Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Counseling

The Counselor helps students understand and manage social, academic, and personal issues; provides preventive and developmental counseling; coordinates the activities of various student programs and services; assists with student retention programs incorporating personal counseling, career exploration, and academic support services.

• Review academic/career/personal goals and overall academic progress with assigned students
• Provide professional counseling for students regarding academic, career, personal and financial matters
• Refer students to University offices, faculty, staff and /or outside agencies or other professionals as necessary
• May assist in course selection and academic planning to ensure compliance with related policies/regulations
• May administer and evaluate placement testing in specialized cases; apply University academic policies to best advise students, and assist with data reporting
• Assist in planning and coordination of cultural and social events for students and the community
• Participate in unit-wide projects involving prospective and current students (i.e., recruitment activities, commencements, award receptions, orientations, cultural and social events, etc.)
• Consult with faculty/staff and provide information
• Plan, implement, assess and evaluate specific programming or counseling area, educational program, or academic support service
• Coordinate support groups, mentor programs and specialized academic support programs including tutoring
• Assist students with appeals, complaints or institutional concerns
• May instruct credit-bearing courses or first-year seminars
• May present at state and national conferences
• Advocate for students and work with other staff members and campus organizations to promote academic, career, and personal development; may serve on University committees
• May coordinate training for new and entry-level counselors; serve as a resource for counselors regarding questions and problem cases
• May provide counseling services to meet the needs of special student populations, including students with disabilities, multicultural and non-traditional students, and student athletes
• Maintain case notes that track client progress, assessments results and counseling goals; maintain confidential records
• May assist with the supervision of graduate assistants, interns, wage payroll employees, and/or students
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Support track, performs work at Senior Support level or higher; for Professional track, performs work at the Advanced Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 8
• Minimum – $51,000.00
• MidPoint – $62,500.00
• Maximum – $74,000.00