Associate Director of International Student and Scholar Advising
Job Description
Bennington College invites applications for an Associate Director of International Student and Scholar Advising to join a
robust Provost’s Office team. Reporting to the Provost, the Associate Director serves as the primary point of contact and subject matter
expert for all student and employment immigration matters. The Associate Director works collaboratively across the College to support and
consider the international student and employee experience to ensure that it is welcoming and informative. The Associate Director is
expected to thoughtfully propose enhancements to the related policies, programs, events, and cultural offerings for individuals who are
under Bennington College’s immigration sponsorship. The Associate Director will work closely with student-facing offices on campus to
support the whole student and collaboratively address issues related to international students’/scholar’s experiences at
Bennington.
Key Responsibilities
-
Develop proposals for enhancements to related policies, programs, events,
and cultural offerings for individuals who are under Bennington College’s immigration sponsorship. -
Work in collaboration with
staff and faculty from across the College to develop programming that will support and contribute to the international student and employee
experience. -
Develop institutional immigration protocol and guidelines.
-
Develop training and workshops for
the campus community to provide guidance on immigration regulations and transitional considerations. -
Develop and facilitate
new student orientation sessions to ensure a welcoming and smooth transition to the campus community and region. -
Serve as
Principal Designated School Official (PDSO). Update and maintain student records in the Student and Exchange Visitor System (SEVIS). -
Provide immigration advising for students, scholars and staff on a
full range of support services including evaluating eligibility for visa designation status (F-1, OPT, H-1B, O-1, among others), compilation
and filing of initial visa application and subsequent renewals, change in status, extensions, travel, employment status, practical training
and related matters. Provide guidance for family members of students, scholars and staff. -
Ensure institutional compliance
and individual student and employee compliance with government regulations and guidelines. Serve as a liaison to government
agencies. -
Develop, review and monitor employee visa filings; draft response to request for information and review with
Provost or Associate Vice President for Human Resources. -
Proactively work with students and employees to inform, support and
provide guidance on immigration matters. -
For employment immigration matters, work in collaboration with external counsel to
coordinate visa filings. Work in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and Human Resources on all aspects of employment-based
immigration matters. -
Provide guidance and develop support protocol for assisting students and employees with obtaining Social
Security numbers. -
Maintain web content to ensure community access to immigration support services
information. -
Hire and support international student interns.
Bennington serves a diverse student population
inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities as well as diverse gender
identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting
backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building
community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be
accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity-both as fields of inquiry and practice-is to
prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and
areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to
apply.
Qualifications
-
Bachelor’s degree required in higher education, community
leadership, public action, conflict resolution, community building or related field; Master’s degree in International Studies
preferred. -
Minimum of 3 years’ relevant work experience advising students. Previous work experience in advocacy of
traditionally underrepresented groups. Experience with student support and advising, international studies or a related
field. -
Experience working with a diverse population.
-
Demonstrated knowledge of Department of Homeland
Security regulations and SEVIS management/administration. Demonstrated knowledge of current US immigration regulations, policies and
procedures. Commitment to ongoing training and education to remain current in knowledge of US immigration regulations.
-
As required by law, to serve as the PDSO, candidates must be either a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United
States. -
Must possess outstanding active listening and oral comprehension and expression skills, flexibility, creativity, and
attention to detail. Must also possess strong social perceptiveness, intercultural awareness, and progressive thought, as well as sound
problem solving, decision-making, and time management/organization skills. -
Must be dependable and able to work in a
fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple, competing tasks and demands simultaneously, work
independently, thrive in a fast paced environment, and be comfortable taking initiative and being self directed. -
Must be able
to engage with students of diverse interest, backgrounds and experience in ways that are meaningful and genuine. To this end, effective
written and verbal communication skills, as well as, relationship-building skills are essential. Superior interpersonal skills are necessary
to maintain good relations and open communication with all parties involved in academic and traditionally underserved student
advising. -
Must demonstrate a commitment to supporting students and community members through a collaborative and
team-oriented approach. -
Advanced computer skills, including Google Suite, MS Word, MS Excel, and internet
research.
This position requires the successful completion and acceptable results of a background check as well as
compliance with the College’s COVID vaccination policies.
The College
Bennington College offers a
comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and tuition
benefits including Tuition Exchange scholarships. The College also offers an on-site fitness center as well as generous time off benefits (4
weeks of vacation, 10 sick days and 17 paid holidays). Bennington College is a laboratory for innovation in higher education.
At
Bennington, learning and making-on campus and in the field-are inseparable, and its graduates are noted for their outsized impact on the
world’s stage. This campus celebrates the ongoing making of work-shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and
in conversations-and believes that equity, diversity, and inclusivity are vital to a collaborative community. This position captures,
contributes to, and reflects the ethos of this creative community.Nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the campus consists
of approximately 370 acres. The College was named one of ten with the best architecture by Architectural Digest. From campus, it is a short
drive to the cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts, Albany, New York, and many of Vermont’s top recreational
centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car.
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