LSA Call Training

Presented by Midwest Deans

What is LSA Call Training?

• Deans Coaching Support

• LSA Mission Readiness

Dean’s Coaching Support

Dean’s Coaching Support (ACD & RACD)

• Deans coaching Deans• Gaining input on how to coach our LSA• Evaluate Call (Done Weekly)• Deans Round Table (Done Weekly)• Future Development • Call Library

• Learning Calls • Calls of Excellence

LSA Mission Readiness

5 Sections of Training

5 Sections of LSA Mission Readiness

• Understanding our Population of Adult Learners

• Familiarization of Resources • Being Prepared TEAMS Utilization • Training with Deeper Issues• Taking LSA Outreach to the Next Level

Section I: Understanding Adult Learners

What will LSA know at the end of Section I?• Who are Adult Learners?• What’s new with Adult learners in higher education?• Characteristics of Adult Learners over the last 30 years?• What has changed over the last 30 years?• Five Principles of Teaching Adults by Deb Peterson• Retention of Adult Learners• Only two circumstances under which we should consider an

adult learner not retained. • What Will Drive Future Change?• What Will Drive LSA Future Success?

Section I: Understanding Adult Learners

Implementation• Awareness of the LSA• Understanding the History of Adult Learners• LSA Best Practices Call

Section I: Understanding Adult Learners

Although for many in academia, the word “customer” is almost an obscenity when referring to a student. Customer satisfaction is the key to attracting and retaining adult learners. “Customer” is exactly how adult learners think of themselves. They hold our institutions of higher education accountable for providing paid-for results and educational experiences that make a difference in their lives.

Hadfield, J. (2003)

Section II: Familiarization of Resources

Tools LSA from Resources• Help LSA on familiarization with menus within “My NAU”• Practice with LSA on course sequencing with status sheets• Update LSA procedures manual published in Midwest

Section• Encourage LSA to memorize general education course codes

and keep a current binder at work desk with status sheets

Section II: Familiarization of Resources

Tools for LSA to reach out to students• Assist LSA to be the POC for students seeking

employment, daycare, & community fitness centers• Prepare the LSA to assist students needing help on

research within the NAU virtual library on a PC• Guide the LSA on access to master syllabi that

enable student to find the book ISBN numbers• Train the LSA on transition to other office team such

as the FSR

Section III: Be Prepared & TEAMS

Purpose: Being prepared is an essential activity for Learner Services Advisors. Preparedness helps

advisors remain in control of the call and allows for quick and efficient service to our students. The following are some short steps to ensure we are

able to answer questions effectively.

CampusVue

• Pull student up in CampusVue• Review the enrollment tab including active

program, GPA and current completion rate• Review attendance and identify any

attendance issues• Review all notes including academic advising,

SAP and ROCKET

Folder

• Find paper folder • Review status sheet• Review notes in file• If during registration, have they registered for

next quarter?

TEAMS 2.0

• Pull student up in TEAMS 2.0• Review academic performance in all classes– Are they doing consistently well? Consistently poor? Or,

is there a discrepancy in their classes? If they are performing well in one class but not others? Can you determine why?

• Check to see if there are ungraded assignments that could be impacting the grade

• Review instructor feedback to students– If they’re doing well, congratulate them!

Keys to a Successful Call

• Anticipate questions• Remain professional at all times• Empathize with the situation but remain

objective and allow the students to make their own decisions

• Role Play

Role Play

• Scenario 1 – A student just received his graduation report in

the mail. The report notes one of his current classes as “excess”. He calls his LSA to find out what “excess” means. He is a cash pay student.

Section IV: Gaining A Deeper Understanding

Resources: Feldman, R.S. (2011). Power Learning: Strategies for success in college and life, 5th edition. McGraw Hill: New York, NY.

Topics for discussion:• Challenges Facing Native American Students• Challenges Facing Military Students• Extreme Financial Hardships• Unmotivated Students• Time Management• Stress Management• Loss / Lack of Support System• Other_______________

LSA/Deans choose topic from list, or select another topic, find 2-3 relevant resources for reading, and share their findings with the group.

Section IV: Keeping your stress at a simmer, not a boil

1. Explore psychological and social factors that influence health.Knowledge and skills leading to mastery of this competency:

a. Describe the nature of stress and how stress affects physiological and psychological systems.

• As a group list stressors in your life.• Discuss the effects that stress has on you physically and psychologically.• List and discuss how you handle stressors. • Differentiate between healthy and unhealthy stressors.• Describe how you could recognize stress and help other people deal with

stress.

Section V: Taking LSA Outreach to the Next Level

4 Sections • Section 1: 6 Steps of Overcoming Objections• Section 2: Obstacle & Solutions• Section 3: Role Play• Section 4: Call Coaching

Section II:Con’t.

Section 1: 6 Steps to Overcoming Objections• A Discussion will be done on student advisor relationships and how

to create one. • The LSAs will also begin to identify important probing questions

and utilize them.

• The first is focusing on the objection tools we already have and using the 6 steps to overcoming objections.

• During this training, The LSAs create a note card with the 6 steps of overcoming objections to keep readily available at their desk. In addition, they would put what each one means in their own words.

Section II: Con’t.

Section 2: Obstacles & Solutions• We would want to as Deans on the LSA Best Practice Forum, Develop

a list of potential objections/obstacles or the most common. Then we would have the LSAs find possible solutions. Once this is completed, we will type up and distribute to the LSAs. This would be a great tool for LSAs to have multiple options for students and allow them to be more prepared on the phone. This is a documents which can be placed in their binder or hang on their desk.

Section II: Con’t

Section 3: Role Play• Role play scenarios will be created for a variety of different situations. You

will see two listed for each scenario. One will be for the LSA and then one will be for the “student”. These calls could be done LSA to LSA so they can be recorded and reviewed for areas of success and areas of improvement.

Section 4: Call Coaching• The LSA will listen to the calls weekly & role play and evaluate their calls based

on the 6 step criteria which you can see at the top of page one. The call grid at the bottom of page 1 will be enlarged so the LSA can take notes once this section is approved.

• In addition, this will be a helpful tool since the Dean’s can use this same piece to

prepare for coaching of the LSAs to identify areas of improvement and strength in the calls.

Academic Dean Credits

• Asante Moody, MAM– Bellevue• Larry Lettau, MBA– Ellsworth• Gale Fosland, MBA– Rapid City• Tasha Almond, PhD.– Sioux Falls• Nicole Wilson, MPA– Sioux Falls• Tracy Ronke, MS –Watertown• Lindy Kralicek, MSL– Midwest Regional

Academic & Learner Services Dean