Student Relations Specialist

Type of Appointment: Full Time, 1-Year Temporary Job Classification: Administrative Support Assistant II Anticipated Hiring Amount: $40,056 annually Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm, unless otherwise notified Recruitment Closing Date: Open Until Filled First Application Review Date:January 8, 2024THE DEPARTMENT:The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is an organizational unit of the Division of Academic Affairs, which strives for excellence through a student-centered philosophy. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships supports the University's mission, vision, and strategic plan goals. We provide financial aid services to students and customers, including counseling and outreach activities designed to promote awareness and facilitate solutions related to meeting the cost of education at Cal Poly Pomona. Our office follows the Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct established by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the Principles of Excellence established by Presidential Executive Order. We provide access to federal, state, university, donor, and other types of financial resources to assist students in their enrollment, retention, and graduation. We strive to effectively communicate, counsel, and ensure these resources are delivered in a timely manner. This mission is accomplished by:Promoting successful enrollment and persistence through timely delivery of financial aid.Offering support through counseling, outreach, and effective communicationPromoting academic success through monitoring of academic progress and collaboration with student support offices and faculty.Promoting financial success through delivery of information on financial literacy and debt managementCultivating campus relationships with faculty, staff, and studentsCreating an office culture of service and knowledge that is empathetic to student needs by providing training and opportunities for good moraleDUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Comprehensive Customer Service The Student Relations Specialist contributes to a student-centered service culture and provides exceptional service and outreach to support the success of Cal Poly Pomona students. The Student Relations Specialist provides basic advising and serves as an comprehensive initial point of contact in Financial Aid and Enrollment Services. The initial preparation provided by this position reduces the number of students who must see a counselor and/or better prepares those who do for a more productive meeting. Foster a friendly, supportive, and welcoming environment for students, families, and internal & external customersServe as first point of contact via phone, email, in-person or virtual meetings for students and families in the areas of Financial Aid and Enrollment Services.Assist Bronco Advising Center & Enrollment Services counter staff and troubleshoot financial aid issues and questions.Assist students and families in the use of technology to obtain information and submit applications, including but not limited to, Federal and State aid applications, online student loan processes, the Bronco Scholarship Portal, Information updates and changes, enrollment verifications, transcript requests, academic calendar, payment plans, account summary, grade information, course registration, parking policies and permit eligibility. Assist students and families with interpreting their Cal Poly Pomona student account and planning for payment of educational expenses.Provide referrals to financial aid counselors or other Enrollment Services staff, for challenging or complex student cases, during in-person, virtual or telephone advising.Make appropriate referrals to other college services in advising, career counseling, student accounting, student life, academic support, and housing, in support of student connections to the campus.Assist students and staff through the verification processes, checking for consistency and accuracy, until verification is complete and financial aid has been awarded.Advise and assist students regarding the financial aid appeal procedures, including satisfactory academic progress, and required activities to request a re-evaluation of eligibility due to special or unusual circumstances .Interpret and explain Cal Poly Pomona policies to students, families, faculty, and staff, including any impact they may have on financial aid eligibilityMaintain working knowledge of financial aid and institutional regulations in order to provide detailed advice on student inquiries regarding enrollment changes, complete withdrawal, and other academic activities, regarding the impact on current and future award eligibility.Conduct application status checks, informing students of their status, explaining follow up required, and projecting award and disbursement amounts.Document Processing & ReviewReceive and conduct preliminary review of financial aid forms, appeals, applications, and supporting documentation submitted by students for accuracy, consistency, and continued eligibility; follow up for missing and/or incomplete information.Receive and carefully review financial aid forms and supporting documents submitted by students & parents for accuracy and completeness. Request appropriate follow-up or corrections as necessary.Accept and route applications and supplemental requests for a variety of student financial aid programs including federal, state, and institutional aid.Review IRS Tax Data (including transcripts, W2's, IRS Letters, etc.), verification documents, and any other required documents to ensure information meets required documentation standards.Receive and input appeals into tracking system; prepare appeals & files for review by other staff members.Prepare Satisfactory Academic Progress, Special Circumstance and Unusual Circumstance appeals and supporting documentation for review by the Appeals committee. Provide insight and feedback in order to assist the committee with determining future financial aid eligibility.Ensure accurate and timely data-entry or update of records/materials (including imaged documents) received in the Financial Aid Office.Handle and maintain highly confidential information, such as bio demographic information, social security numbers, grades, family situations, and income information appropriately and in compliance with FERPA, HEA, CSU, Cal Poly Pomona and other regulatory data security protocols.Complete outside agency verification requestsAssist in creating, reviewing and revising all financial aid communications and promotional/informational materials.Collaboration and Development:Remain current with constantly evolving financial aid regulations (federal, state, institutional) and emerging trends and best practices in delivering service excellence. Contribute to