A PERSONNEL PLAN FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS ENROLLMENT & STUDENT SUCCESS
AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
A Project
Presented to the faculty of the College of Business Administration
California State University, Sacramento
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
by
Jason A. G. Sumilhig
SPRING
2013
A PERSONNEL PLAN FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS ENROLLMENT & STUDENT SUCCESS
AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
A Project
by
Jason A. G. Sumilhig
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Amy Mickel, PhD
____________________________
Date
ii
Student: Jason A. G. Sumilhig
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format
manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for
the project.
__________________________
Monica Lam, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate and External Programs
College of Business Administration
iii
____________
Date
Abstract
of
A PERSONNEL PLAN FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS ENROLLMENT & STUDENT SUCCESS
AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
by
Jason A. G. Sumilhig
Statement of Problem
A new department at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) is quickly
approaching its final stages of development and implementation. The primary objective of the
new department is to provide an efficient streamline of services to students, faculty, staff, and
beyond. The purpose of this project is to assist the One Stop steering committee by providing job
descriptions and rationalized interview protocols for several positions within the new department.
Sources of Data
In compiling the job descriptions and interview protocols, information was retrieved from
industrial and organizational psychology publications, human resources and organizational
behavior course textbooks, classification and qualification standards from the California State
University system, various human resources offices, existing personnel-related documents from
CSUS, and the University of Minnesota One Stop Student Services department.
Conclusions Reached
By providing job descriptions and interview protocols in the format of a personnel plan, the
new department’s length of time between planning and implementation would reduce. The
personnel plan would also serve as a solid foundation for their recruitment and selection process.
_______________________, Committee Chair
Amy Mickel, PhD
_______________________
Date
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special Thanks To:
Mom, Dad, & Arielle
Dr. Amy Mickel, College of Business Administration
Mr. Ed Mills, Student Affairs Enrollment and Student Success
Ms. Anita Kermes, Financial Aid
Ms. Jasmine “Jazzie” Murphy, Financial Aid
Ms. Mary Shepherd, New Student Orientation
Ms. Julie A. Selander, One Stop Student Services at University of Minnesota
Mr. Stephen Aguirre and Ms. Yesenia Rivas
Mr. Art Lusanaxay and Ms. Lindsay Long
Ms. Mona Aquino and Mr. Uriel Guevara
Ms. Tiara Thompson, Ms. Jaclyn Younger, Ms. Caitlin Verano, Mr. Neal Pascua
Ms. Jessica Huang, Ms. Aleda Mendoza, & Ms. Gloria Villalobos
Patty, Matt, Julie, Dustin, Chris, Alex, Christian, Byron, Josh, and Mai
The One Stop Steering Committee
The International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi
The International Fraternity of Alpha Phi Omega
Transplants, Infinity, and Dynasty
And all my family, friends, colleagues, and classmates
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. v
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1
2. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 3
Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 3
Additional Sources ....................................................................................................... 8
3. PERSONNEL PLAN ........................................................................................................ 14
Staffing Structure, Organization Chart, and Services ............................................... 14
Proposed Job Descriptions and Interview Protocols ................................................. 19
3. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 27
Appendix A. One Stop Department Organization Chart ....................................................... 29
Appendix B. One Stop Department Rotation Schedule Example ........................................... 31
Appendix C. University Staff Position Description Forms ..................................................... 33
Appendix D. One Stop Department Interview Protocols ....................................................... 73
References ............................................................................................................................... 86
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1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
With the vision of providing world-class service to students, faculty, staff, and
beyond, Ed Mills, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Enrollment and
Student Success at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) assembled a steering
committee in August 2011. The steering committee consisted of several professional
staff members from various campus departments that included: Financial Aid, Student
Financial Services Center, Student Services Center, Admissions and Outreach, Office of
the Registrar, Student Athlete Resource Center, and Student Organizations and
Leadership. The goal of Ed Mills and the steering committee was to develop and
implement a revolutionary campus department dedicated towards providing an array of
streamlined student services to the campus and community in one centralized location.
For organization and efficiency purposes, the steering committee assigned the nickname
“One Stop” to such a project.
The primary purpose of this personnel plan is to supplement the steering
committee’s efforts in establishing the One Stop by providing carefully crafted job
descriptions for the department as well as recommendations for candidate interview
protocols. As of March 2013, the steering committee has been involved in collaborative
efforts for approximately one-and-a-half years and is quickly approaching the final stages
of The One Stop’s development and implementation. Providing a personnel plan to
supplement the steering committees efforts would effectively reduce the amount of time
between planning and implementation and assist in the finalization of the department’s
2
staffing structure. The proposed personnel plan outlines recommendations for the
following positions: (a) Director, (b) Associate Director, (c) Assistant Director, (d) One
Stop Advisor, (e) Office Manager, and (f) Student Assistant.
