Benefits of
Cross Training
RMACRAO 2013
Thursday, July 18
3:15 – 4:15 PM
Presenters
 Pepper

Associate Director of the Pre-College Visit
Programs and Orientation Office
 Carolyn

Gutierrez, Univ of New Mexico
Operations Manager, Enrollment
Management
 Sherri

Jo Six, University of Wyoming
Gaugh, San Juan College
Registrar
Why Cross Train?
 Need
– University of New Mexico
 Necessity – San Juan College
 Service – University of Wyoming
UW Model
The UW Admissions Office asked itself:
 How
can we better serve or faculty, staff,
and students?
 How do we handle turnover?
 What happens if an area is backlogged?
What needs to be changed?
 Job





duties that can be cross trained:
Opening of mail, stamping in mail, and
answering front desk phones
Scanning and indexing all mail received
Processing of imaging
Processing of web applications
Processing graduate applications in the
CRM
How to change the process

Evaluate positions

Evaluate dynamics
 Ie:
Train each processor on every duty
Where to start





Get buy in from staff
Go slow with training –set everyone up for
success
Provide individual training as well as group
training
Empower staff to create the rotation
schedule
Must rotate often so the process works
Success

Eliminate griping

All processors can assist anyone

The load can be shared anytime –
vacations, sick leave, or in transition
SJC Model
With a focus on service to students and a
goal of supporting staff, duties were
evaluated. The goal was to allow
employees to feel good about taking
earned time off while maintaining quality
service to students. A secondary goal was
to not overload employees covering staff
taking time off.
SJC Philosophy




All duties completed by one person will have
multiple individuals supporting backup.
Each task has a primary and secondary
backup.
Backup duties would be distributed as evenly
as possible.
Documentation for all tasks in the event the
primary and secondary backup employees
are out.
SJC Task Assignment Model
SJC Backup Documentation
 Maintained
in
OneNote
 Searchable
 Can link to web,
folders, or other
documentation
pages
 Included in
evaluation
SJC Back Up Maintenance
 Employees


leave
Permanent
Temporary (maternity, etc.)
 New
tasks are implemented
 New software or Upgrades
UNM Model
We listened to students, parents and recent
alumni who told us we needed to streamline
the processing of applications for enrollment,
financial aid and registration to improve
turnaround. After evaluating online
applications, financial aid, course registration
and transfer processes, One-Stop student
service centers were opened both on main
and south campus to reduce wait times
UNM Enrollment Management
Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• Financial Aid
Office of the
Registrar
Admissions &
Recruitment
• Records
• Registration
• Degree
Audit
• Applications
• Transfer
Articulation
Philosophy

A cross-training model stresses flexibility in addressing the needs of customers.
Adopting this model, or some version of the model, should enable Ieaders
and managers to meet the changing needs of the university as it develops a
cross-functional team model. It is a model that put emphasis on services that
are meaningful and convenient to students.

The cross-functional team model eliminates many of the boundaries and
rigidities of separate enrollment management services units, i.e.,
admissions/recruitment, registrar, financial aid.

The philosophy includes all the usual functions performed by the individual
offices but organizes them in a different way. The model de-emphasizes
vertical or silo structures and emphasizes horizontal or cross-functional
structures. From a management perspective, staff members who are crosstrained in many different tasks means that all tasks are covered all the time
cutting down on turnaround time and knowledge does not leave with exiting
employees.

One of the main tenets of the enrollment management services model is that
its student services are located in one place, a concept usually called onestop shopping. UNM has a physical location, the one-stop center staffed by
cross-functional team members with a focus on customer service.
Identify
 Processes
beginning to end from a
student’s perspective.
 Commonly
 Overlaps
asked questions.
and gaps in processes.
 Electronic
solutions.
Continue
 Work
closely with One-Stop services and
the Communications Center to allow for
appropriate human resource support at
all times.
 All
units continue advanced cross-training
of staff with updates, scheduled and
annual online trainings.
Questions and Contact Info

Carolyn Gutierrez, University of New Mexico



Pepper Jo Six



505-277-0366
cosme@unm.edu
307-766-5126
pepperjo@uwyo.edu
Sherri Gaugh, San Juan College


505-566-4007
gaughs@sanjuancollege.edu