the overall success of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and Enrollment Management & Services through ad-hoc assignments.Support work as needed throughout the Financial Aid unit and Enrollment Management & Services with ad-hoc projects or activities as assigned by the Financial Aid Leadership team.Support cooperative cross-functional, cross campus communications and dialogue by maintaining a close working relationship with all campus offices.Participate in ongoing departmental training and cross-training activities to ensure an understanding of the universities programs, policies & procedures, and resources & services available to students.Develop and maintain comprehensive understanding of the University's policies and procedures in relation to key areas of financial aid, billing, registration and student records, and admissions.Actively engage in professional associations and attend professional conferences, training sessions and workshops, and completes self-directed professional reading, to remain current on financial aid regulations and procedures, as well as on emerging trends in delivery of service excellenceParticipate and assist with enrollment events, such as Explore CPP, Fall & Spring Open Houses, Admitted Student & Orientation events, and other events which may occur outside of normal working hours.QUALIFICATIONS:High School diploma or its equivalentThree (3) years of experience in general office clerical or secretarial work or the equivalent.General working knowledge of applicable university infrastructure, policies, and procedures; thorough knowledge of office methods, procedures, and practices; thorough knowledge of English grammar, punctuation and spelling; ability to learn, interpret independently, and apply a variety of complex policies and procedures; able to identify deviations from applicable policies; ability to apply independent judgment, discretion, and initiative to address problems and develop practical, thorough and, at times, creative solutions. Ability to perform arithmetic functions of a transactional nature, including tracking and comparing data; ability to work on the front line, with a variety of campus and community individuals requiring active problem solving and effective interpersonal skills; demonstrated competence in effectively presenting standard information in writing; demonstrated competence in understanding, interpreting, and communicating procedures, policies, information, ideas, and instructions. Typing and keyboarding skills with the ability to type/key at a corrected rate of 45 words per minute. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:Previous experience in a higher education setting in an academic unitKnowledge and understanding of basic financial aid application processes, aid programs and student eligibilityExperience within a customer service-oriented environment responding to and meeting/exceeding the needs of customersOut of State WorkThe California State University (CSU) system is a network of twenty-three public universities providing access to a quality education through the support of California taxpayers. Part of CSU's mission is to prepare educated, responsible individuals to contribute to California's schools, economy, culture, and future. As an agency of the State of California, the CSU's business operations almost exclusively reside within California. The CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside California. For more information, go to https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/10899725/latest/ .Background CheckCal Poly Pomona will make a conditional offer of employment to final job candidates, pending the satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check). The conditional offer of employment may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. In determining the suitability of the candidate for the position, Cal Poly Pomona will give an individualized assessment to any information that the applicant submits for consideration regarding the criminal conviction history such as the nature, gravity and recency of the conviction, the candidate's conduct, performance or rehabilitation efforts since the conviction and the nature of the job applied for. For more information, go to https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/13813878/latest/ .CSU Classification Salary RangeThis position is part of the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) bargaining unit - 7. The CSU Classification Standards for this position are located on the following site: https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/careers/compensation/Pages/Classification-Standards.aspx. The CSU Salary Schedule is located on the following site:https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/careers/compensation/Pages/salary-schedule-documents.aspx . The classification salary range for this position according to the respective skill level is: minimum $3,338 and maximum $4,913 per month. Please refer to the anticipated hiring range for the appropriate salary rate for this particular position.Employment Eligibility VerificationCal Poly Pomona hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. For more information, go to https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents .Child Abuse/Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA)The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. See policy at https://calstate.policystat.com/v2/policy/10927154/latest/ .Security & Fire SafetyIn compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, California Education Code section 67380, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Cal Poly Pomona's Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report are available for viewing at: https://www.cpp.edu/pdfs/annual_security_report.pdf and https://www.cpp.edu/housing/documents/fire_safety_report.pdf.Pay Transparency NondiscriminationAs a federal contractor, Cal Poly Pomona will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. For more information, see the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision poster .Reasonable AccommodationWe provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the ADA Coordinator by email at ******. For more information, go toEmployment Notices .Equal Employment OpportunityCal Poly Pomona is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse workforce. The university subscribes to all state and federal regulations that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, medical condition, and veteran or military status. We engage the talents of all qualified workers, regardless of their background. More information is available at Equal Employment Opportunity statement .Other NoticesFor other important employment notices, we invite you to visit Cal Poly Pomona's Employment Notices web page.