Student Services Specialist

POSITION PURPOSE

The Student Services Specialist assists in promoting overall student development and success, fostering an equitable university environment to support inclusion and respect, elevating the student's voice, and promoting student engagement for all academic programs except the College of Optometry. The Student Services Specialist provides direct support towards student resources, services, engagement, communication, and development to nurture student success and outcomes in the unit of Student Services within the Department of Student Affairs (DSA). Must be able to function in a variety of roles and effectively handle competing priorities relating to student needs to enhance overall student health and wellness, while strictly adhering to Student Affairs best practices and University policies. The Student Services Specialist must enjoy working within a student-centered university environment that is mission-oriented, evidence-based, results/accountability-driven, and guided by best practices.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. New Student Support, Retention, and Attrition

• Plan and implement onsite and/or virtual new student orientations for the Post-Professional/Limited Residency student population in coordination with the DoSS
• Support and promptly respond to Student Affairs and Student Services emails, phone calls, voicemails, and impromptu walk-in questions
• Frontline support for student inquiries in regards to local housing, travel accommodations, health insurance, graduate student transition, new student support through Facebook groups, student funds requests, student involvement and any other student questions.
• Focused and innovative outreach to online student populations 
• Create monthly newsletters that contain relevant information for all student populations
  1. Regularly review and add new information about student services programs and student affairs resources to ensure that they remain up to date.
• Create, engage, monitor, and maintain residential student group chat platforms to ensure questions are answered specifically for incoming newly enrolled students
• Create assessment surveys and build reports to evaluate the effectiveness of Student Services-led programs and activities
    

2. Non-Academic Student Services and Resources

• Continually seek out new resources for students
  1. Update existing resources as needed
• Receive and monitor Faculty-Student referrals
  1. Reach out to students and offer resources accordingly 
  2. Track communication with students on SIS
  3. Collaborate with faculty members about the status of the referred student
  4. Collaborate student information and documentation with the following members of the Student Affairs Department, who reside outside of the Student Services unit: Institutional Equity and Student Success staff
• Maintain the Nationwide Student Food Pantry by collaborating with students, completing orders, tracking fundraising and filling out monthly expense reports
• Collaborate with UMC on content for televisions on campus to market Student Affairs events and resources
• Collaborate with the EduTech team to ensure RMU 101 canvas module is up to date each semester and work with UMC to update department’s videos as needed
• Research, utilize, update, and support implementation of internal and external Student Services and resources for overall student success
  1. Update internal DSA documentation of resources and services as needed
• Assist DoSS in supporting International students in regards to student services programs

 3. Student Services Engagement Activities

• Organize and implement Student Services activities and events to enhance collaboration, build strong connections between programs, and create a sense of connection to the university community
• Lead ongoing monthly/semesterly student social/engagement events for all student populations. Examples include but are not limited to:
  1. Semesterly virtual engagement activities (for non-residential student population)
  2. Monthly Student Engagement events 
• Research and create swag items for residential and non-residential events
• Collaborate events and initiatives with Optometry Student Services staff

 4. Residential / Non - Residential Student Support

• In collaboration with the DoSS and other SS Specialist/Coordinator, perform ongoing, semester check-ins with all actively enrolled students while maintaining accurate documentation of the communication with students
• In collaboration with the DoSS, provide ongoing support for students affected by