The primary focus of the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) at Michigan State University (MSU) is to support the international community of the university and assist them in reaching their academic and personal goals. OISS provides support services to more than 5,000 international students and over 1,000 visiting international scholars each year and is also responsible for organizing academic, cultural, and social programs throughout the year. OISS plays a significant role in the internationalization of MSU by promoting cross-cultural interaction and offering growth opportunities.

As a Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor, the incumbent will report to an Assistant Director and provide expert immigration services to international students and scholars. They will serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) for the F-1 student program and an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for the J-visa program, interpreting and providing guidance on federal immigration regulations related to international students and scholars. The Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor will advise students, scholars, and their respective departments independently and recommend solutions related to immigration status. They will also provide immigration advice to incoming students, as well as advising staff, faculty, and administration on immigration and intercultural issues.

This position will be a member of OISS’s Student Advising Team and assist the Assistant Director with the leadership of the student advising team as needed. The Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor will manage office practices related to student immigration issues, maintain office-wide training on F regulations, and collaborate with university partners on issues related to students. The position will also be responsible for issuing initial immigration documents for students, immigration-related communication to students, and reporting for non-F/J international students, including H/E/L visas, etc.

Furthermore, the Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor will be in charge of coordinating public-facing services in OISS, including the department’s reception desk and online services. They will develop and implement practices and policies for these services and liaise with other campus units to best support international students, scholars, and employees. The position will also document traffic flows, hire, supervise, and provide ongoing training for the reception desk student staff and collaborate with OISS colleagues as needed. Additionally, they will collect and analyze data related to public-facing services provided by OISS and continuously evaluate and improve the quality of services and processes implemented.

It is worth noting that due to the nature of the position, the incumbent will be required to be on-site full-time during the initial onboarding phase (first six months) and on-site an average of four days a week or more during peak times. Successful applicants must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. lawful permanent resident to work as a DSO/ARO per federal law. The application for this position closes on June 13, 2023, at 11:55 PM EDT