Student Services Assistant, ILR Graduate Office

Cornell University • Ithaca, MI

4d • $26 - $30 • Onsite

About The Position

The ILR Graduate Programs Office seeks a highly organized, service-oriented, and collaborative Student Services Assistant to support graduate students, prospective students, faculty, and staff with program administration and student support. The role is a key member of the Graduate Programs team and serves as a first point of contact for applicants, admitted students, current graduate students, and visitors. The assistant supports admissions, student services, events, academic programs, and day-to-day office operations while working with colleagues across the university. The position is fully onsite at Cornell’s campus in Ithaca, New York. A cover letter and resume are required for consideration. No relocation assistance or visa sponsorship is available.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree and 2–4 years of relevant experience in an office or service setting, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and customer-service skills.
• Strong organization skills and ability to meet expected deadlines while coordinating a high volume of projects, events, and special assignments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite, including Outlook, Outlook Calendar, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Ability to exercise discretion and make independent judgments without direct supervision.
• Ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential material with attention to detail.
• Availability to work Memorial Day weekend and a weekend in July for commencement activities.
• Submit a cover letter and resume outlining interest and how experience and goals align with the role.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Event planning or project coordination experience.
• Prior experience in a high-traffic academic setting working with students and faculty.
• Prior experience with web-based editing tools for website management.
• Knowledge of and experience with social media platforms.
• Prior experience with Salesforce and CollegeNet or another customer relationship management system.
• Familiarity with managing small-scale budgets, financial accounts, voucher or travel reimbursement forms, and financial reports.
• Knowledge of, or confidence in learning, Cornell online systems including KFS Dashboards, I Want Doc, Purchase Order, e-SHOP, Concur, PeopleSoft, and 25Live.
• Demonstrated history and continued commitment to Cornell University’s ideals and “Staff Skills for Success.”

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary contact for applicants and prospective students across ILR graduate programs, answering questions about admissions requirements, deadlines, application processes, and program offerings.
• Review applications for completeness, follow up on missing materials, complete admissions system processes such as application tracking, reviewer assignments, and status updates, and monitor application progress.
• Assist with recruitment activities, open houses, student visits, graduate fairs, and yield events; provide admissions updates to the Graduate Programs team.
• Support compliance with university policies concerning admissions, privacy, and student records.
• Respond to inquiries from students, faculty, staff, alumni, visitors, and vendors.
• Assist students with academic and administrative processes, including forms, degree planning, course waivers, and independent study requests.
• Coordinate appointments, meetings, agendas, and team communications.
• Coordinate student-space processes, including locker assignments, mail distribution, and space-ordering needs.
• Maintain office systems, listservs, shared inboxes, Canvas sites, and student records, handling confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Coordinate logistics for orientations, residential sessions, commencement activities, student events, professional development programs, and campus visits.
• Arrange event scheduling, room reservations, catering, materials, and vendor coordination; communicate event and program information through multiple channels.
• Support student appointment and hiring processes.
• Process purchases, reimbursements, purchasing transactions, contracts, and related documentation; manage relationships with office vendors and service providers.
• Contribute to special projects and initiatives as needed.
• Stay informed about best practices in student services, graduate admissions, and student engagement; learn and adapt to new technologies, systems, and university processes.
• Participate in professional development opportunities and required compliance training.
• Work Memorial Day weekend and a weekend in July to participate in and support commencement activities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health care options.
• Generous retirement contributions.
• Access to wellness programs.
• Employee discounts with local and national retail brands.
• Health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation, 13 holidays, and two floating holidays.
• Tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program.
• Tuition aid for external education.
• Cornell Children’s Tuition Assistance Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree