Sevis Coordinator

Talladega College•Talladega, AL

About The Position

The SEVIS Coordinator is a professional administrative position in Talladega College’s Division of Student Affairs, supporting international students and ensuring institutional compliance with federal immigration regulations. The coordinator manages day-to-day international student immigration compliance, institutional reporting, and student support services. Upon formal institutional designation and federal authorization, the coordinator serves as a Designated School Official (DSO) and helps maintain compliance with U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations governing F-1 students. The role works collaboratively with Admissions and Recruitment, the Registrar, Academic Affairs, Information Technology, Student Success, Housing and Residential Life, and other departments. It supports accurate international student records and reporting, timely immigration documentation, student transitions and integration, and the College’s international education, recruitment, retention, and graduation objectives. The coordinator is expected to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and develop procedures that reduce compliance risks and improve student services. The position reports under the direction of the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students and has no supervisory responsibilities. The proposed salary is $44,000 annually. The stated work schedule is Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with occasional evenings and weekends. Department designation, reporting relationship, and salary range are proposed and subject to institutional approval.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, as required for Designated School Official eligibility.
Ability to qualify for and maintain institutional designation as a DSO.
Strong organizational, analytical, and administrative skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to interpret policies, maintain accurate records, and meet regulatory deadlines.
Ability to manage multiple assignments with a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, electronic databases, and student information systems.
Ability to work effectively with people from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.
Ability to learn federal immigration reporting systems, SEVIS procedures, and applicable electronic data management processes.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, International Education, Information Systems, Student Affairs, or a related field.
At least one year of experience serving as a DSO or supporting international student immigration compliance.
Experience with SEVIS, SEVP reporting requirements, and federal student immigration regulations.
Experience using Terra Dotta or comparable international student management software.
Familiarity with SEVIS batch processing, XML data files, and electronic reporting workflows.
Experience working with student information systems and institutional databases.
Experience in higher education administration, student affairs, admissions, or international student services.
Experience developing training materials, institutional reports, or compliance documentation.
Experience supporting international student orientation, advising, and retention programs.

Responsibilities

Serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) after institutional approval and formal designation.
Maintain accurate and current SEVIS records for F-1 students and applicable F-2 dependents; process and maintain Forms I-20 and associated immigration records.
Monitor and report changes to student enrollment, academic programs, degree levels, addresses, program completion dates, and other reportable information; complete required SEVIS activities within federal deadlines.
Monitor full-time enrollment, identify potential F-1 status violations, review SEVIS alerts and reporting discrepancies, and help prepare for SEVP reviews, recertification, and compliance audits.
Maintain current knowledge of federal immigration regulations, SEVP policies, and institutional compliance requirements; promptly communicate significant compliance concerns to institutional leadership.
Advise international students on maintaining lawful F-1 status and provide guidance on transfers, educational level changes, reduced course loads, CPT, OPT, program extensions, employment authorization, travel and reentry documentation, changes of status, and reinstatement, as applicable.
Coordinate international student arrival, check-in, orientation, and immigration document verification, including transitions from undergraduate to graduate programs.
Collaborate with Admissions, the Registrar, Academic Affairs, and other departments to ensure accurate enrollment records and support students’ campus, academic, and cultural transitions.
Maintain appropriate student communications and documentation about immigration responsibilities and deadlines; refer complex immigration matters to qualified legal professionals or appropriate federal authorities when necessary.
Maintain confidential electronic records and secure access controls; coordinate with IT and data personnel to improve reporting accuracy and data integrity.
Support approved international student management systems, including Terra Dotta if adopted; monitor electronic reporting, data imports, and batch processes, and troubleshoot discrepancies.
Help develop automated notifications and internal deadline-monitoring systems; prepare reports on international enrollment, retention, academic classification, geographic representation, and program participation.
Establish working relationships across relevant campus departments and coordinate verification of international student enrollment each academic term.
Assist in developing institutional procedures for international student admissions, enrollment, academic progression, graduation, and immigration-status changes; maintain a calendar of federal reporting deadlines and institutional actions.
Develop standardized student communications for critical immigration deadlines, provide periodic compliance updates, recommend policy and procedure improvements, and participate in relevant committees and planning initiatives.
Coordinate international student orientation and educational workshops; collaborate on cultural awareness and student engagement activities.
Develop educational materials about immigration responsibilities, employment authorization, academic expectations, and campus resources; maintain international student services information on the College website and assist with related communications and social media.
Collect and analyze student feedback and support internationalization and student retention objectives.
Meet proposed performance expectations, including timely SEVIS actions, semesterly record review, student check-in, term-based enrollment monitoring, documented advising, annual professional development, operational and compliance reporting, student engagement programs, and prompt escalation of significant compliance issues.
Perform other duties assigned by the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students that are consistent with the position’s classification and institutional responsibilities.