Student Services Specialist I

Fort Lewis College•Durango, CO

1d•$22•Onsite

About The Position

The Skyhawk Station serves as the customer service hub for the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid Office, the Cashiering and Billing Office, Skycard Office, and the Advising Office. It collaborates with enrollment service units to provide seamless, student-centered service throughout the student life cycle and beyond, aiming to remove barriers so students can easily access the information and services needed for enrollment and timely graduation. Student Service Specialist positions provide customer service and support to prospective, current, and past students regarding their student record, account, financial aid, and other student services. They also assist faculty and administration with enrollment management processes. The team is responsible for cross-training, documenting procedural changes, and accurately communicating these procedures to students and stakeholders. Specialists possess a broad understanding of college policies and practices across multiple offices and provide expertise in serving special populations. Specific responsibilities may include serving as the School Certifying Official for Veteran Benefits, the Tuition Classification Officer, or the Communications and Events coordinator for the Skyhawk Station. This position involves answering questions, facilitating transactions, processing paperwork, and tracking student inquiries in Financial Aid, Registrar, Advising, and Student Billing Services. It requires a strong working knowledge of all service areas, with the ability to escalate complex issues to a Specialist II, Supervisor, or partner office. The Specialist I handles inquiries resolvable in 5 minutes or less, processes forms, and provides a support level between student workers and Specialist II/Supervisors. High-quality customer service is delivered in person, via phone, email, and other web-based applications. The position includes an extensive and ongoing training program.

Requirements

Four (4) years of relevant experience in enrollment management related to the work assigned to this position
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in enrollment management related to the work assigned equal to four (4) years
Working knowledge of Office 365
Customer service experience
Analytical & problem solving skills
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Critical thinking skills
Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check

Nice To Haves

Enrollment management experience in higher education
Experience utilizing Workday
Experience working in higher education
Experience working with diverse student population

Responsibilities

Providing one of the two initial points of contact at the front window of student services, determining if initial student requests can be answered and resolved quickly (under five minutes) or require further assistance and soft transfer to appropriate staff.
Problem-solving, applying federal laws and Fort Lewis College policy/procedures, communicating with affected parties, and referring to other personnel, offices, and/or departments as needed for front window inquiries.
Staying current on all policy and procedure changes, curriculum changes, and best practices for all enrollment management offices.
Working at peak times and special events, which may include occasional evenings and weekends.
Responding to student inquiries via in person, email, and phone regarding withdrawals, add/drop courses, change of academic program, adding/dropping minor or certification, 1098T tax forms, billing, financial aid, work-study, loans, financial suspension, FAFSA, purge and course cancellations, academic disqualifications, academic progress, prerequisite error, waitlist, FERPA, and grades.
Processing all forms distributed to Skyhawk Station for completion, including Enrollment Verifications, Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends (PFDs), and Degree Audits.
Reviewing submitted forms for completeness and accuracy, contacting students regarding missing information or required corrections.
Assisting students with refund check affidavits and explaining basic student refund procedures.
Maintaining accurate records and ensuring timely completion of processing tasks, notifying students when the form process is complete.
Ensuring delivery of forms to the proper parties, which requires maintenance surrounding faxes and monitoring incoming mail.
Conducting outreach to students regarding holds, missing documentation, and unpaid bills.
Participating in special projects that may exist at peak times of the year or due to policy or procedure changes.