Darla Freeborn

How are day-to-day operations in the Bursar’s Office most effectively handled? What practices can help lower your receivables balances while at the same time maintaining good future alumni relations? How do you handle personnel problems and build a good team? Join us for an afternoon full of good information and a lot of sharing and discussion while we cover a myriad of essential practices. We’ll cover everything from payment plans, cashier/money handling practices, and customer service to collections, federal regulations, the audit, those tough personnel management issues, and more. So, whether you’re a bursar new to the industry or a seasoned bursar looking to review, refresh, and maybe get a few new ideas, we’d love to have you join us.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to build a cohesive, functioning team
• Discover tips and tricks for successfully collecting balances owed
• Gain knowledge that will ensure that your institution is following federal regulations and guidelines

Matt Millet, Robert Morris University

The enrollment cliff is here and colleges and universities just like yours are looking for new ways to get more students enrolled and keep more students in their classrooms.

In the first half of this workshop, Matt Millet, the Vice President for Development from Robert Morris University, will be discussing how he has implemented income share agreements on his campus. Mr. Millet will take you through the entire process including funding, design and delivery. There will also be a Q&A session at the end, so be sure to bring your questions.

In the second half of the workshop, we will be discussing the 3 C's of the delinquent accounts receivable collection process - Communications, Compliance and Customer Service. You will learn about best practices for your letters and phone calls, TCPA compliance, data scrubs, proposed regulations coming down the line and best practices in customer service. ECSI will be joined by a selection of our client partners and a collection agency partner to give you everything you need to know to supercharge your DAR process to increase your recovery rates and keep more of those students in school.

Part 1 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Break: 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Part 2 Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Cost: FREE

Learning Objectives:

• Explore strategies for crafting and implementing income share agreements
• Discuss best practices for communications that are compliant and increase customer service
• Consider methods of improving DAR process to increase recovery rates and retention

This session will conclude with a Q & A period and time for reflection.

Luke Zeller

Success isn’t a game that you win, it’s a state of being that you work at every day to maintain. Character is the foundation of success, and one of the pillars of building character is understanding that failure plays a critical role in the process. Failures come with building grit and that’s not a bad thing. Failing doesn’t make you a failure – as long as you resolve to learn from the experience, build resilience and continue to grow.

Luke Zeller knows something about winning and losing – and about building character. A distinguished high school and college basketball career led to a professional career. And, for a year in the NBA, Zeller was one of the top 450 basketball players in the world.

But Luke’s definition of success has more to do with the honesty, motivation, perseverance and character he has built in himself - and helped build in others, as a teacher, development coach and contributor to charities, non-profits and civic organizations.

Join Luke for a journey into the development of character, success and – ultimately – champions. Come away with a new perspective on what it really takes to define success for yourself – and achieve it.

Maria Livolsi, State University of New York; Karen Reddick, National Credit Management

COHEAO has partnered with PDG to provide our attendees the latest updates in Congress and other departments of the Federal Government currently working on legislation, guidance and regulations that will change the way we do our jobs every day. How will these new Congressional challenges affect how we assist students in financing their education? What will our options be with the cost of higher education rising, financial aid options shrinking and new regulations continuously being released?

Members of the COHEAO board will walk you through the latest trends in laws, regulations and policy in Washington D.C. - and how they're likely to impact your campus. This will be an interactive discussion to discover what issues you have on campus and how we can influence lawmakers to make changes that will address these issues.

