International Student Advisor

San Francisco

The International Student Advisor serves in a pivotal role which supports the large international student body at CCA and helps the College to adapt to the needs of the international community. International Student Services (ISS) is an integral part of a dynamic Student Affairs division and works closely with Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, and other partners. The Advisor provides a burgeoning international student population with advice regarding immigration matters and their nexus with academic, administrative, personal, and financial concerns and also advises international alumni on OPT/STEM OPT. They partner with others to provide a holistic approach to facilitating international student acculturation and retention; and they serve as a resource for students, staff, and faculty with regard to international student issues. The Advisor manages SEVIS-based activities, ensuring consistency and accuracy of information between Workday Student and SEVIS.

The Advisor works closely with the Senior Director of International Student Services in the oversight and compliance-related needs of prospective and newly admitted international students. International students have faced increased challenges with securing visas, traveling safely, and matriculating at CCA and have needed additional support to understand ever-evolving immigration regulations. In addition to taking a more direct role in communicating with prospective and admitted students and their families, helping admissions staff stay up-to-date on barriers to enrollment and how to mitigate them, etc. the Advisor will update policies, processes, and standard communications related to admitted students and will partner with the Senior Director on training Admissions staff on matters impacting international students.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead for Admissions/Admitted Students - 30%

• Serve as lead ISS staff member consulting with campus partners on all matters related to immigration regulations impacting prospective and newly-admitted students.
  
• Collaborate with Enrollment Management leaders on the range of matters impacting the shared work of their collective departments to support students in obtaining visas and/or travel to the US in time to initiate their studies at CCA. Consult with the Enrollment Management Operations team and Admissions staff as needed on updates to new student onboarding processes, including Workday communications/engagement plans.

Undergraduate students

• Serve as the ISS co-lead contact to the International Admissions office along with the Senior Director.
  
  • Provide training and trouble-shooting to the International Admissions staff on all matters pertaining to the I-20 process for newly deposited F-1 students.
    
  • Contribute to international student yield by partnering with the Assistant Directors of International Admissions on new student preparation for arrival at CCA.
    
  • Serve as lead ISS representative for undergraduate admitted student online Townhall meetings and informational events multiple times per year, mostly via Zoom.
    
• Apply SEVP regulatory knowledge and serve as lead ISS staff member with the largest case load of file review for new student I-20 preparation.
  
• Train new CCA DSOs as needed on new student issues and I-20 file-review criteria.

Graduate students

• Coordinate with Academic Affairs staff and faculty to support Senior Director in maintaining SEVIS compliance for CCA's alternative delivery programs at the graduate level (DMBA, Comics, MDes)
  
• Advise applicants on visa regulations specific to their alternative delivery program, issue I-20 paperwork, and plan program-specific orientation sessions.
  
  • Serve as lead for newly admitted DMBA students, particularly for challenging questions related to eligibility for off-campus work authorization during non-residential periods.
    
  • For the MFA Comics program and applicants, assist Senior Director with updates to the program specific I-20 Request Form. Educate applicants on the multi-mode options of program delivery (low-residency vs full-residency), with specific attention to the impact of delivery mode on F-1 nonimmigrant status, including eligibility for OPT/STEM OPT.
    
  Support Senior Director as secondary contact for newly admitted MDES students, a disproportionate number of whom are already in the US on other visa types and require changes of non-immigrant status to enroll in the program.
  
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Departmental Leadership - 15%

• Assists in the planning and development of goals, policies, and procedures as related to federal immigration policies and student compliance. Develop new processes and policies directly impacting newly-admitted and newly-arrived students in light on continually changing immigration regulations and SEVIS reporting requirements.
  
• Serve as Director (and lead DSO) in the absence of the Senior Director and Associate Director.
  
• SEVIS and Workday data compliance leadership
  
  • Serves as departmental lead for processing student personal information updates in SEVIS and Workday Student. Manage SEVIS data and international student information in both systems to ensure compliance with federal SEVIS data requirements. Work closely with Senior Director and Associate Director to develop policy and best practices for office processes to ensure compliance with SEVIS data in College data management systems.
    
  • Ensure compliance with departmental and College-wide policies related to data retention and removal.
    
• Undergraduate student advocacy and retention
  
  • Develop processes, and programs that help undergraduate students to maintain their F-1 visa status (with a particular emphasis on first-years) Identify effective means of disseminating policy-related information: Portal updates, Townhall meetings, recommended updates to Student Handbook etc.
    
  • Serve as departmental lead to Undergraduate Program Advising and Planning:
    
    • Outreach to students who are not enrolled or who are enrolled less than full-time
      
    • Trouble-shoot regarding students who are unable to enroll full time due to course sequencing issues
      
    • Address questions related to program end date and ability to enroll full-time (due to semester of return) for students re-enrolling after Leave of Absence.
      
  • Support the residential community in CCA residence halls, with focus on undergraduates.
    
• International student adjustment
  
  • Provide important resources for international students to adjust to an American culture that is probably diverse in different ways than their home cultures. Coordinates and plans retention strategies that support the unique needs of F-1 international students.
    
• Events and programs
  Serve as key ISS leader with New Student Orientation programs, International Education Week events, Commencement, student job fairs, and other events.
  
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International Student and Scholar Advising / Government Compliance - 50%

• Serve as Designated School Official (DSO). Work effectively and cooperatively with college leadership to ensure compliance with all aspects of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), as required by Federal Law. Assist Senior Director in meeting all SEVIS reporting requirement deadlines each academic semester for all international students enrolled at CCA
  
• DSO duties
  
  • Prepare I-20s for incoming students.
    