3
Chapter 2
BACKGROUND
In preparation of the personnel plan, I engaged in extensive research, contacted
several institutions of higher education, and reviewed numerous documents including:
job descriptions, interview questions, organization charts, classification standards, and
various forms and processes related to the recruitment and selection of professional staff
members in similar roles. Additionally, my six years of experience in both student affairs
and coursework within the College of Business Administration served as a compass
throughout the development of this project.
Literature Review
Job analysis. Engaging in job analysis provides management, consultants, and
staff members a highly valuable and sophisticated approach in developing personnelrelated processes and documents. As reviewed by John Bernardin and Joyce Russell
(2010), “job analysis is often perceived as the primary foundation and infrastructure for
many human resources systems including: (a) corporate restructuring, (b) quality
improvement programs, (c) human resources planning, (d) job design, (e) recruitment
strategies, (f) screening tests, (g) training programs, (h) succession planning, (i)
performance appraisal, and (j) compensation” (p. 93).
Furthermore, the United States Office of Personnel Management (USOPM)
(2007) conveyed job analysis as an integral part of personnel assessment and selection
decisions. Through job analysis, senior leadership and stakeholders involved in
personnel decision making achieve a greater depth of understanding of the activities,
4
tasks, and duties associated with a job (United States Office of Personnel Management,
2007). Consequently, the possibility of selecting the best candidate for a position is likely
to increase as well as provide greater defense and rationale for hiring decisions.
Although a new job analysis is not necessary each time a vacancy in a position
occurs, the systematic process of examination is strongly recommended for positions new
to a firm or organization (United States Office of Personnel Management, 2007).
Additionally, the USOPM (2007) conveyed that a primary goal of a job analysis is to
validate the selection tools utilized for the recruiting and hiring of new personnel.
Simply stated by Bernardin and Russell (2010), job analysis for many
organizations serves two crucial functions: (a) determining the major tasks, activities,
behaviors, and/or duties associated with the position and (b) identifying the critical
knowledge, abilities, skills, and other characteristics (KASOCs) essential to performing
the job (pp. 94-95).
KASOCs. In Management of Human Resources, Bernardin and Russel (2010)
highlighted the concepts and significance of knowledge, abilities, skills, and other
characteristics (KASOCs). KASOCs, which often appear in several synonymous forms
including KSAOs (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics) and KSAs (knowledge,
skills, and abilities), are interpreted as requirements that candidates must possess in order
to be considered for a position (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, p. 95). KASOCs also provide
a reference point for decision makers in the evaluative stages of personnel recruitment
and selection.
5
According to Bernardin and Russell (2010), knowledge is “the organized body of
information usually of a factual or procedural nature applied to the performance of a
function” (p. 95). Knowledge also encompasses the candidate’s familiarity with a process
or concept; for instance, a candidate for an accounting firm should possess knowledge of
concepts and principles within the field of accountancy.
Bernardin and Russell (2010) described abilities as “the demonstrated competence
to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product” (p.
95). A person being considered for a position on a basketball team should possess the
ability to dribble a basketball and shoot it into a basketball hoop.
Stated by Bernardin and Russell (2010), skills refer to “the competence to
perform a learned, psychomotor act and may include a manual, verbal or mental
manipulation of data, people, or things” (p.95). For example, a person who is pursuing a
career as a dental hygienist should possess an acceptable level of dexterity to perform
oral hygiene procedures.
Lastly, in regards to KASOCs last component, Bernardin and Russell (2010)
describe other characteristics as “personality factors, aptitudes, or physical or mental
traits needed to perform the job” (p.95). Other characteristics can simply include the
sincere and earnest desire to serve students for an applicant pursuing a position in student
affairs.
In essence, KASOCs were essential in the process of outlining and conveying the
expectations of One Stop’s staff positions, which will also prove useful to the search
committees and the respective applicants for each position.
6
Job descriptions. Through job analysis, several products and tools utilized in
personnel selection can be formed. One of the most common outcomes includes job
descriptions, which convey the general scope of the position’s duties and responsibilities
within an organization (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, pp. 97-99). According to Bernardin
and Russell (2010), a job description establishes the baseline for the person within that
position and often serves as a guide that navigates the person through their work (p. 99).
Thus, when determining whether or not to engage in a particular work project or activity,
it is common for one to reference their job description in an effort to validate or disprove
their involvement within such matters.
