INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISOR

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISOR
International Student Center
West Valley-Mission Community College District

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, October 10, 2006, 5:00 P.M.

Job Number: 0607C012
Please put this number on the application.

Under the direction of an assigned supervisor or designee at Mission College, advises potential and enrolled international students on college’s admission requirements, visa and immigration regulations and procedures, and other support services necessary for admitting, enrolling and maintaining international students.


ASSIGNMENT
100% of full time, 37.5 hours per week, 12 months per year; schedule may change to occasionally include some evening or weekend hours, as needed. Work Location: Mission College.


SALARY AND BENEFITS
$3,170 entry-level salary / $4,158 maximum earnable excluding longevity and educational growth
Employer-paid medical, dental, vision for employee and dependents to include domestic partner (prorated for employees working less than 100% of full-time)
Employer-paid long-term disability for employee
Voluntary life insurance
12 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday annually; paid non-workdays between Christmas and New Year
12 days sick leave accrued annually (prorated for employees working less than 100% and 12 months)
10 to 22 days vacation annually (prorated for employees working less than 100% and 12 months)
Personal necessity, personal business leave and catastrophic leave
Educational growth incentive program from $35 to $175 annually
$1,000 longevity award annually after 20 years of service
CalPERS retirement
Union-affiliated position with required dues

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination equivalent to:
Two years of college from an accredited college AND
Two years of increasingly responsible international student work advising and assisting international students regarding admissions, immigration and maintaining immigration and academic status.
Candidates with foreign degrees must provide official certification of equivalency to U.S. degrees by a certified U.S. credential review service. Simple translations of the language on foreign diplomas, transcripts, coursework, or similar documentation will NOT suffice; thus, will cause the application packet to be judged as incomplete.
Demonstrated ability to work with persons of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds.
DESIRED QUALIFICATION
Previous experience working with SEVIS System, ability to speak one or more foreign languages or experience teaching English as a second or foreign language.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of:
General education, major, degree and transfer requirements.
Procedures relating to the SEVIS computerized tracking system.
Database programs (FileMaker Pro or Access), word processing (Microsoft Word and Office) and spreadsheet software (Excel).
Development, coordination and maintenance of an International Student Office.
Advising and interviewing techniques.
Public speaking and presentation skills.
College and community resources available to international students.
US immigration laws and regulations pertaining to F-1 Visa holders and those changing status to F-1.
Procedures, methods and references used in evaluating international student records.
Record keeping techniques.
General English grammar, writing, punctuation and spelling.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Modern office practices, procedures and equipment.
Ability to:
Advise potential and enrolled international students regarding college and US immigration policies and procedures, including application procedures, eligibility requirements and student responsibilities related to attending a two-year college.
Learn, interpret and apply a wide range of immigration policies and procedures found on the internet, in written publications, etc., relating to and impacting international students and applying them to the international student advising process.
Apply critical thinking skills to interpret individual student’s immigration status and advise students on appropriate academic options.
Apply critical thinking skills when reporting students’ status on the SEVIS database.
Serve as an advocate for the needs of international students on the campus in the District.
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Organize and operate an International Student Center; schedule activities and arrange for repair of equipment and ordering of supplies.
Plan, organize and present information when responding to questions from administrators, staff, students and the general public.
Prioritize work to meet stringent schedules and timelines.
Train and provide work direction to student assistants and others as assigned.
Relate effectively to people of varied academic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds using tact, diplomacy and courtesy.
Relate effectively with persons who have difficulty expressing themselves in English.
Work independently with minimal supervision.
Work with simultaneous demands on time, interruptions.
Maintain confidentiality.

