2023 Student Financial Services Conference Online

8–9 am ET

Today’s payments landscape is rapidly changing. There are over 200 alternative payment methods globally and most are designed to move payments “faster,” which we know does not always mean practical, safer, or more efficient. So, what does “faster” really mean? This session will share insights on consumer adoption trends and what higher education needs to know about alternative payments. We’ve all heard of Zelle, Apple Pay, Venmo, and cryptocurrency, just to name a few. What are the leading faster payment methods? How do they compare to each other and to traditional payments like check, wire transfer, and ACH? Can they be accepted from both domestic and international payers? Are they safe? Are they regulated? Can they be integrated into your existing in-house and vendor provided systems? This session lays out the fundamentals of alternative and faster payments and provides insight into developing a payments strategy.

Speaker

• Tina Shanks, director, student account services, University of Kentucky
• Ruth Harpool, payment services advisor, CampusGuard

10–11 am ET

• Amelia Campos, assistant director, student business services, Texas A&M University
• Peggy L. Carey, director, student business services, Texas A&M University
• Ivan Matip, communications manager, student business services, Texas A&M University

11:15 am–12:15 pm ET

• Chris Foster, assistant vice president, student accounting, University of North Texas
• Renee McBride, director, student accounts, University of North Texas

11:15 am–12:15 pm ET

The use of data and analytics across higher education is on the rise and discussions around diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the forefront of today's conversations. There are myriad reasons to analyze data with a DEI lens—but what does it look like? In this session, we will explore key questions and principles to consider as you build or enhance your data strategy. Come ready to reflect on your data use and identify opportunities to effectively leverage data with DEI in mind.

Speakers

• Jackie Agustin, manager, analytics and research, NACUBO
• Karen Jones, bursar, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

1:30–2:45 pm ET

What is on the regulatory agenda at the United States Department of Education? How might those policies impact bursar operations, student success, and completion? Hear an update from the United States Department of Education’s Rich Williams, who will share the latest from ED. NACUBO’s Liz Clark will then sit down with Rich to continue the conversation on some of the issues on top of business officers’ minds. Come ready with questions for Rich and Liz—this session is expected to be highly interactive.

Speakers

• Rich Williams, chief of staff, office of postsecondary education, U.S. Department of Education
• Liz Clark, vice president, policy and research, NACUBO

3:15–4:15 pm ET

In planning for a one stop service model, one institution had to quickly adjust its priorities when given a two-year timeline to complete their physical space. The team then began a journey of constant process improvement to drive effective student-focused change by challenging a decentralized model, understanding the complexities of a legacy environment, working with limited resources, and assessing the efficacy of current practices and policies. During this session, presenters will highlight the student-centered approach, situated in a process improvement framework, that led to enhancements in virtual and self-service options. They’ll also outline the theoretical underpinnings of the process improvement framework. Attendees will leave with the ability to adapt these strategies to meet the needs of their unique campuses, further bolster the student experience, enhance self-service options, and drive student success outcomes.

• Deepa Bhalla, assistant vice chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick
• Jay Stefanelli, director, one stop student services center, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

3:15–4:15 pm ET

Student debt is the second-highest consumer debt category after mortgages, totaling $1.7 trillion for 47.9 million Americans, with 95 percent holding federal loans. Over the last decade, the number of people with student loans has increased on average by 1 million annually. Programs like Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness provide debt relief to those choosing a career path that has a meaningful impact—like teachers and nurses. Hear how you can help students entering the workforce find a career path that helps them gain valuable experience while eliminating debt to achieve financial success by partnering with your Human Resources offices.

Speakers

• Jared Aupperle, assistant vice president for HR support and services, University of Delaware
• Adam Murphy, managing director, advice solutions, TIAA
• Aaron Smith, co-founder, Savi Solutions, PBC

4:30–5:30 pm ET

We face the daily challenge of explaining to students and families why payments are due, regardless of whether they dropped out, failed their classes, or disliked their instructors. This session’s presenters will share how they have the necessary conversation with students and families, sometimes with tough love, regarding finances. They’ll share the university’s Top 10 expressions of good customer service, along with a discussion on the how the institution differentiates between high-touch customer services and streamlining the communication medium, all while maintaining the elite service for which they are known.

• Mary A. Dwyer, assistant director of student financial services, Lynn University
• Jana Werksman, student financial services specialist, Lynn University

4:30–5:30 pm ET

Simply put, colleges would not exist without students. All the best financial practices, business operations, and collaborations cease to be applicable if students are not kept at the forefront when planning and executing financial services. This presentation will weave together new, original research, conducted by the presenter, with an overview of trends within American higher education that are likely to affect the way business officers carry out their operations. As students and their concerns and expectations evolve, so must the way we serve this ever-changing population.

•  Christine Simone, director, leadership development, NACUBO

9:45–11 am ET

Students with stranded credits, new laws and policies governing use of transcript holds, and the need to balance enrollment and revenue goals with customer satisfaction are among the issues creating changes in how institutions must look at billing and collecting for their student accounts receivables. Factor in a changing workplace with both student and workforce needs along with new laws and regulations adding layers of institutional requirements, and debt collections take on a new look and feel. Hear from industry experts about those trends and solutions that require your immediate attention, as well as how to construct new business models that will facilitate necessary changes with minimal friction. This presentation will dive into the newest legal constraints as well as alternatives to still make sure the student is not incurring overwhelming debt to finance their education while ensuring institutions have sustainable financial models.

• DeAhn Baucom, university cashier, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Christine Blakney, senior managing director, Texas Tech University
• Joe Weglarz, executive director, student financial services, Marist College
• David R. Glezerman, managing partner, The DRG Group, LLC
• James Jones, executive vice president, Reliant Capital Solutions

9:45–11 am ET

Withholding transcripts due to an unpaid balance has been a long-held, widespread practice among colleges and universities. While many institutions argue for its effectiveness in collecting past due balances, national attention is challenging that notion. This session will cover state and federal laws, regulations, guidance, and institutional policies related to transcript and diploma holds for outstanding financial debts owed to the institution. You will also hear how one institution leveraged data to examine the unintended impact of its transcript withholding policy on certain student populations and how the school ultimately ended the practice.

• Megan Casey, director, bursar operations, Johnson County Community College
• Jacqui Gatlin, bursar, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus
• Karen Reddick, vice president-business development, National Credit Management

11:15 am–12:15 pm ET

In the bursar’s office, it can sometimes be easy to be focused on tasks, challenges, and the here-and-now so that staff may lose focus on their college or university’s mission and how their work fits in to the institution’s strategic goals. Working together, higher education leaders at all levels in all departments can help an institution move towards its vision. Hear perspectives from one college president on how business officers fit into these conversations. The transformational changes faced by colleges and universities will be covered as he draws upon personal experience to emphasize how to stay true to mission in turbulent times and beyond.

• Dr. Donald Generals, president, Community College of Philadelphia