School to College Advisor

SCHOOL TO COLLEGE ADVISOR

DEPARTMENT: Instruction

BARGAINING UNIT: Support Non-Exempt

WAGE: Grade 207 - Specific salary based on experience

DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Principal

GRPS MISSION

Our mission is to ensure that all scholars are educated, self-directed and productive members of society.

This is a grant-funded, non-tenured position.

Continued employment under the terms of this grant is continued upon continued funding.

JOB SUMMARY

Interacting daily with high school scholars and/or parents in the assigned school to provide relevant information about the higher education experience and the college/university admission/financial aid process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required.

Preferred:

• Master's Degree preferred.
• Prior experience/knowledge of college admissions/financial aid processes strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proven ability to work effectively with scholars, faculty and staff including those from diverse backgrounds.
• Previous experience demonstrating strong leadership abilities. The ability to influence others in a positive manner while achieving goals and effectively communicating ideas and generating support for ideas are necessary.
• Ability to work independently and analytically, exercise discretion and good judgement.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; proficient computer skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, strong planning, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrate program development and management experience.
• Willingness to handle complex and detail-oriented workload.
• Team-oriented towards program design, implementation, and evaluation.
• High energy, creativity, ability to assume responsibility; take initiative and develop new programs.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act may include any of the following duties, knowledge, and skills. This list is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by employees in this position. Regular on time and in person attendance is an essential function of this job. Other essential functions may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Encourage each scholar to consider a broad range of appropriate college choices.
• Develop for each scholar a comprehensive college timeline, including application deadlines for admission and financial aid.
• Help each scholar complete and submit admissions and financial-aid applications.
• Assist each scholar in interpreting correspondence from colleges, including offers of admission and financial aid.
• Provide information regarding high school course selection, test taking skills and basic financial planning to help prepare for future education.
• Organize group events that encourage scholars and their families to consider, plan for, and apply to colleges and universities:
• Visit classrooms, assemblies, and club meetings to offer services and emphasize the importance of college.
• Visit feeder middle schools to encourage early planning for college.
• Work with local community groups-churches, boys' and girls' clubs, social-services providers - to offer group events outside school settings and hours.
• Host regular workshops for the families of scholars to discuss topics such as types of financial aid, applying for financial aid, the importance of postsecondary education, and opportunities available.
• Establish productive working relationships with principals and counselors. And teachers in assigned high school:
• Access, in consultation with the program director and school personnel, the particular needs of assigned school, and adapt programs and activities to meet these needs.
• Actively seek the advice and counsel of the on-site supervisor at assigned high school.
• Assist in the assessment and long-term sustainability of the program:
• Assist the program director and evaluation staff to identify, collect, and interpret key progress and outcome variables to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
• Submit monthly progress reports to the program director documenting progress and outcome data.
• Represent, as requested by the program director, to potential supporters and to other interested parties.
• Maintain expertise in admissions and financial aid advising:
• Participate fully in training each summer.
• In consultation with the director, seek out and participate in other opportunities for professional development.
• Maintain confidentiality in carrying out all duties.
• Remain technically competent and knowledgeable of the job expectations.
• Ensure decisions are consistent with District policies, procedures, goals, and objectives.
• Interact with co-workers, administrators, scholars, and parents in a cooperative, supportive, and positive way.
• Consistently demonstrate dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Other duties as assigned and as allowed by grant funding.

ADA REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below 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 functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk, hear (in a quiet or noisy environment). Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust/focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work is performed indoors although there will be required outdoor activities. The employee is directly responsible for the safety, well-being, and work output of scholars.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to compare, analyze, communicate both orally and in writing, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate.

NON-DISCRIMINATION/ACCOMMODATION ASSISTANCE

The Grand Rapids Public Schools will not discriminate against any person based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, height, weight, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran, or military status.

Assistance with the application process may be requested through the Human Resources Department at (616) 819-2022 or humanresources@grps.org.

DISCLAIMER

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description. The District reserves the right to modify or amend this job description to meet organizational needs.