Onboarding Support Specialist

Job Summary and Responsibilities/Duties

For best consideration, please submit application materials by November 10, 2024.

This is an onsite position located at our Gresham Campus.

* The salary range listed above reflects the 2023-2024 Classified Employee Association pay rates. The salary range will be updated pending ratification of the successor Collective Bargaining Agreement.  

Tentative Recruitment & Hire Timeline
Best consideration date: November 10th
Interviews: November 20th & 21st via Zoom
Finalist Decision: November 25th

Job Summary
Works in the Student Services Hub to support the new student onboarding experience, and acts as a key resource for information and guidance to current and returning students. Provides a wide variety of direct student support, including online admissions, registration, cashiering, student records, advising, financial aid, and course placement processes. Monitors student outcomes and provides proactive early intervention strategies for student retention and helps students make decisions that positively impact their educational goals.
 
 
Essential Duties

1. Supports students with initial stages of major and program exploration that aligns with their career and life goals and provides first-term course advising; ensures that plans are accurate with current catalog year’s curriculum, prerequisites, and program requirements. 
2. Provides holistic guidance around navigating processes, systems, and resources appropriate to prospective and returning students.
3. Performs evaluation of placement test results, explains college placement test scores, describes prerequisites, and recommends retests as needed. Includes guidance around how to prepare for a retest and test-taking strategies. 
4. Works with students to identify and address academic progression challenges and barriers. Applies knowledge of College and community support services and programs, providing referrals when appropriate; collaborates closely with other employees and departments to assist students in navigating difficult or unusual situations and concerns. 
5. Assists in creating analytics developing onboarding strategies to increase student retention. Evaluates data, tracks student progress, and identifies and recommends populations to target with additional support systems. 
6. Provides mentorship and coaching to student employees working in the Student Services Hub, providing task recommendations when appropriate.
7. Works with marketing and recruitment teams to create media materials such as infographics and informational videos to support onboarding.
8. Processes payments, issues change or refunds, researches and resolves tuition and fee related discrepancies, and reconciles cash drawers daily. Refers to and collaborates with the Business Office as needed.
9. Provides comprehensive federal and MHCC-specific financial aid processes and regulations to students and parents; answers questions relating to financial assistance, maximum timeframe appeals, student academic process appeals, and assists with all required financial aid document collection. Serves as a liaison between financial aid advisors and students to support the resolution of financial aid processes and questions. 
10. Assist with admissions and registration processes including printing and sending of official transcripts, updates to student records, removal of holds, and assisting students through the Refund Petition process when appropriate.

 
Additional Duties

1. Acts as a college representative when visiting high schools, post-secondary institutions, agencies, business and industry, and professional organizations for recruitment, registration and financial aid events.
2. Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Minimum and Desired Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Computer Skills, etc.)

Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, psychology or related field

Experience/Training:

• Minimum (2) years of experience in student services, student affairs, adult education, or similar environment which provide direct services to marginalized or underserved populations
• Experience working with people with diverse backgrounds like those in the college’s community and of its students and employees; demonstrated commitment to promoting access and diversity. 
• Intermediate-level skills in word processing, database, presentation and email applications, and beginning-level knowledge of spreadsheet applications, preferably within the Microsoft Office Suite.  

At the College's discretion experience may be substituted, year for year, for education.
 
Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working as an advisor or similar role supporting ‘First Year Experience’/ ‘Onboarding’ programs in a college setting.
• Bilingual skills with fluency in English and other language that meets community needs.

Additional Qualifications and/or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including active listening skills 
• Ability to work respectfully and successfully with diverse and underrepresented populations
• Knowledge of best practices for advising, retention, and student development 
• Knowledge of and ability to apply the College's implementation of the Family Education and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA).
• Ability to provide excellent customer service
• General knowledge of federal and Oregon financial aid awards and regulations
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks, priorities, and changing deadlines; move quickly among various functions and responsibilities.

Working Conditions and Important Information

Working Conditions
Work is performed primarily in an office setting and the position interacts with a variety of individuals. Environment is often noisy and crowded with students and staff, and students may be emotional and exhibit stressful behavior at times. Heavy computer use and repetitive hand/wrist motion for keyboarding functions are typical. Position provides student support in-person, over the phone, through chat and virtual formats such as Zoom.

Salary:
Initial salary placement will be based on years of relevant full-time equivalent experience at the sole discretion of the College, per the guidelines in the applicable Handbook or Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Please include all relevant full and part-time experience in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement.  Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.

Important Information:
MHCC only accepts applications through our online application system at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/mhcc/default.cfm. For technical assistance, please call 855-524-5627.

Please note:  We do not request or read letters of recommendation.  Also, it is not necessary to upload a large number of documents with your materials.  We are looking for the required documents and perhaps one or two additional documents of your choosing (optional).  Faculty applications require a current resume, cover letter and official transcripts (copies are fine for application purposes) and/or any required certificates or licenses.

Please note:  this is initially a self-screening system.  We recognize that our application process can be lengthy, so before you begin, please read all of the stated requirements to determine if you meet them.  Applicants must meet all of the stated minimum qualifications and additional requirements to be considered for this position.  Based on your responses to the qualifying questions, the system may automatically screen you out from further consideration.

Position subject to budget consideration and approval.  

Final candidates will be subject to a criminal background check as part of the employment process.

MHCC is NOT able to support Visa applications for employment at the college. Applicants must already be eligible to work in the United States to be considered.

MHCC provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235; OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015.

Qualifying veterans and disabled veterans may obtain preference by submitting as verification of eligibility a copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215) or a letter from the US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension to your application. Disabled Veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the Dept. of Veteran Affairs, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.

If you are seeking this preference, appropriate documentation must be provided at the time of application.  You may submit an electronic copy in the document upload area of the application in the section marked "veterans' preference document," or fax to 503-491-7257 or mail to Human Resources, Mt. Hood Community College, Gresham, OR   97030.  If you do not have your documentation, you may request it through your Veterans' Administration Office.

Applicants with disabilities may request accommodation to complete the application and interview process. Please notify Human Resources at least three working days prior to the date of need.

Mt. Hood Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.

Mt. Hood Community College offers an exceptional benefits package that includes vacation, sick and personal business or emergency leave; medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, long-term disability insurance; optional short-term disability insurance, optional life, optional AD&D; retirement through Oregon PERS, including generous employer contributions; tuition waiver plan and professional development funds; and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).