Administrative Assistant-Housing (Office & Administrative Special Senior)

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Working Title:
Administrative Assistant-Housing (Office & Administrative Special Senior)
Institution:
Winona State University
Classification Title:

Office & Admin Specialist Sr
Bargaining Unit / Union:
206: AFSCME - Clerical and Office
City:
Winona
FLSA:
Non Job Exempt
Full Time / Part Time:
Full time
Employment Condition:
Classified - Unlimited
Salary Range:
$22.62 - $32.23
Job Description

This position exists to provide supervisory and administrative oversight for the central office of the Housing & Residence Life Department. This position is responsible for the effective workflow and support to Winona State University students, parents, faculty, and staff seeking on-campus housing and dining options. The position exists to interpret and communicate policy, administer key support activities within the area, initiate transactions, and provide accurate record keeping for a variety of financial auditing, billing and room assignment processes integral to the Department of Housing & Residence Life, Student Accounts, Dining Services and the Residence Halls.  This position researches and responds to a wide range of questions from students and families through many forms of communication.

Responsibilities:

1.      Serve as the Housing Office expert resource on housing agreement processes and procedures.  Ensure customer service is excellent and manage the complex and difficult situations that often arise within the Housing department.  Serve as an expert in all dining plan options.

- First line of referral for customer base problems or concerns from students, families of students, staff, vendors and community members.

- Work directly with students and families to facilitate their understanding of housing agreements, policies, and processes.

- Daily interactions occur with students and/or parents that require detailed explanation as well as advice regarding housing and meal plan choices.

- Responsible for requesting updates on the Winona State Housing & Residence Life website as department information changes to ensure correct information is available.

- Serve as Housing & Residence Life’s primary representative for planning, coordinating, and actively participating in departmental involvement in major recruitment events including New Student Registration, Warrior Way Days, Sophomore/Junior Day, and similar programs. Responsibilities include, but not limited to, reviewing attendee data and conducting follow-up outreach, preparing resource table materials such as signage, handouts, and promotional items; scheduling appropriate professional and student staff coverage for presentations, resource tables, and housing tours. Maintain an active presence throughout events to support prospective students, families, and campus partners.

- Coordinate and oversee housing tours for the department. Manage tour requests and schedules, recruit, train, and schedule tour guides, maintain tour room and residence hall access, and personally give tours. Collaborate with Area Coordinators and Facilities staff to ensure tour spaces are clean, staged, and presentable for prospective students and families.

- Serve as the department expert for all students, staff, and faculty regarding their Dining agreement.  Answer questions and advise students on the various meal plan options and the process for selecting, changing, or cancelling a meal plan.

- Oversee the Welcome Crew volunteer recruitment process. Promote Welcome Crew across campus to recruit volunteers though various methods, including, but not limited to: email, website, word of mouth/informational meetings, etc. Communicate information to volunteers, track participation, create and/or update and order materials (i.e. parking passes, t-shirts, signs, etc.), coordinate early arrival if living on campus, etc.

- Make recommendations regarding policies and procedures and department concerns.  Initiate, create, and implement necessary changes in day-to-day processes as well as updating the website and forms associated with the changes.

- Seek continual updates and training to improve service delivery from the Department of Housing.

- Listen to student concerns regarding non-residential issues and supply them with information and referrals to the appropriate resources.

- Participate in Departmental and Divisional meetings, retreats and training sessions.

2. Responsible for room assignment and meal plan requests and changes

- Monitor all student housing applications and meal plans submitted online through the StarRez Housing Management System.

- Responsible for entering all meal plans and Dining Dollars into the StarRez Housing Management System.

- Process all meal plan and Dining Dollar changes and cancellations, ensuring all charges and refunds are accurately reflected on students’ bills. Verify student meal plan and Dining Dollar usage in CBORD/Illumia.

- Process all room changes, which includes updating student’s room assignment, checking enrollment, and adjusting student’s account to accurately reflect their room change. Manage summer room change process.

- Communicate to students regarding all incomplete housing applications through various means of communication to encourage students to submit the proper materials and be guaranteed a room assignment.

- Manage all housing application cancellation requests from new and returning students prior to moving into the residence halls by updating their record in StarRez.

- Assist students and/or their families with any questions or complications they may have when submitting their online housing application and pre-payment.

- Research and provide a timely response to questions regarding the housing application process.

- Make recommendations for improvements to housing reservations and the room assignment processes.

- SHEL Southeast Students

- Ensure our partners at Southeast have updated application and housing materials. Collaborate with Southeast staff to hold an annual meeting for Southeast students living in WSU residence halls.

- Monitor not enrolled student list at WSU and Southeast. Work with financial aid and warrior success center. Communicate with Area Coordinators if students are not enrolled and need to move out of the halls.

3. Responsible for ensuring accuracy of occupancy records, financial records in StarRez and ISRS.

- Responsible for maintaining accurate records in StarRez for all room assignments, meal plans, and cancellations.

- StarRez support which includes Creating timeslots, running reports, and updating email templates.

- Respond to all requests for information or questions from students and families regarding the ambiguity of their assignment status while they are waiting for a permanent housing assignment.

- Process all Residence Hall housing cancellation requests from current and prospective students using StarRez.

- Manage billing for cancellations, room changes, refunds, credits, fees, and pre-payments.

- Analyze room assignment reports to ensure that all students’ charges are accurate.  Initiate and process departmental procedures for refunds and rate adjustments for current and prospective residents.

- Work closely with the Area Coordinators to reconcile occupancy at the beginning of each term and cancel the agreements for students who did not move into the halls.

- Inform students through phone, email, or individual meetings of proper agreement release and checkout procedures and adjustments in billing resulting from student change requests.

