The Distance Education Support Services team, situated within the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, extends a comprehensive array of student support services. Our mission is to facilitate students at every step of their academic journey, beginning from pre-admission and culminating in graduation. We are committed to equipping students with the necessary resources, tools, and assistance, fostering a seamless transition into the academic environment, guiding them through their educational expedition, and offering the support essential for a successful journey towards graduation.
1. Enrollment Management Process
DESS coordinates and manages the full admissions process and acts as the primary contact for all admissions, application, and general program questions. Our team guides students through every stage of their academic journey, from the first inquiry to the moment they graduate. We ensure that each prospective and current student receives clear, consistent, and proactive support throughout the enrollment lifecycle. Our team partners closely with key UF departments to deliver coordinated, comprehensive support that strengthens enrollment and student success. As the primary point of contact for programmatic and general inquiries, we ensure students are quickly and accurately connected to the resources they need. Academic‑specific questions are directed to the program director or College of Pharmacy support staff, ensuring every student receives timely, expert guidance.
Coordination and Management of the Admission Process
- Conduct daily synchronization of new applications into Salesforce Enterprise to ensure appropriate record keeping of confidential material.
- Reviewing applications according to criteria set by the UF graduate school and/or the program.
- Refer applications to the program director if the applicant doesn’t meet the minimum academic requirements.
- If application materials are missing, the COP DESS Team will:
- Contact the student about the missing materials
- Provide a timeline for submitting all required application components
- Coordinate with the program to review applicants who do not meet admission requirements.
- Process applications in all University of Florida systems for student admission or denial into the Program.
- Communicate admission decisions to applicants, including sending decision letters and addressing inquiries about student records.
- Verify degree attributes are correct in the Student Services Center in Campus solutions for matriculated students.
- Collaborate with the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) and other administrative program contacts to ensure the student’s record and term activation are accurate before enrolling a student in their first term.
- Maintain internal student records in Salesforce Enterprise to assist with student registrations and graduation.
Manage Pre-Admissions of Prospective Students and Collect Required Application Items
- Receive, review and collect all required documents as outlined by the program for new applications.
- Monitor and proactively contact potential applicants to ensure timely submission of their applications and its required documents.
- Interface with marketing group/provider to coordinate and optimize lead-to-applicant process.
- Track the processing status of each application.
- Receive and meticulously process all applications and related materials.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of applications to assess if the applicants meet the minimum requirements, including GPA, test scores, etc. as outlined by the University of Florida Graduate School and the College-specific program.
Manage Admissions of New Student
- Coordinate admissions decisions in collaboration with the program director or designated staff.
- Act as a liaison between the UF Admissions, Registrar, Graduate School, and Financial Aid to ensure comprehensive support for applicants, addressing their needs and ensuring all application materials are collected, organized, and stored appropriately.
- Issue letters of acceptance to admitted students.
- Provide comprehensive information and useful tips essential for the students to enter into the program successfully.
Manage and Monitor Student to Graduation
- Monitor grades and track completion of required courses, as well as electives to ensure student meets minimum requirements to graduate
- Notify students and program advisor of any potential issues (e.g., incomplete grades, GPA concerns, requests for non-repeatable courses, transfer of credits, etc.).
- Provide guidance to students who are eligible to graduate.
- Collaborate with college/department staff to ensure that eligible students are duly certified for graduation.
2. The Registration Process
Our DESS team coordinates and manages all aspects of the registration process, including the enrollment and management of COP and HHP course registration, and serves as the primary point of contact for student and prospective student inquiries.
Manage Registration Process
- Serve as the primary point-of-contacts (POC) for students.
- Request and coordinate course sections in the Student Information System (SIS).
- Monitor holds and instruct students on how to properly clear holds.
- Process all student course registrations.
- Process all course drops and withdrawals in accordance with the Office of the University Registrar policies in effect at the time of the request. Such policies are subject to change.
- Advise students on the UF Petition Policy in effect at the time of the request; coordinate and process once request submitted by student. This process is subject to change.
- Coordinate with program directors to resolve course request issues and deliver appropriate advisement to students prior to registration and the start of classes.
- Ensure the program websites are maintained, along with forms related to application and course registration.
- Provide a registration count to program directors for all courses no later than 90 days after the drop/add period each semester.
- Ensure that program directors in Salesforce Enterprise have access to the program that displays term enrollment and application cycle data.
Financial Components Tied to Registration
- Ensure UF internal setup reflects the programs desires regarding tuition and fees.
- Liaise with Bursar’s office to address student and program needs.
- Communicate with student’s tuition deadlines, how to pay and payment reminders.
Primary Point-of-Contact for Prospective, Current, and Post-Graduate Students
- Review, address, and reply to all general program inquiries from prospective and current applicants, as well as with current and former students, and any other interested parties.
- Ensure all emails receive a reply within 48 business hours. DESS standard operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Eastern.
- Maintain a systematic tracking system for all communications, associating them with the respective student records.
Updated June 2026