ABOUT US
Oral Roberts University is a Christian University located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a globally recognized, Holy Spirit-empowered University, we develop whole leaders for the whole world through a Unique Whole Person education. Students come to ORU not to “stay” in their faith but to GROW in faith and to become the Spirit-empowered leaders they are called to be. Faculty, staff, and students must adhere to the Code of Honor Pledge for ORU.
CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ALL POSITIONS UNTIL FILLED.
JOB DESCRIPTION
- FULL TIME
In support of Oral Roberts University's mission and international enrollment growth goals, this role leads the end-to-end first-year undergraduate international student onboarding experience - from deposit (enrollment fee paid) through the end of the first academic year - with a strong focus on immigration compliance, operational excellence, and first-year retention.
The Assistant Director of International Student Relations & First-Year International Student Onboarding role manages day-to-day International Student Center (ISC) operations for first-year international students and serves as a Designated School Official (DSO), providing immigration guidance to support successful F-1 visa outcomes and ongoing compliance.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Immigration Compliance
- Serve as a Designated School Official (DSO) for the University.
- Review financial guarantee forms and required financial documentation.
- Produce initial I-20 forms for new undergraduate international students in SEVIS and enter immigration information in required systems.
- Manage SEVIS records for first-year students; maintain current knowledge of U.S. immigration laws and F-1 regulations.
- Send I-20s with clear instructions; manage deferrals and related communications.
- Counsel new F-1 students to support visa success and early compliance after arrival.
First-Year International Student Success and Retention
- Own first-year success monitoring from deposit to arrival through the end of the first academic year.
- Monitor enrollment, registration, and at-risk alert data; proactively identify trends and individual student risk.
- Coordinate outreach and intervention in partnership with Student Accounts, Academic Advising and other campus teams.
- Track intervention activity, timelines, and outcomes to ensure follow-through and accountability.
- Monitor, analyze, and report first-year success metrics to achieve or exceed assigned KPIs.
- Administer and analyze student experience surveys (pre-arrival, orientation, first-year, and term-to-term) implement improvements.
- Provide 1-1 early-term engagement tied directly retention and transition success.
Pipeline Handoff Ownership & File Readiness
- Own and operationalize the recruiter-to-ISC process (for first-year undergraduate international students.
- Maintain accurate, real-time student status through CRM and related tools to ensure timely professional communication and reduce work cycle times.
- Define and enforce:
- “Complete file” criteria for an I-20
- Return/deficiency criteria
- Escalation pathways
- Exception handling
Visa Readiness, Pre-Arrival Coaching, and Arrival Success
- Guide first-year students through visa preparation (i.e., DS-160/SEVIS fee guidance, readiness steps) using standardized resources and workshops.
- Provide mock interview preparation through trained student-worker/part-time support; personally support complex cases and escalations.
- Coordinate arrivals, international orientation, and initial acclimation in partnership with international admissions, student services, and events teams.
- Support first-year students' initial critical needs and transition into U.S. systems and ORU campus life.
- Coordinate onboarding milestones related to housing and enrollment/registration readiness with campus partners.
International Student Center Operations and Service Leadership
- Manage daily ISC operations serving first-year international students, including walk-in support and hospitality.
- