Front Desk Scenarios
A student who will be participating on a non-approved program next spring comes to the front desk and asks us to sign their proof-of-status form. What should you do?
Let the student know that we are not involved with non-approved programs in any capacity and cannot sign the form for them.
Where can a student find the eligibility requirements for a given program?
On the right-hand side of the program page.
A student calls and wants to know if they can submit their application two days past the deadline. Who could you transfer them to?
The EM for that program.
What are two types of SWAG that we give away at tabling events?
Pens, luggage tags, buttons, webcam covers.
In approximately how many countries do we have programs?
80
A student stops by the front desk asking to speak with their Enrollment Manager. What should you do?
Tell the student that we do not offer drop-in advising. Find out what their question is and help as best you can. Let the student know that they can contact their EM via email or schedule an appointment via Starfish.
A student is working on their application and wants to know how to complete the Home School Authorization Form. What should you tell them?
Their EM will complete this on their behalf after reviewing their application.
A student calls with a question about the visa application process for their program. Who can you direct them to?
Direct them towards the “Travel, Visa and Passport” tile on their MyStudyAbroad. If they have additional questions, transfer them to their SAA.
Where do we save photo captions submitted by students?
Into the appropriate program spreadsheet in the shared google drive.
When is the earliest that students can study abroad?
The summer before their freshman year.
A student comes to the front desk and tells you that they need to get a form notarized – they say they’ll be participating on the SRISA program in Florence next spring. Who should you contact?
Send a message in the Notary Service group chat on teams to see if anyone is available to help the student.
A program says that it is open to juniors and seniors: does this refer to a student’s year in school or academic standing (number of credits)?
This refers to a student’s academic standing. (Some programs, however, will require students to have completed a certain number of semesters.)
A student calls with a time-sensitive question for their SAA. But the SAA is currently out on vacation. What should you do?
Transfer them to the SAA’s backup, listed on the calendar.
Instead of saying “foreign language”, what is a more appropriate term we can use?
“World language” is a better, more inclusive word choice.
The spring semester is the most popular time to study abroad. When is the second most popular time to study abroad?
The summer term. (In 2022-23 ~30% of study abroad participants did so during the summer term.)
What tasks should you complete if you are opening the office at 8:00am?
Take down the “Closed” sign from the front desk; open Starfish on the front desk laptop; unlock the RC; print off and post the conference room schedule; check the mailroom.
When is the application deadline for spring semester business school programs?
March 1st
The program leader for a Signature program calls the front desk: two students on their program have tested positive for COVID-19. What should you do?
Transfer them to the SAA for the program.
Where are three social media platforms that we upload content to?
Instagram, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook
Where does the Graduate Fellowships Research program take place?
Worldwide
An incoming exchange student stops by the front desk and asks for a travel signature. Where should you direct them?
Send them to International Student Services, located in the Pyle Center.
When can a student apply to two programs for the same duration?
During the summer (as long as the programs do not overlap).
A student wants to know if they can use their financial aid to fund their study abroad program. Who can you direct them to?
The Office of Student Financial Aid
What are four types of outreach events that student staff help with?
Study Abroad 101 presentations; tabling events; classroom presentations; the Study Abroad Fair
In what country do we have the most programs?
The United Kingdom (19 programs).