Academic Appeals Specialist

Academic Appeals Specialist
American Public University System

The Academic Appeals Specialist is responsible for responding to student appeal requests, investigating and delivering appropriate appeal outcomes, reviewing appeal requests for eligibility, and triaging appeal escalations for resolution. This position provides support and customer service to students, staff, and faculty regarding appeal matters. It supports other projects and initiatives as needed, including but not limited to UAT, process improvement, reporting, supporting department goal achievement, inter-departmental engagement/training, and service experience.

Responsibilities: 

• Serves as a point of contact for first-level escalations to the Appeals team as needed.
• Maintain efficient, effective, and accurate communications with students while maintaining professionalism, confidentiality, and observing FERPA.
• Evaluate incoming student documents to determine a path forward.
• Uses effective research strategies and resolution skills to investigate concerns posed by students, staff, and faculty positively and constructively.
• Serves as a first-level decision review on assigned appeals or other inquiries as assigned.
• Respond to email inquiries within the determined SLA.
• Identify potential obstacles, challenges, or areas of opportunity for department leadership and contribute to and engage in providing solutions.
• Maintains accurate notes in student records.
• Ensure appeals timelines are followed and actions are tracked.
• Participates in developing and carrying out department goals, objectives, and processes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Critical Skills:

• Understanding of online learning structure and purpose
• Ability to work under pressure, within deadlines, and independently
• Understanding of higher education organization
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and customer service skills
• Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and escalates information skillfully.
• Maintains confidentiality, remains open to others’ ideas, and exhibits a willingness to try new things.
• Ability to approach student, staff, and faculty questions and concerns in a caring, confidential, and helpful manner.
• Well-developed team skills, unquestioned integrity, and the experience, confidence, and presence to effectively handle academic appeals processes.
• Speaks clearly in positive or challenging situations.
• Proficient in vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and proofreading. Ability to compose and prepare correspondence appropriate for the Office of the Provost leadership team.
• Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, and develops realistic action plans.
• Proactive, flexible, and comfortable in a fast-paced, changing environment, which demands a high level of energy and commitment.
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality.

Competencies:

• Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands, and is able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction, and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Multitasking skills
• Continuous learning
• Analytical thinking
• Interpersonal skills
• Adaptability, exhibiting flexibility towards changes
• Self-management and collaborative skills
• Optimistic outlook
• Problem solving skills
• Discretion
• Professionalism
• Initiative

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite required
• Previous administrative office experience preferred
• Previous experience in customer service preferred

About Us:

American Public University System (APUS) is an Online University based in Charles Town, WV.  Our University has over 100,000 students.  Our emphasis is educating our nation’s military and public services communities with quality and affordable education.  APUS provides partnership and commitment in helping students realize the dream of a higher education and the opportunities that brings.

It is the policy of American Public University System (APUS) to afford equal opportunity to all qualified persons.  We treat all qualified individuals equally as to their recruitment, hiring, assignments, advancements, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment.  American Public University System (APUS) does no