Specialty Admissions Counselor

SUMMARY: 

The primary role of the Speciality Admissions Counselor (aka counselor) is to encourage interested students to through outreach efforts.   The Counselor is responsible for communicating with interested students about the offered degree programs and to guide the interested student through the application process.  The Counselor is responsible for explaining the admission process, which includes a pre-evaluation of transcripts, the payment process for all educational expenses and introducing the student to the Online Learning environment.  It is the counselor’s responsibility to ensure interested students understand the tools available to promote success and to remain as a point of contact for the student as they complete their degree.  The counselor partners with Student Services Support to ensure all enrolled students are progressing academically to degree completion.

This role is not part of the university counseling job level plan.  Please refer to the compensation plan guidelines for the compensation specifics.

This role is eligible to transfer into the university counseling operational roles and the tenure in this role will count towards the university counseling levels.  (Refer to university counseling job expectations and compensation plan).

Note:  This role may require specific work experience or knowledge experience if handling a specific program area.  This will be detailed in the job posting.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:  Include, but not are limited to, the following:

• Contacts interested students via the telephone in a timely manner, informing them about the offered programs and requirements.
• Provides necessary steps for interested students to receive a pre-evaluation of their transcripts for any transfer credits that may apply.
• Advises interested students about the degree programs and serves as a “trusted advisor” to assist interested students in their decision-making process to begin a degree program.
• Stays up to date on policy and procedural changes, incorporating those changes into the daily operational protocol
• Determines if a partner’s offered programs will meet the interested student’s desired needs by listening, probing, recognizing and considering the partners’ degree programs.
• Appropriately directs interested students to a program that will meet the stated needs and answers any questions they may have about program requirements, transfer credits, admission guidelines, etc.
• Anticipates potential concerns of interested students and takes the appropriate action to alleviate or troubleshoot them
• Serves as the primary point of contact for the interested student in their first academic year at the University
• Clearly explains and guides students through the Online Learning platform so they can utilize the system with ease
• Accurately shares university expectations to ensure the long-term success of the interested student students
• Communicates and informs students about the available resources to assist them in progressing through the program
• Serves as a member of a graduation team
• Communicates and strategizes with graduation teammates to make sure student needs are met and addressed in a timely manner
• Maintains professional demeanor with all internal and external stakeholders, communicating appropriately with all parties
• Monitors student activity in the classroom and other established benchmarks to ensure academic progression
• Achieves daily, weekly and monthly goals, as defined by supervisor and department objectives.
• Adheres to all regulatory compliance guidelines, such as FERPA.
• Other duties as assigned.

  SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:  None

  QUALIFICATIONS:  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to successfully perform the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Exemplary communication skills, including verbal and written.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with strong constituency building skill.
• Action and results oriented, self-starter, self- directed and self -motivated with an entrepreneurial quality; ability to work independently.
• excellent planning and organizational skills in order to meet expected service level standards.
• Must be able to learn all partners’ degree programs and requirements.
• Computer/office software proficiency including MS Office Suite.

Education and/or Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree (highly preferred in marketing, education or business administration) OR 2 years’ related experience with a least 60 college credits completed.
• Prefer experience in higher education and/or a learning environment which involved daily interaction with students. 
• Cannot be delinquent or in default on a federal student loan as verified in your credit report.  If in a rehabilitation program, your credit report must reflect that you are current, not delinquent, on your payments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/ENVIRONMENT:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an interested student to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The following physical demands are estimated by the amount of time spent.  Usually, the amount of time spent will be estimated on a daily basis, but depending on the position could be estimated on a weekly basis or a monthly basis.

Constantly:  60%+ or 5-8 hrs/shift                     Occasionally:  10%-25% or 1-2 hrs/shift

Frequently:  25%-60% or 4-5 hrs/shift             Rarely:  <10% or less than 2 hrs/shift

• Work can be characterized as more than 50% sedentary in an office call center environment.
• Work can be characterized as constantly on phone with students.
• Work requires counselor to interact on frequent basis with other graduation team members, office of academic records and management daily.
• Work requires reliable, consistent attendance to handle student/lead database.
• Constantly requires the ability to communicate in order to persuade or influence; to relay complex instructions and information, advice and guidance which may be accomplished through electronic means such as a telephone, video conferencing, web meeting, or face-to-face. 
• Work frequently requires the ability to use a personal computer and/or similar machine and related software which includes using a QWERTY keyboard requiring  use of hands, fingers, forearms, shoulders and neck.
• Work frequently requires the ability to view, interpret, compare and assess information presented on a computer monitor or similar display.
• Work rarely requires lifting and carrying up to 30 pounds.
• Frequently involves active listening in order to assess and understand and decode information from interested students
• Frequently involves reading documents or material distributed and received by electronic means, via text or IM.
• Constantly requires mental acuity and critical thinking for planning, organizing, assessing information; multi-tasking; use judgment; formulate recommendations; and problem solving.
• On a daily basis, uses mental agility and acuity to interpret and analyze data and draw inferences and conclusions; and cognitive ability to assess situations to determine the best possible course of action; problem solving to address interested student students’ concerns.