- Provide Student Accounts and enter into their billing record information necessary to disburse refunds or charges.

4. Provide leadership and oversight to the central office of Housing and Residence Life.

- Oversee front office operations and staffing, including developing and maintaining office schedules, coordinating coverage among student employees, the OAS Intermediate, and departmental staff. Proactively identify coverage gaps and communicate staffing needs to ensure consistent customer service during all business hours.

- Manage the Housing and Residence Life office environment, including maintaining a professional, organized, and welcoming office space; coordinating facility and maintenance concerns with appropriate campus partners; and administering office suite access, keys, and card access permissions in collaboration with Campus Safety and Information Technology.

- Recruit, hire, onboard, and maintain employment records for student employees, including developing and updating position descriptions, advertising positions, conducting interviews, processing hiring paperwork, and submitting work authorizations to Student Payroll.

- Train, supervise, and develop student employees through the creation of training materials, facilitation of trainings on data privacy i.e. FERPA, departmental policies, procedures, customer service, and student support, as well as regular staff meetings and ongoing coaching.

- Manage student employee performance and operations, including assigning work, conducting evaluations, developing strategies to achieve work objectives, administering corrective action when necessary, scheduling shifts to ensure adequate office coverage, and approving timesheets.

- Oversee departmental mail services, including training staff on mail procedures, coordinating mail schedules with the Post Office, and investigating and resolving mail-related concerns.

- Coordinate departmental special events and office initiatives.

Salary Range: $22.62-$30.62/hour; commensurate with qualifications and experience

Minimum Qualifications

- Math - Sufficient to add, subtract, multiply and divide when working with student’s accounts

- Typing Keyboarding (40WPM) - Sufficient to draft correspondence for the department

- Data Entry Performance - Sufficient to enter Housing and dining plan information

- English (speaking and/or writing and/or reading orally) - Sufficient to communicate with customers of the department via email and in person

- Word Processing - Sufficient to draft departmental documents

- Spreadsheets – Sufficient to sort and analyze lists

- Customer Service Skills – Sufficient to serve as the main point of contact

- Lead Work Skills – Sufficient to provide leadership and delegate work to other staff and student employees

- Development of Administrative and Programmatic Procedures – Sufficient to continually review and edit departmental policies.

Preferred Qualification

- Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills.

- Experience with database management

- Experience with StarRez or any Housing software utilized

- Ability to guide employees on handling difficult or complex problems and resolving escalated complaints or disputes.

- Ability to act as an effective and personable representative of the department.

- Exceptional interpersonal communication skills.

- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Word, Teams, Excel, and Outlook.

- A high level of organization skill and attention to detail.

- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.

- Ability to work productively in a potentially high stress environment with varied clientele.

- Ability to work both independently and as a cohesive member of the department.

Other Requirements

1. The successful candidate must be able to lawfully accept employment in the United States by the day employment begins. The University regrets that we are unable to offer H1-B sponsorship at this time

2. A complete online application will include the following:

- A cover letter that addresses the qualifications listed previously

- Resume

- A list of professional references with contact information

Work Shift: Monday-Friday | 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework (Yes/No) No

About Winona State University

Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a regional public university and the oldest member of the Minnesota State system. Offering more than 200 majors and programs, Winona State has the #1 Student Success Rate in the Minnesota State System with 96.97 percent of WSU graduates being hired in a field related to their degree. U.S. News recognized Winona State as having top-ranking undergraduate programs in nursing, engineering, psychology, business, and computer science. With campuses in both Winona and Rochester, Winona State offers the best of both worlds. Widely known for its stunning natural setting, the Winona campus is nestled between picturesque bluffs and the Mississippi River - meaning rock climbing, paddle-boarding, hiking, and kayaking are within a mile of campus. WSU’s Rochester campus is located in Minnesota’s third largest city - a dynamic hub for industry, arts, and culture, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. Winona State University's mission is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve: a community of learners improving our world. For more information, visit winona.edu.

Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) which can be found at https://www.minnstate.edu/system/working/relations.html

Notice: In accordance with Minnesota State policy, employees driving on university business who use a rental or state vehicle shall be required to conform to Minnesota State’s vehicle use criteria and consent to a motor vehicle records check. The Winona State University Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available for your review. This report is required by federal law and contains policy statements and crime statistics for the University. The policy statements address the school's policies, procedures, and programs concerning safety and security. Three years' worth of statistics are included for certain types of crimes that were reported to have occurred on-campus, or in other University affiliated locations. This report is available online at https://www.winona.edu/about/safety-security/ . You may also request a paper copy from University Security by emailing security@winona.edu .

Winona State University is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. A community of learners improving our world!

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications and is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable bargaining unit agreement or personnel plan.

Benefits Information:
At Minnesota State, we take your well-being and work-life balance seriously. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that features low-cost medical and dental insurance with affordable deductibles, employer-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability, and pre-tax healthcare and dependent care accounts with a roll-over option. To further support your holistic health, employees also have access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, legal, and financial counseling. Detailed plan details, rates, and coverage choices can be reviewed directly via the State Employee Group Insurance Program (SEGIP) website.

To support your life outside of work, our package includes 12 paid holidays, generous vacation and sick time, and six weeks of Paid Parental Leave. We also help you secure your financial future with a robust Pension Plan, 457(b) and 403(b) retirement accounts, and various investment options. Furthermore, we invest in your growth by providing dedicated professional development and tuition waivers for both you and your dependents. Please note that specific benefit eligibility and coverage levels may vary depending on the type of position, employee classification, and collective bargaining agreements.

Desired Start Date:
01-01-2027
Position End Date:

Open Date:
11-09-2026
Close Date:
11-19-2026
Posting Contact Name:
Robin M Delong
Posting Contact Email:
rdelong@winona.edu