Career DevelopmentGraduate School

Funding Form Project

Berea College Center for Transformative Learning

James Atkinson & Channing FrancisJuly 2014

Career Development Graduate School Funding Mission & Vision

Mission• To provide our students with financial resources in

assisting their access to graduate schools, along with a simplistic funding process.

2

Vision• We aspire to have 50% more students receive

funding in 33% less time.

Charter1. Mission –To provide our students with financial resources in assisting their

access to graduate schools, along with a simplistic funding process. 2. Burning platform –Assisting more students to apply to graduate school is

consistent with the college’s mission to provide a high quality education that prepares students for post graduate opportunities.

3. Process Description – Students apply for funding as well as fee waivers, which is time consuming for the staff processing the requests and the length of time students wait to receive the waiver.

4. Problem Statement – The current process is too cumbersome for staff and the wait time is problematic for students. We need to create a more efficient and timely process

5. Sponsor – Derrick Singleton6. Process Owner – James Atkinson7. Team Lead – James Atkinson8. Facilitator – Richard Smith 9. Team – James Atkinson, Channing Francis, Jessica Buchanan, Gayle Partain,

Sherry Dietlin, Sofia Naz, Erika Holbert

Career Development Grad School Funding SIPOC

Suppliers

CTL Processes

Financial Aid

College/Office Budget

Donors

Inputs

Test Orgs

Students

Grad Schools

Bridge OutGrant Funding

Process

Timing

Student / Graduate

Applications

Budgetary Amounts

Bridge Out Grant

Guidelines

Outputs

Funding Application

Forms

Grad School Acceptance

Completed Applications

GS Travel & Interviews

Customers

Students

Recent Graduates

Grad Schools

Testing Services

BC Staff

Grant Donors

Career Development FundingSWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

•Budget – few, if any, schools provide this service•Staff – knowledgeable and helpful •Students – aptitude and attitude•Process – current application online

WEAKNESSES

•Budget – limited, could use more•Students –limited awareness/directions/eligibility/lack of interview skills/not test ready/not considering grad schools•Staff – not enough staff for time intensive programs•Process – lengthy with multiple inputs

OPPORTUNITIES

•Streamline Process – make all facets have available online applications•Increase funding through new donors•Increasing Student Success on applications – encourage students to raise their GPAs and to consider graduate schools•Increase institutional awareness

POSSIBLE THREATS

•Work load of professional staff•Decreased endowment•Depletion of Funds•Can’t serve all applicants due to lack of funds or not meeting eligibility criteria

James Atkinson, July 2014

Current State Process Map

Current State

• Multiple Email Exchanges• Lengthy Voucher Process– Time intensive processes– Multiple transactions among multiple college offices– Outside offices– Multiple student trips

Future State Process Map

Future State

• Only 2 Emails Exchanged• No Voucher– Less time intensive– No outside offices involved– One single trip for student

Student initiates process in person.

(Steps 1-7, 1-2 weeks)

CTL verifies status and GPA

Student visits Financial Aid for

Certification and ISIR

Student brings Financial Aid

documents to CTL

CTL delivers check request to Accounts Payable

CTL receives check

CTL mails:Check , Embossed Waiver Form, and Application to ETS

ETS processes requests. Voucher

sent to student (4-6 weeks)

Student receives voucher and calls ETS

to schedule test. (1-2 days)

PREVIOUS VOUCHER TIMELINE

Student

initiates

process

(In person

or web)

CTL verifi

es status and GPA

(Approval)

Student meets with CTL

- Schedules Test- CTL pays using

PCARD

NEW VOUCHER TIMELINE (1 WEEK OR LESS!)

SUCCESS!

• Reduce time from 5-8 Weeks to 1-2 Weeks– Even as quick as 2 hours in a perfect world!• Well over the 33% time reduction target!

• Maximize amount of students helped• Increased capacity of students – From 40 to 200• Well over the 50% student increase target!

• Increased amount of funds disbursed– From $20,000 – $170,000