While the necessity of a job description is universal, the presentation and
formatting of a job description is not. The formatting of job descriptions can vary not
only between different industries, but also within the same field of practice and even
more so within a firm or organization.
Interview protocols. In addition to job descriptions, another prominent byproduct
derived from job analysis is the interview protocols, or set of interview questions,
generated for the selection process (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, p. 99). In The American
Psychology Association Handbook of Organizational and Industrial Psychology, Allen
Huffcutt and Satoris Culbertson argued that despite the availability of more accurate
methods to assess a candidate’s KASOCs, interviewing prevails as the most frequently
used tools organizations utilize during the recruitment and selection process (p.185).
When structuring interview questions, it is important to focus on the nature of
each inquiry (Huffcutt & Culbertson, 2010, p. 185). For instance, when asking a
7
candidate “why would you like to work here?” the interviewing staff members should
have a clear understanding of that question’s purpose. Certain interviewers may ask the
previously mentioned question to measure a candidate’s motivation level for the
position/organization while another interviewer may be asking the question as an attempt
to fish for red flags.
Within the personnel plan, a rationale is included in each position’s interview
protocol to provide a better understanding of what each question seeks to understand.
The over-arching purpose of this feature provides guidance for the search committee as
well as additional staff members involved in the interviewing and selection process.
In the scope of developing interview questions, personnel involved in the
selection process must also determine evaluation methods for the responses (Huffcutt &
Culbertson, 2010, p. 196). Certain evaluation methods call for a structured process and
require interviewers to rate candidate responses using a Likert scale, whereas other
evaluation methods call for a more basic approach and require interviewers to simply
gather notes and record their observations for future discussion. Regardless of the
evaluation method chosen, it is crucial that all interviewers use the same method to
ensure a highly efficient, effective, and valid selection process (Huffcutt & Culbertson,
2010).
8
Additional Sources
Purdue University: The Hiring Process. In The Hiring Process: Recruiting,
Interviewing, and Selecting the Best Employees, Purdue University (2005) introduced a
guide to experiencing a more successful candidate selection process. This literature
provided a framework for the personnel plan to illustrate an overview of the candidate
selection process. Purdue University (2005) also conveyed the importance of job
descriptions and its several different functions including:

recruiting the right applicants and discouraging unqualified individuals,

serving as a guideline for the selection process,

conveying a general understanding of what is expected in the position,

being used as an outline to structure training, and

serving as a benchmark for performance reviews and evaluations (p. 11).
Regarding interview questions, Purdue University (2005) suggested inquiries that
involved work history, job performance, education, career goals, self-assessment,
motivation, creativity, and leadership (p. 12). Furthermore, Purdue University also
provided a list of over eighteen recommended interview questions, which served as
reference and inspiration for the interview protocols in the personnel plan. A few
examples of Purdue University’s recommended interview questions were “how does your
experience of the last two years make you a suitable fit for this position?” and “why do
you want to work here?” (p. 21).
9
Purdue University: Staff Recruitment and Selection. Staff Recruitment and
Selection: Procedures Manual for Hiring Managers and Supervisors is an additional
publication distributed by Purdue University’s Office of Institutional Equity (PUOIE)
that sought to provide a sophisticated approach to selecting candidates for positions in
middle-level management or higher. Specifically, PUOIE’s recommendations for hiring
managers and supervisors would be especially helpful for the selection process of the
One Stop’s Director, Associate Director, and Assistant Director.
The recruitment and selection of managers and supervisors require just as much,
if not more, attention to detail regarding the administrative phases of the hiring process
(Purdue University: Office of Institutional Equity). It is also helpful for the One Stop
search committees to anticipate that the higher the position in the department, the higher
the amount of interaction and collaboration there will be with the search committee,
campus administrators, and human resources. Overall, while these processes may
become time consuming and cumbersome, their efforts ensure the likelihood that the best
candidate is selected for the respective position.
University of Minnesota One Stop Student Services. One successful university
model for providing centralized student services is located at the University of
Minnesota. According to Julie Selander (2013), Director of the One Stop Student
Services, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC) One Stop serves over 52,000
students with a dedicated staff comprised of a Director, an Associate Director, an
Assistant Director, an Executive Assistant, twenty-six One Stop Counselors, and six
Student Assistants.
10
A total of at least thirty-six staff members (thirty professional staff and six student
paraprofessionals) work together to serve a customer population of over 52,000 students;
furthermore, the staff member to student ratio is one to approximately 1,500 students
(Selander, 2013).