  • Consult with newly admitted students on how to obtain a F-1 student visa to attend CCA, payment of the I-901 SEVIS fee, and potential transfer of SEVIS record to CCA
    
  • Advise current international students and scholars on immigration matters and maintaining status;
    
  • Advise departments, faculty, and staff with issues concerning federal regulations and CCA policies regarding international students and scholars.
    
  • Issue letters of support for students confirming full time status and F-1 benefits eligibility.
    
  • Educate students on impact of decisions around less-than full time enrollment and leave of absence.
    
  • Advise admitted students and current students through highly complex, time-sensitive, and time-intensive immigration processes outside the norms of F-1 status maintenance, including change of nonimmigrant status, reinstatement to F-1 status, the SEVIS transfer process, and more.
    
• Employment Authorization for Current Students and Alumni
  

• Advise F-1 students regarding work authorization.
  
• Support Associate Director with ongoing immigration advising and record-keeping compliance in SEVIS for CCA alumni on Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), including STEM OPT.
  
• Advise F-1 alumni on STEM OPT regulations, record keeping and compliance. Process STEM OPT recommendations in SEVIS and track student employment over the 24 month period.

Support Divisional Priorities - 5%

• Contribute to larger retention efforts conducted by student affairs.
  
• Take an increasing role in preventing and responding to harassment, discrimination, and misconduct, which will include following protocols for reporting and responding to possible incidents and may also include serving as an intake officer or hearing board member.
  
• Help establish a student culture in which diversity is encouraged and where students learn to respect differences, take responsibility for their actions, and exercise leadership. Work to support a college-wide learning environment that acknowledges diversity and utilizes diverse tools to raise awareness for how and what we learn.
  
• Manage response to mild to moderate risk-level student emergencies (physical health issues, victims of certain crimes) as determined by the ISS Senior Director. Respond to more serious emergencies under the guidance of senior leadership.
  
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree required. Must have one year full-time (or part-time equivalent) professional experience in a student affairs functional area related to international education and international student support.
  
• At minimum, basic experience with and working knowledge of complex federal laws, regulations, procedures, forms, and practices from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pertaining to F students and dependents is expected. Demonstrated ability to read and understand DHS regulations and interpret immigration regulations in light of college policies is key.
  
• Must be able to meet the requirements of being approved as a Designated School Official (DSO) by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SEVIS DSO experience is strongly preferred.
  
• Experience with the development, planning and implementation of orientations, workshops, and programs for international/multicultural students in an academic setting is expected.
  
• Must demonstrate effective verbal/written/interpersonal communication skills and attunement to institutional culture and cultural differences. Ability to: interpret and apply program rules and regulations; take initiative and be resourceful in planning work assignments and in implementing long-range program improvements; collect, compile, analyze and evaluate data and make verbal/written presentations based on these data; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, administrators, student organizations, private/public agencies and others in committee work and student advising contacts; plan and coordinate activities/events for large and small groups; and acquire knowledge of the overall operation, functions and programs of the campus.
  
• Ability to exercise outstanding judgment, make sound decisions, and manage difficult situations. In the absence of the director, ability to assist divisional leadership in significant student emergencies.
  
• Comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty. Ability to adapt to changing needs, flourish in a multi-tasking environment, and prioritize work in the context of departmental goals, divisional objectives, and the college's strategic plan.
  
• Ability to work independently; exercise initiative, flexibility, and resourcefulness; and identify and implement innovative solutions to problems, projects, and processes that use technology.
  
• High level of comfort and expertise with technology, including social media, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Salesforce, etc. Must have experience in development of digital work efficiencies, web interface projects, etc. Familiarity with and ability to apply technological innovations to Student Affairs office operations. Experience using and supporting Workday Student (or similar student information system), Salesforce (or similar ERP software) preferred.
  
• Demonstrated experience to address intercultural conflict and to support BIPOC students and other historically marginalized student populations strongly preferred.
  
• Previous experience in living/studying abroad and proficiency in a second language highly encouraged.

Please note that in an effort to keep the CCA community safe, the College requires all staff, faculty, and students who are on campus to be fully vaccinated, including to have received a booster shot (if eligible). The job responsibilities of this position may require time regularly spent on campus, and therefore the incumbent will be asked to follow the CCA vaccination requirement, unless an exemption is approved. Please reach out to hr@cca.edu with any questions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• The range for this position is $31.00 - $33.29/hour.
  
• CCA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including the choice of five medical plans, generous holiday, sick & vacation time, a retirement match and tuition remission. CCA covers an average of 91% of the medical plan cost for the employee only and an average of 82% for employees with dependents. More information can be found here: https://portal.cca.edu/working/office-human-resources/employee-benefits.

POSITION DETAILS:

• CCA considers a full-time work week to be 37.5 hours per week.
  
• Schedule: Monday - Friday from 8:30am-4:30 pm.
  
• Work mode: Hybrid, 2 - 3 days on campus per week
  
• This position is covered under the staff union collective bargaining agreement and will be required to contribute to union dues/agency fees.

Location
San Francisco

FLSA
Non-Exempt

Additional Locations

Application Instructions

Applicants are required to attach a cover letter and resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. There is also a place in the application for you to provide a link to large documents. Please submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions.

Application Deadline

For staff positions, screening begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.

EEO Statement

As an educational and cultural institution, California College of the Arts has a responsibility to provide access and opportunities for all people, with special attention to supporting groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

We believe that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence, and our student, faculty, staff, and trustee bodies should reflect the diverse world in which we live, with attention to race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability.

California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.

Questions?

Please address any questions to hr@cca.edu.