Procedure Details
Procedure Title: Ethics Training for Communication with Prospective Students
Procedure #: SA.004
Revision #: 000
Unit Responsible: Student Affairs
Individual Responsible: Associate Dean of Strategic Enrollment Management
Effective Date: 11/10/2023
Initial Approval Date: 11/10/2023
Last Review/Update Date: 11/10/2023
Next Review Date: 11/01/2026
*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 4.070 – Ethics and Standards of Conduct for Employees
Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page
*Does this procedure support HLC criteria? Yes
If yes, identify: 2A, 2B; Assumed Practice A2
HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria
*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? Yes
If yes, identify: Title 34 – Education: 34 CFR §§668.14 and 668.82
*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.
Ethics Training for Communication with Prospective Students, BP 4.070
1. Purpose
To ensure that College personnel act with integrity while participating in recruiting, admissions, marketing, financial aid advising, and other direct communications with prospective and current students, in accordance with the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) Criteria for Accreditation, Assumed Practices, and Federal Compliance guidelines.
2. Scope
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) applies to members of Student Affairs, Financial Aid, Marketing, and any other personnel engaged in direct communications with prospective students prior to their matriculation, as well as with current students.
3. Prerequisites
The HLC Federal Compliance Filing by Institutions form and procedures are subject to change, with changes going into effect on September 1st of any given calendar year.
4. Responsibilities
Associate Dean of Strategic Enrollment Management – responsible for ensuring that Student Affairs personnel adhere to this SOP.
Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) – responsible for informing the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) of HLC expectations with regard to Federal Compliance.
Senior Director of Financial Aid & Title IV – responsible for ensuring that Financial Aid personnel adhere to this SOP.
Director of Marketing – responsible for ensuring that marketing personnel adhere to this SOP.
Deans or designee – responsible for ensuring that appropriate personnel adhere to this SOP.
5. Procedure
- The ALO will routinely monitor HLC communications regarding expectations for the ethical conduct of individuals engaged in direct communication with prospective students prior to their matriculation.
- Lansing Community College (LCC) will require all newly hired personnel who engage in direct communication with students from Student Affairs, Financial Aid, and Marketing to be trained on the Code of Conduct for Admission Professionals within the first 30 days of onboarding or before participating in a program or event working with prospective students.
- Training will be assigned by the Human Resources department to appropriate staff member profiles and completed using modular training through the Talent Management System (TMS).
- Notifications regarding the assignment of the training and due date will be sent directly to the employee’s assigned email.
- Additional reminder emails to complete the training will be sent via TMS to the employee, with the respective supervisor copied to ensure timely completion.
- Timely completion of the Code of Conduct for Admission Professionals Training will be monitored by the respective divisional leader as outlined in section (4) Responsibilities, using the Talent Management System.
- The Code of Conduct for Admission Professionals Training must be completed prior to the employee having unsupervised, direct communication with perspective students.
- Annually, LCC will require all personnel covered by this SOP to refresh their understanding of the Code of Conduct for Admission Professionals. The refresher training will be completed through the modular training distributed through the Talent Management System (TMS).
- Notifications regarding the assignment of the refresher training and due date will be sent directly to the employee’s assigned email.
- Additional reminder emails to complete the refresher training will be sent via TMS to the employee, with the respective supervisor copied to ensure timely completion.
- Timely completion of the Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admissions refresher training will be monitored by the respective divisional leader as outlined in section (4) Responsibilities, using the TMS.
6. Reference
HLC Federal Compliance Program Website
7. Definitions
Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) – The individual identified by LCC to serve as a contact point with the HLC, in addition to the College’s President. The ALO is expected to be aware of HLC requirements and to guide the College’s efforts in relation to compliance.
HLC Criteria for Accreditation – Standards of Quality by which HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation.
HLC Assumed Practices – A set of practices shared by institutions of higher education in the United States; generally, matters to be determined as facts.
HLC Federal Compliance – When LCC undergoes its 10-year Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, the College must complete the HLC Federal Compliance Overview. This process confirms that LCC is complying with federal regulations pertaining to credits/program length, student complaint records, publication of transfer policies, practices for verifying student identity, protection of student privacy, publication of student outcome data, the College’s standing with other accrediting agencies, and institutional practices related to recruiting and admissions.