2008 Woodie Awards
Mystery of the missing money solved
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: Letters to the editor
Dear Ms. Thuch:
I read your commentary in the September 11th Viking about your experience with the Financial Aid Office and I am sorry about what happened. Several issues came together for us in financial aid this year: reduced summer counseling hours due to budget cuts, the loss of personnel just at our busiest time, and a 2,000 application increase in financial aid this year, which seems to mostly consist of last-minute applicants. These issues came together and produced a "perfect storm" in our Financial Aid Office this year; a storm that we neither anticipated, nor were ready for. We haven't had lines outside our office like we had this year in quite a few years. More than just the lines, the processing of financial aid slowed, student contact increased as students, like yourself, tried to find out when they could expect their aid.
Since accepting the interim dean position, I have been working on three things. First, beginning September 13th, we have staff coming into the office on Saturdays to review files so we can get caught up with our processing as soon as possible. Secondly, I have hired two adjunct counselors to make up for the losses that we had over the summer. Finally, we are working to add financial aid information to student self service in OLE, the school's registration system. Within the next several months, students will be able to see their financial aid status online, which will significantly reduce the possibility of situations such as your occurring again.
Your description of drooling outside the glass at the people eating at the Viking Food Court is poignant and I sincerely hope that it wasn't literally true. I would like to invite you to come and meet with me in the financial aid office. I would like to introduce you to our hard-working staff and discuss our business practices. For those who work there, financial aid is more than just a job, it is a calling. We are committed to helping students to the very best of our ability and we are as dismayed about what happened as you are.
Mike MacCallum, Ph.D
Interim Dean of Financial Aid, EOPS, and Veterans Affairs
I read your commentary in the September 11th Viking about your experience with the Financial Aid Office and I am sorry about what happened. Several issues came together for us in financial aid this year: reduced summer counseling hours due to budget cuts, the loss of personnel just at our busiest time, and a 2,000 application increase in financial aid this year, which seems to mostly consist of last-minute applicants. These issues came together and produced a "perfect storm" in our Financial Aid Office this year; a storm that we neither anticipated, nor were ready for. We haven't had lines outside our office like we had this year in quite a few years. More than just the lines, the processing of financial aid slowed, student contact increased as students, like yourself, tried to find out when they could expect their aid.
Since accepting the interim dean position, I have been working on three things. First, beginning September 13th, we have staff coming into the office on Saturdays to review files so we can get caught up with our processing as soon as possible. Secondly, I have hired two adjunct counselors to make up for the losses that we had over the summer. Finally, we are working to add financial aid information to student self service in OLE, the school's registration system. Within the next several months, students will be able to see their financial aid status online, which will significantly reduce the possibility of situations such as your occurring again.
Your description of drooling outside the glass at the people eating at the Viking Food Court is poignant and I sincerely hope that it wasn't literally true. I would like to invite you to come and meet with me in the financial aid office. I would like to introduce you to our hard-working staff and discuss our business practices. For those who work there, financial aid is more than just a job, it is a calling. We are committed to helping students to the very best of our ability and we are as dismayed about what happened as you are.
Mike MacCallum, Ph.D
Interim Dean of Financial Aid, EOPS, and Veterans Affairs
Be the first to comment on this story