PROBLEM: How can Financial Aid

better serve the growing Southern Methodist University community?

 The Financial Aid Office’s obligation to the students is to assist them in the process of finding resources to financially supplement their education for the duration of their time at SMU.

One of the current problems that make financial aid advisors’ job difficult is an increase in the student population and higher tuition cost. The higher education cost has caused many student problems that result in serious consequences.

Also having a growing student body can affect many students in terms of receiving proper guidance due to the fact that these financial aid advisors have to tend to so many students. Having a manageable student to advisor ratio is very important because this will allow the advisor to take more time with each individual student.

Approximately 70 percent of the undergraduate population receives some type of financial aid and that there are only five undergraduate financial aid advisors and there are only two financial aid advisors for graduate students who represent almost half of SMU’s total enrollment population.

Currently the Financial Aid Office is open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays to students for only three hours. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Financial Aid Office is open for students for three and a half hours. The enrollment growth will only increase the need for an expansion of the Financial Aid department.

In my opinion, since there are more students and the same amount of advisors, walk in hours should include all business hours Monday through Friday.

Otherwise, the Financial Aid Office should add another advisor for the graduate and undergraduate students. This resolution will decrease the traffic and waiting time in the Financial Aid office making the overall Financial Aid advisement more efficient.

PROBLEM: lack of reading days in the fall and the spring

The current academic year calendar only provides one reading day for the fall semester and none for the spring 2011 semester. The lack of reading days will inhibit the academic success of many students.

These readings days allow students like myself to dedicate a whole day to their studies, catch up if behind, reconsider material that was covered earlier in the semester and just thoroughly go over all the subject matter.

 In the past, these reading days have helped many students and myself immensely. The university calendar should make changes that consist of implementing two study days per semester.

These additions can only have a positive impact on the student body because historically the majority of the student that I encountered  utilized and benefited from these study days.

PROBLEM: inefficient undergraduate recruitment policies and

strategies.

The current undergraduate population has an inherent interest in the recruitment of prospective students. The ability of current undergraduates to connect with prospective students and share their first hand and unique perspective of the University would help aid in the process of recruiting more prospective students more efficiently.

In the surrounding communities, SMU is not well represented. SMU needs to foster a stronger relationship with the local high schools and increase exposure within these schools, in order to develop a stronger bond between SMU and the greater Dallas community.

One of the ideas would be to allow undergraduates to accompany the office of undergraduate admissions counselors on recruitment trips to the high school. I believe this will be very effective due to the fact that these current students will be able to relate to the prospective students.

Also for a prospective student, having a current student as a resource will help clear up many misconceptions and help the decision making of these students much easier.

Lewis White is general member of the Communications Committee of Student Senate. He can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].