Annual Program Review Update
*Be sure to include information from all three campuses.
Program: Financial Aid/Veterans/Scholarships
Name Lynn Thiesen
Date:
Email/Phone 476-4187, lynnthiesen@redwoods.edu
(Lead Contact)
1. State your program’s mission and it’s relation to the mission of the college.
The financial aid mission directly supports CR’s mission and strategic plan Goal 5:
Ensuring Student Access and Objective 5.7 to reduce or remove financial barriers for
students: To ensure student success by providing financial aid support and
resources to students and the larger CR community in a professional,
timely and courteous manner.
The Financial Aid Office oversees all federal and state financial aid, veteran
educational benefits and district and non-district scholarships. Financial aid funds
disbursed to CR students for the 2007-2008 academic years totaled over $11,300,000.
This does not include educational benefits paid directly to veterans and veteran
dependents.
2. Program Changes
Have there been any changes in your program or area since your last Program Review?
No ____ (go to next question)
Yes __x__ Describe the changes below:
In February of 2008 we were transferred from the oversight of the Vice-President,
Business Services to the Vice-President, Learning Support and Development. As of
November, 2008 we report to the Dean of Student Development. While this has not
caused a great deal of change in our processes; it has required more coordination with
the business office as we previously met with them regularly as part of the division.
3. Program Trends
If applicable, describe how external or internal changes are impacting your program
and describe efforts within your area to address these impacts. Include supporting data
from Institutional Research or other sources in your discussion.
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Externally, the signing of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in August
2008 requires substantial changes to not only financial aid but other areas of the
institution as well. The legislation is enormous, totaling 1,158 pages. The law
imposes hundreds of new reporting requirements on institutions. While not all of
these requirements will be applicable to CR, we must identify the issues that will
require us to perform functions differently than our current processes. This will take
a great deal of research and training to ensure we fully understand all applicable
sections of the law. We need to collaborate with other offices that will also need to
revise and/or implement processes to meet the new requirements of the law. Districtwide financial aid staff training will be needed as well as making sure students are
aware of new or revised processes that affect them and new programs that are
available to assist them.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, effective August 2009,
will require more one-on-one advising with veterans. The new program is not ‘one
size fits all’ and each veteran needs to fully understand the implications of choosing
the best program to meet their needs. Staff needs to be trained on the new program to
be able to effectively counsel veterans as to their options. According to the seminar
‘Returning Veterans: Implications for Higher Education’ held in July of 2008, as
well as the Chancellor’s Office sponsored Troops to College initiative, there will be a
significant increase in the number of veterans returning to higher education from the
recent military conflicts. The level of advising and assistance the newer veterans
need is vastly different from ‘older’ veterans due to the types of injuries that these
veterans have received as a result of the recent conflicts vs. prior wars. These
veterans also bring unique challenges to the classroom. During the fall 2008
semester, approximately 150 veterans/dependents were certified for educational
benefits through CR. While the numbers are not currently large, the expected
increase documented by the Chancellor’s Office needs to be addressed. We are not
currently doing an adequate job of providing outreach and serving the small
population we do have due to lack of permanent staff dedicated to the veterans
program.
The current state of the economy also affects the financial aid population. We
anticipate an increasing number of applicants that will need special consideration due
to recent job losses, etc. These special applications need extra manual processing that
is very time-consuming and specialized. Along with a higher number of applications,
we have been seeing (district-wide) an increasing number of applicants that show up
on the first day of school without even beginning the application process. These
students need much more individualized attention and seem to be underprepared for
the complexities of navigating the educational system. While our staff does an
amazing job of working with students and often have unlimited patience, we are
severely limited in what we can immediately do for these students due to finite
resources in both funding and staffing. Many of these students present a challenge as
they are often angry and demanding. This is especially difficult with limited staff, as
they must spend longer hours on the phones and at the student assistance counter
which can quickly lead to burnout. These students are also more likely to be
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unsuccessful in their classes as they arrive in class unprepared and often unable to
purchase textbooks. We continue to work on the best methods of reaching potential
students earlier in the process so they will be more prepared.
The Chancellor’s Office Data Mart for 2007-2008 indicates that we had a
significantly higher percentage of students receiving both the Board of Governor’s
fee waiver (BOG) and Pell Grants than our neighboring California Community
Colleges. This data validates that there is a high number of low-income students
attending CR district-wide and that we are serving many of them. It also supports the
need for staff that is both able to handle the technical expertise required for financial
aid processing as well as ensuring quality customer service for students.
Percent of Total Headcount receiving:
Pell Grant
26%
15%
17%
11%
CR
Siskiyous
Shasta
Mendocino
BOG
53%
35%
33%
31%
This data is also supported by the higher than average poverty rate for students in our
service area (vs. statewide and national) as reported in the draft Educational Master
Plan.
Internal changes that are impacting our program include the development of more
short-term programs. These programs may impact financial aid eligibility if they
don’t meet minimum requirements (16 units offered during a minimum of 15 weeks)
in order to be eligible for financial aid funding.
4. Budget Resources
List your department’s budget for the following categories in the table below. Restricted
funds have a sponsor/grantor/donor (federal, state, local government, etc). The funds are
restricted by the sponsor/grantor/donor. Everything else (including action plans) is
unrestricted.
Category
Supply and printing budget
Equipment replacement and
repair budget
Professional Development
Work-study funding
Additional Budget Items
Other (i.e. Collections)
Unrestricted Funds
7292
0
Restricted Funds
2000
0
0
0
0
0
500
0
9000
0
Is the funding for these areas adequate? If not, describe the impact of unaddressed needs on
your program outcomes and ability to serve students and the community.
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At this time the funding is adequate as we are fortunate to have restricted funds that
cover many of our necessary items. The Board Financial Assistance Program
(BFAP) funding is specifically designated to facilitate increased participation in
financial aid and provide for efficient administration of the programs. This allows us
funding to attend training that is necessary to keep us informed of required
regulations; covers allowable salaries and other activities such as financial aid related
advertising expenses.
Although BFAP funding can cover many areas, it also has severe restrictions. The
supply and printing budget is required from unrestricted funds to ensure we can
purchase paper, envelopes, printer cartridges, etc. to send required financial aid forms
and award letters to students. There is also a minimum maintenance of effort
required that is explained further under the staffing area.
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5. Staff Resources
Complete the Classified Staff Employment Grid below (please list full- and part-time staff).
This does not include faculty, managers, or administrative positions. If a staff position is shared
with other areas, estimate the fraction of their workload dedicated to your area.
Staff Employed in the Program
Assigned Area
Full-time staff
(classified and
Financial Aid
management)
(give number)
Part-time staff
(give number)
Gains over Prior
Year
Losses over Prior
Year (give reason:
retirement,
reassignment,
health, etc.)
Processing Specialist
One
n/a
n/a
Financial Aid
Specialists
Three
n/a
n/a
One (resignation)
Scholarship
coordinator
N/A
One (halftime)
N/A
N/A
Student Service
Specialists* (branch
campus staff that do
not report to
Financial Aid)
two
Do you need more full-time or part-time classified staff? If yes, explain why. YES
In January of 2008, we lost one FTE permanent financial aid specialist (and have 2 FTE
permanent staff less than we did in 2005). The 2 FTE staff that left in 2005 had many
years of experience. Adding new staff does not immediately address the workload
problem as it is virtually impossible to replace experienced staff members without several
years of training. The number of financial aid applications received as of January 2009
vs. January 2008 has increased by 23% and is already over 400 more than the number
received at the end of the 2007-2008 processing year and over 600 more than received at
the end of the 2006-2007 year. We have been able to absorb some of the increase by
more efficiently using Datatel, which enabled us to begin processing earlier in each of the
past four years (2008-09 processing began six weeks earlier than 2007-08 and eight
weeks earlier than 2006-2007). Hiring temporary staff to assist with filing and phone
coverage, as well as the tremendous assistance provided by the Admissions and Records
staff this past year in counter coverage has helped; however, students have been impacted
during peak times as we are unable to maintain an adequate level of processing and
provide quality customer service to students. During peak processing times it often takes
a minimum of four weeks from the time a student submits their forms to receiving an
award letter. We do not feel this is an acceptable time frame. Reduction in experienced
staff has also meant we are unable to provide onsite financial aid staffing at other sites,
such as Arcata.
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It is difficult to provide adequate oversight of auditing guidelines and ensure consistent
implementation of processes on the branch campuses. The Del Norte and Mendocino
Campus each have one staff member whose primary function is financial aid, yet there is
no reporting structure to the Financial Aid Director. This leads to an inability of the
Financial Aid Director to evaluate staff and assign workload that could lead to improved
efficiency of district-wide financial aid processing. Also, branch campus staff is assigned
many other duties that can make it difficult for them to stay current on financial aid
processing. This impacts not only students at those sites, but students district-wide. The
actual packaging/disbursement processes are done from the Eureka Campus, and must
follow a very detailed order for the checks to be disbursed as scheduled.