Part 1 - The panel will go through the three branches of government and how each one influences the laws and regulations that affect the higher education community. You will gain insight into the legislative process and what is happening in D.C. relating to higher ed.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the impact of new rules and regulations in higher education
• Identify recent and upcoming changes in Federal regulations, debt collection rules and TCPA compliance
• Discuss challenges and opportunities in the current political and regulatory environment

Topics to Address:

Department of Ed Regulatory Update
Higher Education Reauthorization Update
Status of the Perkins Program
CFPB – Debt Collection Rules
TCPA Update
Financial Literacy Efforts
Pertinent Case Law
Current Lobbying Efforts

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Panel speakers TBA

Students are the key to success for colleges and universities, and considerable resources are devoted to campus recruitment. But in many cases, 1 in 3 first-year students won’t make it back for sophomore year. Student engagement and retention, so critical to an institution’s bottom line, must be a top priority for all stakeholders. Come explore a full range of tools and strategies that are proving effective across institution types. All options are on the table, including: first year experience and financial literacy programs, increased financial and academic support, social media and new technology for identifying and engaging struggling students at critical points. Because we’re all in this together, we’ll look at ways to leverage resources and support across departmental lines to ensure success campus-wide.

Learning Objective:

• Explore new approaches to engaging and retaining students
• Examine technologies impacting student retention and engagement
• Extrapolate tools and techniques that can be implemented on your campus

This session will conclude with a group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Midhat Asghar, Prairie View A&M University

Approximately 33% of Prairie View A&M University Freshmen identify themselves as first-generation college students. New beginnings are exciting, but can create anxiety about the unknowns – where to go, who to ask, what to do? The Alexa Skill Project at PVAMU is designed to answer all the questions that a new student or returning student would have regarding the University. The session will include PVAMU’s voice-enabled technologies’ journey from exploration to implementation and beyond.

Learning Objectives

• Review the process of adopting new campus technology from exploration to implementation
• Consider the kinds of information most useful or desired by new and returning students and the advantages of delivering it more conveniently
• Examine the advantages of voice-based systems for students as well as the resources necessary for integrating them with existing campus technology

This session will conclude with a group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

David Glezerman, Temple University(Retired); Arif Harji, PayMytuition; Sharon Butler, Flywire Payments

With an increasing number of higher education enrollments coming from abroad, schools must adapt their administrative and operational processes to cater to a global customer base -- or risk alienating a significant portion of their student body. The increase in international student enrollment has resulted in business processes becoming more complex and strained. In this session, our international payments experts will focus on best practices for meeting the growing demand of international student payments and refunds, as well as some of the unique challenges that may lie ahead.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the complexity and challenges in international payments
• Examine unique opportunities in the higher ed digital payments ecosystem
• Explore how real-time payments integration can impact ease of use for students while improving business processes
• Analyze trends in international payments

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Maria Livolsi, State University of New York; Karen Reddick, National Credit Management

In part 2 of our two-part COHEAO PDG series our presenters will focus on the challenges on the compliance side of our industry. With new regulations continuously being released, compliance can be one of our industry's most problematic and challenging hurdles to overcome. But how will these new Congressional obstacles affect how we assist our students in order to remain in compliance? What will our options be with the cost of higher education rising, financial aid options shrinking and these new regulations continuously being released?

Members of the COHEAO board will walk you through the latest trends in laws, regulations and policy in Washington D.C. - and how they're likely to impact your campus being in compliance. This will be an interactive discussion to discover what issues you have on campus and how we can influence lawmakers to make changes that will address these issues.

Part 2 - In this part of the presentation, the panel will review the compliance side of our industry. They will also share how the judicial system works in creating rules that we need to comply with daily and look at the potential impact. Finally, they will teach you how you can make a difference and influence the influencers.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the impact of new rules and regulations and how this affects compliance in higher education and the third party industry
• Discuss the industries
• Discuss challenges and opportunities in the current political and regulatory environment

Topics to Address:

Department of Ed Regulatory Update
Higher Education Reauthorization Update
Status of the Perkins Program
CFPB – Debt Collection Rules
TCPA Update
Financial Literacy Efforts
Pertinent Case Law
Current Lobbying Efforts
AB 1313s impact

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Dr. Richard Robitaille, United States Military Academy at West Point

A stress test is often associated with a test that measures the heart's ability to respond to external stress in a controlled environment. If we apply this principle to our campus environment, would your school pass when it comes to providing the right support for modern student veterans with PTSD? In this session Dr. Richard Robitaille will break down the tools your campus can put in place to support this important demographic.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD
• Describe what it means to be a "Modern Student Veteran"
• Design a campus plan that support those students with PTSD and other disabilities

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q & A, and time for reflection.

