"EOF Student Services Specialist"

General Description:

The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Student Services Specialist provides comprehensive support to current and prospective EOF students, acting as their primary point of contact. This role includes offering guidance on matters related to the EOF program, as well as UCNJ policies and processes such as enrollment, registration, financial aid, and placement testing. The Specialist is also responsible for leading EOF program initiatives, advising a caseload of students, and connecting them to relevant campus resources, including academic support services, career services, and student life programs.

Characteristics, Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides academic, financial aid, transfer and career advisement to a caseload of EOF students.
• Develops academic and individual action plans for students on caseload to guide students toward on-time graduation; implements student retention programs as needed.
• Monitors academic progress of students on caseload through the use of progress reports and/or conferencing with faculty to ensure students are making satisfactory progress or to implement strategies to improve performance.
• Collects data, maintains current records and complete statistical reports of students on caseload.
• Will lead and oversee one or more EOF student program initiatives such as graduation, retention, transfer, achievement gap, career development, cultural and gender awareness, event programming and Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society.
• Creates and implements student workshops around career and employment topics as well as personal development.
• Engages in assessment, research and evaluation activities related to retention and student performance outcomes.
• Facilitates adjustment of first-year students to college life and increasing personal management effectiveness via group session work.
• Recruits' students for the Educational Opportunity Fund program by visiting various high schools, social service and community agencies within Union County.
• Assists prospective EOF students in the admissions/enrollment process by providing application completion assistance, information regarding academic placement testing, academic advising, basic financial aid assistance, registration assistance, Web Services, College Portal and College E-mail instruction, tuition/fee payment instruction and information on internal and external scholarship opportunities.
• Distributes information concerning Educational Opportunity Fund program policies, financial aid regulations and admissions criteria to students, college personnel and the community.
• Participates in individual and/or group interviews of potential Educational Opportunity Fund students and makes recommendations to the Educational Opportunity Fund Director.
• Assists with the writing of State reports, summer program analysis and other Educational Opportunity Fund program reports.
• Prepares reports for the EOF program and/or Student Development division containing information and recommendations.
• Acts as a liaison between the Educational Opportunity Fund department and the Admissions/Records, Financial Aid, Recruitment and the Advising, Career and Transfer (ACT) departments by supporting campus previews, new student orientations, parent orientations, recruitment events, financial literacy and other programs and committees as assigned.
• Reads, interprets and communicates College policies and procedures to students, potential students and parents.
• Attends EOF program training workshops/conferences, statewide and sector meetings, student development workshops/conferences and other professional development activities.
• Performs related duties as assigned by supervisor.

Education Requirements:

Master's Degree required. Degree in Counseling, Student Personnel Services, College Student Development or a related field.

Experience:

Two (2) years' experience in college counseling, academic advising, retention initiatives or equivalent preferred.

Competencies and Skills Required:

Two (2) years' experience in college counseling, academic advising, retention initiatives or equivalent preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• This position's duties are normally performed in a typical interior/residence work environment, based on the activity scheduled.
• Some physical effort required; however, the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risk.
• Some travel required.