A Comprehensive Guide to StudentRun Credit Union Branches

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A Comprehensive Guide to Student-Run Credit
Union Branches

• Presented by Eva Gaudio Juan Mohr
• Find out how St. Vrain Valley Credit Union
  established a thriving student branch and how our
  experience can be used to ensure a successful
  start to your own.

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St. Vrain Valley Credit Union
Skyline High SchoolStudent Branch
St. Vrain Valley Credit UnionMain Branch
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Skyline High School

• Student Branch location main office
• Student Population statistic 1400

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St. Vrain Valley Credit UnionGoals

• Attract a Younger Membership

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St. Vrain Valley Credit UnionGoals
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St. Vrain Valley Credit UnionGoals

• Attract a Younger Membership

• Educate Students about Financial Management
• Backup Site for Disaster Recovery Program
• Keep Set-up Costs Low

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Pillars of Success

• The keys to a successful student branch
• Prepare for Success!
• Highly competent and responsible student
  employees
• Full support of the school faculty
• A detailed security plan
• An open communication link to the main branch and
  tech support
• Connecting to the data processing system provider
  in an efficient manner
• Quality management of the branch
• Employing marketing techniques to attract new
  members

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Prepare for Success

• Add Students to the Field of Membership
• Have a Business Plan
• Get Support of School Board via Signed Contract
• Pay Rent to Specific School Program, i.e.
  FBLA

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Finding the Right Tellers

• Student tellers are vital to the liveliness of
  the branch. Finding mature and dependable high
  school students can sometimes pose a challenge.
  We hire students who possess
• Excellent academic history
• Highly regarded and respected by school staff
• Demonstrated strong commitment to multiple
  activities
• Outstanding teacher recommendations
• Rigorous interview process

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Obtaining the Full Support of the Faculty

• Having a strong base of credit union members
  contained within the schools staff
• Efficiency and service quality parallel to that
  of the main branch
• Ensuring confidentiality of the members by making
  student tellers fully aware of its importance

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Planning For the Added Security Needs of a
Student Branch

• Location in the school building

• Securing the cash drawer when not in use
• Closely monitoring branch access among school
  staff and credit union employees
• Transportation of cash to and from the branch
• Security camera and recording system

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Communicating With the Main Branch and Technical
Support

• Having a phone line solely dedicated to the use
  of the student branch proved advantageous
• cellular or land line
• Open communication between student tellers and
  main branch management
• Easily accessible hardware/software support

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Connecting to the Data Processing System

• During the history of our student branch we have
  dealt with three connection options
• Dialing in to the main branch for access
• Having the main branch dial in to student branch
  for access
• Connecting directly to St. Louis where our data
  processing system provider is located

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Managing the Branch

• Throughout its existence, our student branch has
  operated under three types of management
• Sending a supervisor to the branch during its
  hours of operation, serving as a monitor and
  troubleshooter
• Sending a full-time teller to manage the branch
• Having an experienced student teller serve as
  branch manager

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Marketing

• Numerous activities were used as an attempt to
  attract new members in the student population.
• Free offers (cookies, handouts, etc.)
• Presence at school functions (open houses,
  conferences)
• Distribution of information to parents who
  subsequently involved their children

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Providing For the Longevity of Your Student Branch

• Continually recruit and train high caliber
  students
• Change with the demands of those utilizing the
  branch
• Keep operations and services up to date with
  those of the main branch

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Presentation Prepared By
Student Tellers Tris Gang, Student Branch
Manager Rinee Phoonswadi, Student Teller
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Thank You!
Contact Information Eva Gaudio, CEO, St. Vrain
Valley Credit UnionLongmont, Colorado ceo_at_svvcu.o
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