When the doors opened to the Phoenix College Hannelly One-Stop Enrollment Center on January 3, 2012, a new era of student services at the flagship institution of the Maricopa Community Colleges was launched.

With 74 employees on hand to help staff the center, enrolling students were the first to experience the school's new strategies and processes for handling all aspects of enrollment services. Whether their issues involved Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, Advisement, the Cashier's Office, Recruitment & Retention, or Veterans Services, they were able to get their enrollment needs handled in a single location, built to optimize the new collaborative approach.

But the cutting-edge, Silver LEED compliant, 17,000-square-foot addition to the existing Hannelly Building was only one part of the equation that went into the successful opening. The college's new approach to providing student services in a more streamlined and efficient manner was the result of three years of master planning in the areas of physical design, work-flow processes, and human capital training.

Team visits to one-stop centers around the country helped to generate innovative ideas that would provide a foundation of best practices. Cross-training and the redesign of job descriptions were key ingredients to the success of the one-stop workflow strategies. The new streamlined processes created opportunities for critical inter-departmental collaborations and a high-tech, high-touch philosophy that is resonating with students.

Instead of the traditional approach of waiting in line for a specific function, students greeted at the Welcome Center are provided a broad scope of services by enrollment specialists. After initial triage, students with additional needs or more complex issues are placed in an automated queue that corresponds to their goals. Those waiting in the queue can relax in one of the many student soft spaces where they can choose to view their place in line on large digital screens or be notified via text messaging.

The new Phoenix College model provides a comprehensive suite of services and offers students the opportunity to self-serve or receive individualized assistance in numerous areas.

Students directed to the Enrollment Center will meet with cross-trained specialists who offer expert assistance with admissions, registration, basic financial aid, international student services, and basic schedule building. For many, this will be the last stop needed before going to the Cashier's Office to arrange for payment.

Those entering the Planning Center experience a deeper level of service for academic advising, financial aid, veteran's affairs, and international student concerns. This area also houses representatives from local state universities offering transfer assistance.

Anna Solley, president of Phoenix College, commented on the streamlined processes, "It sends the right message to students that they are valued and their total college experience matters."

In the coming months, the newly refined work-flow processes will be honed and sharpened. Regular assessment is an integral part of the continuous improvement and student-focused quality service that defines the Phoenix College One-Stop Model. The addition was built with that flexibility in mind. Regardless of future adjustments, the new high-tech, high-touch era has begun.

Contact: Eileen Archibald, Director of Institutional Advancement, 602.285.7453