Dameion Lovett, University of South Florida

This session will provide an in depth review of how USF's Student Success unit created a Persistence Committee composed of members from across student and academic service areas with the charge of helping identify students in danger using predictive analytics and a case management model by providing them the help necessary at the right time. The “Bull2Bull” program contributes to the retention goals though innovative programming designed to reduce student debt at graduation, provide student loan exit counseling and teaching effective money management skills. The Office of Financial Aid provides support and works with Bull2Bull in providing outreach to students who owe the university for unpaid bills, FAFSA completion, student loan counseling, and emergency aid.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the tools, strategies and processes used by the Persistence committee to and serve at-risk students
• Examine how predictive analytics were leveraged to identify students at vulnerable points
• Consider ways in which staff from different departments can communicate, collaborate and support the overall goal of student engagement

This session will conclude with a group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Midhat Asghar, PVAMU

PCI compliance is not the responsibility of any one department. Responsibility for a PCI compliant campus crosses departmental lines and requires the coordination of individuals from several areas, each playing a crucial role. Join Midhat Asghar, Deputy Chief Information Officer, to examine how Prairie View A&M University Financial Services, Information Technology, Information Security, Facilities and Compliance work closely to ensure PCI compliance. The session will provide information about the PCI program at Prairie View A&M University including PCI governance, training, security and compliance.

Learning Objectives:

• Consider the requirements for campus PCI compliance and the individuals and departments on your campus best positioned to assume responsibility for each
• Examine the delegation and coordination of PCI compliance responsibility on Prairie View A&M's campus
• Review the component elements of PCI security and compliance, including PCI governance, training, effective communication and security

This session will conclude with time for Q & A and reflection.

Jeff Selingo, Best Selling Higher Ed Author and Speaker. Sponsored by ECSI

What changes are in store for higher education over the next decade? It’s a question being asked by college leaders, faculty members, policy makers, and of course, students and parents. Higher education is on the cusp of far-reaching changes over the next decade where technology is playing a larger role and students, parents and educators alike are asking what colleges should teach and how learning should be measured in an era of shifting needs in the economy. Presenter Jeff Selingo draws on research from his bestselling book, College (Un)Bound, and a follow-up report he authored for The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2016. The audience for this talk includes college leaders, faculty members, policymakers and administrators.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover the attributes of a new era of higher education, how it differs from the past and what it means for the future of colleges and universities
• Learn about the students of the next decade and hear about the demographic changes coming to campuses
• Hear about the numerous learning pathways that students might follow ten years from now and the credentials they’ll receive from that learning
• Understand the role technology will play and the value of the physical campus

John Bedard, Bedard Law Group

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, was created to enforce the federal consumer financial laws and to protect consumers. In May of 2019, the CFPB issued its Notice of Proposed Rule Making. Industry and consumer advocates alike submitted thousands of comments in response to the proposal. Now, we wait. And wait. And wait for the Bureau to sift through the comments, make adjustments to the proposal and issue a final rule for the debt collection industry.

To make matters even more intriguing, the CFPB’s enforcement capabilities are now in question with the U.S. Supreme Court case “Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”. The Justices have agreed to hear oral arguments on March 3, 2020 on whether the Bureau’s structure under Dodd-Frank is unconstitutional and, if yes, what remedy should be put in place.

Learning Objectives:

• Review proposed debt collection changes
• Discuss the impact of the proposed changes and adjustments on the debt collection industry
• Explore the U.S Supreme Court case “Seila Law LLC v CFPB”
• Examine the impact on the Higher Education industry and third party Debt Collection agencies

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q & A and time for reflection.

