One Stop Counselor 3

One Stop Counselors provide integrated student services to University students, families, faculty, and staff in the main areas of records and enrollment, billing, and financial aid. The One Stop Counselor position requires an in-depth understanding of and training on university, federal and state policies regulating academic records, registration, financial aid, and student account billing. Additionally, One Stop Counselors are equipped with broad knowledge of campus resources and services.

As a vital resource for the University community, it is essential for One Stop Counselors to provide inclusive and welcoming student service. One Stop Counselors regularly engage in sensitive conversations related to academic success and financial matters. Effective One Stop Counselors are aware of the University's diverse community and have the ability to communicate and interact effectively with people of all ages and identities.

One Stop Counselors must exhibit excellent problem solving skills and professional judgment when resolving complex student questions and concerns as well as inquiries from collegiate/departmental staff, academic advisers, and faculty. Through their broad knowledge of the University, One Stop Counselors have the authority to apply independent discretion and professional judgment without supervisor approval in a variety of situations. Counselors are held responsible for critical analysis and professional judgment on financial aid/student records appeals, waivers, petitions and escalated cases. Through counseling conversations, appeals, waivers and petitions, counselors have the opportunity to facilitate direct impacts to the University's retention and graduation rates.

One Stop Counselors have the opportunity to continually engage in professional development, committee and project work, and campus and community outreach. Counselors provide leadership for various committees that promote professional development, financial wellness and student success; and communicate with campus and community resources through outreach efforts to promote collaboration and improve services to students. Counselors develop curriculum and educational materials for initiatives, including financial literacy, instructional
curriculum for all new staff and ongoing refresher training. One Stop Counselors frequently generate new presentations, programs and enhancements, such as financial wellness workshops that help students move towards their academic and financial objectives. Academic Support Resources supports hybrid and flexible working arrangements. Work arrangements are
determined in coordination with supervisors depending on the nature of the unit and position. The arrangement for this position will be determined upon hire between employee and supervisor

JOB DUTIES:

Counseling & Advising 45%

• Counsel, advise, investigate, problem-solve, and resolve issues from prospective, current, and former students, parents, faculty, staff, collegiate units, other third parties, and the public.
• Collaboratively create success roadmaps with students to help them in their degree program in pursuit of timely graduation. Work collaboratively and partner with the college, academic unit, academic advisers, and the ASR Student Degree Progress team.
• Manage escalated and complex situations from the Customer Relations Representatives.
• Deliver a holistic counseling experience for course enrollment information, academic records, financial aid, billing and payment with a continuous focus on academic and degree progress, financial wellness, student retention and graduation rates.
• Advise on in-depth financial aid questions assuring adherence to all regulatory compliance concerning financial aid applications, financial aid eligibility, disbursement and refunds, cost of attendance budget components, different aid types, loan comparisons, special circumstances, and estimated family contributions for tuition and fees.
• As a certified Personal Financial Manager this position conducts one-on-one financial literacy and financial wellness counseling meetings for students and parents. Curriculum is developed and maintained regularly by this position to meet the changing needs of the economy. Student advising meetings are highly individualized and require on-going curriculum enhancements, pre-meeting research, and post-meeting follow-up.
• Monitor individual progress of students' financial and academic components, and provide personalized plans or interventions to ensure students budget appropriately, maintain low levels of debt, and academically succeed to prevent impacts to financial aid and timely degree progress and graduation.
• Interpret University, state, and federal policies and procedures; exercise professional judgment and authority to implement changes and make exceptions to policies without supervisory approval.
• Expected to continually look for ways to improve service to students by internally or cross-functionally developing new initiatives or success measures that will contribute to retention, graduation, student satisfaction, and other student success measures.
• Provide service to veterans, military service members, and their dependents, specifically to ensure that resources are available to them, as well as appropriate military benefits are being fully utilized.

