Susan Voigt
This fall semester proved to be an interesting opportunity for the business office and our students with the launch of the new system for processing and distributing refunds and disbursements through the DCCCD Money Card and Higher One partnership. Students are now offered more options for getting their money in a timely manner.
The decision to place a table in the Student Services Center’s main lobby demonstrates the Business Office’s commitment to meeting the challenge and providing “WOW” customer service. Yes, we came out from behind a locked door and glass windows for an added personal touch. Amber Howell, cashier, manned the table and phone for three weeks, putting in more than 105 man hours and making more than 375 personal contacts. She answered questions from students and employees, helped students update addresses and assisted in the activation of the cards. When she wasn’t handling money card transactions, she assisted students looking for answers to questions such as “Where do I apply for financial aid?”, “Where do I drop off or get transcripts?” and “Where do I sign up for CE classes?” Amber Howell is the college's contact for Higher One and DCCCD Money Card questions. Feel free to contact her at 972-860-4369 and/or refer a student to her for help.
Let me offer Kudos to the rest of staff who played a vital role in the success of this initiative. The table design came from Christi Lind (and her sister). Cashier coverage was handled by Mary Smith, Deanie Martin, Roman Howell and Dawn Wagle. Phone coverage was picked up by Sam Zaragoza, Pete Hecke, Steve Hughes and Barbara Neal. We also got referrals from financial aid, admissions, advising and the Multicultural Center and budget support from George Herring.
This proved to be a successful initiative, and we look forward to providing it again in the future. I invite you to join me in thanking the staff for their efforts in assisting our students.
