Student Services Advisor 4 (4576U) - Materials Science & Engineering Job Listing at University of California in Berkeley, CA (Job ID 69913)

Description

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu.

Departmental Overview

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is one of seven academic departments within the College of Engineering. At present the department has 19 core faculty members, 1 lecturer, 2 adjunct faculty, 13 emeriti faculty, 3 joint faculty (0 percent in MSE) from other departments who actively collaborate on teaching and research, and approximately 50 visiting faculty researchers and post-doctoral fellows. Many of the faculty members have multiple affiliations, both on campus and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  This brings added impetus for quality student services.  Additionally, Materials Science and Engineering administers the Applied Science and Technology (AS&T) graduate program. AS&T is an interdisciplinary program, with 74 affiliated faculty from departments across campus. The student population includes approximately 150 graduate MSE  students, 44 AS&T students  and 120 undergraduate students engaged in a curriculum distinctive for its multiple laboratory courses and interdisciplinary character. 

The Student Services Advisor is responsible for offering a wide range of student services duties and responsibilities in support of the graduate degrees in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and the Applied Science & Technology  (AS&T) Graduate Program. Additionally, this position includes responsibilities such as providing undergraduate student services support, possible staff supervision, course scheduling, and coordinating the department's involvement in a national accreditation process. ABET certifies the academic quality of engineering programs in the U.S. through a rigorous assessment process, necessitating ongoing attention to all undergraduate courses taught in MSE. This position is under the supervision of the department manager and may supervise.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: June 17, 2024 - Open Until Filled

Responsibilities

45% Academic Advising and Student Support:

• Applies advanced student services concepts and provides the most complex student services to the department's management, faculty and students. Administers the graduate counsel for the MS/PhD, PhD, 5th-year BS/MS, and Professional Master's of Engineering programs in Materials Science and Engineering, as well as the MS and PhD programs in the Applied Science and Technology (AS&T) Graduate Group.
• Oversees student academic advising including analysis and policy development for unit issues and processes. Identifies, solves and/or refers for resolution of intricate student issues and personal crises; responsible for interpreting campus policies and advising students and faculty on student conduct, student grievances, disputes, and issues regarding discrimination or harassment. 
• Recommends petition exceptions. Tracks and manages all aspects of the student degree completion progress and maintains detailed and accurate student academic records. This includes preliminary exams, qualifying exams, courses for major and minor requirements and process for thesis and dissertation completion/filling. Determines barriers, distractions, and complications affecting a student's academic progress, helps students recognize these key non-academic issues, and makes appropriate referrals for counseling and/or assistance from other units. Manages student enrollment, fees, records, grades, data management/security, student service systems and related issues for the unit.  Advises department/college/school management regarding enhancement of the organization's strategic plan for career counseling and placement services. Utilizing an in-depth knowledge of the field, counsel students on post-degree employment opportunities and practices. Responsible for interpreting campus policies and advising students and faculty on student conduct, student grievances, disputes, and issues regarding discrimination. 

25% Recruitment and Admissions:

• Administers and coordinates the graduate admissions cycle for over 550 applications in MSE and over 80 applications in AS&T. Liaises with the Fung Institute staff on the Masters of Engineering(MEng) requirements and evaluation of MSE MEng applications. Reviews graduate admission policy and procedures within the department and Graduate Group for compliance with university standards.  Corresponds with prospective students who have complex questions and interpret university/department and international standards. Evaluates both international and domestic applications to determine if applicants meet admissions criteria. Assists with preparation of fellowship cases for Graduate Division. Coordinates, reviews and advises chair/dean and faculty on transferability and applicability of non-UC Berkeley courses. 
• Responsible for working with faculty and the chairs to ensure that the information related to student admissions and degree requirements is accurate on the websites for MSE and AS&T.
• Monitors trends in admissions and distribution of students. Works with the graduate division to develop annual enrollment targets and admissions allotments, with careful consideration to resource constraints. Coordinates recruitment activities. Works with the College and Graduate Division to maximize enrollment yield of outstanding admits, including special efforts to attract qualified women and underrepresented minorities. Evaluates the success of current outreach efforts; develops and implements enhancements.  

20% Graduate Funding and Financial Aid:

• Recommends resolution of extremely sensitive, specialized, and/or complex financial aid issues; and administers department's/school's/college's block grants and restricted funds.  Advises organization's management on available funds for entering students based upon special funding from all sources. 
• Implements the nomination and selection procedures for campus “Outstanding GSI Award” competition.
• Identifies and advises faculty and students on resources for student financial support, including financial aid, stipends, student employment options, independent fellowships, block grant funding, training grants, departmental awards, etc.  Manages internal and externals fellowship competition for new and continuing students.  Prepares summaries of qualifications and drafts nomination letters for campus fellowships.
• Prepares statistical reports and analyses of graduate student aid plans and distribution of resources from numerous financial inputs.  Identifies trends and reports to Department leadership.
• Identifies and pursue new funding opportunities to support expanding enrollment.  Provide Chairs and Manager statistical reports from Cal Answers regarding student activities, i.e., enrollments, degrees, demography, etc.
• Oversees and partners with campus and LBNL HR staff in ASE, GSR, and GSR Fellow hiring processes, including interpreting and applying campus and system-wide directives. Works closely with HR coordinators to submit relevant hiring data in a timely manner.  Ensures compliance with systemwide union requirements for academic student hiring. Process development in alignment with the UAW contract, ERSO requirements and College needs. Inform and advise faculty about new policies and procedures related to student employment. Assumes primary responsibility for the MSE department's Temporary Academic Salaries (TAS) budget, which totals over $1 million per year. Administers and supports Students Awards.

5% Programming/Events:

• Plan and implement complex, high-visibility student events, such as prospective students' Open House, student orientations, student seminars, welcome events, end of the year events, commencement, and other various events. Routinely develop and manage events that build and enhance the graduate student community. Develop recommendations for the improvement of existing programs and/or policies as well as initiate new programs and/or services to meet changing student needs. Attends department graduate/undergraduate student and general events, as required.

5% Career Development and Other Duties:

• Maintains and updates working knowledge of College and campus student affairs issues by taking appropriate classes, attending campus-wide Student Affairs meetings and networking with peers. Keeps abreast of national trends related to advising support as well as best practices in student affairs administration. There will be other duties not detailed in this job description that arise over the course of the academic year that will require attention from the Student Services Advisor, and this list should not be considered exhaustive.

5% Serve as the manager back up and may supervise staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. 
• Advanced knowledge of advising and counseling techniques.
• Knowledge of University-specific computer application programs and knowledge of University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Multicultural competencies; ability to work with diverse populations.
• Advanced knowledge of complex visa and immigration policies, procedures and regulatory requirements for international students and scholars.
• Ability in problem identification and reasoning; ability to develop original ideas to solve problems, persuasion, leadership.
• Skills in monitoring / assessing people, processes or services, to make improvements.
• In-depth knowledge of the field's post-degree employment opportunities and practices.
• Skills in project management, social perceptiveness to be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. 

The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $70,100 - $95,500 yearly, not to exceed $124,700. The salary offered to the final candidate will take into consideration their experience and salary equity with current College of Engineering employees working in similar roles. This is a 100% FTE career position eligible for full benefits.

Referral Source info

This job is part of the Employee Referral Program. If a UC Berkeley employee is referring you, please ensure you select the Referral Source of "UCB Employee". Then enter the employee's Name and Berkeley email address in the Specific Referral Source field.  Please enter only one name and email.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities.  Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities.  The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

 

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

 

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.

 Apply on company website