GCU’s 'Lopes Department celebrated its one-year anniversary this week, complete with birthday cake at the Canyon Café for the team of 50 student workers and two managers.
The department, which pre-evaluates transcripts for prospective students, began with 18 workers last August and continues to grow in step with the University.
“The training is the hardest aspect of the job,” says manager Justin Ienuso, who came on board shortly after the department was formed after serving as an academic counselor.
“We have to get them to an AC level of knowledge in a week’s time. But they do great and pick it up quickly.”
Ienuso and manager James Stone start with Hi-Liters and red pens — the tools needed for crossing out the things that don’t meet GCU’s requirements (such as grades of “D” or “F,” withdrawals and remedial classes).
It can get complicated. Different schools have different calendars and course-numbering and grading systems.
“It’s advanced for a student job,” Ienuso says. “If you’re not paying attention, you can get something wrong.”
The department has more than a dozen openings for fall. Students have been working six-hour shifts this summer out of Annex I, and they will work shifts of three or four hours after classes begin.
Working quickly, they aim for a turnaround time of 24 hours on transcripts. Some prospective students have 10-12 hours of credit, others as many as 60-90 hours.
“Many are from community colleges,” says Stone, who worked in the Office of Academic Records and as an enrollment counselor previously. “But some are attending other universities — or they did some time ago. It’s a pretty good mix.”
For more information on the 'Lopes Department, call Ienuso (639.7227) or Stone (639.7570).
