Part-Time Front Desk Coordinator, Counseling and Wellness Center

Job Title: Part-Time Front Desk Coordinator

Department: Counseling and Wellness Services

Schedule: Part-Time Exempt (30 hours/week; may include evenings)

The University of St. Thomas (UST), a private Catholic University committed to the liberal arts and the religious and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education, located in Houston, Texas, near the vibrant central business district, Texas Medical Center, and museum district, is seeking applicants for a part-time, exempt, Front Desk Coordinator in the Counseling and Wellness Services department. All of our hiring is ''hiring for mission'' and the University considers candidates in light of their professional credentials, experience, and consonance with the University's Catholic identity and purpose. UST is committed to hiring individuals who can advance its integrated mission-the formation of the whole person for flourishing in this life and the next-and give public witness to that mission in new ways. The University's Catholic identity is at the center of this mission, a Catholicism expressed for our own age by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), and Pope Saint John Paul II's Ex Corde Ecclesiae. The University asks all candidates applying for a position to consider these documents to ensure that their professional goals, practices, and values can align with them. While applicants need not be Catholic, they need to be able to support joyfully, professionally, and publicly the University as it seeks to be faithful to and embody both a robust Catholicism--in its intellectual, doctrinal, moral, and spiritual dimensions--expressed by the Catechism and Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition. This integrated Catholic vision of education-which encompasses a vision of the good human life and of the world-is animated by the great Catholic intellectual and spiritual traditions and receives further depth and orientation from authors such as Newman, Augustine, Aquinas, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and their classical forebears. This position reports directly to the Director of Counseling and Wellness Services.

Position Summary

The Part-Time Front Desk Assistant serves as the first point of contact for Counseling and Wellness Services, providing professional, compassionate, and confidential administrative support. As a non-student, staff member, this role is essential in maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and ensuring a consistent, reliable presence at the front desk.

This position supports a welcoming and respectful environment aligned with the University of St. Thomas' Catholic mission and the core values of the Basilian Fathers: goodness, discipline, knowledge, and community. The ideal candidate agrees with the traditional Catholic understanding of the human person and will be interested in college mental health issues. The ideal candidate would also be bilingual in English and Spanish. The Front Desk Assistant plays a key role in facilitating student access to free and confidential counseling services that promote academic success, personal growth, and wellbeing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a consistent and professional first point of contact for all visitors
• Greet students with warmth, respect, and sensitivity while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• Answer and route phone calls, emails, and inquiries promptly and professionally
• Schedule, reschedule, and cancel appointments using counseling center systems
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all client information in compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, and university policies
• Acquire thorough knowledge of University structure, policies, and procedures
• Coordinate front desk operations including student check-in and documentation processes
• Monitor the reception area to ensure a calm, safe, and supportive environment
• Respond appropriately to sensitive or urgent student needs and notify clinical staff when necessary or other members of the university when appropriate
• Provide administrative support including budgeting assistance, document filing, data entry, scanning, and maintaining records
• Support clinicians and staff with coordination and clerical tasks which may include scheduling and budgeting support
• Maintain front desk organization, setting up office for opening and/or closing, and managing/tracking and ordering office supplies, as needed
• All other duties as assigned

Education and Experience Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent (Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred)
• Prior experience in administrative support, customer service, or office environments
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with a diverse student population
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment
• An intermediate level of proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook is required
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently
• Demonstrated willingness to support and advance the Catholic mission of UST is required
• Familiarity with electronic health record (EHR) or scheduling systems
• Knowledge of FERPA and HIPAA regulations
• Experience working in environments requiring professional boundaries and discretion
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities preferred

Work Conditions:

• Office setting within a university counseling center
• Regular interaction with students experiencing stress and mental health concerns
• Requires sustained attention, discretion, and emotional professionalism
• This role involves occasional physical activity, including safely lifting and moving items weighing up to 20 lbs.
• Position will require the ability to sit for extended periods of time.

This role is designated for a non-student employee to reduce the risk of dual relationships and to support ethical standards of confidentiality and professional boundaries within a counseling setting.

The University of Saint Thomas is committed to the religious, ethical, and intellectual traditions of Catholic higher education. As permitted by law, practicing Catholics who will advance the mission of the school are preferred for this position. However, the University invites all qualified applicants to apply.