Student Services Specialist - Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

Under general supervision from assigned manager, performs technical and specialized duties in support of assigned area; provides students, District staff, and the public with department and program information, training, and assistance; and coordinates and provides services to students.

 

Examples Of Functions and Tasks

Representative Duties
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Serves as a point of contact for students,   District staff, and the public regarding department services; provides technical information and assistance regarding area of assignment; explains placement and program applications, policies, procedures, requirements, and restrictions; assesses students’ current knowledge, understanding, and experience to determine next steps and recommends applicable resources; makes appropriate referral, as needed; assists students and provides technical assistance in the use of programs and resources; refers students to counselors, other student services, and resources, as needed.
2. Facilitates and coordinates accommodations for test proctoring for Student Accessibility Services (SAS) students; ensures a quiet testing environment; recommends and ensures uniform testing procedures; provides information to District staff regarding student rights to reasonable testing accommodations; proctors examinations; ensures security of confidential information and testing materials.
3. Establishes and maintains records, files, and record keeping systems, including confidential and sensitive information; collects, compiles, records, and verifies narrative, statistical, and financial data, and other information; researches and verifies information, as requested.
4. Verifies and reviews materials, applications, records, files, and reports for completeness and conformance with established regulations, and procedures; applies applicable policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, files, and reports; collects and processes appropriate information; reviews pre-requisites and co-requisites petitions and forms; researches appropriate databases for comparison and process requests, as needed.
5. Coordinates, schedules, creates, and conducts department activities, including, but not limited to, orientations, workshops, presentations, tours, meetings, and other activities; arranges and confirms speakers, community or educational partners and resources, including, but not limited to, college or university representatives; reserves facilities and makes other necessary arrangements.
6. Coordinates communications and activities with other District departments and personnel, educational institutions, government, private agencies, and the public.
7. Performs clerical and administrative duties in support of department and program operations; answers phones and refers callers to appropriate manager or colleague, as needed; composes and prepares correspondence, materials, reports, forms, brochures, presentations, handbooks, manuals, and information; develops  promotional and informational materials for distribution; assists with planning, developing, documenting, and implementing department or program operations and procedures; recommends changes regarding policies and procedures; collects, compiles, verifies, and records information in preparation of reports; researches and resolves problems; maintains and generates reports from a database or network system; maintains assigned calendars, schedules, and appointments.
8. Performs administrative duties, including support of program Lending Libraries by maintaining inventory of educational and department supplies, resources, and collateral; arranges for equipment repair or service, as needed.
9. Serves as a technology resource for students and District staff for information and assistance.
10. Determines program eligibility and prepares needs analysis, as needed; reviews, processes, and assists students with program and college applications; registers students for programs.
11. Develops, coordinates, and implements case management strategies to monitor, track progress, and provide support to students ensuring they maintain program eligibility and reach educational goals.
12. Serves as the technical liaison for the special programs, project management modules, and department electronic filing systems, including user setup, security, and maintenance; participates in the planning and implementation of technology tools to continually improve the communication methods used by the District and department; represents department and special populations in determining potential program or business impact of proposed upgrades or system changes; makes recommendations to implement new functionality.
13. Compiles and tabulates statistical data; compiles information from various sources and prepares appropriate forms, schedules, and summarizes data related to standard reports; lists, abstracts, or summarizes data; inputs and reviews data and prepares special and periodic reports related to an assigned project or program area, including federal and state mandated reporting; verifies accuracy, completeness, and compliance with rules, procedures, regulations, policies, and other mandates.  
14. Participates in evaluating current processes and procedures that impact effectiveness and the ability to fully leverage technology to serve students; makes recommendations to increase efficiencies.
15. Pulls research and data reports to identify students who may be eligible for additional support programs and to address student needs for planning purposes.
16. Reviews updated or new technical instructions or references; assists in providing training and direction to others regarding changes and new regulations, including creating and disseminating new instructions and training documents.
17. Coordinates, plans, facilitates, and distributes direct services to students, including, but not limited to, textbook funds, grants, school supplies, meal cards, bus passes, and parking permits; maintains records of awards and posts related data; monitors year-to-date spending; monitors student holds disbursement of program funds. 
18. Provides assistance to and backs up co-workers and other staff within student services, as needed.
19. Assists students in the preparation and completion of forms, petitions, and certifications, including, but not limited to, program and college applications, graduation petitions, and other documents; clears prerequisites and registration holds; verifies completeness and processes forms and petitions; enters data and maintains records of student activity.
20. May perform general clerical accounting duties related to various financial processes.
21. Provides onboarding support, general work training, guidance, supervision assistance, and directs activities of students or temporary employees.
22. Performs related duties that support the overall objective of the position.

 

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience Guidelines
Any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the required above knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Examples of ways to obtain the above knowledge and abilities could include, but are not limited to, the following:

Education/Training

• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade or General Educational Development (GED) supplemented by college level course work.

Experience

• Two years of increasingly responsible clerical and program support experience involving frequent customer contact.

License/Certificate - Possession of, or ability to obtain within a reasonable timeframe, each of the following:

• Valid California Driver’s License may be required for some positions.

QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Operational characteristics, services, and activities of the assigned office.
• Sierra College and operations of the area of assignment and other student service departments.
• Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations regarding support of students, including, but not limited to, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• External and public agencies, services, and resources.
• Principles, practices, and techniques of customer service, marketing, public speaking, and outreach.
• Principles, practices, and procedures of fiscal, statistical, and administrative record keeping.
• Clerical accounting and bookkeeping principles may be required for some assignments.
• Basic research methods and data analysis techniques.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.

Ability to:

• Provide assistance, training, and information to students, District staff, and the public concerning services and programs of assigned area.
• Coordinate and conduct workshops, seminars, special events, presentations, orientations, and tours.
• Research, compile, analyze, and interpret data.
• Prepare administrative and financial records.
• Screen, interview, and assess needs of students and clients.
• Make presentations to groups.
• Maintain current, accurate, and confidential records and file.
• Properly handle difficult, sensitive, and confidential situations and materials.
• Use sound judgment in recognizing scope of authority.
• Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines with frequent interruptions and a high degree of public contact.
• Utilize office procedures, methods, and equipment, including computers, technology, and applicable software applications sufficiently to perform the duties of the classification, including the District’s Banner Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Adapt to changing technologies and learn functionality of new equipment and systems.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Follow oral and written directions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Provide onboarding support, general work training, guidance, supervision assistance, and direct activities of students or temporary employees.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Work with and show sensitivity to a diverse student population from a wide range of ethnic, socio-economic, gender, sexuality, and accessibility backgrounds.
• Work independently and collaboratively.
• Apply District policies and procedures.

Physical Demands and Working Environment
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting. Position may be required to work evenings, nights, and weekends. Position may require occasional travel to other locations.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally walk, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination, including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.