Receptionist jobs in Fargo, ND

Working Title: Receptionist
Job Class: Customer Service Specialist, Intermediate
Agency: Minnesota State

• Who May Apply: Open to all qualified job seekers
• Date Posted: 10/02/2023
• Closing Date: 10/24/2023
• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit: MN St Colleges & Universities / Bemidji State Univ-AFSCME
• Division/Unit: MnSCU Bemidji SU / MnSCU BSU Classified Dorm
• Appointment Type: Unlimited, Full-time
• Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift
• Days of Work: Monday - Friday
• Travel Required: No
• Salary Range: $19.57 - $25.95 / hourly; $40,862 - $54,183 / annually
• Classified Status: Classified
• Bargaining Unit/Union: 206 - Clerical/AFSCME
• Work Area: Financial Aid
• Location: Bemidji State University campus
• FLSA Status: Nonexempt
• Telework Eligible: No
• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities: Yes

Make a difference in the lives of Minnesotans.

The work you’ll do is more than just a job. Join the talented, engaged and inclusive workforce dedicated to creating a better Minnesota.

BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY (BSU) invites qualified applicants to apply for a Receptionist position. BSU’s vision is to educate people to lead inspired lives. To accomplish BSU’s vision, the University prioritizes creating a culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome, and validated. Centered between the three largest Tribal nations in Minnesota – Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth – BSU also prioritizes increasing engagement with American Indian communities to become a destination university.

Enrolling more than 5,000 students, BSU offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. BSU’s Shared Fundamental Values include civic engagement and leadership, international and multicultural understanding, belief in the power of the liberal arts, and environmental stewardship. BSU is located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota and occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. BSU balances rigorous academia with the opportunity to enjoy a fun, robust, outdoor culture. The proximity to the lake and the surrounding north woods allows easy access to an assortment of recreation.

The Receptionist performs receptionist duties and is the initial evaluator of application documents for the Financial Aid Office. This position provides quality control of incoming application materials and accurate detailed information on student aid programs to current students, prospective students and parents. This position prepares and processes tracking/editing letters, verifies and inputs various forms into the ISRS computer system, and communicates with students, parents and outside funding agencies regarding the status and outcome of financial aid applications for Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

Responsibilities of the Receptionist include:

• Disseminating accurate information to students, parents, faculty, staff, and outside funding agencies either in person, by telephone, email or regular mail on financial aid programs. Recommending specific application procedures based upon an interpretation of the applicant’s comments, requests and needs. Providing advice on completing forms including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and verification forms. Explaining Federal, State and institutional policies and procedures to applicants. Retrieving information from Perceptive, the ISRS computer system for Financial Aid, Admissions, Records and Accounts Receivable modules as needed for applicants to complete the application process. Advising students on satisfactory academic progress policy, various loans, grant, work and other aid programs including eligibility limits for both BSU and NTC. Initiating institutional change form for students requiring a revised aid package. Managing the Financial Aid Office email and replying to questions. Screening and returning phone messages for the Financial Aid Office in a timely manner. Serving as a backup, answering NTC phones and email when the NTC Financial Aid Coordinator is out of the office.
• Collecting and reviewing data submitted by applicants for completeness and accuracy, initiating correspondence, requesting clarification of data and obtaining answers to missing data. Sending and retrieving mail daily. Collecting BSU Status Report Letters, Federal Tax Transcripts, Special Condition Forms, Summer Supplemental Forms, VRS forms and numerous other forms.
• Reviewing and clearing processing edits in the Financial Aid Tracking Program to allow financial aid applications to continue through the aid process and becoming finalized. For BSU and NTC, reviewing financial aid tracking status report and financial aid status report letters. Providing necessary information, forms and enclosures to expedite the tracking process. Preparing various documents for the Perceptive process, including scanning and linking as time allows.
• Data inputting into the ISRS computer system. Proofreading applications and tax materials for completeness and accuracy. Inputting various verification documents into ISRS. Coding documents as they are received. Reviewing and entering application information for the Summer Supplemental Form and monitoring the completeness of these applications. Receiving scholarships checks through the mail or in person delivery – properly making receipts, making copies of scholarship checks and conducting deposits of scholarship checks.
• Screening and scheduling appointments for the Financial Aid Office. Exercising judgment on client’s needing to see a counselor and needing an appointment. Providing work direction and assigning routine tasks for student employee assistants. Informing student employee assistants of changes in procedures and policies. Providing support in preparing/reviewing reports or special projects in the Financial Aid Office as directed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Knowledge of customer service practices and principles sufficient to identify each customer’s needs, meet quality standards for services and evaluate customer satisfaction.
• Knowledge of standard computer software programs for word processing, spreadsheets, and databases sufficient to create, modify, manage and protect them.
• Knowledge of English (reading, writing and speaking) and of typing/keyboarding sufficient to perform skilled typing tasks with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to input data quickly and accurately and the ability to use customer service skills on the telephone, in person and online sufficient to provide general and specialized support in a multitude of areas that requires common courtesy, interest in positive problem solving, empathy and the ability to organize ideas logically.
• Skills sufficient to answer the phone, refer callers and greet visitors with courtesy and respect.
• Schedule and confirm customers’ appointments in person, on the phone, and through e-mail and other written correspondence.
• Effectively communicate and elicit information with tact and diplomacy in difficult situations.
• Convey complicated information in an understandable manner as an expert resource for outside agencies and individuals.
• Explain laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures to customers.
• Receive and review source documents, compare documents to database information, and edit, code, and correct documents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with student information systems, preferably the Integrated Student Records System (ISRS).
• Experience with document imaging systems, preferably Perceptive.
• A demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Additional Requirements

In accordance with the Minnesota State Vehicle Fleet Safety Program, employees driving on college/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.

How to Apply

Select “Apply for Job” at the top of this page. If you have questions about applying for jobs, contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. For additional information about the application process, go to http://www.mn.gov/careers.

If you have questions about the position, contact Mary Miller at mary.miller@bemidjistate.edu or 218-755-2084.

To receive consideration as a Connect 700 Program applicant, apply online, email the Job ID#, the Working Title and your valid Proof of Eligibility Certificate by the closing date to Mary Miller at mary.miller@bemidjistate.edu.

About Minnesota State

Minnesota State is making a difference. From the students we serve, to our business partners, to those we employ, chances are good you or someone you know has benefited from the work of your state colleges and universities. It is the core value of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to provide an opportunity for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their families, and for their communities.

Why Work for Us

Diverse Workforce

We are committed to continually developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our state and the populations we serve. The varied experiences and perspectives of employees strengthen the work we do together and our ability to best serve the people of Minnesota.

A recent engagement survey of State of Minnesota employees found:

• 95% of employees understand how their work helps achieve their agency’s mission
• 91% of employees feel trusted to do their jobs
• 88% of employees feel equipped to look at situations from other cultural perspectives when doing their job
• 87% of employees report flexibility in their work schedule

Comprehensive Benefits

Our benefits aim to balance four key elements that make life and work meaningful: health and wellness, financial well-being, professional development, and work/life harmony. As an employee, your benefits may include:

• Public pension plan
• Training and professional development
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 11 paid holidays each year
• Paid parental leave
• Low-cost medical and dental coverage
• Prescription drug coverage
• Vision coverage
• Wellness programs and resources
• Employer paid life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Health care spending and savings accounts
• Dependent care spending account
• Tax-deferred compensation
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Federal Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Programs, resources and benefits eligibility varies based on type of employment, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service with the State of Minnesota.

Other Information

Employment information for this position can be found in its collective bargaining agreement or its plan document at http://mn.gov/mmb/employee-relations/labor-relations/Labor/.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State 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.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. Please indicate what assistance is needed.