The concept of AU Central is alluring — a one-stop shop for all your AU bureaucracy needs. However, the actual combination of three important departments into one has not seen smooth sailing. Students visiting the new department have complained of long waits, conflicting answers and delays in getting the information and help they need.
We also want to acknowledge that this is not the fault of those who work there but rather the system that is still in development.
The start of the fall semester is always a time of chaos, between first-semester freshmen attempting to navigate through the intricacies of a new situation and students scrambling to finalize loans and classes. While some of the current problems can be attributed to this, the combination of this along with the general issues surrounding the debut of a brand-new office have us questioning the timing of AU Central’s debut.
Although it may have been smarter to hold off until the spring semester, when registrar and financial aid traffic is lower, it is too late to fix this mistake.
The question now: How can these issues be best resolved?
To give the University credit, there have been several changes made recently to improve the efficiency of dealing with AU bureaucracy. The development of direct-deposit financial aid refunds, for example, has made that process considerably easier. AU Central has already begun to increase its online capabilities, and continuing to do so is another step in the right direction.
This being said, there are several more possible solutions to some of the problems AU Central faces. Some of these solutions can be derived from the current practices of other successful high-traffic departments on campus.
One potential solution is an instant message system for handling basic inquiries like those used by the library and the Office of Information Technology. Establishing this Web feature could be extremely useful in handling quick, minor issues.
AU Central also needs our help. For instance, please check to ensure that your dilemma is actually pertinent to one of the departments in AU Central before calling or waiting in line.
AU Central is not the central location for all non-academic departments at AU. If you have a question about your meal plan or lose your ID, AU Central is not the place you want to go.
In addition, its website contains a list of frequently asked questions that could help students avoid a trek to Asbury.
AU Central is aware of the challenges it is facing, and it is currently taking actions to improve its system. However, solely increasing staff is not a permanent solution. It is merely a temporary Band-Aid that will help, but ultimately not fix all of the problems. We believe that some of the desired answers are already out there. By looking around campus to other successes, AU Central can achieve its desired impact and increase efficiency at AU.