Charmaine Daniels, MoreHouse College; Laurie Beets, Oklahoma State University; Jan Hnilca, Trinity Christian College; Christina Cardinale, Manhattan College

Does your AR operation need an overhaul - or maybe just a few tweaks to streamline and improve? Well, this is the session for you! We will cover best practices for the AR life cycle from fee assessment, to writing off bad debt and everything in between. PDG's top talent come together to share their A/R best practices and department policies in our first ever A/R Panel forum.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how to develop a foundation for operational excellence
• Review strategies for organizing your team’s job tasks for maximum operational efficiency
• Understand basic policy decisions that impact AR

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Ryan Audus, Touchnet

Venmo … AliPay … WeChat … Apple Pay … Google Pay … are they apps or e-wallets? If you take payments can you also issue refunds in the same format? If you’re hearing unfamiliar names in the payment space or fielding questions about accepting new forms of payment, rest assured your not alone! Don't miss this session as we explore the new payment frontier; the plethora of payment options popping up in multipurpose apps and the opportunities and challenges for schools as they wrangle with looming security concerns.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore new payment options and forms for payment emerging as options for colleges and universities
• Review new mobile technology platforms and how they emply various payment options
• Consider security concerns with various payment options and technology and the appropriate safeguards availabke to address them

This session will conclude with time for reflection and a Q&A.

Midhat Asghar, PVAMU; Mary Frances Coryell, Ivy.ai; Julie Selander, University of Minnesota; David Glezerman, Temple University (Retired)

With technology evolving at dizzying speeds, is your campus prepared to keep pace with what some are calling the "4th Industrial Revolution"? The Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Chatbots, Machine Learning, Big Data and next generation CRMs are just the tip of the technology iceberg that will be showing up on campuses in the next few years -- if not already. Ready or not, campuses are in a race to adapt these technologies to better realize efficiencies, engage students and ensure both physical and cyber security.

This panel will focus on how we can leverage today's technology that specifically impacts integrated student services. Included in the discussion will be the latest trends in AI, chatbots, ERP capabilities and CRM software. How can campuses utilize these disruptive technologies now, and what is the impact of rapid change on the Higher Education landscape?

Sharon Butler, Flywire Payments Solution; Mark Lucas, IAE Global, Chair of AIRC

With the US Department of State officially supporting the use of education agents, more and more academic institutions are turning to third-party agents to aid international student enrollment. According to a recent Admission Trends Survey conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), a third of American college representations use commission-based agents and of those 75% consider them important to recruitment efforts.

Mark Lucas, the current chair of International Student Education Agent Association (ISEAA), will join Sharon Butler, Executive Vice President, Global Education at Flywire, to discuss best practices and ways US institutions can incorporate agents into an effective international recruitment strategy to retain and boost student enrollment.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine market trends highlighting the growing use of third-party agents within higher education
• Discover ways to more effectively drive international student recruitment strategies
• Explore best practices to help retain and increase international student enrollment

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Colin Winkler, ACA International

Whereas compliance is something you do, ethics is a philosophy that can guide your professional journey. In this session, we'll discuss principles of business ethics and apply them to the ARM industry while sharing opportunities to articulate the values and discuss the compliance programs that exist in your institution.

Topics include:

• Establishing and organizational code of conduct
• Ethics from the top down
• Ethics in promotion and retention
• ARM industry standards
• Policies and Procedures
• Ethical Risk Assessments
• Ethics in Vulnerable Consumer Situations

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the role of ethics in making decisions and taking actions related to AR and collections in higher ed
• Review industry standards, policies and procedures from the top down, and the impact applied ethics can have on staff and customers
• Consider the potential risks that a well crafted organizational code of conduct can mitigate

This session will conclude with time for reflection and a Q & A period.

Darla Freeborn, Whitworth University

Calling all Colleague schools! Do you have processes you need help with? Are you using processes you feel you have a really good handle on that you could share information about? Please join us to get answers to your questions and share what works well for you.

