2008 Woodie Awards
Students reflect on OSA progressions
Guerdley Cajus
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: News
Plans for department improvements are scheduled to occur within the Office of Student Assistance (OSA) for the 2008 - 2009 academic school year. OSA, which includes student accounts and registrar services, has is promising to "make sure students always have someone to turn to," according to President Stephen J. Friedman in a March interview with The Press. Yet, continuously regarded as incompetent and unorganized by unsatisfied students, many believe OSA has yet to live up to aspirations.
"Different departments aren't communicating and it seems really disorganized. You go there to handle something and then you're told to go to a bunch of other ones just to end up at OSA again to sign some paper," sophomore political science major David Perry said. "But other than that, I really don't mind them. They do their job; it's just disorganization that's the big thing," Perry said.
Sharing similar views of the department's disorganization is sophomore film studies student Lindsey Friedberg, who said, "I had a balance on my account and was never billed about it. I finally found out a week before my move-in date, and had to find a way to come up with the difference. This was a shock to me because other times I feel like they're pretty helpful and that one incident was a horrible experience."
In an effort to improve the quality of student service, recent adjustments have been made to OSA. Tracking of transcript requests has been implemented to foresee and help overturn student transfer rates. A stronger emphasis on management of student financial difficulties has been placed into effect, and OSA counselors have been made available to discuss personal financial struggles.
In addition to the new improvements incorporated under Friedman's direction, student records are stored in electronic formats to avoid past mishaps, such as lost immunization records, when OSA operated on the Banner System.
Despite the administrative improvements, detailed in the University's announcement this February, some students believe OSA's improvements are ineffective. They believe the main problem lies in the poor attitude of personnel.
"Different departments aren't communicating and it seems really disorganized. You go there to handle something and then you're told to go to a bunch of other ones just to end up at OSA again to sign some paper," sophomore political science major David Perry said. "But other than that, I really don't mind them. They do their job; it's just disorganization that's the big thing," Perry said.
Sharing similar views of the department's disorganization is sophomore film studies student Lindsey Friedberg, who said, "I had a balance on my account and was never billed about it. I finally found out a week before my move-in date, and had to find a way to come up with the difference. This was a shock to me because other times I feel like they're pretty helpful and that one incident was a horrible experience."
In an effort to improve the quality of student service, recent adjustments have been made to OSA. Tracking of transcript requests has been implemented to foresee and help overturn student transfer rates. A stronger emphasis on management of student financial difficulties has been placed into effect, and OSA counselors have been made available to discuss personal financial struggles.
In addition to the new improvements incorporated under Friedman's direction, student records are stored in electronic formats to avoid past mishaps, such as lost immunization records, when OSA operated on the Banner System.
Despite the administrative improvements, detailed in the University's announcement this February, some students believe OSA's improvements are ineffective. They believe the main problem lies in the poor attitude of personnel.
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