Student Services Assistant, ILR Graduate Office

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

2d•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. As a key member of the Graduate Programs team and one of the first points of contact for students and visitors, the assistant helps create a welcoming and supportive experience for prospective applicants, admitted students, and current graduate students. The role supports admissions, student services, events, academic programs, and day-to-day office operations, while collaborating with colleagues across the university. The position is fully onsite at Cornell’s campus in Ithaca, New York. The assistant will support graduate admissions and recruitment; respond to student and community inquiries; coordinate academic and administrative processes, programs, and events; and maintain office systems and records. The role also involves processing purchases and reimbursements, coordinating vendors, handling confidential information, and contributing to special projects. The successful candidate will stay informed about best practices, adapt to new systems and processes, and participate in professional development and required compliance training.

Requirements

Associate’s degree with 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.
Organization and ability to meet expected deadlines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Outlook Calendar, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Ability to exercise discretion and make judgments independently of direct supervision.
Ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential material.
Attention to detail and ability to plan, organize, and coordinate a high volume of projects, events, and special assignments.
Availability to work Memorial Day weekend and a weekend in July to support commencement activities.
A cover letter and resume are required for consideration.

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.
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 small-scale budgets, financial accounts, financial transaction forms such as vouchers, travel reimbursements, and financial reports.
Knowledge of, or confidence in learning, Cornell online systems: 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 point of contact for applicants and prospective students across ILR graduate programs.
Respond to inquiries about admissions requirements, deadlines, application processes, and program offerings.
Review applications for completeness and follow up on missing materials.
Complete admissions system processes, including application tracking, reviewer assignments, and status updates.
Assist with recruitment activities, open houses, student visits, graduate fairs, and yield events.
Monitor application progress and provide admissions updates to the Graduate Programs team.
Support compliance with university policies related to 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.
Handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
Coordinate logistics for orientations, residential sessions, commencement activities, student events, professional development programs, and campus visits.
Coordinate event scheduling, room reservations, catering, materials, and vendor coordination.
Communicate program and event 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, including an end-of-year winter break from December 25 to January 1.
Two additional floating holidays.
Tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program.
Tuition aid for external education.
Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program.