Job Description:The Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC), provides advising and counseling to students on admissions processes and related career issues for medical/health professions schools, and other graduate programs.
Reporting to and under the general supervision of the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) Dean or designee, the incumbent will perform the following job duties:
- Coordinate all programs, services functions for CNS Advising, including CNS Peer Advising Center (PAC), the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) and various internal and external grants related to student advising, retention and graduation. This includes supervising professional and peer advisors, and developing and evaluating proactive and innovative advising methods for student success.
- Grow the HPAC to develop a career services strategy for the program recognizing that pre-health students originate from across all CSUSB Colleges.
- Create and oversee the maintenance of a database that tracks students who use the center as well as their graduation and placement successes. This will include updating and modifying the database as appropriate and connecting with the career center and alumni association.
- Support a diverse student body by decreasing any achievement gaps among various student populations, and increasing graduation rates of all students including transfer students.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with CNS department chairs and faculty advisers, advisers at the Palm Desert Campus, Undergraduate Studies, and the Career Center.
- Ensure that HPAC assists students in identifying their career goals as well as helping them to create a of courses to complete in order to attain their goal(s)
- e the health professions letter of evaluation service for students applying to health professions graduate school, which includes interviewing students and writing summary letters for those who are applying to programs that request committee letters of reference; review and critique application materials including personal statements, secondary application essays, and other application documents
- e with student pre-health groups including AMSA (American Medical Students Association) and SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medicine Association), Pre-Dental, and Pre-Pharmacy clubs; and speak to classes, clubs, or outside organizations regarding the advising center to help build awareness
- w and assess difficult individual, group or organizational problems, develop and recommend courses of action, and implement proposed solutions both within the College of Natural and across majors from all other Colleges.
- Independently plan and organize work requirements and tasks to be accomplished by staff and student peer advisors, including: determining work priorities, analyzing appropriate data, selecting desired methodology from alternative approaches, handling unusual situations without advice or instruction, solving problems and making decisions which have impact on the work of others and the College of Natural Sciences
- n a database for job shadowing and career opportunities for students pursuing a career in the health professions, from student and community initial inquiry through completion of the internship
- p and facilitate the internship orientation along with workshops for those applying to health professions graduate programs
- e employer information sessions throughout the academic year
- k collaboratively with graduate and professional school recruiters, travel to visit health professions programs, and attend health profession related conferences.
- The incumbent will be expected to keep abreast of national and local statistical information on admission to the health admission trends. Coordination of current articulation programs with Western University of Health Sciences (Bio2Med Program, Pharmacy Pipeline) and cultivation of the development of additional articulation programs with Western University as well as other institutions are also within the scope of the position
- d to student grade grievances and assist disciplinary related issues within the College of Natural Sciences.
- Assist with special projects, prepare grant proposals, and facilitate planning of annual CSUSB Pre-professional Conference with attendance of approximately 500-1000 students
- e oversight of the CNS advising centers websites, and create online event registrations for students.
- The incumbent will lead staff meetings, mentor staff individually, and provide professional development activities for CNS advising staff. A variety of additional activities include assisting with Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR), transfer day, CSUSB Open House, Military Roundtable, key College taskforces, and other recruiting and recognition activities as they arise
- e incumbent will perform other related duties assigned.
Minimum QualificationsCandidates must have the following minimum qualifications:
- Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field including division or graduate in counseling techniques, interviewing and conflict resolution where such are .
- A Master's degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work or a job-related field may be substituted for one year of professional experience. A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling, guidance or a job-related field may be substituted for two years of the required professional experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional, personal or career counseling. A degree in Educational Counseling or Higher Education with a background in STEM and/or health-related fields is preferred. Candidates with a degree in a STEM or health-related field and a background in professional advising and/or counseling will also be considered. Upper division or graduate in counseling techniques, interviewing and conflict resolution are recommended
- m of four years of progressively responsible professional student services experience which includes experience in advising students individually and in groups, and in analysis and resolution of complex student services problems
- t written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective, cooperative working relationships.
- Experience with direct supervision of staff, dealing with confidential and sensitive personnel matters, and completing assignments through leadership.
- Thorough knowledge of the policies, procedures and practices of professional school applications, ability to assimilate and retain large volumes of information on health professions schools, standardized tests such as the MCAT and DAT, and admissions trends, or have the ability to quickly acquire such knowledge along with general knowledge of the policies, practices and activities of Student Services programs related to advising and careers
- l knowledge of organizational, personnel and fiscal management, along with general knowledge of statistical and research activities in which pre-professional undergraduates would engage
- y to plan, coordinate and initiate actions necessary to implement administrative or group decisions or recommendations.
- Ability to analyze and define complex organizational, policy or procedural problems, collect and evaluate data, draw valid conclusions and project consequences of various alternative courses of action.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Database and website management skills.
- Experience with working internships, career, and/or advising programs in a graduate and professional school setting.
- Experience including working with premedical; pre-dental; pre-veterinary and other pre-health professions.