Advisor, Veterans Resource Center (VRC) and School Certifying Official (SCO) Contractor
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Job Location:
Oakland, CA - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
30+ days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Description:
Job Description Summary:
The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) Advisor - contractor provides specialized advising events planning student engagement and VA education benefits administration for veteran and military connected students enrolled at Samuel Merritt University (SMU). This position serves as a designated School Certifying Official (SCO) for the University and is responsible for the accurate timely certification of enrollment and enrollment changes to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The role supports institutional compliance with federal regulations while advancing student persistence progression and degree completion.
This position reports to the Dean of Students with regular collaboration with Student Affairs Registrar Financial Aid Student Accounts and Academic Program leadership. This is primarily an in-person role based in Oakland CA and requires regular travel to SMUs regional campuses in California (Sacramento Fresno and Foster City).
Duties and Responsibilities:
Veteran & MilitaryConnected Student Engagement
- Provide individualized academic advising and success coaching to veteran and militaryconnected students enrolled in professional and clinical programs.
- Assist students in navigating rigorous academic and clinical progression requirements while maintaining VA benefit eligibility.
- Develop and deliver veteran programming and veteran appreciation events for all SMU Campuses.
VA Certification & Compliance (SCO Responsibilities)
- Serve as an institutional SCO certifying enrollments and reporting changes accurately and within required timelines.
- Interpret and apply VA regulations related to enrollment status clinical participation leaves of absence withdrawals and program changes.
- Support compliance reviews audits and documentation requests from VA or State Approving Agencies.
Case Management & Records
- Maintain an assigned caseload of veteran students and track academic progress enrollment changes and benefitimpacting events.
- Maintain accurate certification records and documentation in compliance with FERPA and VA requirements.
Outreach & Collaboration
- Collaborate with Admissions Registrar Financial Aid Student Accounts Disability Services Academic Support Services Student Health and Counseling and SMU Central.
- Participate in veteranfocused orientation outreach and retention initiatives.
Required Minimum Qualifications
Education
- Bachelors degree from a regionally accredited institution in Student Affairs Higher Education Administration Education Counseling Social Work Public Administration Health Sciences Administration or a closely related field.
Professional Experience
- Applicants must already be knowledgeable in VA certification processes; this position is not intended for entrylevel SCO training.
- Minimum of two (2) years of prior experience serving as a designated School Certifying Official (SCO) within the past 5 years at an institution of higher education with responsibility for certifying VA education benefits.
- Two (2) or more additional years of professional experience in student services academic advising enrollment/registrar operations financial aid veteran services or compliance functions within a higher education environment.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated working knowledge of:
- VA education benefits programs (Post9/11 GI Bill VR&E and related provisions)
- Enrollment certification and change reporting requirements
- FERPA and student records confidentiality
- Academic standing enrollment status and satisfactory academic progress concepts
- VA compliance surveys audits or State Approving Agency (SAA) reviews.
- Ability to accurately interpret and apply VA institutional and academic policies preferably in nonstandard terms and clinical education settings.
- Demonstrated strong attention to deadlines ensuring all timesensitive responsibilities particularly those related to compliance certification and student support are completed accurately and without delay.
- Candidates must possess a baseline level of competencies for Student Affairs educators as outlined by ACPA/NASPA:
- Personal and Ethical Foundations
- Values Philosophy and History
- Assessment Evaluation and Research
- Law Policy and Governance
- Organizational and Human Resource
- Leadership
- Social Justice and Inclusion
- Student Learning and Development
- Technology
- Advising and Supporting
Certifications & Training
- Must be currently eligible and qualified to serve as a VA School Certifying Official.
- Must have successfully completed VA SCO training in accordance with Section 305of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017.
- Must maintain annual VA SCO training compliance to retain certifying authority throughout employment.
Conditions of Employment
- Continued employment is contingent upon maintaining VA SCO designation and annual training compliance.
- Position may require periodic work during peak registration add/drop or certification periods.
Employee Status:
ContractorExemption Status:
United States of America (Non-Exempt)Time Type:
Full timeJob Shift:
Pay Range:
$35 .00 to $38.00 (hourly/non-exempt)Samuel Merritt University currently provides base salary ranges for all positions-on job advertisements-in the United States based on local requirements. Individual compensation will ultimately be determined based on a variety of relevant factors including but-not limited to qualifications geographic location and other relevant skills.Required Experience:
Contract
About Company
Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in health sciences with hands-on, real-world learning experiences.
