Customer Focused Enrollment Services: Out of In-line to On-line

Sue Van Voorhis, University Registrar, University of Minnesota

Rita Owen, Associate Vice President for Student Information Systems, Boston College

q       Elimination of organizational boundaries – improve student services and methods.

q       Modes of service delivery – web, telephone, one-stop centers.

q       Addressing leadership and human resource issues.

q       Changes to the university community.

q Outcomes or success factors.

Abstract

Students and the community have come to expect several venues for enrollment services. The creation of the Internet has allowed many of us to complete almost all of our business on the web. Students have come to expect the same service level at a university. There has been a dramatic shift in the level of service by students and parents. Not only do universities need to provide services on the web, but in-person customer service levels need to increase for students as well. Universities need to respond to this paradigm shift by creating several avenues that provide user-friendly enrollment services functions for students.

Sue Van Voorhis, University Registrar, M.Ed. Adult and Higher Education

Sue Van Voorhis, University Registrar at the University of Minnesota, led a team to the successful implementation of the PeopleSoft software Student Records/Advising system.  She continues to implement the one-stop student service centers as well as the one-stop classroom management center for the University of Minnesota.  She has managed a web-based project that integrates all student services using a client-emphasis approach.  Van Voorhis, who has many other administrative assignments at the university, also was involved in the institution's conversion to semesters, renovation of several campus buildings, reengineering of university wide processes and policies, and also serves as a consultant to other colleges and universities. VanVoorhis has been in this business for 14 years and was recently selected as one of the faculty for the AACRAO Registrar 101 module. She continues to generate innovative ideas and solutions for the profession.

Rita Owen, Associate Vice President for Student Information Systems

Rita R. Owens has worked in higher education administration for the past twenty-five years. She gained her expertise in various enrollment management positions at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Babson College, and Boston College and as Customer Services Manager for Diversified Management  International, Inc.. Rita became Associate Vice President for Student Information Systems at Boston College in March 2001.  In that role, she provides strategic direction for all student systems as well as oversees the Office of Student Services and the Technology Consultant group.   From 1996-2000, she was the Project Leader for Service Strategies at Boston College. In that role, she led the transformation of Boston College's student services by creating the Office of Student Services.  Rita is a frequent presenter at AACRAO, EDUCAUSE, and the IBM Forum on Student Services as well as the Boston College representative for the IBM Best Practice Partners in Student Services.  She has published several articles on her work as well as appearing on the SCUP/IBM/PBS broadcast, Planning for Student Services, Best Practices for the 21st Century.    Rita received a BA from Westfield State College and an MA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.