Additionally, the development and implementation timeline of UMTC’s One Stop
Student Services served as an example to illustrate the amount of time and planning
required for the hiring and selection process of their first generation of staff members.
Selander (2013) provided the following information regarding UTMC’s timeline to
implementation and summarized the process in three main phases.
In 1998, Phase 1 began and the UTMC campus equivalents of Financial Aid,
Registrar, and Student Financial Services relocated into a central building. It was also
during this year that UTMC began to market and brand its One Stop Student Services. In
2000, Phase 2 commenced and One Stop Student Services worked collaboratively with
Human Resources to develop the One Stop counselor job description and specifications.
Finally, during Phase 3 in 2001, the recruiting and selection of 23 One Stop Counselors
began as well as the consolidation of multiple customer service telephone numbers and
email addresses into a single phone number and email address (Selander, 2013).
California State University Classification and Qualification Standards. With its
colossal size and stature, the California State University (CSU) system strives upon the
continuation of success and sustainability of their personnel-related resources by the use
of a centralized online location. Of the vast amount of files and information available
within the public online portal, one of the most useful resources for this personnel plan
11
was the CSU Classifications & Qualification Standards (CSUCQS). The CSUSCQS
provided predefined job classifications that I identified and applied to the staff position
descriptions in the One Stop, with the exception of the Director and Associate Director
positions.
For the Director and Associate Director positions, their proposed classification is
Management Personnel Plan (MPP). As described on their human resources website the
CSU (2009) explained that MPP positions do not have CSUCQS because Presidents at
their respective campuses have delegated authority to classify them into one of four
levels: MPP I, MPP II, MPP III, and MPP IV.
The position of Assistant Director and One Stop Advisor will be classified into
the Student Services Professional (SSP) series, which consists of four levels in ascending
order: SSP I, SSP II, SSP III, and SSP IV. According to the CSUCQS for Student
Services Professionals (2013), each rank in the SSP series is distinguished by the amount
of duties and responsibilities in five classification factors: (a) “variety and complexity of
assignment, (b) interaction with students and others, (c) analysis of materials and
situations, (d) independence and creativity required, and (e) decision-making authority
and impact” (California State University, 2013). It is safe to assume that the higher the
rank of an SSP, the more tasks and responsibilities they will assume. For the positions of
Assistant Director and One Stop Advisor, their proposed classifications of SSPIV and
SSPII were based on similar CSUS staffing structures in the One Stop’s division.
The Office Manager position will be classified into the Administrative Support
Coordinator (ASC) series. The ASC series is comprised of two levels, ASC I and ASC
12
II, and focuses on two factors to determine classification: typical nature of work and
knowledge and skill requirements (California State University, 1998).
For the One Stop Student Assistant position, the CSUCQS does not include a
ranked system and instead describes three types of student assistant categories. The three
categories are: (a) student assistant, which is the most commonly employed, (b) bridge
student assistant, which is mainly used during summer recession, and (c) student assistant
– nonresident alien tax status, which is the least commonly employed (California State
University, 2012). The minimum qualifications include basic abilities to learn and
perform assigned work and admission or registration as a CSU student (California State
University, 2012). For the CSUS One Stop, the widely-used student assistant category,
student assistant, is the most appropriate.
California State University Sacramento staff position components. At CSUS,
the Office of Human Resources provides a standardized form used for establishing new
staff positions or changing the classifications of current staff positions. This document is
the “University Staff Position Description Form” and requires certain sections to be
completed before it can submitted for review and approval.
Sections include:
(a) position information,
(b) primary action being requested,
(c) signatures,
(d) required knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences,
(e) preferred knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences,
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(f) change in duties,
(g) position summary,
(h) essential functions of the position,
(i) marginal functions of the position,
(j) additional information, and
(k) American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements (California State University,
Sacramento Office of Human Resources, 2013).
As evidenced within this chapter, there were several valuable resources acquired
and assimilated into the development of the personnel plan ranging from course
textbooks, professional publications, human resources forms, and best practices from
similar institutions. Altogether, the knowledge acquired within the literature review
provided reinforcement and validity of the personnel plan which is outlined in the
following chapters.
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Chapter 3
PERSONNEL PLAN
The One Stop is designed to become a highly accessible, easy-to-navigate
resource for students and members of the California State University, Sacramento
(CSUS) community and beyond. The One Stop plans to promote academic success by
providing a holistic approach to anticipate students’ needs during each interaction as well
as sustaining an environment focused on delivering world-class customer service to
students, faculty, staff, alumni, and beyond (California State University, One Stop
Steering Committee Meetings, 2013).