Learning Objectives

• Learn tips for successful processing of the new 1098T procedures
• Learn tricks for successfully navigating the new Colleague UI5

Julie Selander, University of Minnesota

Calling all PeopleSoft schools! Have you converted to PS 9.2? Love fluid? Not sure if you like fluid? Come teach, come learn, come network with other PeopleSoft users. Now is your chance to help your colleagues or learn from thems. Submit your questions or topics for discussion to:info@prodevmeetings.com.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how others are using PS delivered functionality
• Discuss the pros and cons of delivered functionality vs. modification
• Learn different options of data set-up in other CS modules and how it affects your processes

Phil Schuman and Brittany Hubbard, Indiana University

With the complexity of the cost of college, determining how much a student will have to pay for a college education can be incredibly frustrating. A collaboration through multiple offices, including the Bursar, at Indiana University has led to a student cost calculator that both helps families estimate the total cost of college and encourages behavior changes to lessen the cost. Learn the features of the calculator, how it maximizes user experience and how your institution can implement a similar initiative.

• To get attendees to discuss how they can improve student financial well-being by focusing on their technological capabilities
• Attendees will be able to devise ways to utilize technology effectively to help students make more informed financial decisions
• Attendees will identify how they can create a more engaging user experience for their students when providing financial education
• Review how an institution went from a standard tuition calculator to a tool that is reimagining how students prepare themselves for the cost of college, and how small decisions can add up to a brighter financial future

This session will conclude with a group discussion and Q and A session

Charmaine Daniels, Morehouse College

Are there processes in Banner that you need help with? Are you a Banner guru that can share information with the rest of us? Can you share in your experience with the new updates in version 9.0? Please join us to find answers to your questions and to share what you know.

Don Grauer and Andy Bracciano, Nelnet Campus Commerce

Come explore technology trends of the future with us — Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Augmented Reality and shifts in customer expectations. We’ll discuss trends affecting universities now and those poised to impact Higher Education in the next 5, 10 and 15 years. Hear from institutions who are incorporating future technology into their college campuses today.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the 4 technologies poised to change the future higher education landscape
• Examine how innovative institutions are integrating these technologies to enhance the student experience
• Consider how these technologies could transform your campus in the future

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Jan Hnilca, Trinity College; Maria Livosi, State University of New York

This session will update you on the recent regulatory changes in the Perkins Program, including the distribution of assets process and the Department’s recent requirement regarding the assignment of loans in default for more than two years; review the process for assignment and liquidation; discuss the new requirements for FISAP reporting; and provide an update on the advocacy efforts that COHEAO is engaged in, including a replacement for the Administrative Cost Allowance. This session will be interactive and engaging and include a group discussion.

Learning Objectives:

• Provide updated regulatory information and review the Perkins due diligence requirements to ensure your school is in compliance.
• Review the process for assignment and liquidation and how to determine which option is better option for your campus.
• Share the COHEAO advocacy efforts that are underway for a replacement for the Perkins administrative cost allowance.

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Kim Miller and Laurie Beets, OSU

This session offers an open discussion on how schools can creatively use Banner 9 for the collection process from internal collections to placement of accounts with collection agencies. An overview of internal collection processes will be presented to reduce the number of accounts sent to external collections.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss and review steps for internal collections
• Examine tools to reduce debt
• Engage in group discussion on utilizing Banner 9 for external collections

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Laura DiChiara, Salem State University; Laura Ericson, Chippewa Valley Technical College

Interacting with current college students and keeping their attention is becoming increasingly challenging. How do you capitalize on available technologies to continue keeping them informed after the burnout of recruitment? Not to mention, there are memes, GIFs, snaps, DMs, tweets—social media is so prevalent that the options available are becoming overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Hear how a one-stop student services manager and her team successfully use marketing and social media so students get the information they need, as they need it.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify current trends in social media and marketing for college students
• Discuss alternatives to maximize your own social media platforms
• Share resources for organizing, scheduling, and creating engaging social media content

This session will include an interactive game as a learning activity.

