, how to manage logistics, etc.) / Deb DeWent
Amy Koning
Paula Sullivan / Finding: GRCC already has policies and procedures in place to address these concerns.
Recommendation: GRCC should have a universal faculty resources page (not in individual departments) that encompasses these policies and procedures as well as other resources to aid faculty in their respective responsibilities. / Partially Complete
Mike Schavey (and the Study Away team) developed protocol for International Study Away that is currently being piloted/reviewed.
That team, and other discussions around campus, discovered that the college has not defined “Domestic Study Away” versus a field trip versus a club oriented event, etc., so currently does not feel the protocol are fully consistent. Mike Schavey will be making recommendations in his report to Deans’ Council suggesting further conversation/definition/protocol around Domestic travel.
Process for notifying students when their classes are dropped (not all students are receiving notification when classes are dropped) – could there be a robo-call or text?
Note:
(We [Preliminary Review Team] are assuming ‘classes are dropped’ refers to classes dropped for non-payment.) / Diane Patrick
Vicki Janowiak
David Anderson
Nate Hamilton / Current Process:
After a student's classes are dropped, the Cashier’s Office sends a post card stating some or all of their classes have been dropped due to non-payment. Students are not individually notified in advance other than broad statements that are posted in several places indicating when tuition is due.
New Process:
For the Fall 2012 semester three different emails/text messages and phone call reminders were sent to students who hadn't paid prior to August 1, the tuition due date deadline. In this message it was stated payment needed to be received to prevent classes from being dropped.
Recommendations:
Complete the student self -service address/phone update ‘pop up’ in PeopleSoft. (Expected implementation Fall 2012.)
Add specifics of what happens if the tuition is not paid to the general announcements on tuition due date posters, etc.
Send bills by email and snail mail.
Due to the way classes are dropped if there is a partial balance due, it may be worth considering sending electronic notification AFTER the classes are dropped, alerting students to which class was dropped.
Recommended additional Tools:
Robo calls
RAVE system / Partially Completed
Currently, significant contact is happening prior to classes being dropped.
Additionally, significant changes were made this year that changed our drop process, allowing students more time to make payment.
Eric Mullen is working with the Cashier’s Office to pilot texts/robo calls AFTER classes have been dropped as well for Fall ’13.
Privacy in the Financial Aid Office (front desk is too public for personal information) / Vicki Janowiak / Work in progress – working on some minor modifications to improve privacy, knowing that there are larger needs pending. / Complete
Physical space in the office was remodeled to allow for more privacy for each student.
What are solutions/rights for students who get called up for Jury Duty – put FAQ page on Dean of Students page that would address questions like this / Tina Hoxie
Sara Dorer / Finding:
The Kent and Ottawa county jury website info suggests students can request a delay in service. Both refer to full-time students, however.
Result:
We will post info on Dean of Students page listing the resource page for Kent and Ottawa counties, suggesting students request delay of service. We will also reiterate our absence policy. / Complete
Encourage DSS to work on door-to-door map/instructions regarding where accessible entrances are, etc. (GRCC mobile app has door to door, could maybe build an ADA version) / Sara Dorer
Anne Sherman / Finding:
We looked into whether or not we could build this into the virtual tour that was created and that was not possible because the virtual tour uses the existing campus map, which only uses one entrance to a building (that may not be ADA accessible.)
DSS stated they do not know where all of the accessible entrances are for every building. They feel Facilities would be the correct office to help build this map, since they installed the doors. They agree a map like this would be a helpful tool for many, as they refer people to Facilities and Facilities refers people to DSS.
Tom Smith said every building, other than Mable Engle, has accessible entry, but they do not maintain a list of which doors.
This work would require someone doing a physical inventory of campus. / Partially Complete
Facilities staff completed inventory mid-July 2013. A request has been sent to graphics to help create a map, using that information, that will depict all ADA accessible entrances.
Look at software needs at the Lakeshore – if offering classes that need specific resources, need the programs available in the lab (ex. Peachtree and Quickbooks) / Lilly Anderson / They analyze this every semester . / No further action needed
Online student center improvements to improve experience:
Courses that cannot be added because past enrollment date, don’t have them show up as “open” / (No one was assigned originally because it was thought to be complete, but in checking, it is not resolved.) / Finding:
There were two requests.....one was to improve the OSC class search and that was modified and improved (project complete). There was a second request, to not show classes you could no longer get into (already met twice).
Lori Cook was following up with IT to determine if the second request was still open or, if not, she was going to open a new ticket.
Online classes fall off of the search after the 2nd day of class, but it’s a manual process done by Bryan. There is a project request in for the other classes. / Complete
Details: If the class can no longer be enrolled in, it will show up in the search, but it displays a “Closed” button and it will display the last date is was eligible to be added.
Better communication of our policies that affect students (adding classes, etc.) / Sara Dorer
Danielle Dawson / Updated Student Conduct page with links to policies that apply to students. The policy website is receiving an overhaul to make it more searchable. We sent an email to all students with links to some key policies. These are behavior related policies, however, not academic policies.
We may want to consider adding a policy section in Bb? / Partially Complete
Some work was completed in this area, the policy page continues to undergo an overhaul; we’ll track if additional complaints come in around lack of knowledge and, if so, consider additional methods for disseminating critical information.
Improved navigation on campus (rename “library”, verify room numbers make sense in Cook/Main building, Sneden/Administrative building signs on parking lot side, maps in outside spaces on campus that include DeVos Campus and show you where you are.) / Vicki Janowiak / The idea of changing the number sequences in Cook and Main is being explored. If it is determined they will be renumbered, they will be updated during the renovation period in each building respectively.
“You are Here” signage has been installed across campus. Additionally, Vicki is still in discussion with the City to see if their maps can be updated to include a wider circle that would show the DeVos Campus as well.
In regards to the LRC, the librarians provided Vicki feedback that they like the name as is. It would be up to Deans to decide, if based on Student Feedback, they wanted to make a recommendation to Cabinet to change the name. / Updates:
There will be some renumbering of rooms (specific to renovation changes), but not a change that would distinguish the two buildings. Both will be numbered as independent buildings per floor like every other building (so, potentially, we could still have rooms in both buildings with the same number.)
City maps: we requested to add Sneden, but that expands what the City way finding maps are intended for, so we’ll have to address that concern with our own mapping system (which currently does not include any outside mapping.)
No official change in the Learning Center name has been made or recommended at this time, unless Deans’ Council would like to pursue a recommendation. If not an official change, we are recommending a change to the campus map to read, “Library/Learning Center” and potentially to the exterior blue sign when the budget allows. (Exterior blue signage is currently being reviewed in general.)