Curricular and Program Development, Committees, and Community Outreach 25%

• Curriculum development and instruction: Develop curriculum for the new staff and on-going training programs for all One Stop Counselors and Managers. This 8-10 week instructional program includes technical and operational instruction, student counseling methodologies and strategies, student development theory, and customer service and standards to be experts working with the University's diverse populations. Create curriculum using a developmental approach for understanding the psychological, emotional, and social development of students in higher education. Create assessment scenarios, learning outcomes, and role playing activities. Instruct staff on any institutional, state, and federal regulatory, policy, or program changes. Ensure curriculum is developed for all system campus One Stop offices, as well as create educational materials for other University staff (e.g., academic advisers, faculty) to ensure they are properly informed on enterprise-wide initiatives that impact students.
• Financial literacy program/curriculum development: Develop curriculum, advising standards, and learning outcomes for one-on-one financial literacy and financial wellness counseling sessions with students. Individually tailor advising appointments by preparing pre-session research, collaborating with the student on financial goals and objectives, and creating post-session follow-up to ensure student's goals were met. Work with faculty to integrate our workshop curriculum into their course(s) and serve as the recognized expert in educating students on the importance of financial literacy. Develop programmatic enhancements to the Live Like A Student financial literacy/education program and other financial wellness initiatives including strategies and communication tactics such as social media, digital signage, website, classroom presentations, and community engagement and outreach. Topics include budgeting, money and debt management, credit cards, identity theft and scams, loan repayment, credit reports and credit scores, and making smart personal spending decisions to better prepare students for life during and after their University experience. Work with faculty on integrating financial workshops into course lectures.
• Responsible for the development of grant funding ideas, as well as full accountability for the grant writing and submission process. Counselors are required to obtain personal financial management certification in order to provide expert personal financial advice and counseling.
• High level University-wide initiatives: Provide leadership on various projects and initiatives that have One Stop and Academic Support Resources involvement. Examples include the PeopleSoft Upgrade, the new MyU Portal, and the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system, which are large scale initiatives which have long-term impact to the operating practices for faculty, staff and students across the University of Minnesota system. Provide input on decisions made during the creation and development of these specific projects to ensure the outcomes meet the needs of all of the stakeholders.
• Strategic planning committee: Actively contribute to the strategic planning efforts which help determine the long and short-term business objectives for One Stop Student Services including participating and contributing ideas to our employee engagement projects, our visioning process for the future direction of One Stop, and how the department can meaningfully contribute to the President's call for operational excellence.
• Community Outreach: Expected to deliver high quality, professional public engagements and presentations that target critical student outcomes. Represent the University's goals, programs, and policies in its recruiting, student success, retention and graduation efforts through outreach to students, parents, staff, faculty, and other University community members. This includes new student and parent orientation reaching over 10,000 individuals annually, as well as on/off-campus venues on nights and weekends for metropolitan high schools, under-represented groups, and other requested internal/external presentations such as Financial Aid Nights, Campus Preview Days, Admissions events, Welcome Week, GradFest, TRiO/Upward Bound, the Council of Undergraduate Deans, Associate Deans meeting, and the Academic Advising Network.

Appeals, Waivers & Petitions 20%

• Through comprehensive analysis of individual appeal cases and exercising independent discretion and professional judgment to make decisions, counselors manage many appeals, waivers and petitions that directly impact student retention and success. Examples include, but are not limited to: Tuition Refund Appeals: Analyze medical, mental health, death, academic mis-advisement, and other types of extenuating circumstances supported by documentation that corroborate a student's request for a tuition refund after late withdrawal from a course(s). Research facts of the case from multiple angles including confidential documentation from students and supporting information from medical and academic professionals. Prepare a case to present to the committee after a thorough review of the financial aid, financial and health insurance claim impacts and information from other University offices. Exercise professional judgment to override University policy and procedures. Appropriately intervene and give future guidance to students. Work with the Office of General Counsel as appropriate on appeals that require legal expertise.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeals: SAP holds on students' records are the result of a student's poor academic performance. Individual SAP committee members review appeal forms and supporting documentation to determine if a student has experienced extenuating circumstances. The decisions of these appeals have significant impacts to student degree progress.

Coaching and indirect supervision of student staff 10%

• Serve as an accessible and knowledgeable coach and mentor for the Customer Relations Representatives (CRR) to assist with understanding and interpreting University policy and procedures.
• Advise CRRs as they receive questions outside their job scope and manage escalated cases on a regular basis.
• Assist CRRs in the development of a positive, proactive communication style, and quality customer service, escalation, and counseling skills.
• Use professional judgment and discretion when receiving intricate and escalated calls or emails.
• Provide specific and holistic feedback on CRR performance in order to support training, growth, and development.
• Leverage expertise to ensure the best candidates are hired for new CRR positions and assist with curriculum development for the onboarding process.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA/BS degree plus at least 4 years of work experience or a Master's degree with at least 2 years of work experience.
• At least one or more years of experience in a customer service related field.
• Completion of certification as a Personal Financial Manager within one year of hire date.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills; ability to write clear, concise communications using effective writing skills.
• Sensitive to cultural diversity and ability to communicate and interact effectively with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
• Proven ability to work effectively as a team member.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data and make independent decisions; responsible for decisions.
• Must be able to effectively present information and represent the University of Minnesota at outreach events, both on- and off-campus, which will include evening and weekend hours and travel.
• Highly motivated, focused and results-oriented. Ability to meet expectations in a fast-paced and dynamic, customer-oriented environment.
  

The mission of Academic Support Resources (ASR) is to make a positive difference in students' lives. ASR is committed to cultivating and sustaining an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are better equipped to serve and represent our University community by ensuring ASR values differences and individuality.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of all ASR employees include job knowledge, communication, problem solving/analysis, development, leadership, teamwork, and customer service.
One Stop Student Services provides quality, professional service in support of students' academic and financial objectives. One Stop counselors are experts in registration, financial aid, academic records, billing, financial wellness, and veteran services. Service is provided at two on-campus locations, including East Bank and St. Paul. Service is also provided via email, virtual, and phone.

Pay Range: $55,000 - $61,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

This position will remain open until filled.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).