Position Summary Located 45 minutes from the Nation's Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is a two-time Aspen Award-winning institution (top 15% of Community Colleges) with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America's top 100 producers of Minority Associate Degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs. The Veteran Affairs Advisor reports to the Coordinator of Veteran's Affairs and serves as the first point of contact for veteran students and their dependents providing VA Education advisement and benefits information. The individual in this position identifies the student's goals, assists in the planning attainment of those goals and identifies and certifies various chapters of veteran benefits to VA.
The College of Southern Maryland conducts background checks in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the College's staff and students. The final candidate for this position will be subject to the following background checks: Criminal History Check and Sex Offender Registry Check. This position is open until filled. The College of Southern Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Specific Duties and Responsibilities Essential Functions: Provides information to prospective veteran students and their dependents regarding the College of Southern Maryland Prepares and processes VA enrollment certifications and other VA forms Verifies course applicability, before sending enrollments to VA, notify students of courses that do not fit their degree plans/ program Report course drops, FX grades, N/A, suspension status, graduations, and amendments in a timely manner according to VA guidelines Completes/updates educational plans for veteran students/dependents as needed Assists students in navigating the VA process and website Provides assistance with problem resolution in relation to veteran/dependent student issues Provides referrals to other campus and community resources regarding veteran/dependent student issues both academic and personal Serves on committees related to improving the delivery of student services for veterans and their dependents Advises students of course and program selection related to veteran benefit eligibility and verifies appropriate courses necessary for certification Assist students in applying for a wide variety of DVA programs Reviews appropriate documentation necessary for certification of student veteran education entitlements to DVA benefits Monitors veteran students academic progress, course enrollment and other reporting requirements Assists with VA payment reconciliation Assists with compiling data for audit visits, veteran administration reports, and military friendly applications Assures that CSM is actively adhering to the 8 Keys to Veteran Success Maintains tracking system of student contacts for reporting purposes Manages the operations/services of the Veteran Lounge Utilizes in-person written and web-based information to provide resources and guidance to potential students, current students, and the college community in relation to veteran's educational benefits and eligibility Rotates to multiple campuses for veteran services and programming Coordinates with Enrollment Advisors to provide outreach to the community Attends and/or presents at Open Houses, New Student Welcome Program or community events as the College's Veteran representative Oversees VA Work Study students located at various campuses Trains VA Work Study students on all Veterans benefits processes Routinely trains and attends Veterans Administration's Office hours & webinars and stays current with changes, updates and mandates Maintains contact with the Veterans Affinity group Follows and adheres to rules of confidentiality for Veterans records Additional Duties: Performs other related work as required. Minimum Education and Training Bachelor's degree required Two years of experience working in a student services office in an educational system; post-secondary preferred Working knowledge of VA policies and procedures Knowledge of Colleague/Datatel preferred Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required Strong written and oral communication skills Proficiency in all types of communication including social networking Effective public speaking Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite Proven organizational skills that include multitasking, able to work independently with minimal supervision Detail oriented Ability to take on and prioritize long and short-term projects in relation to VA Ability to effectively collaborate with CSM faculty and staff Maintain a positive working relationship with Student Equity and Success and other College divisions and departments Must be familiar with and follow all College guidelines, procedures, regulations and policies including COMAR, Title 1 Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with hectic peak times of the year Physical Requirements :
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly.
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