CASE ONE : TRAINING FOR STUDENT SERVICE SPECIALISTS
As a part of the Vice Chancellor's initiative to remove " barriers to learning" at UNITECH, private university in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, an analysis of student services operations was conducted. The analysis revealed that the barriers deemed most important by students were those that would delay or prevent them from registering for classes. These barriers fell into three areas:
1. Resolving issues relating to fines accrued over the previous terms (e.g., library, parking, late fees)
2. Completing forms accurately and meeting processing deadlines for financial aid in time to enroll in classes.
3. Acquiring appropriate advice so that they enrolled in the right classes (avoiding the problems associated with drops and adds)
As a result of this analysis, the university decided to create a new position called student service specialist (SSS). The MAIN job descriptions are presented here.
Essential Duties
1. Provide and ensure that student receives positive student service experience throughout the work unit, including greeting departmental students in person or over the telephone, identifying their needs, obtaining necessary and appropriate information, and processing student requests in a manner that will best meet the needs of the student.
2. Provide mediation and resolution to student complaints and requests as long as they are consistent with departmental policies.
3. Communicate to students the departmental policies and procedures related to their needs and provide students with the appropriate forms and instructions.
4. Identify processes and procedures in the department that are causing problems for students, and work with the management toward their improvement and implementation.
5. Develop and maintain a network of contacts with other departments that commonly interface with the work unit to expedite solutions to students’ problems or meet their needs
6. Perform other related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
1. Ability to read, write, interpret instructions, perform basic arithmetic, and communicate orally and in writing
2. Computing skills sufficient to use work processing and spreadsheet applications and to perform file management and data input/retrieval functions are necessary. Knowledge of specific software applications and university information systems utilized in the work unit assigned is a plus.
3. The ability to communicate accurately and pleasantly with students from a diverse background
4. The ability to understand university and regulatory policies, procedures, and regulations and to ensure understanding of these while working under pressure.
5. Possess effective problem-solving abilities.
6. Have good conflict management skills
Those hired without the preceding competencies will undergo training before assuming job responsibilities. During the training period, these individuals will be put under probation. Upon successful and satisfactory completion of the training, the classification will be changed to permanent. Failure to complete training successfully will result in termination of employment or reassignment to another position, at the discretion of the university.
After the position was posted and advertised, 25 applicants were selected. Unfortunately, only ten applicants were assessed as demonstrating the desired level of problem solving and student service knowledge and skills. You are assigned the challenge of designing the training program for the 15 Student Service Specialists, who must complete training before they become permanent employees. The time frame given to you by the management to complete all the trainings to the SSS is one month and the budget is RM30,000.
Required: 1. Design a training program for the 15 candidates to go through to prepare them for the job.
2. In designing the training program, you may choose to focus on only one or two modules based on the case above (modules refer to training modules for example: - communication skills, problem solving, conflict management, etc.)
a. In designing the training program – use the knowledge and skills that you acquire from the chapter on Program Design (Chapter 5 in the textbook given)
b. Refer to Table 5.5, Table 5.6, and Table 5. 7 in the textbook as a guide on how to design a training program. The training should have all the essential components of an effective training program. c. Explain and elaborate to show how the program will be carried out. You may add other information that you think is necessary to design a complete and proper training program. (20 MARKS)
SUBJECT : TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT