Academic SEEK Student Support Specialist

POSITION DETAILS

York College, founded in 1966, is a center of academic excellence in the heart of Jamaica, Queens. One of the eleven senior colleges in The City University of New York, the College’s mission is to enrich students' lives by fostering an environment where they’ll grow into passionate and engaged learners.

York’s academic programs are housed in three schools: The School of Arts & Sciences, The School of Business and Information Systems, and The School of Health Sciences and Professional Programs. Over sixty baccalaureate programs from across a variety of disciplines, including accounting, aviation management, business, computer science, journalism, social work, teacher education, a dual BS/MS degree in Occupational Therapy, and one of the top-ranked nursing programs in New York State, provide students with opportunities to study liberal arts, sciences, and professional programs. The College also offers six graduate programs: Aviation Management, Clinical Trials Management, Pharmaceutical Science and Business, Physician Assistant, Social Work and Nursing Education.

Located in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in New York State, the College enrolls 7,000 students from over 95 nations. Nine out of ten students are members of a racial/ethnic minority group, and more than half of undergraduates are the first in their families to pursue higher education. The College’s 50-acre campus encompasses seven buildings, including science and computer labs, music and television studios, a Performing Arts Center, and a Health and Physical Education Center. The College recently completed seven major construction projects, with more scheduled for the future. In addition, its neighborhood is at the center of a renaissance fueled by economic revitalization.

York College is committed to fostering integrity, diversity, intellectual discovery, and civic engagement to benefit its students, the community, and the world.

SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) is a higher education opportunity program established at the senior CUNY colleges to provide comprehensive academic support to assist capable students who otherwise might not be able to attend college. Provides educational programs, academic advice, and assistance to SEEK students. The Academic SEEK Student Support Specialist reports directly to the SEEK Program Director.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Provide academic, personal, and career advisement to SEEK students individually and in group settings, maintaining accurate records to support SEEK/OSP reporting requirements related to advisement contact frequency and service utilization.

• Assess and monitor student academic performance and persistence indicators, including GPA trends, course completion, enrollment status, and early-alert flags, in alignment with SEEK benchmarks for satisfactory academic progress and retention.

• Conduct proactive outreach and case management for at-risk students, focusing on those flagged for academic probation, registration issues, financial aid holds, or attendance concerns, contributing to OSP targets for semester-to-semester persistence and reduced stop-out rates.

• Support SEEK enrollment management and onboarding processes, including orientation, registration support, and early-term check-ins, to advance OSP goals for census enrollment stabilization and first-year retention.

• Teach first-year SEEK success courses (SKCS 102, 103) using approved curricula to reinforce academic recovery, college readiness, and help-seeking behaviors tied to improved first-year GPA and credit accumulation benchmarks.

• Plan and deliver structured workshops and interventions on academic probation recovery, study skills, time management, test-taking strategies, motivation, and career exploration, aligned with OSP expectations for targeted retention programming and academic progression.

• Support the implementation of student retention and progression initiatives by monitoring key academic milestones, advancing credit-momentum goals (including 12/15/30 credit benchmarks), and facilitating career-readiness programming that promotes sustained academic achievement and timely degree completion.

• Coordinate referrals and collaborate with campus partners (e.g., Advising Center, Collaborative Learning Center, Financial Aid, and Immersion Workshops) to address academic and non-academic barriers identified in OSP performance reviews.

• Participate in SEEK program assessment, documentation, and reporting, including preparation of activity summaries and outcomes data that support OSP compliance, annual performance indicators, and continuous improvement efforts.

• Additional duties as assigned by the SEEK Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

A Master's degree in counseling, social work, or psychology and two years' related experience. Other related master's degrees can be considered.

Note: this is not a mental health counselor/practitioner position and is not responsible for providing psychological counseling.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience implementing student support, enrollment, and retention strategies, including academic success coaching, intrusive advising, case management, or similar high-touch student engagement models.

• Experience working in programs that serve socio-economically disadvantaged students.

• Exceptional attention to detail, time management, and organizational skills , with the ability to prioritize competing demands, follow through on tasks, and proactively identify and resolve student concerns.

• Minimum of 5–6 years of progressively responsible experience in counseling, academic advisement, student success, or related student-services roles

• Familiarity and comfort with CRM and collegiate case-management systems

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Provides educational programs, academic advice, and assistance to SEEK students. SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) is a higher education opportunity program established at the senior CUNY colleges to provide comprehensive academic support to assist capable students who otherwise might not be able to attend college.

Provides advice to students covering academic, social, career, and related issues, making appropriate referrals as needed

Determines areas of need and develops and teaches orientation programs, seminars, student workshops, and other activities

Develops academic interventions related to student academic status and success

Reports on activities and outcomes, assisting with report-writing and data collection

Collaborates with academic and student support departments to ensure students are utilizing available services and programming

Performs related duties as assigned.

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Assistant

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$77,097 - $85,556 - Salary commensurate with education and experience.