Customer Service, Confidentiality and Security

1. Customer Service, Confidentiality and Security EASFAA 2009 Allene Begley Curto Springfield College – School of Human Services

2. The Customer Service Agenda • What is Good Customer Service? • What are the rules that we must follow to protect and inform students? • What are all the types of communication that we use for customer service? • How do we use the rules to improve communication and customer service and not hinder either?

3. What is Good Customer Service? • Provides accurate and helpful information in a timely manner • Minimizes the amount of time that the student must spend to follow up • Reinforces the sense of “team” supporting the student • Reassures and warns

4. Confidentiality and Security • Who has a right to know what? • How do we limit access to those who have a right to know? • What policies, procedures and practices will protect our students? • Maintaining confidentiality and protecting security of information is essential to good customer service!

5. What are the Rules? • FERPA • FTC Red Flag Rules • Gramm-Leach-Bliley • HIPPA • Federal Student Aid Consumer Information • Uncommon Sense

6. FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act • Protects the privacy of student education records • Gives the student the right to inspect records but we do not usually have to make copies • Gives the student the right to request a correction or place a statement in the record • Requires us to have written permission to release information

7. Without Consent to: Necessary School Officials Other schools to which student is transferring Auditors Financial Aid Judicial order, subpoenas Health, safety Directory Information: Defined by the School Name Address Telephone number Date and place of birth Honors and awards Dates of attendance What Can We Release to Whom?

8. Releasing Information • Directory Information may be released – we are not required to release unless judicial order or subpoena, federal audit, etc. • Student may “opt out” of release of directory information. No release unless one of the required exemptions! • Directory information can still compromise student’s security and confidentiality!

9. Security of Financial Information • The Financial Services Act (Gramm-Leach-Bliley) requires policies for handling and protecting financial data • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires us to have an information security program

10. Federal Trade Commission • Information Security • Identity Theft Prevention Programs (Red Flag Rules) • Must provide for the identification, detection and response to patterns, practices, or specific activities that could indicate identity theft • Must be in place by August 1, 2009 • Required for schools that participate in Perkins or offer institutional loans or payment plans

11. Privacy of medical records (HIPPA) • Medical records are protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) • Medical Records are not usually part of the educational record. FAO does not usually keep medical records but sometimes…….. • Disability services • Loans discharged due to disability • Once a medical record becomes part of the educational record, it is covered under FERPA.

12. What Are We Required to Communicate? • Federal Student Aid Consumer Information • Missing persons procedures • Textbook Information • College Costs and Transparency • The Clery Act (Campus Crime Reports) • Solomon Amendment (Information to the military)

13. Communication and Service While Meeting All The Rules How do we serve the student and protect their information and communicate effectively with: • The Student? • The Family? • Other Agencies assisting the family? • Other Departments at the School?

14. Is All of Our Communication • Effective? • Timely? • Secure? • Pleasant? • Professional?

15. Types of Communication • E-mails • Letters • Phone Calls • Statements of Account • Appointments/Walk-ins • Orientations/Info Sessions • Publications • Web Site

16. E-mail • An e-mail is always unsecured! No SSNs, minimal confidential information • To whom is it sent? Are they authorized to have that information? Is it the correct person? • You are also sending that e-mail to anyone and everyone to whom one of the recipients decides to forward it!

17. E-mail (cont.) • E-mails are easily misunderstood • E-mails are easily ignored • E-mails are easily forwarded (with or without changes!) • E-mails are almost impossible to “take back”! • In some states, certain information is illegal to include in an e-mail!

18. Letters • Correct Name? Correct Address? • Correct spelling and grammar? • Tone of the letter? • Concise but with full and accurate information? • Frequency?

19. Phone Calls • Identify yourself • Identify and authenticate the person with whom you are speaking • Be prepared to deal with stress • Refer or follow up when it can’t be resolved on the phone • Know to whom they should be referred! • Practice tone/responses • Timely Responses

20. Statements of Account • Students are confused by the statements! • Become familiar enough with statements to explain or clarify to student • Use Info Sessions and Orientations to explain or clarify the statements • Know when they are being sent. Expect additional calls and questions!

21. Appointments/Walk-ins • Let students know when they can “walk in” and when they can set an appointment • Make sure they are referred to the correct person • Be prepared when they have an appointment • Contact student with changes • Follow up on “no shows” • What is discussed at “the counter”? Is it confidential?

22. Orientation/Info Sessions • Fine tune your presentation • Prepare for Q&A • Have handouts available • Is the information accurate and up to date? • Always remember we are all ambassadors!

23. Publications • Up to date and accurate information • No conflicting information in different publications • Clear and easily referenced • Available to students

24. Tips • Customer Service is a TEAM sport! • Remember that the student is under stress! • Remember that you may also be under stress! • Let others (Office mates? Supervisor? Other Departments?) know what you need to be able to respond in the way that you would like

25. Resources – Web Sites • ED www.ifap.ed.gov • FTC www.ftc.gov • NACUBO http://www.nacubo.org/Initiatives/FTC_Red_Flags_Rule.html • NASFAA www.nasfaa.org • AACRAO on-line FERPA Guide http://www.aacrao.org/ferpa_guide/enhanced/main_frameset.html EduCause (sample programs for Red Flag) • http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/IDTheftRedFlags/34457

26. Resources – Publications ED • Save Your Money, Save Your Identity • Balancing Student Privacy and School Safety FTC • Protecting Personal Information, A Guide for Business • Fighting Fraud With the Red Flags Rule AACRAO • Solomon Amendment Brochure

27. Questions? Allene Begley Curto Associate Director of Financial Aid Springfield College – School of Human Services acurto@spfldcol.edu