Transfer Admissions Advisor

Position Title Transfer Admissions Advisor About the University

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About the Department The Office of Admissions supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. About the Position Reporting to the Associate Director of Admissions, the Transfer Admissions Advisor coordinates and delivers a variety of pre-enrollment advising and transfer credit evaluation services that serve and support prospective students and applicants in their journey to Western.

The Transfer Admissions Advisor meets with students to promote transfer to Western and ensure students understand the application process and how their credit will transfer to Western, applies expert knowledge of Western's transfer credit policies to determine the transferability of college courses completed at other educational institutions, and shares responsibility with the Transfer Credit Specialist for and maintaining the course equivalency database used by students, University staff and community college advisers throughout the state.

Duties / Responsibilities

45% Transfer Advising

• Advise prospective students and applicants about academic program offerings, admissions requirements, transfer planning, transfer credits, and financial aid and scholarship availability.

• Assist prospective students and applicants in understanding how their previous college coursework will transfer, answering questions regarding the university's decision to accept or deny such transfer credit for credit or course equivalencies and how their transfer credits apply to degree requirements at Western.

• Help students identify academic programs at Western that align with their interests and goals, provide information about admission requirements, and refer to academic departments for major advising.

• Meet individually with students and their family through appointments and on-call advising, phone calls, video chats and email.

• Present information to potential students in both individual and group settings in-person, at community colleges, or at virtual events on topics of academic opportunities, application processes, financial aid, scholarship availability and transition Western.

• Maintain relevant institutional knowledge to effectively serve students from diverse backgrounds including veterans and their dependents, students with disabilities, non-traditional students, first-generation students, Running Start, and international students.

• Collaborate with Admissions team members and staff across the University to assist students in successfully navigating the transfer process, referring students to appropriate departmental offices, advisers, and support services as needed.

• Provide follow up support to prospective students from point of inquiry through enrollment, collaborating with colleagues to ensure each student's experience with the institution is professional, service-focused, and productive.

• Coach students to effectively use the tools and resources necessary for successful application and transition to Western.

• Maintain a record of student communication in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (Slate).

• Participate in prospective student recruitment activities like information sessions, college fairs and on campus visit programs.

• As requested, assist with developing and maintaining transfer planning guides for community college partners.

• Identify challenges and opportunities transfer students encounter during the application and onboarding process and make recommendations to reduce barriers to enrollment.

35% Transfer Credit Evaluation

• Develop and maintain expert-level knowledge of admission requirements, transfer policies, course equivalencies and technology platforms.

• Apply professional judgment and knowledge of Western policies, requirements and course offerings to determine transfer credit that applies to an undergraduate degree at Western.

• Analyze U.S. and international college and university transcripts, catalog course descriptions and syllabi to generate transfer credit evaluations for prospective students interested in transferring to Western.

• Use online resources such as the College Source Transfer Evaluation System (TES) and Class Base to research and verify accreditation status and histories for unknown U.S. and international higher education institutions.

• Perform GUR evaluations to inform program eligibility for students interested in undergraduate Outreach and Continuing Education (OCE) programs.

• Use the Student Information System (SIS) (Banner) to provide timely Transfer Equivalency Reports (TERs) for admitted and enrolled students, ensuring that all eligible transfer courses from official transcripts and test scores are entered into student records, correctly articulated and display accurately in a student's TER.

• Use the Student Information System (SIS) (Banner) to ensure transferable courses are rolled to a student's academic history for use in Degree Works and the registration prerequisite checking process.

• Navigate catalog, website, student portals, SIS, CRM, and data imaging system seamlessly for information gathering and accurate record keeping.

• Independently coordinate the articulation of credits needed for post-baccalaureate students enrolling at Western.

• Accurately and thoroughly document student records.

15% Transfer Articulation and Course Maintenance

• Support the Transfer Credit Specialist with managing Western's transfer equivalency database and maintaining a repository of transferable courses.

• Regularly compare college and university catalogs with the articulation database to ensure the database is an accurate and up-to-date tool for students and advisers.

• Communicate and consult with the Transfer Credit Specialist and/or supervisor to discuss courses that fall outside established guidelines to ensure consistency.

5% Other Duties as Assigned

• Attend daily and weekly meetings.

• Serve as Western's secondary member of the Intercollege Relations Commission.

• As requested, attend committees, meetings and conferences that include transfer-related topics.

• Compose and/or review materials, online transfer information, and other documents as requested by the Associate Director or other administrative staff.

• Collaborate with members of the Processing Team, Recruitment Team, and Communications and Marketing Team to support enrollment goals and implement initiatives that support transfer students.

• Perform related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in the areas of transfer credit evaluation or academic advising sufficient to perform the essential duties of the job

• Demonstrated ability to make informed decisions in the interpretation and application of guidelines, policies, procedures and rules while exercising independent judgment

• Outstanding organizational skills with demonstrated ability to set priorities and successfully meet goals

• Ability to work collaboratively across various programs and departments

• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate effectively with students, families and faculty with diverse backgrounds and perspectives

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Teams, Word, Outlook, Excel)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising students about transfer or admissions

• Experience with the evaluation of transfer credit

• Slate and Banner experience

• Fluency in a language other than English

Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations. Salary Hiring range is $56,468 - $64,939/year depending on qualifications and experience. Through longevity position tops out at $73,409. Benefits Information

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application Instructions

A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary, with notice provided beforehand.

Closing Date Notes Position closes July 18, 2024 at 11:55 pm.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3303 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.