Transfer External Reader (4511U), Undergraduate Admissions - #73774

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions must provide a fair opportunity for every applicant to obtain admission to the University, operate in a professional manner that ensures positive staff morale and values hard work and dedication, communicate and collaborate effectively, present a coordinated effort to standardize procedures and document best practices, offer a variety of methods for professional development, and provide first class customer service in a cost-effective and transparent manner.

Transfer External Readers are trained to independently review applications for admission at the transfer level. The External Reader uses professional judgment and a comprehensive knowledge of educational processes that is gained through training sessions led by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, including knowledge of coursework from educational systems, as well as assessment educational experiences, in evaluating an applicant for admission. External Readers are expected to perform with a high level of integrity and professionalism, often times reviewing and interpreting complicated and/or sensitive information.

• Perform a comprehensive evaluation of all available applicant information for domestic and international transfer undergraduate applications. This information may encompass academic, geographic, talent, extraordinary circumstances, school, and family context, and personal achievement factors. Use campus-specific evaluation methods to make a comprehensive assessment of each applicant.
• Assesses applicants for motivation, initiative, leadership potential, work/life experience, extracurricular activities, socioeconomic status, disabilities, and educational / personal hardship.
• Evaluates college-level coursework, transcripts, and international records for eligibility. Performs course-by-course evaluations for transfer credit.
• Attends and participates in all training and norming sessions. Support Office of Undergraduate Admissions goals for reader competence and process effectiveness by contributing to group discussions on sample applications. Provide feedback on the overall training/norming process. Meets specified weekly and cycle numerical reads completed goal.
• Uses professional judgment to review complex applications for admission recommendations to the University. This includes transfer applicants from California Community Colleges, The University of California, and all other 2 year and 4 year institutions.
• Acquires and maintains knowledge of systems used for the reading process, including Slate, UC Review, ASSIST, TES, Google Suite, Slack and UC specific tools.

• Ability to interpret and communicate University policies and procedures to prospective students and the public.
• Thorough and comprehensive knowledge of and/or ability to learn academic programs, including curricula, admissions requirements, and financial aid programs, at colleges/universities and specifically at UC, and/or specific colleges and schools.
• Knowledge of and/or sensitivity to issues related to the multiple identities students come with and may write about in their application.
• Working knowledge of and/or ability to learn academic programs, including curricula, admissions requirements, and financial aid programs at UC Berkeley.
• Thorough knowledge of secondary school policies and practices, particularly as related to curriculum, standardized testing, extracurricular activities, transcript issues, etc.
• Ability to read and score applications online.
• Must maintain awareness of own scoring patterns in relation to normed scoring patterns, and must adjust scoring practices as required.
• Must demonstrate a high level of discretion and sensitive judgment and must be able to utilize a background of professional knowledge and experience to interpret guidelines that will apply to a large, complex, detailed array of objective and subjective information.
• Must attend norming and training sessions, meet workload deadlines and work independently. Training will begin the first week in February. Reading transfer applications will continue through the beginning of April.
• Candidates need to be adept at setting up a home office with access to the internet and have the ability to problem-solve a variety of issues (including both technology and procedural) independently.
• Candidates must have a personal computer with up-to-date security and internet browsers.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate a high proficiency with technology and web-based applications as all applicant files are reviewed electronically via an online platform.
• Working knowledge of the post-secondary course to course transferability policies from California Community Colleges, Four-year Universities, and International university curricula.
• Advanced communication, analytics, time management, decision-making and interpersonal skills

Education/Training:

• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

• Previous experience as a UC Berkeley undergraduate application reader, or an application reader for another institution or program, or equivalent experience/training.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $26.00 - $28.00.

• This is a 2-month, limited (temporary) position.
• This position is 50% non-exempt and paid bi-weekly.
• This is a remote-friendly position, eligible for 100% remote capability.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This recruitment is a pool and has 20 openings.
• This position is eligible for up to 100% remote work. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.
• Virtual attendance at a multi-day synchronous Reader Training is required in early February 2025 (February 3 - 7, 2025).
  

Candidates may not be:

• Concurrently enrolled as a UC Berkeley student.
• Concurrently employed by the University of California.
• Concurrently employed by another college or university.
• Concurrently reading applications for another college or university.
• Working as an independent admissions counselor/consultant

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.