Michael Renyolds, Auburn University; Rick Dwyer, CampusLogic

Broadening the automation of core student financial service functions has changed the landscape at Auburn University. Automation now runs seamlessly, creating a 24-hour aid office. Auburn leverages cloud technology to streamline efficiency and create a better experience for staff and students in a secure, compliant, mobile environment. Learn how Auburn automates import and export of ISIRs, resolves verification and C codes, reviews SAP, creates dynamic financial aid offer webpages and more.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify opportunities for automation in your core student financial service functions
• Review the necessary technology and policy requirements to ensure that automation efforts do not result in breeches of security or compliance
• Review specific steps toward automation of common tasks and processes and the advantages automation confers

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Jarvis Gilmore, QSA, CISSP, Security Advisor, CampusGuard; Linda C. Combs, Director, University Business Office, James Madison University

Is PCI compliance the responsibility of Student Accounts or IT? The key to sustaining any program is engaging and communicating across campus. While the business office may have primary responsibility for reporting compliance to its acquiring bank, all of the technical controls are in the hands of information technology and security. This session will focus on where those two worlds meet, with emphasis on how to avoid easily identifiable pitfalls that can doom your project.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the disparate roles and shared goals of IT and Student Accounts in ensuring PCI Compliance
• Identify potential problems and conflicts that can detract from effectiveness and efficiency in moving toward a more compliant campus
• Consider ways to maximize communication, collaboration and teamwork across departments when working to improve compliance

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection.

Moderator: Maria Livolsi, State University of New York; Lori Hartung, TB&L; Karen Reddick, National Credit Management; Scott Medley, Reliant Capital

A discussion of the current concerns, trends and pending regulation in the third-party collections industry from our panel of experts. The first half of the session will start with the panelists discussing the top issues of the day and in the remaining time they will field questions from the audience.

Learning Objectives:

• A better understanding of why their third-party agency is asking for documents
• A general knowledge of the regulatory environment and pending FDCPA changes
• Develop an understanding of how the language in an institution's Student Financial Agreement is key to future collectability

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Cynthia Chandler, Transact

As students search for creative ways to fund their pursuits in higher education, understanding the trends in these methods becomes increasingly necessary to best serve your current and future students. Today, the fastest growing method that students are using to fund their education are 529 Savings Plans. Is your campus prepared to help students and parents understand how 529 Plans work, aspects of the plan that are state-specific and how to navigate their options? This session will help you get a jump on the process.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain and define Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code
• Identify the Federal and state advantages
• Investigate estate planning & gift-tax advantages
• Review trends and statistics in the use of 529 plan growth
• Compare and analyze the advantage of electronic acceptance and disbursements of 529 funds against other valid options

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q & A and time for reflection.

Laurie Beets Oklahoma State University

This session provides a forum to discuss hot emerging business topics with peers.

Learning Objectives

• In this session you will take away the latest trends in the Student Accounts Office
• Take away cutting edge solutions that schools have implemented

Laura DiChiara, Salem State University; Laura Ericson, Chippewa Valley Technical College

Student recruitment efforts require substantial institutional expenditures. In fact, recent research shows that it costs 3-5 times as much to recruit a new student than it does to retain an already enrolled one. With recruitment becoming more and more challenging, why do we so frequently let our current students slip through the cracks? In this session, two colleges will discuss their retention efforts related to student finances, including new student orientation, financial coaching and proactive student outreach initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

• Review current issues in student retention
• Highlight examples of engaging and retaining students related to financial initiatives
• Generate ideas for creating similar programming at your own institution

This session will include polling questions as a learning activity.

