By Lois Browne
Each year the College’s Membership Services Department processes thousands
of applications for registration and answers tens of thousands of questions via
telephone, e-mail and correspondence from members and potential members.
George D’Agostino sits in his office, telephone headset in place, patiently
explaining to a French-language caller why the College cannot send another copy
of his teaching certificate, without charge, to replace the one that never got
to him — because he didn’t let the College know that his address had
changed.
Members can get a duplicate certificate, he tells the caller, but there is a $25
fee and it will have ‘duplicate’ stamped on it.
Address changes may seem to be a minor issue, but the College bylaw is designed
to ensure the integrity of the documents the College issues. "We need to
know that the Certificates of Qualifi-cation out there are all accounted
for," says D’Agostino, who helps oversee the College’s call centre.
"And if any have gone astray, we need to keep track of that."
Every year the College sends out nearly 180,000 Certifi-cates of Qualification
and tens of thousands of other pieces of correspondence and documents to
members. Over 6,000 of them come back because members have moved and haven’t
written the College to let Membership Records know their new address.
"The integrity of membership information is a major issue for the College
and one of many that Client Services — along with Membership Records and
Evaluations — must constantly address in its dealings with our members,"
says Lynda Palazzi, who as Co-ordinator of Membership Services is responsible
for the work of all three units.
F I R S T C O
N T A C T
Client Services is the first point of contact with the College for members or
applicants, handling at least 800 calls a day, a number that quickly escalates
when new issues arise. The unit also now handles about 1,200 e-mails a month,
900 visitors a month at the walk-in centre on the 6th floor of the College
offices, plus letters and faxes.
"As a regulatory body, we have a responsibility to provide members and
applicants with information that is consistent and clear, but it’s not always
information that the client wants to hear," says Marina Brasil, manager of
Client Services.
A P R I L 1 5
Some issues, like the membership fee due January 1, recur every year. Members
who haven’t paid by the final date of April 15 have their status changed to
‘suspended - non-payment of fees’ and the College notifies them they are no
longer in good standing.
"We receive calls from irate members who have retired and have not told us,
or somehow missed the due date or who did not receive the final notice because
they moved and didn’t let us know their new address. Often a member is upset
by the term ‘suspended’, but it’s in the legislation and that’s the term
we use," says Brasil.
"And then we have to tell them that they have to pay not only their annual
fee, but also a reinstatement fee if they want to be in good standing
again." It makes for a series of highly charged phone calls and letters.
"But we’re a regulatory body and we have to uphold the regulations,"
says Brasil.
Nearly a third of the 10,000 applications made to the College annually come from
outside Ontario. College staff must be well informed and current about the
content of teacher education programs in other countries and what documents are
available to support an application for membership in the College.
M E M B E R S H I P R E C O R D S
The College’s information base is pivotal to smooth operations. That’s the
responsibility of Membership Records, which sets up and maintains an electronic
file for each individual member or applicant to the College.
"Membership Records is the support on which Client Services and the
Evaluations Unit rely," says manager Anna Di Rezze. "If you think of
Membership Services in terms of flow, we’re the water.
"We protect this information to ensure it’s always accurate and that the
privacy and rights of the individual are respected," says Di Rezze.
One of the challenges Membership Records deals with, says Di Rezze, is receiving
documents such as transcripts that must come directly from the granting
institution and may arrive before an application does. "Applicants worry
that their documents will get lost, but if they could see all our procedures and
checks, they wouldn’t be so concerned," says Di Rezze.
"We have an unmatched documents process that tracks them all
electronically. We hold everything we receive, log each piece and match them up
when the application arrives. When we have all the required documents, we pass
it along to the Evaluations Unit for the next step.
"If the application isn’t complete — if it’s missing some documents
or fees that have to be submitted by the applicant, we send it back. We just don’t
have the resources to hang on to incomplete applications. However, we do keep
all the ‘official’ documents like transcripts that we receive from other
sources."
E V A L U A T I O N S
The Evaluations Unit looks at teaching credentials to ensure they meet Ontario
requirements. "The perception is that we are concerned just with evaluating
credentials of teachers from other countries, but we also handle processes such
as converting interim certificates, vetting Temporary Letters of Approval and
determining if members have the appropriate prerequisites for Additional
Qualification courses," says Evaluations manager Linda Genesi-Williams.
The Evaluations Unit makes the final determination about membership for teachers
certified outside Ontario. Whether accepted or rejected, applications are
reviewed at a number of levels to ensure that regulations and procedures are
applied consistently and equitably. Rejections must then be reviewed and signed
off by Genesi-Williams and then by Registrar Joe Atkinson.
"Rejection is very upsetting for people from another country where they
have been a successful teacher for many years," says Genesi-Williams.
The College always tells applicants why they are not currently eligible for
membership in the College. "We never reject anyone without telling them
what additional education they must have in order to meet Ontario’s
requirements," says Genesi-Williams.
Anyone whose application for membership is rejected can appeal the decision to
the Registration Appeals Committee, made up of elected and public members of the
College Council.
The process doesn’t end once an applicant is accepted. Someone holding an
Interim Certificate of Qualification must meet certain teaching or education
conditions, usually within six years, to continue in the classroom. Members who
want to add to their credentials must satisfy the College that their education
meets Ontario standards.
The call centre operates from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
and can answer most questions in English or French, or direct a caller to the
College staff person best able to help. Call ext. 330 at 416-961-8800 or
toll-free in Ontario at 1-888-534-2222.
Many
of the same questions have come up over and over again during the past
five years. Here’s some advice that might help members — or someone
they know interested in applying to the College — to ensure a smooth
interaction.
• Registration guides are available for every type of applicant —
new Ontario graduate, out-of-province or out-of-country applicant,
previously certified teacher and more. Their explicit instructions are
mandated by law and regulation, and must be followed to the letter.
• Some documents must be ‘official’, which means they must be sent
to the College by the granting institution. Trying to submit your own
copies of such documents will only delay the process.
• The College’s established turnaround times start when the College
receives all of the necessary documents. Make sure you know exactly what
you need to provide and start the process early.
• If you want your personal information updated to reflect such things
as retirement or a change of name or address, the request must be made
in writing and include your signature.
• Keep informed on current College policies and regulations by reading
the Blue Pages of Professionally Speaking.
• You can find information about membership fees, certificates,
teaching assignments, qualifications and other issues on the College’s
web site at www.oct.ca under the link Services.
• If you have a question, the most direct route to the right answer is
through a Client Services agent. The call centre receives the most calls
between noon and 2:00 p.m. Staff can offer the quickest service between
8:30 and 11:00 a.m. or late in the afternoon.
• The College has a walk-in centre on the 6th floor at 121 Bloor
Street East in Toronto where you can deal directly with a Client
Services agent. |
B l u e P a g e s A r t i c l e s
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