The Veterans Educational Services Office is staffed by a temporary employee, and has
been since at least 2005. This does not allow for continuity and developing a feeling of
trust that many veterans need in order to allow for a successful transition from military
service to education. It also is difficult to ensure regulations are being followed as
temporary employees often come and go and are limited in the number of days and years
they can work for the district. The Eureka Office handles veteran certifications districtwide and coordinates with the branch campuses to meet the needs of non-Eureka
veterans. We also coordinate with other county-wide programs that provide services for
veterans. The Redwoods Vets Center recently reported to us that they have been notified
of increased funding to provide additional services for combat veterans. They expect this
will also impact us, as the Vets Center refers and strongly encourages students to attend
CR. The loss of federal funding that forced HSU to close the Veterans Upward Bound
program has also directed more veterans to CR. The temporary employee in the Veterans
Office also assists with financial aid tasks as time permits.
Financial aid and veterans regulations are highly technical and require continuous,
intense training to be able to meet student’s needs as well as maintain compliance. Using
temporary employees and student workers meets the needs of filing and general clerical
duties but does not help with the more specialized processing that needs to occur when
determining student financial aid eligibility and providing accurate information to
students. Events such as the Registration Blitz and the Career Technical Education
Showcase provide an invaluable service for potential students; however, staffing the
increasing number of these events is a constant challenge.
Adequate staffing is critical not only to ensure that funds are awarded in a timely and
efficient manner to students, but also to meet all regulatory compliance standards.
Categorical funds (BFAP) currently pay for 100% of the operations manager, scholarship
coordinator, and temporary staff. BFAP also covers 20% of the bilingual Financial Aid
Specialist I position and funds student ambassadors district-wide. It has also funded a
temporary counselor to develop education plans for veterans. The regulations governing
the BFAP administrative allowance require that institutions maintain a minimum
maintenance of effort level (MOE) to ensure that the funding supplements, not supplants,
the district contribution to the financial aid operations. Failure to meet the minimum
MOE levels would result in a loss of BFAP funding.
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6. Work study Resources
Work study students employed in the program none
Assigned Area
How many?
“Type” of
Gains over Prior
(give number)
workstudy(federal, Year
Calworks, EOPS)
Losses over Prior
Year
Do you need more work study student help? no If yes, explain why.
7. Facilities and Technology
Are facilities adequate for achieving the outcomes of this department/program? ( ) Yes (X)NO
If No was checked, complete the following grid for each space that does not meet the needs of
this department/program:
List space (classroom, instructional, office) name/number: Eureka Campus/AD 105
Check if any of the following are not adequate:
( x)
( ) ADA ( ) Number
( ) Technology
(X ) Other (briefly
Ventilation /
access
of seats /
(computers,
describe):
room temp
work stations projectors, internet)
Describe the specific action and estimated cost (if available) to make this space
adequate for your needs:
The office space for the director is woefully inadequate due to the very small size.
The operation manager needs office space to be able to meet confidentially with staff.
The Veterans Office is small and does not provide a ‘safe’ feeling for recently
discharged combat veterans with PTSD issues due to the constant slamming noise
from outside doors. Carpets are torn and duct-taped in an attempt to prevent injury
and the ventilation system is inadequate. The physical office space being downstairs
from the student counter does not allow for maximum efficiency. Because of the
proposed plans for the new Student Services Building, we have not requested these
areas be addressed and will continue to work within the current restraints until the
new building is in place. If the new building is significantly delayed; however, we
will need to make some modifications. Projected costs will be developed if those
modifications are necessary.
If applicable, list the average number of discipline/program sections scheduled in this room
each semester, and the total number of students enrolled in these sections.
Sections: n/a
Students: n/a
List space (classroom, instructional, office) name/number: Eureka Campus/AD 105
Check if any of the following are not adequate:
()
( ) ADA ( ) Number
( x) Technology
( ) Other (briefly
Ventilation /
access
of seats /
(computers,
describe):
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room temp
work stations
projectors, internet)
Describe the specific action and estimated cost (if available) to make this space
adequate for your needs:
A document imaging system for storing and retrieving the paperwork that is currently
housed in paper files would provide many advantages; such as, less storage space
required for physical files, greater efficiencies in storing and retrieving data for
processing files and customer service needs, and reduced cost of photocopying
paperwork that is shared between departments and campuses. An approximate startup cost would be $100,000-$150,000. This system would be for all student services
departments, not only financial aid. We have been informed that the new Student
Services building plans currently have much less space available for physical files, so
the document imaging system is a necessity prior to moving into the new facility.
