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Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.

Job Description

The Global Services Advising Specialist is a full-time, front-facing role crucial to the smooth operation of the Office of Global Engagement and its constituent offices. This individual serves as the primary point of contact for students, faculty, staff, and parents, providing expert guidance and support across a wide range of international engagement and support areas. The Advising Specialist also plays a key role in immigration advising and compliance as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of our students abroad and on campus, serving as a first point of contact in emergency situations. This position requires a highly organized and adaptable individual with a deep understanding of international education and a commitment to providing exceptional customer service.

Immigration Compliance & Processing (F-1 & J-1 Visas):

•Serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) for the USCIS (F-1 visas).

•Serve as an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for the US DOS (J-1 visas).

•Explain immigration regulations and procedures to international students, faculty, and scholars.

•Issue and sign immigration forms, approve and process applications.

Serve as a Designated School Official for the U.S. Immigration Service for F-1 student visas and Alternate Responsible Office for the US Department of State for J-1 exchange visitor student visas. Independently oversee, review, approve, and issue initial DS2019 immigration forms to the growing exchange student population now at approximately 220. Autonomously review, approve and process immigration applications—including pre- and post-completion academic training—for J-1 exchange students. Primary OISS staff member creating On-Campus Work Authorization documents and providing travel signatures for all students.

Front Office Operations, Customer Service, and Emergency Response:

•Manage the overall workflow of front-office operations at Hovey House.

•Provide exceptional hospitality and intake services to all visitors.

•Triage telephone calls and in-person walk-ins, offering appropriate guidance and referrals.

•Serve as the first point of contact for emergencies and crises, including global events impacting students.

•Implement established protocols for managing emergencies and difficult situations.

Supervision & Mentorship:

•Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate Graduate Assistants on Global Engagement, Global Education, and International Students and Scholars (OISS) procedures and systems.

•Provide mentorship and leadership to Graduate Assistants, ensuring adherence to appropriate protocols in all situations.

•Provide OISS-specific training to Graduate Assistants, including a basic understanding of immigration regulations and policies.

Hovey House serves the International Student and Scholar Population of 2900-undergraduate, graduate, exchange students, faculty, scholars and their dependents; approximately 2000 students visiting the Office of Global Education for study-abroad advising; and high-level visits from university partners around the world.

Advising & Support:

•Advise on general and procedural matters related to at least 4 knowledge bases/competencies: global education/study abroad, global partnerships, global safety and security, and international student/scholar immigration support.

•Provide information to university departments on policies and procedures related to the international population.

Explain immigration regulations to international students, faculty, and scholars for the F-1 student visa and the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa including walk-ins, phone calls, OISS general email account and in the new, complex OISS portal: Terradotta ISSS. Serve as primary OISS point of contact for 220 J-1 exchange students and advise them, as well as their Office of Global Education adviser, on the process for applying for pre and post-completion Academic Training. Provide information to university departments on policies and procedures pertaining to the international population.

Program Support & Collaboration:

•Assist in organizing and implementing cross-cultural programs sponsored by the Office of International Students and Scholars, the Office of Global Education, and the Office of Global Engagement.

•Co-lead bi-weekly English Language Learners Support Group.

Hiring Range: $27.47/hr to $34.34/hr. Pay rate commensurate with relevant experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

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As As required by the Department of Homeland Security, applicant must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.

Experience:

• 2 years experience in a university setting, preferably with international students

• 2 years advising on F-1 and J-1 immigration regulations and SEVIS

• Experience with PCs including MS office and familiarity with web-based applications and specialized OISS software Terradotta ISSS

• 2 years cross-cultural programming experience

2 years supervisory experience preferred

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

+ Tuition remission for Employees

+ Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements

+ Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

+ Low-Cost Life Insurance

+ Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans

+ Paid Holidays Annually

+ Generous Sick and Vacation Pay

+ Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination .