One-Stop Shop for Student Services Pays ‘Phenomenal Dividends’

Creating a “one-stop shop” for student services on the 11-acre campus of the Interdenominational Theological Center has benefited students in more ways than one.

• The “one-stop shop” makes it easier for students to access everything they need in one place. Scheduling and advising used to be located at the top of a hill, and financial aid and work-study used to be located at the bottom.
• The move allows for greater collaboration among the departments that deliver the services.
• Enrollment-management and marketing teams now meet monthly, so everyone involved with serving ITC students talks regularly to resolve issues and plan initiatives. One result of this regular contact is a brochure produced jointly by the recruitment and admissions offices detailing the scholarships available to ITC students.
• The admissions staff, provost’s office and various denominations all coordinate the school’s student-retention efforts. If a student doesn’t return after a semester, the student receives calls from all three areas with offers of assistance.

“Our retention has gone up as a result of this personal care,” says ITC President Michael Battle, who championed the “one-stop shop” idea and made it part of the school’s strategic plan.

“We have one student who is an assistant state’s attorney, and he didn’t return for the second semester because of an extremely heavy caseload,” says Battle. “He was so impressed that someone called to find out why he didn’t come back that is he returning this fall. Before, nobody would have known why he wasn’t returning.”

ITC is located in Atlanta and is adjacent to the other five member institutions that make up the Atlanta University Center: Morehouse, Spelman and Morris Brown colleges and Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse School of Medicine.

After attending a USA Funds^® symposium that focused on student-retention efforts, Battle began work to create the “one-stop shop.” The “shop” opened in August 2005 and includes offices for scheduling, advising, general financial aid, work-study, the registrar, enrollment management, recruiting, student affairs and the provost.

Battle says he’s had extremely positive feedback from students, staff and board members. “This shows in a big way how we’re a student-centered institution,” he says.

All of ITC’s 498 students are graduate students, with many of them pursuing a three-year master’s program or a four-year dual master’s program of study. Most students are older than 30 and juggle established pastoral duties or other careers along with their studies and family obligations.

By consolidating all student services into one location, Battle says, ITC has been able to enhance the offices and add computers for students to use while they wait to see staff members.

In addition, all “one-stop shop” staff members share common conference rooms, break rooms and offices. “They are sharing formally and informally — it’s brought about much greater conversation among the staff,” he says. “The knowledge gained has paid phenomenal dividends.”