As of March 2013, the steering committee has been involved in collaborative
efforts for approximately one-and-a-half years and is quickly approaching the final stages
of The One Stop’s development and implementation. To supplement the steering
committee’s efforts, I have developed this personnel plan to reduce the amount of time
between planning and implementation and assist in the finalization of the staffing
structure. The personnel plan includes recommendations to assist with defining the
department’s services and operations. The personnel plan, described in the subsequent
section, also includes an organization chart (Appendix A), a staffing rotation schedule
example (Appendix B), job descriptions using the appropriate CSUS human resources
forms (Appendix C), and interview protocols (Appendix D).
Staffing Structure, Organization Chart, and Services
The proposed design of the One Stop staffing structure was inspired by two wellestablished student services models: (a) University of Minnesota’s One Stop Student
15
Services (UM) and (b) California State University, Sacramento’s Academic Advising
Center. The UM model has thirty professional staff members and six student assistant
staff members to serve a population of 52,000 students (Selander, 2013). The
department’s staff member to student ratio is approximately 1:1,500 and the student
assistant staff member to professional staff member ratio is 1:5. These ratios served as a
model to determine the amount of staff members in the One Stop at California State
University Sacramento.
The Academic Advising Center (AAC) at CSUS provides a variety of services
including advising in General Education and graduation requirements (California State
University, Sacramento, 2013). According to their website, the AAC model has sixteen
professional staff members and seven student assistant staff members (California State
University, Sacramento, 2013) to serve a population of over 28,000 students (California
State University, Sacramento, 2013). The department’s staff member to student ratio is
approximately 1:1,200 and the student assistant staff member to professional staff
member ratio is approximately 1:2. In addition to helping determine the size of the CSUS
One Stop department staff, the AAC model guided the selection of position titles and job
classifications.
The One Stop organization chart, shown in Appendix A, was determined based
upon organization charts and staffing structures from UM (Selander, 2013), AAC
(California State University, Sacramento, 2013), and the Financial Aid office at CSUS
(California State University, Sacramento Financial Aid, 2013). As shown in the One Stop
organization chart, the Director oversees the entire department. The organization chart
16
also illustrates that the Associate Director does not directly supervise any staff members.
However, the Associate Director serves as the One Stop Director in occurrence of his/her
absence. The Assistant Director is responsible for the day-to-day operational aspects of
the department and serves as the immediate supervisor for all other positions included in
the One Stop (twelve One Stop Advisors, six student assistants, and the Office Manager).
One Stop service roles. To best serve their customers and transact business, One
Stop staff members rotate between four service roles: (a) front service counter services,
(b) walk-in appointment services, (c) telephone services, and (d) online services. To
effectively manage and organize the time each staff member spends in a particular
service role, the Office Manager distributes the rotation schedule on a daily basis. The
importance and significance of the rotation schedule is described in a later portion of this
chapter.
Front service counter services. Through several One Stop steering committee
meetings, it was determined that the highest volume of transactions would occur at the
front service counter (California State University, One Stop Steering Committee
Meetings, 2013). One of the main types of transactions that staff members within this
service role would experience is the intake and processing of forms and documents.
As of May 2013, the future location for the One Stop is currently equipped with
only four stations that can serve a maximum of four people when fully staffed. This
project recommends an increase in the set of stations from four to at least six to increase
efficiency and accommodate for the expansion of services customers can receive in the
new centralized location. Additional activities in this service role include answering or
17
referring general questions or concerns, providing directions to campus departments and
facilities, and further assisting customers as best as possible and when necessary.
Walk-in appointment services. Another service role within the One Stop, which
would only be assigned to professional staff members, is hosting walk-in appointments to
discuss concerns or general questions in a more private and comfortable atmosphere for
students. For instance, if a student would like to speak to someone regarding their
inability to pay their registration fees, they can request a walk-in appointment with a One
Stop professional staff member who would then provide guidance and resources on a
more personal level as well as within a welcoming environment. Walk-in appointments
reinforce One Stop’s world-class customer service environment by being able to connect
students to a person who can provide the information and resources they need to resolve
their service needs.
Further considerations for walk-in appointments include establishing physical
space for One Stop Advisors to meet with students. In reference to discussions and
conversations in One Stop steering committee meetings (California State University, One
Stop Steering Committee Meetings, 2013), this personnel plan recommends two potential
possibilities: (1) One Stop Advisors can meet with students in their personal office space
or (2) create unassigned office spaces that One Stop Advisors can use when assuming the
walk-in appointments service role.