Garry Clement, Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Proceeds of Crime Program; Arif Harji, PayMytuition

With enrollments from international students on the rise, tuition payments from these students represent a significant source of overall revenue. But accepting these payments can become problematic, opening the possibility of your institution being a conduit for money laundering. Learn what you can do verify fund sourcing, check background details and assess geographic risk – and how payment processors can help you avoid bad actors and dirty money. Ensure that you are using all of the available tools to keep your institution in the black and out of the headlines.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess the potential risk exposure for money laundering and bad actors to higher education institutions when accepting international payments
• Explore strategies for verifying cash payments relative to source of funds, checking individual and/or third-party payee background and undertaking a geographic risk assessment
• Assess the capabilities of international payment processors to help remove the risk of money laundering by conducting effective customer due diligence, identifying suspicious activity, ascertaining the genesis of the money and identifying source of funds

This session will conclude with a Q&A and time for reflection.

Moderator: Christina Cardinale, Manhattan College; Jim McCarthy, Conserve; Robert Perrin, Williams and Fudge; Colin Winkler, ACA International

Understand the importance the new Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM).

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q&A and time for reflection.

Michael Reynolds, Auburn University; Derrek Shy, GradGuard

The rapid increase in withdrawls due to student medical conditions has also increased the financial risk to academic institutions and the students they serve. This session will showcase innovative approaches by schools to disclose their refund policies to each student, verify compliance with Department of Education guidelines and HIPAA and reduce the costs of medical withdrawals to their institutions and the students they serve by providing students an active choice to enroll in new forms of tuition insurance protection.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the cost to your institution of your existing student medical withdrawal policy and the impact on college completion rates
• Identify the impact of your existing medical withdrawal policy on completion rates
• Analyze the potential lost institutional income of those students that complete a medical withdrawal, but who do not return or fail to complete their education
• Explore how to design and implement a tuition insurance program to promote greater student success while reducing the financial losses caused by medical withdrawals
• Develop a processes to fulfill the requirement to disclose the institution’s refund policy while also verifying that each student has been provided “notice” of the institution's policy

This session will conclude with Q&A and time for reflection

Laura DiChiara, Salem State University; Laura Ericson, Chippewa Valley Technical College

In this day and age of integrated student support services, it is more important than ever that departments have positive, collaborative relationships and healthy lines of communication. Learn from two one stop directors who have built their departments from the ground up and navigated the advantages and challenges of having integrated support services. We’ll review our communication plans, department meeting models, training initiatives and discuss the benefits of working collaboratively as a unified front to best serve our students.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize challenges of working in silos
• Identify opportunities for collaboration between departments
• Review departmental communication and training plans

This session will include a group discussion as a learning activity.

David Glezerman, Temple University (Retired); Mary Francis Coryell, Ivy.ai

Are you driven to continuously improve service delivery to current and prospective students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders? Simultaneously, do you seek to improve the operating efficiency of your units, reducing costs and re-deploying human assets to more accretive activities? If yes is the answer to both, then you maybe surprised to learn how AI can impact both of these objectives. If your job is to improving online presence, triaging customer service requests, extending the hours of operations and enhancing the overall quality of services and experience then this is the presentation for you.

Learning Objectives:

• Define AI and chatbot services
• Describe what good customer service in Higher Education is
• Assess pain points and the root causes of poor customer support
• Propose methods of AI technology improving outcomes
• Explore how AI can be applied to impact your University’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Student Services

This presentation will conclude with a time for reflection and a Q&A period.

Phil Schuman and Brittany Hubbard, Indiana University

Indiana University (IU) Bursar Brittany Hubbard had a singular goal in mind for their program: to bring their manual standard term and past due payment processes into a 21st century automated system. Partnering with Nelnet Campus Commerce, they were able to put a strategic plan in motion which resulted in a system that eliminated 99.9% of IU's manual processes. This collaboration has allowed Indiana University to process nearly $1 million from past-due accounts, improve their customer service, increase student satisfaction, and restructure the teams workload.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore Indiana University’s experience and see how automated Payment Plans can support your institutions goals
• Review past due payment plans with configurable payment terms that meet students’ unique financial circumstances
• Analyze a proactive automated payment plan's impact on student accounts needing to go to collections and the potential collection agency fees reduced
• Highlight the integration process that works the solution into your existing ERP

This presentation will conclude with a time for reflection and a Q & A period.

