BYU Succeeds Using Student
Employees in Non-Traditional Roles
Session # 546
Session Presenter
• Jeff Bunker-Associate Executive Director, Student
Academic & Advisement Services (SAAS)
– Studies at BYU and Univ. of Northern Colorado
– Professional life primarily in Registrar’s Office
– Worked at small, mid-sized, & large institutions in
Colorado, Hawaii, and Utah
Session Presenter
• William "Bill" Oldroyd, Manager, Integrated Student
Services
– was born at an early age.
– Has a BS in Psychology, and a Masters in Public
Administration from BYU.
– Spent most of his professional time at BYU in the Financial
aid arena.
– Married for 22 years. Three daughters. One dog.
– He loves the great indoors, short walks and long naps.
– He has traveled extensively. . .
– . . .throughout this conference center, looking for the
cleanest restroom.
Session Presenter
• Keith Proctor, Manager of Training, SAAS
– Worked with institutions of higher education for more
than 10 years in finance, academics, & administration.
– Currently works with technology, training, and content
strategy at Brigham Young University.
– Holds an MBA degree from the University of Phoenix
and is finishing his PhD in Instructional Psychology and
Technology at Brigham Young University.
– Research interests include learning failure
experiences, creativity and innovation, and
technology-enhanced learning systems.
Why we are here today…
• To challenge long-held philosophies and fears!
• To invite you to think differently!
• To ask the question “How can we?”
• If you are easily offended or if you complain
that someone has “moved your cheese?” this
session is NOT for you!
BYU Profile
• BYU is a large non-profit
university sponsored by
The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day
Saints
• Located at the base of
the Wasatch mountain
range in Provo, Utah
BYU Profile
• Tuition is $2,355 per semester
• 30,000 undergraduate full-time students
• 12,779 new fall applicants-Admit ~56%
The BYU Environment
• Ave GPA of new freshmen: 3.83
• Ave ACT of new freshmen: 28.55
• Holistic Admissions…We denied 130 students
with ACT 30+
• Fall 2013 admitted 26 students with perfect
ACT’s
• 13.4% of new admits rank #1 in HS class
Student Employment
• ~40% of BYU undergraduate students work on
campus
• Not here to debate how student employment
affects academic performance
• http://www.byu.edu/hr/?q=students
/student-jobs/faq/workingcampus/effects-student-employment
Student Employment Definitions
• “Traditional” Student Jobs
– Custodial
– Grounds
– Food Services
– Housing
– Facility maintenance
– Research assistants
– Academic tutors
Student Employment Definitions
• Non-Traditional Student Jobs
– Registrar’s Office
• Access to other student’s academic records
• Access to change or update other student’s records
– Financial Aid/Scholarship Office
• Access to student financial aid records
• Access to parent tax or other financial documents
– Admissions/School Relations Ambassadors
• Visit HS w/o full-time employees
FT vs. Student
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Integrity
Training/Learning skills
Communication
Longevity
Accountability
Wisdom
Political Savvy
Benefits of Using Students
• An abundance of
potential employees
• Cost efficient work force
• Employees who can
empathize with the
students they serve
Benefits of Using Students
• Employment supports
those who support us
• Training is
invaluable…we hire
many of our students as
FT employees
• Future
employment/résumé
opportunities
Benefits of Using Students
• Student employees are
vested because of
growth and leadership
opportunities
• Supervisory and
management
opportunities
BYU Student Salary Example
• Student Academic and Advisement Services
(SAAS)
– Current salary range is $7.75 to $15.00
– Average salary is $9.05
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•
•
20/hrs x 15 wks = 300 hrs /semester
300/hrs x $9.05 = $2,715 /semester
$2,715 x 2 = $5,430 /academic yr
XYZ University Example
• Student Academic and Advisement Services
(SAAS)
– $15.00
– Average salary is $15.00
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•
•
20/hrs x 15 wks = 300 hrs /semester
300/hrs x $15 = $4,500 /semester
$4,500 x 2 = $9,000 /academic yr
Integrated Student Services at BYU
• Initial contact for students and the public for:
 Admissions
 Financial aid
 Financial Services, and
 Treasury Services
• 42-45 student employees, 3 FT staff
• We handle between 200-1000 phone calls and
foot traffic each day
Short history
• In the fall of 2003 Financial Services student
employees join Financial aid.
• 2004 we moved to a larger space and hired a
FT trainer
• 2005 Admissions
• 2006 Treasury Services is integrated (in our
current location)
• 2007 we expanded from 33 to 50 students
Integrated Student Services
18 possible work stations (including the 4 cashiering stations)
Integrated Student Services
Information desk and reception desk for counseling
Integrated Student Services
Cashiering windows
Integrated Student Services
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12-15 employees on a shift, 8-11, 11-2, or 2-5
We typically hire 17-18 students each year
Typical retention is 4-5 semesters
We start at $8/hr, Supervisors make $10
We offer relatively aggressive raises
Integrated Student Services
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4-5 weeks of training, 3 hours a day
Classroom, shadowing, study/quiz
Individual assessment to determine readiness
Entire staff: one hour weekly small group, ongoing training meeting
• Entire staff: one hour weekly staff meeting
• 3 hrs/day x 5 = 15 + 1 + 1 = 17 hrs/wk
Integrated Student Services
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Wiki system for policy/procedure (critical)
Daily email, quizzes
Supervisors: 3-8 co-workers
They monitor 5-10 calls per week of each
student
• They grade the Daily Quizzes
• They meet one-on-one twice a month
Integrated Student Services
• We meet with our supervisors each week
• We interview each student employee at the
end of every semester
• Each of our ‘Home Offices’ appoints a ‘liaison’
Training Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.
Expectations
Information
Demonstrations
Evaluations
Expectations
• Clear and specific
– Reduce job ambiguity
• Measurable
– Help employees know where they stand
• Accountable
– Help employees take pride in their work
Information
• Accurate
– Employees have the right message
• Accessible
– Reliable repository of information
• Navigation
– Employees can quickly find what they need
Demonstration
• Exams/Quizzes
– Do employees know what they need to know?
• Observations
– Can employees do what they need to do?
• Corrective feedback
– Employees know how to improve
Evaluation
• Regular Audits
– Trainers review email and chat communications
• On-going Observations
– Trainers listen and watch employees
• Two-Way Feedback
– Trainers and employees communicate weekly
Q & A with Student Employees
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Caitlin Olson--Registrar’s Office
Chunie Johnson--Admissions
Brendon Elwood—Integrated Student Services
Zoe Zelaya—Integrated Student Services