Program Assistant - Student Services

Under general supervision, performs routine to complex administrative program implementation support requiring program-specific knowledge; oversees the daily operations of a student resource office or center; assists with student screening and provides specialized program information, assistance, and advice to students regarding college programs and services.

Responsibilities

• Oversees and assists with the day-to-day operation of an academic or student services office or program; coordinates, assigns, and participates in front-desk coverage or delivery of program services.
• Answers, screens, and refers telephone calls and visitors; resolves escalated questions and concerns from students, faculty, staff, vendors, and the public regarding assigned program and services.
• Creates forms and surveys used to evaluate program needs and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Assists students with understanding and completing matriculation requirements, applications, and/or forms; helps students access program/center services such as enrolling in programs, setting up tests or tutoring, facilitating weekly orientations and workshops, registration, and researching course, transfer, and career materials.
• Screens student needs for counseling and schedules student counseling appointments or refers to other campus or community resources.
• Answers student questions regarding program eligibility, policies, procedures, programs, and services; verifies student eligibility and tracks program participation for funding or reimbursement purposes.
• Sends correspondence and reports to students; responds to questions and complaints over the phone or at a public counter.
• Facilitates student, faculty/counselor, and staff use of appointment scheduling and case management software, Colleague, and program-specific electronic databases and programs as an advanced user.
• Tracks and inputs program statistical and student data into appropriate systems; prepares and submits statistical records and reports; assists in data collection for program audits.
• Assists with the recruitment, hiring, and training of student aides, tutors, and other hourly program/center support employees; provides day-to-day lead work guidance and direction to other staff and student aides.
• Assigns, schedules, and monitors work for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with District, department, and legal/regulatory requirements and standards; reviews and processes payroll timesheets.
• Makes meeting and event arrangements including booking travel, developing event logistical plans, and approving vendors and participants; maintains program calendars.
• Makes committee and department meeting arrangements including preparation and distribution of agendas and supporting documents; takes and transcribes meeting minutes; may track completion of action items.
• Maintains a variety of standard and complex office and specialized records and files; creates and maintains spreadsheets and databases to track student contacts, education plans, projects, activities, and services.
• Extracts data and reports from multiple data sources and reconciles data entries and reports including those of other employees and departments; tracks and maintains federal, state, and District-required data and student outcomes.
• Creates, submits, and tracks requisitions; prepares travel and conference expense forms; routes forms for signature; calculates budget usage and fund percentages; tracks multiple funding sources.
• May participate in grant administration functions including collecting basic program data and generating performance reports.
• Drafts, formats, types, proofreads, edits, and prints correspondence, forms, reports, schedules, rosters, and statistical and technical documents including reports, manuals, and other materials ranging from routine to complex.
• Creates forms, charts, tables, and spreadsheets involving difficult coding, data extraction, and manipulation; reviews documents for clerical accuracy, completeness, and compliance with College and department requirements.
• Prepares standardized contracts and rental agreements for signature and approval; routes documents for signature.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of historically minoritized groups and participates in professional development activities to increase cultural competency to enhance equity-minded practices within the District.
• Provides backup for other department or division office administrative support staff.
• Interacts with other departments and with state and federal programs on behalf of the department/program or a student.
• Maintains and purchases inventory and supplies.

Requirements

• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment including computers and applicable software programs.
• Program/center services, goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and practices.
• Customer service practices and telephone etiquette.
• District student recordkeeping practices and procedures for processing student information and interpreting input and output data.
• District payroll and general accounting systems operations, practices, and procedures.
• Practices and techniques of sound business communication; correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• District policies, procedures, and rules regarding budgeting, purchasing, and travel/training and expense reporting.
• Applicable sections of the California Education Code and other applicable laws.
• Safety policies and safe work practices applicable to the assignment.
• Basic principles and practices of employee work guidance and direction.
• Uses and operations of scanners, phone systems, computers, standard business software, and database and spreadsheet applications.

Skills

• Provide for the daily administrative activities in a program or office.
• Provide customer service in person and over the phone.
• Compose clear, concise, and comprehensive correspondence, reports, studies, agreements, presentations, and other written materials from brief instructions.
• Track and report statistical information utilizing complex spreadsheets and databases.
• Perform mathematical calculations; assist in monitoring and managing budgets.