Lori Hartung TB&L; Jan Hnilca, Trinity College

To mitigate the risk of class action or individual law suits, schools must have a Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA) in place advising students about collection costs and how they are assessed onto their account and “Agreed to” by the student before or when the debt was incurred, otherwise known as the point of registration.

This session will show how to develop and implement an effective FRA and explain how an FRA can protect the institution from potential bankruptcy discharge and ensure compliance with FDCPA, TCPA, Higher Education Act and Internal Revenue Code.

Learning Objectives:

• How to implement an FRA
• Identify the items and language to be included in a FRA
• Learn the potential areas of institution liability

Topics to Address:

• Terms of Agreement
• Electronic Consent & TCPA
• Default & Collection Fees
• Choice of Law

This presentation will conclude with a time for reflection and a Q & A period.

Christina Cardinale, Manhattan College

Do you experience stress in your office? The answer should be yes if your performing your job at a high level. For most of us the tricky part is managing the stress. Stress may give us our drive to succeed, but without the proper management it can also be our demise. Come to this session to share the common types of stress we face in the student accounts office and how each of us manage that stress.

Learning Objectives:

• Define and explore the kinds of stress that are both good and bad
• Review strategies for coping with specific triggers
• Share situational stories and how they were managed to alleviate the stress

This session will conclude in group discussion, Q & A and time for reflection.

Dr. Richard Robitaille, United States Military Academy at West Point

This presentation discusses the major roles and responsibilities in building and operating a highly effective Veterans Affairs Office at a college or university. Breaking down and explaining each role in terms of strategic, tactical and operational functions to support the student veteran population, community service endeavors, governmental support and building close connections with nonprofit organizations, groups and programs. An effective Veterans Affairs Office is highly dynamic across many levels of institutional support, student support and community support and serves a vital function to the overall effectiveness of the Higher Education Institution as a whole.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the roles and responsibilities that must be fulfilled within a Veterans Affair Office in order to operate in a highly effective and productive capacity
• Examine the relationships with student veteran populatins, community service organizations and non-profits which are essential to the office's success
• Review strategies for building support across campus, the student popolation and the community

This presentation will conclude with a time for reflection and a Q&A period.

Laura DiChiara, Salem State University; Laura Ericson, Chippewa Valley Technical College; Julie Selander, University of Minnesota; Phil Schuman, Indiana University

Integrated student services, also known as the “one stop shop” model, streamlines business practices and service delivery, and can simplify the lives of students, faculty and staff alike. This facilitated panel session will highlight one stop shop models from four higher education institutions. Discussion will focus on how integrating student services can improve efficiency, customer service, and retention outcomes for students.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify what physical, organizational, and virtual integration means in a student services organization
• Understand various approaches and critical success factors that impact integrating student services in higher education
• Facililate sharing with the group to discuss current projects planned, implemented and post lessions learned

Time will be provided for participants for reflection and to ask questions of panel members.

Charmaine Daniels, Morehouse College

Reconciliation is a part of the DNA of the Student Accounts Office. The reconciliation processes however has had to evolve alongside our changing payments systems and processes making the subject a least favorite among our peers. From AR to the GL, refunds, third party payments systems, ect....the data to be reconciled can become overwhelming. Join us in this session for an overview of some of the fundamentals of student accounts reconciliation, a review on best practices and take a look at efficiency tricks in this challenging part of our jobs.

Learning Objectives:

• Provide an overview of reconciliation fundamentals
• Review best practices of reconciliation
• Compare and investigate reconciliation efficiency tips and tricks

This presentation will conclude with a time for reflection and a Q & A period.