Telephone services. One Stop Advisor and student assistant rotation schedules
also enable them to rotate into the telephone services service role. One Stop Advisors
would be able to dial into the department’s phone system from their office space whereas
18
student assistants would dial-in using either a common unassigned office space or an area
designated for them to perform this service role. The variety and complexity of questions
received through telephone services will vary tremendously. However, One Stop staff
members in this service role are conditioned to assist and support callers as best as
possible and when necessary.
Online services. The fourth service role can assign both One Stop Advisors and
student assistants to online services. The online services service role includes, but is not
limited to, emailing correspondence, providing follow up to customer inquiries,
managing website content, and sending updates and announcements through social media
regarding important One Stop services and deadlines.
Additionally, within any of the four service roles, One Stop staff members may
experience a reduced volume of customers. During this time, staff members are still
expected to engage in work-related tasks including, but not limited to, completing
assigned special projects, engaging in regularly assigned training and development,
hosting presentations and workshops for the campus and the extended community, and
performing additional duties as assigned by the Assistant Director.
Rotation schedules. Several highly efficient student services models, including
UM (Selander, 2013) and a few departments at CSUS, utilize a form of rotation schedules
within their respective areas. While there can be potentially many reasons for
establishing an organized method for staff scheduling, this project recommends the One
Stop at CSUS to implement a rotation schedule to increase task and skill variety.
19
In essence, the rotation schedule implies that, on a daily basis, One Stop staff
members rotate through various service roles to maintain abreast of the current and
emerging needs of their customers. Additionally, the rotating schedule strives to facilitate
teamwork, build camaraderie among One Stop staff, and ensure fairness regarding the
delegation of duties and assignments so that one person is not isolated to one service role
for an entire day. Furthermore, the Office Manager is responsible for creating the
rotation schedules on a daily basis and working alongside the Assistant Director to
monitor and make adjustments as appropriate. A rotation schedule example is included
in Appendix B.
Proposed Job Descriptions and Interview Protocols
One Stop Director – Management Personnel Plan II. Under the supervision of
the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Enrollment and Student Success, the
One Stop Director is responsible for the One Stop’s leadership, management, and
operations. The Director oversees the supervision of a full-time staff of over fifteen
employees and ensures that the One Stop provides a seamless, integrated service
experience to the campus community in the areas of registration, enrollment, financial
aid, student records, and student financial services.
The One Stop Director’s Management Personnel Plan II classification was
selected based on the similar classifications of Directors in the division of Student Affairs
Enrollment and Student Success (Division of Planning, Enrollment Management and
Student Affairs, 2013). Documents from UM (University of Minnesota One Stop Student
Services) and CSUS Financial Aid (California State University, Sacramento Financial
20
Aid) were referenced to create the job description, included in Appendix C, of the One
Stop Director.
The interview protocol for the One Stop Director, included in Appendix D,
focused on collecting information from candidates regarding the KASOCs (Bernardin &
Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96) that have prepared them to serve in a campus administrator
role. Since the One Stop will become a new department on the CSUS campus, questions
seeking to demonstrate exceptional leadership and strategic planning skills served as a
guide in the interview protocol’s development. Ensuring the right candidate is selected
for the position is essential in establishing the One Stop’s presence, brand reputation, and
awareness.
One Stop Associate Director – Management Personnel Plan I. The One Stop
Associate Director reports directly to the One Stop Director. The Associate Director of
One Stop will serve in the primary role of project management of department projects
and processes. The Associate Director works collaboratively with the Division of
Student Affairs and other CSUS staff to engage in project plans to expand and improve
services to students and beyond through cross-collaboration.
The One Stop Associate Director’s Management Personnel Plan I classification
was selected based on the similar classifications of positions in the division of Student
Affairs Enrollment and Student Success (Division of Planning, Enrollment Management
and Student Affairs, 2013). The UM Associate Director job description (University of
Minnesota One Stop Student Services) was referenced to create the job description and
21
duties and responsibilities, included in Appendix C, of the CSUS One Stop Associate
Director.
Although the resources used for creating the job description for the Associate
Director were uncommon, the UM model provided guidance and inspiration in the
development of the CSUS One Stop Associate Director position (University of
Minnesota One Stop Student Services). Thus, the CSUS One Stop Associate Director will
be expected to conduct user acceptance testing with the appropriate projects, processes,
and/or web and social media applications developed for the use of One Stop’s services
and processes. Alongside their project management focus, this position description
includes a research emphasis involving forecasting, trend analysis, data reporting,
assessment activities, and analytics work within the One Stop, Student Affairs
Enrollment and Student Success, and beyond.
