Advising and Testing is seeking temporary administrative assistant support to provide the highest quality customer service to students, faculty, and staff at PPSC, and communicate accurate and timely information to students, faculty, staff, and community members. This position will provide frontline customer service and information to internal and external partners related to academic advising, testing services, and other student services. This position supports the advancement of retention practices, graduation rates, and overall student success across the institution..  

This positions is temporary part-time, not to exceed 28 hours per week, maximum 9-month assignment.   

General Duties

Front Line Customer Service

• Provide direct service to students in person, on the phone, and through email to determine their needs and provide service as appropriate through immediate solution or referral to the appropriate person or department.
• Determines students’ needs and provides services through immediate solution or referral to the appropriate person or department.
• Makes appropriate referrals to other college student services areas in support of students’ academic and personal needs.
• Documents student interactions in accordance with department and institution policies in support of accountability and program assessment.
• Ensures that all relevant information is up to date; including but not limited to: new programs and course changes; important dates; college-wide initiatives; transfer requirements and options.
• Maintains training to use the most up-to-date versions of software programs used in the Advising & Testing Department
• Maintains a clean professional office space with materials on hand to perform functions of the Advising & Testing Department.
• Troubleshoots hardware and software issues.
• Collaborates with internal and external partners to provide equity based, culturally competent, efficient, and fair services.
• Promotes a work environment that provides the highest standard in customer service to students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Utilizes Knowledge of academic advising procedures and policies; advising information resources; and college’s instructional programs.
• Lift holds as appropriate and assist students with class schedule adjustments.
• Assists students with scheduling appointments for advising, testing, and other services areas at the institution. Check-in appointments for advising and testing services.
• Use Banner student information system, SARS, and EAB Navigate360 to access student records and update student information.
• Provide academic advising support to students referred by advising and testing staff due to complex advising or personal issues.
• Utilize student records systems to gather information and documents student interactions in accordance with department and institution policies in support of accountability and program assessment.
• Respond to general student inquiries and make appropriate referrals to advising teams or other college student services areas in support of students’ academic and personal needs.

Pre-Test Advising

• Provides pre-test advising to students regarding the need for placement testing, including providing test preparation information.
• Evaluates placement based upon documentation of academic preparation (college transcripts, high school transcripts, ACT scores, SAT scores, etc.) following state and institution defined guidelines.
• Process and input transcripts, ACT, SAT, and other placement assessment scores into student’s records.
• Applies knowledge and understanding of the relationship between advising and testing for new and continuing students.
• Demonstrates knowledge of standardized testing, college testing, placement, assessment, and measurement programs.

Marketing, Outreach, and Accountability

• Assists with special events, follow-up, and other service initiatives. 
• Collaborates with internal and external partners to provide equity based, culturally competent, efficient, and fair services. 
• Supports continuous assessment and improvement of processes affecting student retention and success metrics.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completed Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution; OR completed Associate’s degree with two years of progressively responsible professional level experience performing similar duties to those described for this position; OR four years of progressively responsible professional level experience performing similar duties to those described for this position.
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office Suite and electronic file management.
• Understanding of the challenges community college students face and related retention strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to read, write, and speak fluent Spanish. 
• Experience in higher education administrative services, academic advising, admissions counseling, student support services, testing, or student retention.
• Experience with higher education technology platforms and ability to work with evolving technology to meet student and staff needs.  Experience providing excellent customer service in an education or business setting.
• Experience working with Banner and EAB Navigate, or similar Student Information Systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work with underrepresented populations with efforts to close the achievement gap.

Applications accepted until position is filled.  This is a temporary part-time hourly position, not to exceed 28 hours per week, maximum 9-month assignment.   

Must be a State of Colorado resident or able to relocate to Colorado prior to first date of employment.  All work must be performed in the State of Colorado.

Department Hours of Operation 

• Monday 8am – 8pm
• Tuesday 8am – 8pm
• Wednesday 8am – 8pm
• Thursday 8am – 8pm
• Friday 8am – 5pm
• Saturday 8am – 5pm

Work Locations

• Centennial Campus – 5675 S. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80906
• Downtown Studio Campus – 100 West Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
• Rampart Range Campus – 2070 Interquest Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
• Additional sites, as determined by the Director and the Coordinator, may include but are not limited to:
  • Fort Carson Education Center – 1661 O’Connell St., Building 1012, Fort Carson, CO 80913
  • Peterson Space Force Base Education Center – 1141 Stewart Ave., Building 1411, Colorado Springs, CO 80914
  • Regional High Schools
  • Remote location

Application Instructions:  Application must be submitted online.  Incomplete applications may not receive full consideration.  A complete application will include:

• Cover letter - Address the minimum and preferred qualifications in the order listed on the job announcement.
• Resume - Reflect experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities.  
• Unofficial Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts for all degrees conferred.  Official transcripts are required if hired for the position.  
• Professional References - Provide names and contact information for three recent professional references who can address your expertise and background for this position.

Pikes Peak State College participates in the Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) contribution rates.

Note: Prior submission of application materials will not be considered.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Cultural competence and demonstrated evidence, understanding, and commitment to the concepts of diversity, multiculturalism, and their application in the workplace.
• Supervisory experience with the ability to train and direct full-time, part-time, and student employees to work effectively in a customer service-oriented setting that experiences periods of peak demands.
• Knowledge of student development theories, learning theories, pedagogy, and andragogy.
• Knowledge of academic advising procedures and college’s instructional programs.
• Supervisory skills to effectively manage multiple campuses and employees, and provide service to the PPSC students and community.
• Ability to design, implement, and monitor departmental goals and assessment activities as they relate to and support college strategic goals.
• Ability to analyze situations and make appropriate, innovative, and responsible decisions.
• Ability to work independently or as a member of the Advising & Testing team, as well as with the faculty, students, and staff of the college community in a collegial and professional manner.
• Exceptional organizational and customer service skills.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to effectively respond to inquiries from a diverse population of students, parents, staff, and the business community.
• Strong working knowledge of Banner 8.0 or greater as well as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple projects to meet necessary deadlines.
• Ability to conduct research, analyze results, and produce reports from multiple sources.
• Demonstrated skills in organization and accurate recordkeeping with strict attention to detail and student privacy issues.
• Must be able to work independently and follow through on assignments with minimal direction, and as an effective team member.
• Ability to work evenings, Saturdays as needed, and travel to multiple campuses and off campus locations.

This job description reflects Pikes Peak State College’s best effort to describe the essential duties and qualifications of the job.  It is not an exhaustive statement of all the duties, responsibilities or qualifications of the job.  This document is not intended to exclude an opportunity for modifications consistent with providing reasonable accommodation.   

EEO Statement: Pikes Peak State College is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Americans with Disabilities Act institution.  We value diversity, strive for a more unified campus where all people are valued, treated fairly, and possess a sense of belonging.  Pikes Peak State College encourages minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities to apply.