Counselor, Penguin Service Center

Youngstown State University; Youngstown (OH); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Youngstown State University seeks a customer-focused professional to advance enrollment services and student records across the Penguin Service Center. The role involves counseling students, families, and staff on policies, deadlines, and processes while resolving complex issues with professional judgment.

Responsibilities include advising on financial aid, billing, transcripts, and enrollment actions, coordinating with campus partners, and ensuring FERPA compliance while sustaining a

Qualifications

• Minimum: bachelor’s degree and one year of related experience.
• Preferred: Master’s degree and higher education enrollment services experience.
• Experience with Banner or similar student information systems is a plus.
• Ability to work with diverse student populations and campus partners.

Responsibilities

• Counsel and answer inquiries from students, parents, faculty, and staff on enrollment issues.
• Resolve academic records, registration processes, and FERPA-related matters.
• Provide guidance on financial aid, billing, and transcript requests.
• Collaborate with advisement staff and departments to handle complex cases.
• Maintain compliance with state, federal, and university policies.
• Communicate effectively through in-person, email, and portal channels.
• Support training for new hires and participate in department projects.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Verbal communication

Written communication

Interpersonal relations

Time management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Banner

Job description

Provides friendly, professional, quality end-to-end service in records, registration, financial aid, student accounts, and other services. Performs office functions and processes designed to improve the customer service experience to students, parents, faculty, staff, and the University community. Advocates for a positive student enrollment experience. Responsible for research and assessment assignments that center on enrollment issues.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Counsels and answers inquiries as received; resolves problems and holistically reviews all issues from students, parents, faculty, staff, and other University constituents. Uses investigation and professional judgement on student exceptional circumstances in a timely manner; consults with other Registration and Records staff as needed on complex situations.

Resolves issues on academic records and registration business processes; provides counseling on all important deadlines, academic policies, account holds, and/or registration actions and errors by collaborating and coordinating with advisement staff and academic departments; provides counseling on domestic and international enrollment verifications, personal directory information changes, readmission applications, graduation applications, unofficial and official transcript order processing, and academic status and suspension; offers, receives, and coordinates the authorization to release information process and privacy hold indicator process on student records as it relates to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Resolves issues on financial aid information and requirements; counsels on forms of financial aid and provides guidance with the award acceptance process and/or student eligibility; guides students through the appeal process, loan disbursement and distribution, and federal verification requirements.

Resolves issues on student account billing statements and financial transactions; counsels on tuition and fee assessments for all student levels, credit hour loads and impact to tuition, refund/credit balances, direct deposit and payment plans, collection issues, appeals of fees and charges, financial suspension process, and account holds that prevent enrollment and/or official transcript requests.

Facilitates communication and creates a positive working relationship with representatives from various departments campus wide in order to resolve student issues and develop quality improvement methods; serves as a liaison between students and other campus departments to decrease the shuffle and transfer of student issues across the university.

Cooperatively works with central administrators in promptly resolving student, staff, and faculty complaints; promotes positive student relations including dealing effectively with difficult situations, student concerns and complaints, according to academic standards.

Interprets, communicates, and adheres to state, federal, and university policies; maintains compliance.

Maintains an open reception area with computer access to facilitate self-service business processes; monitors and answers department email inquiries; operates station call system as a coordinator/advanced user; utilizes basic functions in the system and resolves issues; documents all contacts and reports all services provided to contacts in department data collection system.

Stays up to date on relevant training and knowledge about all changes regarding enrollment services; attends and reports on counseling work at weekly staff meetings; researches enrollment functions and creates assessments as directed by Supervisor.

Serves on committees and task forces as a representative of the Penguin Service Center; produces presentations and demonstrations to explain the mission and objectives of the department; assists with department marketing and social media efforts.

Maintains excellent working knowledge of Banner; provides portal lock-out access to current students; identifies problem patterns and works with supervisor and/or IT staff to resolve technical problems.

Other Functions and Responsibilities:

Assists with training new hires.

Performs other duties as assigned and/or required that are within the level of responsibility for this classification at the discretion of the supervisor.

Equipment Operated:

Computer and all other standard office equipment.

Work Schedule:

Typically, Monday through Friday.

Primary Location:

Youngstown

Supervision Exercised:

Supervision may be exercised over student employees.

Reports to:

Associate Director, Penguin Service Center

Primary Location:

Youngstown

Required Certifications, Training, and/or Licensures:

None.

Sponsorship and/or Work Authorization Status:

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of: Microsoft Office suite.

Skill in: verbal and written communication; interpersonal relations; paying attention to detail; time management.

Ability to: learn new skills; display a commitment and desire to help students from diverse backgrounds and a student-first attitude; work independently, collaboratively, and cooperatively as a team member; use different avenues of communication.

(*) Developed after employment.

Minimum Qualifications:

At least a bachelor’s degree; and one year of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree. Experience in higher education, especially in enrollment services and/or student services (student employment to also be considered). Higher education experience in records, registration, financial aid, students billing, a one stop office and/or integrated service center. Experience with Banner or a similar student information platform. Working knowledge of student records.

Physical Requirements:

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor physical demands strength ratings, this position will perform light work.

Light:

work involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects, requiring: (1) walking or standing to a significant degree; (2) sitting most of the time while pushing or pulling arm or leg controls; or (3) working at a production rate pace while constantly pushing or pulling materials even though the weight or the materials is negligible. (The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.)