The interview protocol for the One Stop Associate Director, included in Appendix
D, focused on creating questions that sought to identify the KASOCs (Bernardin &
Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96) that have prepared them to serve in a campus administrator
role. Since the One Stop will become a new department on the CSUS campus, the
interview protocol for this position focused on KASOCs related to researching,
developing, and implementing innovative ideas that could enhance student services and
sustain a model of continuous improvement and success. Furthermore, a few questions
were also asked to determine experience in project management and cross-department
collaboration.
22
One Stop Assistant Director – Student Services Professional IV. The One Stop
Assistant Director reports directly to the One Stop Director. The Assistant Director of
One Stop supervises a full-time staff of twelve professional staff members who advise
and engage in service transactions with students in financial aid, student financial
services, admissions & outreach, registrar, etc, as well as an Office Manager and six
student assistants. The primary responsibilities include: selection, training, and
supervision of staff members, facilitating a world-class customer service environment,
overseeing daily operations of One Stop, and serving as a liaison between the department
and the campus community.
The One Stop Assistant Director’s Student Services Professional IV classification
was the most appropriate option based upon the California State University Classification
and Qualifications Standards (CSUCQS). The Assistant Director description from UM
(University of Minnesota One Stop Student Services) and the CSUS Financial Aid job
descriptions of Assistant Director (California State University, Sacramento Financial Aid,
2011) and One-Stop Coordinator (California State University, Sacramento Financial Aid,
2011) were referenced to create the job description, included in Appendix C, of the One
Stop Assistant Director.
The interview protocol for the One Stop Assistant Director focused on creating
questions that sought to identify the KASOCs (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96)
that have prepared them to serve in a department operations management role. The
interview protocol for this position, included in Appendix D, focused on addressing
KASOCs related to direct supervision, employee motivation, performance management,
23
teamwork, and leadership. Furthermore, candidates for this position must possess and
maintain current and comprehensive knowledge of Federal and State regulations,
institutional policies, computer processes, department procedures, deadlines, and overall
office functions.
One Stop Advisor – Student Services Professional II. The One Stop Advisor
reports directly to the One Stop Assistant Director. The One Stop Advisor provides
information and services in a cross-functioning role that includes financial aid, student
financial services, registration, admissions and outreach, and registrar. The One Stop
Advisor assists in document intake and processing as well as resolving student concerns,
referrals to other campus departments and services, responding to general inquiries, and
providing a high level of customer service to CSUS students, faculty, staff, and beyond.
As assigned by the Assistant Director, the One Stop Advisor engages and implements
strategies that support successful student enrollment, retention, and persistence to
graduation.
The One Stop Advisor’s Student Services Professional II classification was the
most appropriate option based upon the CSUCQS. The One Stop Counselor description
from UM (University of Minnesota One Stop Student Services) and discussions from the
CSUS One Stop steering committee meetings (California State University, One Stop
Steering Committee Meetings, 2012) and (California State University, One Stop Steering
Committee Meetings, 2013) were referenced to create the job description, included in
Appendix C, of the One Stop Advisor. Furthermore, the title “Advisor” was chosen
24
instead of “Counselor” to mirror staffing structure of the CSUS AAC staff members
(California State University, Sacramento, 2013).
The interview protocol for the One Stop Advisor focused on creating questions
that sought to identify the KASOCs (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96) that have
prepared them to serve in the front lines of student services. The interview protocol for
this position, included in Appendix D, focused on KASOCs related to customer service,
effective use of independent judgment, experience in student services, teamwork, and
initiative. Furthermore, the incumbent for this position must acquire and maintain current
and comprehensive knowledge of Federal and State regulations, institutional policies, and
department procedures as well as being able to adapt, be flexible, work in a fast-paced
office environment, and facilitate a world-class customer service atmosphere.
Office Manager – Administrative Support Coordinator II. The Office Manager
reports directly to the One Stop Assistant Director. The Office Manager oversees all
administrative support functions within the One Stop. The Office Manager is responsible
for the short-term and long-term coordination of administrative duties. The Office
Manager is also responsible for submitting work order requests as needed, hosting
department orientations for new staff members, creating and monitoring staff rotation
schedules, coordinating space for meetings, processing meeting room requests, and
organizing personnel-related paperwork, timesheets, time-off requests, etc.
The One Stop Office Manager’s Administrative Support Coordinator II
classification was the most appropriate option based upon the CSUCQS and is consistent
with similar roles across departments within Student Affairs Enrollment and Student
25
Success (California State University, Sacramento Financial Aid, 2013). The One Stop
Executive Assistant description from UM (University of Minnesota One Stop Student
Services) was also referenced to create the job description, included in Appendix C, of
the One Stop Office Manager. Furthermore, the title “Office Manager” was chosen to
mirror staffing structure of the CSUS AAC (California State University, Sacramento,
2013) and other CSUS departments.