If applicable, list the average number of discipline/program sections scheduled in this room
each semester, and the total number of students enrolled in these sections.
Sections: n/a
Students: n/a
8. Equipment
Is the available equipment adequate to achieve the outcomes of the department/program?
( x ) Yes ( ) No
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If No was checked in Item 8, complete the following grid for each piece of equipment being
requested for this department/program:
Equipment
Approximate
Price
Number of
students using
equipment each
semester (if
applicable)
n/a
Describe how the equipment allows
achievement of program outcomes
Equipment Repair
Is the equipment used for your department/program in need of repair, which is outside your
current budget allotment? This does not include classroom specific equipment repair
described in the facilities section. ( ) Yes ( x ) No*
*Please note that budget is not an issue at this time; however, timely response to
work order requests has not been received in the past. This, at times, has caused a
backload of work as staff is unable to perform their job duties in an effective
manner.
If Yes was checked, provide the following information to justify a budget allotment request:
Equipment
requiring repair
Repair Cost /
Annual
maintenance cost
Number of
students using
equipment each
semester (if
applicable)
Describe how the equipment allows
achievement of program outcomes
9. Faculty Resource Needs (If applicable)
If applicable, complete the Faculty Employment Grids below (please list full- and part-time
faculty numbers in separate rows):
Faculty Load Distribution in the Program
Discipline
Name
(e.g.,
Counseling,
EOPS,
Library)
Total
Load for
fall 2007
term
% of
Total
Load by
FullTime
Faculty
% of Total
Load by
Part-Time
Faculty
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% Change
from fall
2006
% Change
from fall
2005
Explanations
and
Additional
Information
(e.g.,
retirement,
reassignment,
etc.)
Students certified for veteran’s educational benefits require detailed educational plans
that can be very complicated. The lack of counselors at the Eureka Campus has delayed
benefits for some veterans as they were unable to get a timely appointment with a
counselor. Hiring a temporary counselor helped alleviate this problem somewhat, but
due to the complexity of these education plans, this is not always possible.
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a. If you are requesting a full-time faculty position develop an attachment to this report
that addresses the following criteria (as listed in AR 305.03)
• The ratio of full-time to associate faculty
• Current availability of associate faculty
• Relation to program review recommendations
• Effect on diversity of the faculty
• Effect on academic offerings and ability to serve students and the community
• Effect on the vitality and future direction of a program and/or the college
• Effect on student learning
b. If your Associate Faculty needs are not being met, describe your efforts to recruit
Associate faculty and/or describe barriers or limitations that prevent retaining or
recruiting Associate Faculty
10. Learning Outcomes Assessment Report
List all expected program-level outcomes, whether you have completed the assessment loop
or not. For each outcome, identify the means of assessment and the criteria for success.
Summarize the data that have been collected in the ‘Assessment Results’ column. If no data
have been collected and analyzed for a particular outcome, use the ‘Assessment Results’
column to clarify when these data will be collected and analyzed. In the fourth column,
indicate how the assessment results are being used to improve the program.
Program Outcomes (may be
operational for some student
service and administrative areas)
Means of Assessment and
Performance Criteria
Fully integrate scholarship Assess fall 07 scholarship
process back in to
cycle and modify spring
financial aid office
2008 cycle and beyond
operations
Assessment Results Summary
Use of Results
Students reported
difficulty getting reference
letters; faculty also had
concerns
Removed the
requirement for
recommendation
letters
List all course-level student learning outcomes for which some assessment activity
(assessment, analysis, or use of results) has taken place since the most recent program review,
and complete the table below as appropriate
Student Learning Outcomes
(course-level)
Means of
Assessment and
Performance
Criteria
Assessment Results Summary
Use of Results
Assess entering students
awareness of FAFSA &
BOG fee waiver
Fall 07 entering
student survey
Only 5% of students said
they did not know what a
FAFSA is yet 29.8%
reported they did not know
what a BOG fee waiver is
Since the FAFSA establishes
BOG eligibility (and BOG is our
largest program), we will use this
information to inform planning
and how we communicate with
students
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Discuss the extent to which part-time faculty (if applicable) have been involved in the dialogue
about assessing student learning outcomes:
11. Curriculum Update (if applicable) n/a
Identify curricular revisions and innovations undertaken
a.
in the last year.
b.
planned for the coming year.
