Exit interviews reveal campus pulse
Joy Pavelski
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News
Hillsdale College seniors are currently exit interviewing with the financial aid and deans' offices using a survey modified this year. Dean of Women Diane Philipp said Monday that she, Dean of Men Aaron Peterson and the college's financial aid counselors try, between them, to interview every graduating senior.
"We've done it for years," she said. "It's just helpful to self-evaluate. It steers summer projects for my office."
The financial aid office mailed the senior class this updated version of the college's outgoing student survey. That office or the deans' offices also e-mailed all seniors asking them to set an exit interview time. The current survey includes an expanded section asking student post-graduation plans, eliminated a few vague questions, and benefits from clearer organization.
The 4-page survey requests that seniors complete then return it during their interview.
Director of Financial Aid Rich Moeggenberg said he and counselors in his office meet with seniors whose academic loans come through the college, about half the roughly 240-student senior class. The deans request interviews students without Hillsdale-sponsored loans. This year, that totals 81 women and 68 men. While also dividing the interview workload among departments, this helps ensure that students holding loans develop a plan to pay them as quickly as possible, he said.
"Conversations aren't just about loans - they go over the entire survey," he said. "It's a tool to get an honest assessment of each senior's experience at Hillsdale College."
Senior Audree Heath completed her exit interview with Financial Aid Senior Counselor Phyllis Klingler. She said the interview took "about 10 minutes," and reviewed the survey she received and details of her college loans such as due dates, amounts and when interest begins accruing after graduation.
"It's not really top-secret, voodoo stuff," she said. "Just practical."
Heath said the financial aid office requires counselors to discuss in-house loan details with graduating students and asked her to sign a paper stating the office had done so.
"We've done it for years," she said. "It's just helpful to self-evaluate. It steers summer projects for my office."
The financial aid office mailed the senior class this updated version of the college's outgoing student survey. That office or the deans' offices also e-mailed all seniors asking them to set an exit interview time. The current survey includes an expanded section asking student post-graduation plans, eliminated a few vague questions, and benefits from clearer organization.
The 4-page survey requests that seniors complete then return it during their interview.
Director of Financial Aid Rich Moeggenberg said he and counselors in his office meet with seniors whose academic loans come through the college, about half the roughly 240-student senior class. The deans request interviews students without Hillsdale-sponsored loans. This year, that totals 81 women and 68 men. While also dividing the interview workload among departments, this helps ensure that students holding loans develop a plan to pay them as quickly as possible, he said.
"Conversations aren't just about loans - they go over the entire survey," he said. "It's a tool to get an honest assessment of each senior's experience at Hillsdale College."
Senior Audree Heath completed her exit interview with Financial Aid Senior Counselor Phyllis Klingler. She said the interview took "about 10 minutes," and reviewed the survey she received and details of her college loans such as due dates, amounts and when interest begins accruing after graduation.
"It's not really top-secret, voodoo stuff," she said. "Just practical."
Heath said the financial aid office requires counselors to discuss in-house loan details with graduating students and asked her to sign a paper stating the office had done so.
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