The interview protocol for the One Stop Office Manager focused on creating
questions that sought to identify the KASOCs (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96)
that have prepared them for serving in the administrative support functions of student
services. The interview protocol for this position, included in Appendix D, focused on
KASOCs related to administrative support, customer service, organization and
prioritization, teamwork, and initiative. Furthermore, the incumbent for this position
must be able to adapt, be flexible, and work in a fast-paced office environment.
Student Assistant. Under the general direction of the One Stop Assistant
Director, the student assistant serves within a paraprofessional role for the One Stop
department. Student assistants provide a variety of assistance in the areas of customer
service, administrative support, responding to in-person, email, and telephone inquiries,
provide information regarding student services processes and procedures, and document
intake and processing as well as perform any additional duties as directed by the
Assistant Director. Student assistants must also comply with all federal, state, and local
policies and procedures regarding student records and information and strive to uphold
confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
26
Although the CSUCSQ for student assistants provided generalized and basic
information (California State University, 2012), The student assistant job description,
included in Appendix C, was based on two previous job descriptions I personally wrote
for my current department in 2013, Student Organizations & Leadership/Full Circle
Project, and for the One Stop steering committee in 2011. When constructing the duties
and responsibilities of the student assistant, it was important to keep in mind the
transactional nature of the position and to carve out duties that were appropriate to their
rate of pay. For instance, student assistants would not be heavily involved in the
department's strategic planning as that duty requires a skillset acquired from several years
of professional experience and a higher level of formalized education.
The interview protocol for the student assistant focused on creating questions that
sought to identify the KASOCs (Bernardin & Russell, 2010, pp. 95-96) that have
prepared them for the basic aspects of student services. The interview protocol for this
position, included in Appendix D, focused on KASOCs related to customer service,
willingness to learn, teamwork, responsibility, initiative, and positive attitude.
Furthermore, the incumbent for this position must be able to adapt, be flexible, and work
in a fast-paced office environment.
27
Chapter 4
CONCLUSION
The recruitment, interviewing, and hiring process of any employee should always
involve a thorough job analysis. As evidenced in this personnel plan, job analysis served
as a guiding light that blazed a trail towards the establishment of the One Stop’s new
positions at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Additionally, this project
allowed me to express my passion and commitment to furthering student success by
helping bring to life a world-class student service model envisioned by Ed Mills, One
Stop Project Director Anita Kermes, and the One Stop steering committee.
At the start of my final year in the Master of Business Administration program, I
explored various options to satisfy the culminating experience requirement of my degree.
As I dwelled upon the significance of my undergraduate coursework in human resources
and organizational behavior (HROB), I reflected upon the fact that I have always
embodied a fascination and yearning for opportunities that enabled me to help others. As
an undergraduate student, my rationale for pursuing HROB was simplified as a response
to a self-formulated question: if employees work hard to take care of customers, then who
works hard to take care of the employees? Simply put, the answer is me and as many
other colleagues I can motivate to perpetuate this vision.
Although my desired career paths have shifted and are guiding me towards
student affairs professions, many similarities can be drawn between both student affairs
and business administration. Thus, the most appropriate option for my culminating
experience would be completing a project that allowed me to apply research and
28
knowledge from the business administration field into a real-life organization within the
student affairs field. Because I was already part of the One Stop steering committee since
its inception in 2011, offering my time and talents to support the department’s
development became a self-fulfilling and exciting opportunity.
Upon the completion of the project, I was able to further expand and develop my
knowledge of leadership, management, and university administration and further develop
existing skills that will prove effective in the Doctorate in Educational Leadership
program I will begin in September 2013.
Developing the job descriptions and interview questions for the One Stop at began
as an exciting journey that quickly turned into an adventure into the unknown. Because
this department never existed on our campus before, I had limited knowledge and
resources on how to carve out a personnel plan. However, my natural curiosity for diving
into the greater depths of the employee selection process served as fuel for my
exploration efforts. Furthermore, I found this project to be both very rewarding and selffulfilling as I hope it will provide a great amount of assistance in bringing to life the
vision of a dynamic group of individuals committed to implementing a world-class
service model for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and beyond.
29
APPENDIX A
One Stop Department Organization Chart
30
31
APPENDIX B
One Stop Department Rotation Schedule Example
32
33
APPENDIX C
University Staff Position Description Forms
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
APPENDIX D
One Stop Department Interview Protocols
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
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