Transfer Navigator

Bemidji State University (BSU) invites applicants to join our team as the Transfer Navigator. This grant-funded position is ideally centrally positioned on the Minnesota North College (MNC) Hibbing campus and would make frequent day trips to the other MNC campuses on a regular schedule. This is a BSU position funded by the Design Accelerator grant provided by Arizona State University. At this time, the position would be fixed-term for at least one year starting on or after July 1, 2025. The purpose of the position is to increase the rate of success (attainment of four-year degree) among students transferring from MNC to BSU, and to increase the rate of graduation success at the colleges (attainment of two-year degree or other award) through personalized support from very early in each college student’s enrollment at MNC.
 
Candidates must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to pass a driving history background check.
 
Responsibilities of the Transfer Navigator include:  

• Directly support enrolled and prospective students. (40%)
  • Being present on a regular basis at Minnesota North College campuses, holding appointments and being available to students on various schedules. Quickly and thoroughly answer a wide range of questions about their chosen transfer/degree pathway. Being a singular point of contact to handle all transfer questions/situations.  
  • Assisting students in academic support and major/career exploration. Empowering students to develop plans for success that include understanding degree requirements and advocating for themselves.?  
  • Monitoring student admission and transfer progress, analyzing challenges and barriers, determining solutions, and conducting intervention activities for students experiencing impeded matriculation. 
  • Providing guidance to students navigating university systems, such as undergraduate admissions applications, graduation planner, e-mail, financial aid, housing apps and procedures, and understanding the degree audit report, among others. 
  • Maintaining a roster of students in the customer relationship management system(s); tracking student engagements; assisting with developing and presenting transfer reports and data. 
  • Conducting workshops and classroom visits with prospective and current students to inform students about transfer requirements and processes to ensure a seamless transition to BSU. 
  • Presenting university transfer information at college recruitment events, information sessions, and at various meetings. 
  • Assisting in the recruitment of prospective transfer students and helping students navigate through transfer and financial aid processes. Working with students who plan to transfer but have a long road ahead (part-time enrollment) to encourage continuance and clearly illustrate ways to achieve their goals.  
  • Providing individualized transfer plans for students, with special attention paid to AAS/AS students to complete the MNTC before transferring. Providing transfer information for specific programs and discussing what would be needed to complete the program at BSU. Providing planning materials showing a breakdown of remaining courses and estimated costs. 
  • Attending MNC events for current student groups to introduce them to BSU, including PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment students. Attending campus events for prospective students (high school groups) to introduce BSU to incoming students. Starting at MNC, finishing at BSU. 
  • Attending events such as commencement and scholarship/alumni recognition to support students transferring to BSU.  
  • Helping students and parents clearly understand the financial aid options and how they might differ or be similar between MNC and BSU. 
  • Clearly illustrating to students, the career advancement and earning potential of the various careers available with a bachelor’s degree. Ensuring students are aware of “learn and earn” opportunities with flexible BSU online programs. 
  • Identifying specific courses students should be taking at MNC to most efficiently earn the two-year and four-year degree while working to develop confidence in their ability to transition to upper-level coursework. 

• Collaborating directly with faculty and administrators. (30%)
  • Developing relationships with MNC staff, faculty, and administration to increase awareness of BSU programs and benefits to students. Assisting with articulation agreements and responding to program changes at BSU and MNC. 
  • Working with MNC faculty and administrators to identify transfer barriers as well as opportunities to improve the transfer process.
  • Strengthening relationships between MNC and BSU faculty and staff through structured visits, meetings, and student engagements.
  • Holding meetings between BSU and MNC faculty to support the development of transfer course equivalences in Transfer Pathways and non-pathway areas where alignment is needed. Ensuring faculty awareness of programmatic changes to ensure continued alignment of transfer pathways. 
  • Presenting programmatic information (Accounting, Social Work, Forestry, etc.) in MNC classrooms to help guide students who plan to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree. 
  • Supporting the work of developing a BSU academic presence at MNC (bachelor’s degree courses on the MNC campus). 

• Collaborating directly with MNC staff. (30%)
  • Traveling among the MNC campuses to build working relationships with advisors and counselors, understanding their workflows and finding ways to integrate BSU transfer information and support seamlessly.
  • Integrating with and meeting consistently with MNC advisors and being part of regular department meetings as well as meeting with students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree from BSU.
  • Working with MNC visit and engagement coordinators to organize activities that help prospective students and their families understand baccalaureate pathways not requiring relocation from their communities (e.g. earn the associates degree at MNC and earn the bachelor’s degree online from BSU).  
  • Increasing awareness of transfer pathways between MNC and BSU among advisors. Developing printed transfer guides for distribution in the MNC campuses and classrooms where applicable. Developing and maintaining a similar electronic resource for inclusion on the BSU Transfer web site.
  • Acting as liaison/one stop contact for BSU students who are currently attending BSU online and using MNC resources (labs, common spaces, library, etc.). Working with MNC administration to identify and highlight resources MNC-BSU transfer students can continue to use after they graduate from MNC and enroll at BSU.
  • Being available to staff over Zoom and Teams when not on campus to resolve transfer issues and questions collaboratively and quickly. 

• Master’s degree plus one (1) year of professional experience in academic-related support and advising, transfer admissions, or a closely related field OR Bachelor’s degree plus two (2) years of related professional work experience, OR three (3) years of professional experience in a related field OR an equivalent combination of post-secondary training, education and/or professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting and influencing students through decisions and transitions.
• Experience collaborating across departments and leadership levels to support student progression.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural humility and fluency, and achievement in working with diverse student populations.
• Strong communication, administrative, presentation, and organizational skills. 

• Master’s degree plus two (2) years of professional work experience in academic-related support and advising, transfer admissions, or a closely related field.
• Experience supporting and influencing transfer students to college degree completion and through the university transfer process.
• Demonstrated experience successfully handling multiple channels of engagement (in-person, online, synchronous and asynchronous) to support a wide range of student types, complex situations requiring multiple solutions and strategies, and with a high level of confidence needed to engage with partners at all levels of the academic structure (administrators, faculty, staff, etc.).
• A demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

TO APPLY:
External Applicants: Apply for Vacancy Posting JR0000003200, on our career site:  https://minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Minnesota_State_Careers or at https://minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Minnesota_State_Careers/job/Bemidji/Transfer-Navigator_JR0000003200.
 
Internal Applicants: All current employees will need to log in to the career site in Workday to apply for the position. Employees will search for “Browse Jobs – Employees” in Workday via the search bar at the top to view open positions.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Miller at mary.miller@bemidjistate.edu