Advisor, Center for International Student and Services

Bentley University•Waltham, MA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The International Student & Scholar Advisor is a core member of Bentley’s Center for International Student & Scholar team. The International Student Advisor serves as both a Designated School Official (DSO) and Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for international students and scholars. The Advisor performs a wide range of duties to meet the needs of graduate and undergraduate international students including advising students on maintaining lawful status, resolving concerns, orientating new students and scholars, initiating and providing programs for international students. The advisor also supports a caseload of international scholars.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required with 1 to 2 years of related experience, preferably in an international student advising office.
Evidence of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency (required to sign immigration documents and DSO / ARO authorization, a standard job responsibility of this position).
Experience in a higher education setting or other setting working with international students.
Strong understanding of and empathy for the unique needs of international students.
Evidence of quick adaptability to technology and systems.
Proficiency in planning, organizing, assessing and delivering a wide variety of events for a range of students.
Ability to research and analyze information, including government documents and regulations, to solve problems.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including strong writing ability, presentation skills, and the ability to communicate effectively to non-native speakers of English.
Ability to balance competing priorities and meet deadlines in a high-pressure environment.
Detail oriented, self-directed, and the ability to handle multiple tasks.
Ability to work occasional nights and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or 3-5 years of relevant work experience strongly preferred.
Strong IT skills.
Experience using batching software (Terra Dotta preferred) or related international student database management and project management tools strongly recommended.

Responsibilities

Serves as Designated School Official (DSO) and Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for a population of 1000+ international students, scholars, and their dependents in the F and J non-immigrant visa classifications; responsible for performing a variety of SEVIS related processes and functions to update and maintain accurate student and scholar records.
Advises student case load via email, in-person meetings, and open advising hours regarding visa-related matters in compliance with the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
Issues Forms I-20 and DS-2019 and updates student and scholar immigration records.
Develops and implements programs with and for international students including new student orientation, international education week, informational sessions and presentations on regulatory processes, educate the international community, and aid in campus adjustment
Works collaboratively with campus partners to support international students and scholars.
Assists with drafting mass communications and website updates to students, including but not limited to general reminders about maintaining status, updates to office procedures and changes to immigration policy.
Aids in data management and maintenance of office databases and systems.
Assists with international scholar intake through document processing, liaising with academic departments, creation of DS-2019s, and facilitating J-1 visa orientations.
Manages confidential student records data in accordance with university, FERPA, USCIS, DHS, and DOS regulations.
Supervises and coordinates training for the CISS graduate intern.
Support divisional programming and student support initiatives, including serving as a BentleyPlus Advisor by attending trainings, facilitating advising sessions and sending follow-up communications to advisees.
Other duties, as assigned.