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Complete the grid below
Course
Year Course Outline
Last Updated
Year Next
Update
Expected
Was the course
added or
deleted?
If the proposed course outlines updates from last year’s annual update (or comprehensive
review) were not completed, please explain why.
12. Communication
Are the current lines of administrative, faculty, and staff communication adequate to meet the
needs of this department/program? NO Describe representative example of effective or
ineffective communication.
We are required to submit all new programs for approval to the Department of
Education; so it is imperative that our office be informed of the development of new
academic programs in a timely manner. This has not always occurred in the past.
The proposed MOU for the Klamath-Trinity Branch has major implications for
financial aid, yet minimal discussion was held with the financial aid director.
13. Action Plans
List any action plans submitted since your last annual update. Describe the status of the
plans. If they were approved, describe how they have improved your department/program.
n/a
14. Department Goals Report
List goals the department will attempt to accomplish in the next three years. Each year, you will
be asked to update the Goals Report to make adjustments to the goals the program enters this
year.
College Strategic Plan
Goal
Goal 1: Enable student
attainment of educational
goals
Goal 5: Ensure student
access
Division Goal
Department Goals FY2008-11
Provide research-based
•
learner-centered services
that support access and
student engagement
•
from matriculation to
goal attainment.
a.
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Ensure compliance with federal
and state regulations
Provide accurate & timely
services that support access while
promoting student responsibility
inform students earlier in their
academic program (45 units vs.
90) about consequences of
reaching ‘unit cap’
b. coordinate w/Advising &
Counseling to develop orientation
class that includes a financial
literacy component
c. enhance funding & improve
emergency book loan process in
coordination w/Bookstore &
Cashier
d. Evaluate alternative methods of
disbursing financial aid funds to
provide flexibility and efficiency
15. Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
The QIP is intended to assist the program in thinking and planning for a minimum of the next
three years. Many factors that influence the implementation of the department/program’s plans
can and do change over time. Each year, you will be asked to update the QIP to make adjustments
to the plans the program enters this year.
Because this document will be used to inform planning processes, it is very important that all the
requested information be provided. The form has been designed to elicit the information needed
for this process. Each “block” on the form is for a single recommendation; thus, the
department/program should complete all the fields for each of the recommendations.
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Quality Improvement Plan
Category
Department Goal the Action is
Connected
Recommendation Number and Title
Descriptions
Ensure compliance with federal regulations
Planned Implementation Date
On-going
Estimated Completion Date
To be determined by final regulations (sections
have varied dates)
Implement provisions of the Higher Education
Opportunity Act
Compliance with federal regulations as evidenced
by audits and federal reporting requirements
Unable to measure until full details of all
regulations are known. Will require staff time and
training; processes and forms will need to be
revised.
Financial aid – Lynn Thiesen/FA staff
Other areas affected include: Security, Housing, IT,
Bookstore, Library, Academic Affairs, Human
Resources, Student Services
Loss of Title IV federal funding (several million
dollars annually)
Action/Tasks
Measure of Success/Desired Outcome
Estimated Cost(s)
Who is responsible?
Consequence if not funded
External Accreditation Recommendations
(if applicable)
Category
Department Goal the Action is
Connected
Descriptions
Provide accurate & timely services that support
access while promoting student responsibility
Recommendation Number and Title
Planned Implementation Date
Summer 2009
Estimated Completion Date
Summer 2009
Action/Tasks
Develop program proposal to improve the ability of
Veterans Services & DSPS to meet the needs of
veterans
Veterans Handbook; increased number of veterans
will become aware of DSPS services
Measure of Success/Desired Outcome
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Estimated Cost(s)
$500
Who is responsible?
DSPS & Veterans Services/FA Staff
Consequence if not funded
No handbooks available; veterans not taking
advantage of available services
External Accreditation Recommendations
(if applicable)
Category
Department Goal the Action is
Connected
Descriptions
Provide accurate & timely services that support
access while promoting student responsibility
Recommendation Number and Title
Planned Implementation Date
Fall 2009
Estimated Completion Date
ongoing
Action/Tasks
Participate in Enrollment Management Plan
activities
Needs of low-income students will be included in
Enrollment Management Plan
Dependent upon specific activity
Measure of Success/Desired Outcome
Estimated Cost(s)
Who is responsible?
Enrollment Management Committee,
Financial Aid Staff district-wide
Consequence if not funded
External Accreditation Recommendations
(if applicable)
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