Student Support Specialist I

SUMMARY

The Student Support Specialist I serves as a primary front-line point of contact for the Student Success Center, welcoming and assisting a high volume of prospective and current students, faculty, staff, and community members each day. This position provides prompt, professional customer service while helping students navigate key steps in the advising and enrollment process. The role supports student success by prioritizing needs, coordinating advising appointments, assisting with the placement testing and evaluation process, and connecting students with appropriate campus resources. Working within a collaborative, team-based environment, the Specialist I helps guide students from admissions through advising, enrollment, and career exploration while supporting the mission and strategic priorities of Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC).

POSITION DESCRIPTION

• Student Intake, Triage, and Enrollment Preparation – 40%
• Serve as the first point of contact for students visiting the Student Success Center, managing student flow by greeting and checking in students, assessing needs, and directing them to appropriate services or staff members.
• Triage students' needs before advising appointments by identifying questions, reviewing student records, identifying potential enrollment barriers, and directing students to appropriate campus services.
• Prepare students for advising appointments by reviewing enrollment readiness, confirming documentation, placement information, and account status.
• Verify student holds and guide students to offices that can resolve enrollment restrictions.
• Aid students with navigating college systems and technology, including the student portal, appointment scheduling tools, and other student-facing platforms.
• Provide guidance on enrollment steps, advising procedures, and campus resources.
• Appointment Scheduling and Advising Coordination – 20%
• Manage the advising appointment scheduling system (Who’s Next Software or equivalent).
• Schedule, modify, cancel, and coordinate advising appointments.
• Maintain calendars and help maintain appropriate coverage to uphold Student Success Center operations.
• Communicate appointment expectations and preparation steps to students.
• Placement and Enrollment Support – 15%
• Assist with placement testing logistics, test proctoring, and related processes.
• Support placement determinations and provide general interpretation of placement results.
• Help students understand placement outcomes and next steps for advising and enrollment.
• Student Communication and Outreach – 15%
• Respond to phone, email, and in-person inquiries related to advising and enrollment processes.
• Provide professional communication with students, families, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Aid in student messaging, including appointment reminders and Student Success Center social media communication.
• Identify common student questions or barriers related to enrollment and communicate trends to Student Success Center leadership to support continuous improvement of services.
• Administrative and Operational Support – 10%
• Maintain reception area and ensure informational materials remain current.
• Support document scanning, record management, and processing of paperwork.
• Aid in supply coordination and operational needs.
• Support Student Success Center initiatives and projects as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant Director of Student Success and Retention.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Have demonstrated in-depth knowledge of a broad range of academic advising, placement testing, career services, and other KCKCC programs and services to attract and support students.
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to triage student needs and connect students with campus resources.
• High energy, self-starter who can work independently, with minimal supervision.
• Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships and establish credibility with all levels of students, faculty, and staff in the organization and community partners.
• Detail-oriented.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications.
• Ability to manage several projects with multiple deadlines simultaneously.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma/GED with four (4) years of relevant experience OR Associate degree or higher with two (2) years of relevant experience.
• Two (2) years of experience working in a fast-paced customer service or student services environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Customer service experience working with students in a higher education setting.
• Experience working with student information systems or higher education technology platforms.
• Multilingual speaking and writing proficiency.

WORKING CONDITIONS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and occasionally push or lift items. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

WORK SCHEDULE

Assigned 40 hours per week, during regular hours of Monday – Thursday, 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, and Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Must be able to work a variable schedule/hour to meet operational needs. May require evening and weekend hours.