Student Life & Wellness Specialist, Cornell Tech (NYC)

About Cornell Tech

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

The Student Life & Wellness Specialist is a full-time, visible resource to Cornell Tech graduate and professional students as well as Ithaca-based Cornell undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who live and/or study on the Cornell Tech campus. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Education at Cornell Tech, the position provides non-clinical student support, health referral, and crisis intervention, creates and implements proactive wellbeing programming and plays a lead role in student life programming in collaboration with the Associate Director of Technical Programs & Student Life including orientation, study breaks, team building, DEI events, PhD Visit Days, and the year-end Recognition Ceremony.

The candidate must be available evenings and weekends by phone and email for occasional student crises and to implement student events.

The Student Life & Wellness Specialist will:

• Provide day-to-day oversight of student well-being and support

• Be a visible campus resource enabling effective response to queries from students, staff, and faculty related to concerns about students in distress/crisis. While strong supportive relationships may develop with students, the position does not engage in individual therapeutic relationships or psychological counseling.

• Proactively identify, assess and establish formal relationships with local resources (both individuals and institutions) to provide excellent service directly to students in support of their wellbeing. Assist students in navigation of Cornell University and local NYC health and wellness resources, including health insurance.

• Serve as liaison to Cornell Health and CAPs, Student Support & Advocacy Services, Title IX, and SDS in Ithaca

• Ensure student compliance with immunizations .

• Research, implement, deliver and assess workshops and programs for graduate students that focus on a proactive/preventative approach to support a healthy student life experience at Cornell Tech including peer mentorship programs and roommate relationships.

• Support and collaborate with University resources to ensure appropriate training and education for the student community around topics including, but not limited to, stress management, resilience, sexual misconduct, positive relationships, and bystander intervention

• Create and implement other student programming including orientation, study breaks, community building, socials, DEI, volunteer events, PhD Visit Days and the Recognition Ceremony in collaboration with Associate Director of Technical Programs & Student Life.

• Collaborate with staff on campus including Campus Safety & Security, Housing, Enrollment & Admissions, Studio, Career Management, the CAPs counselor to support students.

Successful candidates will need to have and display the following competencies as part of this role:

• Communicates effectively - Provides timely and helpful information to students and others across the organization

• Interpersonal savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people

• Instills trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity

• Being resilient - Is confident under pressure; handles and manages crises effectively

Visa sponsorship is not available.

Starting salary range: $74,066 to $79,719

Essential Functions Include

Proactive Outreach, Training, and Programming - 60%

• Hold weekly office hours and utilize other strategies to establish visible presence among students.

• Assess wellness training and programming needs and opportunities. Design and implement appropriate proactive programs and materials.

• Work with students who live on campus to establish healthy roommate relationships.

• Support and collaborate with University resources to ensure appropriate training and education for the campus community around topics including, but not limited to, sexual misconduct, positive relationships, and bystander intervention.

• Assist in training and advising faculty, staff, and students on identifying, managing and responding to students of concern.

• Create and implement student programming including orientation, study breaks, community building, socials, DEI, volunteer events, PhD Visit Days and the Recognition Ceremony in collaboration with the Associate Director of Technical Programs and Student Life.

• Develop promotional materials of student resources and events. Maintain updates to the Student Wellness website.

Response to and Support of Students in Distress - 20%

• Support students in need, including, for example, those who have recently gone through a crisis and need follow-up attention; who have returned from a health or personal leave; who are experiencing challenges with identifying or accessing medical, mental health or wellness services in New York City; or who come to the attention of the campus through a faculty member, staff member, or other campus partner.

• Meet individually with students as needed to support their progress and provide referrals to services. Follow-up and track cases to ensure adequate support.

• The support work does not include direct counseling, but may include informal discussions with reflective listening; coordinating services among academic, counseling, medical and other campus partners; checking in over a period of time to learn of on-going needs; providing information related to housing, child care, health, mental well-being; and making referrals to the appropriate campus partners or NYC services.

• Support for personal (non-academic) student issues living on campus not related to housing policies.

• Be a resource to students in crisis studying in NYC, but not living on the Tech Campus, through their program administrators or faculty and in coordination with Ithaca-based Student Advocacy and Support team

Development of Strategic Relationships with NYC and University Resources - 10%

• Recruit and train campus partners (program specific staff and appropriate support resources) to assist with supporting student wellness including health and fitness.

• Identify and develop informal or formal relationships as appropriate with direct service providers including the on campus CAPs counselor.

Other position-related responsibilities - 10%

• Participate in projects or other duties as assigned with occasional work responsibility falling above or below current classification.

• Completion of any university required compliance trainings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, human development, social work, education, or related field and 2-3 years of related experience in a complex higher education setting.

• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting access, inclusion, and wellbeing.

• Experience working directly with people from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Knowledge of FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, Cleary Act and other emergent issues pertaining to student support, including work with international students.

• Ability to work independently and autonomously without direct supervision and possess the ability to make sound judgment calls when necessary and relay information appropriately and consistently.

• Ability to advise students from various backgrounds, make referrals, set boundaries, and equip students with skills and strategies to engage in self-advocacy.

• Proven ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues, both within the organization and in the wider community, and at every level of an institution's hierarchy.

• Knowledge and experience with mental and physical health and wellness resources in NYC.

• Experience working with inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in psychology, counseling, human development, social work, education, or related field and/or additional relevant work experience. Advanced certification or license in mental health, social work or related field.

Culture of Inclusion and Community Standards

As a university founded to be a place where "...any person can find instruction in any study," inclusion and belonging are at the core of our values and mission. We strive to be a welcoming, caring, healthy, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect, and feel empowered to engage in any community conversation. As a member of the Cornell University community, it is important to recognize our shared responsibility to each other to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all. Cornell Core values

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Successare foundational to what is expected ofevery employee and leader working at Cornell. These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success