Title: Specialist, Online Student Services
Employee Classification: Part Time Classified/A/P
Department: Office for Distance Learning
Salary Range: 17.50
Who we are:
We are not-for-profit: St. Louis Community college (STLCC) is a non-profit institution dedicated to empowering students, expanding minds, and changing lives. Employees are committed to strengthening the St. Louis community with inclusive and transformative education.
We are a respected employer: For 60 years, STLCC has served the St. Louis community, expanding to 4 main campuses, 2 education centers, 2 workforce training centers, and 5 centers of excellence. More than one-half of the households in St. Louis have at least one member who has taken classes at STLCC.
We make an impact in the community: Through credit courses, continuing education, and workforce development programs, STLCC annually serves nearly 69,000 students. More than 80% of career and technical graduates employed in their fields or continue their education at four-year institutions within six months of graduation. STLCC sends more transfer students to Missouri’s four-year colleges/universities than anyone else.
What you get:
Benefits package [for full-time employees]: STLCC offers one of the best benefit packages in the St. Louis area. As a STLCC employee you will have access to a 100% match on your contribution to retirement, two health insurance plans options - including an HSA option, low-cost life insurance with a 3x salary benefit, and other low-cost benefits including dental, vision, AD&D, Short-term & Long-term disability insurance.
Opportunity to grow: Over half of our employees have served the college for more than 12 years, exploring different career paths and advancing to higher level positions.
Education & training opportunities: STLCC offers tuition waivers for employees [full-time and part-time] + their dependents. Full-time employees can take advantage of tuition reimbursement for other institutions after just 6 months of service, and an annual professional development allotment.
Work/life balance: Full-time STLCC employees have access to a generous time off package, including holidays, vacation, personal days, medical leave, and other leave options. Our holiday schedule even includes a paid winter holiday at the end of the calendar year.
Commitment to wellness: STLCC HR boasts a dedicated health and wellness specialist who is enthusiastic about creating a culture of wellness throughout the College. With access to college wellness vendors, employees are educated, motivated, and rewarded for healthy behaviors. STLCC employees and anyone living in their household also have access to an employee assistance program (EAP) that can help them with virtually any life need.
The basics of this position:
The Online Student Services Specialist is student centered, provides exceptional customer service for distance learners, provides student support for the entire process of distance learning. Prioritizes communication and engagement to enhance the overall experience for online learners. This position will support a broad range of services designed to ensure the engagement, retention, success and completion of fully online students by providing students consistent and deliberate academic mentoring and assisting distance learners with technology/LMS navigation via the current learning management system and video conferencing.
What you'll do:
- • Respond to student inquiries and requests. Ensure timely response and follow up, as needed
• Provide virtual navigation assistance and LMS technical support
• Answer inquiries from the public regarding online programs, the learning management system and online student support services offered by the college and assist prospective, new, and continuing students with access to academic and student support services
• Use active listening skills and appropriate questioning to make effective referrals. The Specialist will assist with communication and referrals by connecting distance learners with college support services for their success.
• Escalate student retention concerns to Manager’s attention.
• Assist with retention efforts.
• Support re-engagement initiatives to bring inactive students back into the program.
• Provide high touch support to online students, proactively contact students by telephone, virtually or email to build and maintain relationships.
• Act as the online student’s main point of contact during their program of study.
• Contact new distance learners to conduct a Learning Preparedness Assessment or similar process, including assisting students with completing the Learning Online with STLCC student tutorial/orientation trainings.
• Assist the Online Student Manager in developing and implementing the distance learner communication plan to ensure course information and required course technical materials is conveyed to students to ensure preparedness well in advance of course start dates.
• Acclimate new distance learners to the virtual learning environment; facilitate basic technical support for students in the scope of college systems and applications.
• Follow up with students who have sought technical support to ensure issues are resolved and the student is successfully engaged in coursework.
• Coordinate resources and provide proper hand off to other service areas at the College to achieve a seamless customer service experience.
• Other duties as assigned
Education, experience, and other requirements:
• Associate’s Degree and two (2) years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
Preferred Qualifications:
N/A