Combined Offices Provide Student Services
‘Sue Deel has the ability to always turn a negative into a positive.’
The summer of 2007 brought big changes to a variety of departments. One
of the largest changes was the creation of the Student Service Center
in the basement of Hamilton.
Alma College Registrar Sue Deel is the latest recipient of President
Tracy’s Scotty Dog award for her help combining three offices —
Financial Aid, the Registrar’s Office and the Business Office.
Deel was faced with the task of combining 14 people from three
different sectors into one functioning office — in less than three
months.
With sledge hammer in hand, Sue Deel contributed last summer to the destruction of space in Hamilton that would ultimately become the home of the new Student Services Center.
“Sue has the ability
to always turn a negative into a positive,” say co-workers Chris Brown,
director of financial aid, and Ruthann Bebow, assistant controller.
Deel also had to consider the structure of the office — everything from
handicap accessibility for the counter to the placement of workspaces.
“We always knew there would be a counter and that we need backup for
the people who would be there,” she says. “But the office also had to
be structured in such a way that people who worked closely together
could still be close in proximity to one another.”
The week before classes started the office still didn’t have enough
furniture and desks for everyone. In fact, the staff in financial aid
had to run between offices because they had no phones. However, the
office was ready once all the students arrived in September.
“A big challenge came in drawing people from their individual spaces
into one centralized office,” Deel said. “We all have the goal of
providing students the best service possible, but that service looked
different in each of the offices. Suddenly, we were expected to serve
students in the same way."
“Sue always has a student-centered approach to the work she does,” says Bebow.
Though the three departments are now housed in one office, they still
report to their individual sectors — Financial Aid to Enrollment,
Registrar to Academics, and the Business Office to Finance and
Administration.
“In concept, everyone was on board with the idea from the beginning,
but logistically it is still taking time to make a concrete plan,” Deel
says. “One of the things we are currently working on is a policy to
centralize common practices, such as answering telephones and covering
the counter.”
Though adjustments are still being made, Deel says combining the offices provides the students with a much better service.
“Now, we don’t have to send students to three different buildings to
get what they need,” Deel says. “It’s also exciting to get to work more
closely with a larger group of people.”
The Scotty Dog is an award President Tracy periodically bestows on faculty and staff who excel in their positions.
— Amanda VanLente-Hatter
Posted: Thu, April 3rd, 2008 at 2:37PM