OTHER REQUIREMENT(S)
U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
(Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all tasks, which may be found in positions of the class.) To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty of the position satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Performs duties of a DSO (Designated School Official) by entering and tracking all international students in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Interface System) to include initial entry into the United States, change of program, change of status, transfers, reinstatements, reduced course loads, Optional Practical Training, etc.
Advises students and sponsors in the office, on the telephone, by email, etc., concerning housing, transportation, adjustment, health insurance, and other matters of personal importance to international students.
Advises prospective and enrolled international students and their representatives on various issues, such as: accurate and current information about the college application process, involving both academic and immigration regulations; academic programs and options, costs, dates, etc.; advises students by disseminating accurate and current information about immigration regulations and academic requirements; refers students to counselors or other student services areas when appropriate.
Advises other staff members and administrators of international student academic and immigration regulations and issues that ensure the college’s and District’s compliance in enrolling international students.
Assesses immigration and academic admissibility of potential international students by evaluating and analyzing immigration documents and transcripts; determines equivalency of foreign documents or refers students to off-campus international document evaluators.
Prepares data and maintains records in the United States Department of Homeland Security’s national electronic tracking and monitoring system, SEVIS.
Interprets, articulates and disseminates immigration regulations and laws to students and administrators by preparing student handbooks, flyers, newsletters, emails, etc., or conducting workshops.
Assists in developing college policies that assure student compliance with immigration regulations and enhance the quality of the international student experience at the college and district.
Consults with international student counselors in developing and interpreting policies and procedures for international students.
Identifies students with academic or cultural adjustment issues that affect immigration status and provides appropriate advisement or refers them to counselors, administrators or other campus student resources, as necessary.
Identifies and resolves day-to-day issues or problems for enrolled students by contacting other college departments, locating information on Datatel or in SEVIS, contacting outside agencies, and providing documentation.
Enters, posts, changes, updates electronic data daily into the in-house system, Datatel, and the SEVIS system.
Develops and presents information in non-native English speaker student-friendly language at orientations and workshops offered to enrolled students.
Maintains liaison with and represents the college/district at off-campus professional groups and disseminates information gathered to affected students and colleagues.
Selects, trains, supervises and provides technical work direction to student assistants as required or requested.
Provides support to Community Education faculty members teaching in intensive English language program.
Keeps supervisor informed of program activities; develop and present to the supervisor matters requiring the supervisor’s decision, acting on the supervisor’s directives and recommendations.
Prepares and maintains records, reports and statistics related to coordinated activities.
Orders supplies, writes requisitions for Facilities and Operations requests, etc.
Performs related duties as assigned.

To receive a detailed job description that includes working conditions and physical demands, please contact the District Human Resources Department at (408) 741-2415.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION
Documents to be considered for this position must be received in the District Human Resources Department, West Valley-Mission Community College District, 14000 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070-5698 (West Valley College Campus) on the date and time noted above.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
To insure fairness and consistency to all candidates, do not submit materials other than those identified below. Submit all application materials in the following order:
A completed West Valley-Mission Community College District Classified Employment Application (see attached).
A current, typed, detailed resume.
A completed supplemental questionnaire (see attached).
Legible copies of all college transcripts to verify degree and/or college coursework.
If applicable, U.S. Equivalency Certification for foreign degrees.
A completed Personal Data Report form (see attached).
NOTE: All required documents must be submitted with your application packet; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete and will not receive further consideration.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS
Copies of licenses and certificates you possess as related to this position.
Voluntary identification form (for statistical purposes only and will be kept confidentially in the Human Resources Department).

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Submission of complete application documents to Human Resources by the deadline is the applicant’s responsibility. Postmarks will not be accepted.
Incomplete or late documents will not receive committee consideration.
Application documents will not be sent to applicants or received by Human Resources via email or fax.
All materials in your file become District property, will not be returned, and will be considered for this vacancy only.
Current employees must provide documentation and materials in the same manner and degree of detail as any other applicant.
Foreign transcripts and degrees require official certification of equivalency to U.S. transcripts and degrees by a certified U.S. review service at the time of application.
Un-requested documents, such as cover letters, letters of recommendation, and any other documents that are not specifically asked for under Required Documents, will be removed from the application packet.
DO NOT STAPLE DOCUMENTS TOGETHER. USE A PAPERCLIP OR OTHER MEANS OF BINDING.
Include the job number on the application.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
West Valley-Mission Community College District will not sponsor any visa applications.

SELECTION PROCESS
The committee will review, evaluate, and consider applications and supporting materials received by the deadline.
Meeting the minimum qualifications does not assure the candidate an interview. It is, therefore, important that the application be thorough and detailed.
Reference checks for the finalists will be conducted.
The District may re-advertise, delay, choose not to fill the position, or choose to fill more than one position.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION MATERIALS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM:

HUMAN RESOURCES
West Valley–Mission Community College District
14000 Fruitvale Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070–5698
http://www.wvmccd.cc.ca.us/hr/

Applicants who, due to a disability, require accommodations to complete the application, testing, or interview process, please contact Human Resources at (408) 741-2415 to arrange for assistance.

WEST VALLEY-MISSION COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.



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REQUIREMENTS
See job description.