Academic Support Specialist

Academic Support Specialist

The University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public liberal arts and sciences university on the Island of Hawaii, recognized for its integration of cultural immersion and place-based research that leverages the island's extraordinary geological, biological, and cultural diversity. A comprehensive, regional campus within the ten-campus University of Hawaii system, UH Hilo offers high-quality undergraduate and select postgraduate education, with distinctive strengths in areas such as marine science, geology, astronomy, and Hawaiian language revitalization, while advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity that support community needs, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge systems, and workforce development priorities for the State of Hawaii.

The SON Academic Support Specialist plays a vital role within the SON by providing comprehensive program and student support essential for maintaining high-quality operations and accreditation standards. The specialist serves as a primary academic advisor for nursing and exploratory health science students, guiding them through the undergraduate and graduate admissions process and graduation requirements. The specialist creates and maintains student record databases, processes program evaluations for accreditation analysis, and manages external partnerships and secure compliance platforms for clinical placements. The specialist maintains vital survey data for alumni and institutional assessment to ensure the school's strategic and professional goals are met. The position also manages course scheduling and updates the curriculum in the university catalog and coordinates key student-focused events such as institutes, orientations, and welcome banquets.

Duties and Responsibilities (*denotes essential functions):

Student Support

1. *Serves as academic support officer for the School of Nursing (SON) including assisting with academic advising for students in the School of Nursing and in the Exploratory Health Sciences ("pre-nursing") programs.

2. *Works in conjunction with the Graduate Program, Admissions, and Registrar offices on matters related to SON programs admission, retention, and curriculum procedures and issues.

3. *Advises students about the SON programs admissions process, assists with their course selections throughout students' academic journeys, and supports students with any issues that may arise (registration, technology, etc.).

4. *Processes course modifications and manages changes on STAR and Banner.

5. *Serves as a primary contact for students during the summer.

6. *Plans baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program informational and recruitment sessions for prospective students.

7. *Coordinates the BSN and DNP week of welcome banquet, orientation, and activities during the appropriate Fall/Spring Institutes.

Program Support

1. *Manages SON undergraduate and graduate program admissions and participates in SON Program Coordinator and other faculty meetings.

2. *Uses Kuali Build, a cloud-based, no-code form building and workflow automation tool used by the University of Hawaii (UH) system, to manage student academic support, course scheduling, and curriculum.

3. *Participates in review of curriculum and updates to the UH Hilo course catalog.

4. *Manages undergraduate and graduate student correspondence and maintains related student program records with the SON databases for accreditation purposes.

5. *Creates surveys and maintains survey data (alumni, employment, DNP graduation, faculty, and student).

6. *Monitors SON program information (written and electronic) for consistency and accuracy to be in accordance with UH Hilo and professional organizations' policies and strategic plans.

7. *Attends assigned SON committee meetings to take meeting minutes and to complete necessary data collection and duties pertaining to those assigned committees.

8. *Submits hours for preceptors to Hawaii Preceptor Tax Credit.

9. *Interfaces with proprietary contracts using the SON secure platform for student data (e.g., student records and background checks) and for compliance tracking and assists the lab coordinators in collecting health documentation.

10. *Assists with managing SON MOAs/MOUs with agencies and preceptors.

11. *Develops, maintains, and retrieves course and program evaluations for data collection for accreditation purposes and processes the data for analysis.

12. Assists faculty with course preparations (large-volume photocopying, etc.).

13. As needed, assists with managing benchmarking data for accreditation and program reviews with the SON Director, Program Coordinators, and other Staff.

14. As needed, assists SON Director, Program Coordinators, and other Staff with special projects and program reports.

15. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree in any field and 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for program support; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated.

2. Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of program support as demonstrated by the broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.

3. Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with program support.

4. Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.

5. Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.

6. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.

7. Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer and apply word processing software.

8. If applicable, for supervisory work, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.

Desirable Qualifications

1. Experience working in a higher or nursing education setting.

2. Experience with direct student support in higher education including, but not limited to, academic advising.

3. Experience working with Banner, STAR, and/or Kuali platforms.

4. Experience with Excel software or Google sheets software for data analysis.

5. Experience with Google platform software.

6. Experience with Zoom video conferencing software.

7. Experience obtaining, maintaining, and analyzing survey data.

8. Experience with contracts management, such as affiliation agreements or memorandums of understanding.

9. Ability to provide support on occasional special weekend and/or evening events.