Competitor Interview Part 3

Last week I was able to interview Ms. Joy Alison, Interim Director of the New Student & Family Programs (NSFP) at Baruch College. The interview went very well, and she was able to answer at the following questions.

1. What strategies are in place to attract and to inform every Baruch students about the different programs and their advantages?

Joy stated that at every student’s admission at Baruch during orientation students are told about certain programs offered but it is mostly for them to search in Baruch website to dig for more information. She also said that they have a class offered to every admitted student and the information is always sent via email to the students. However, since the class is not mandatory most of the student ignore and does not participle. Whereas the class is set to inform every student of the different services the school offers to help student. Joy also said that on that first-class student have the chance to meet to all the department they are partnering with and to ask more questions.

2. What are the Key Performance indicators of the service offers?

I did get anything much from her, but it varies every year.

3. How did you come up and tested the actual programs? Did you survey the students to know what they need?

Through the different seminars offers to the student throughout the semester, they use the evaluation participation answers and the survey giving during seminar. They also get their feedback from peer mentor who are assigned to the students.

4. What is the purpose of the New Student and Family Programs?

For this question Joy referred me to look at New Student & Family Program section under the Student Affaires Baruch page. In my reading, I learned that their program has for purpose to help new students experience a seamless transition to Baruch college. NSFP provides for first year, transfer and international students an opportunity to develop he necessary tools to acclimate and to succeed in college.

5. What is the protocol/process when an incoming student gets admitted into Baruch?

-Baruch college orientation depending on the status you got admitted from.

-seminars and zero credit class offered by NSFP

-post card sent by email  

6. What are some of the biggest challenges the students or families in the Program faces?

For the students it varies from each student. Specially with the pandemic some students are either struggling with the remote learning whereas some are totally comfortable with that. The Limited access to interact in person with their peer sometimes could be a challenge to some.

Students once in NSFP want to know all privacy information before they allow family involvement (emergency contact). For example, they might not share information of their family because they want the school to inform them of any concern regarding them.

The participating students want to fit in, to be aware of any opportunity, to get in contact with other, to be connected, to feel well in school.

7. What are some of the biggest challenges that the Program faces?

One of the biggest challenges the programs faces is the disinterest student ogive to the class and seminars offer sometimes since it is a zero-credit class program. Another challenge is that students can come with some concerns where the program have no answer and they have to direct them to the best office or department that can better help them.

8. How do you reach out to specifically to enrolled full time students who also work full times with your platform?

Joy said that they don’t have anything. The only way for them to know that a student is working and need accommodation is only when the student is part of a Club and because of their schedule and the club hours they keep missing their club hours gathering. Or For international Student, the International student advisor would have to monitor with their assigned student, so they do not work for me than 20hours to avoid any student’s failure and distraction from their focus in class.

9. How and when do you get feedback from your users, if you do?

Survey, Evaluation participation, Best practice, work with peer mentor

10. How do you measure success?

It changes by years. Specially with the remote learning, they are challenges involved in either the center or the student side.

11. Are there many students enrolled in the programs and who are the people involved in the program to assure the service are well serve to the students in need?

Many students are indeed enrolled to the programs and for those involved, peer students, office of advisement, club center, international student’s office, transfer student’s office, Dean Students office, first year student’s office, career center, tutoring center.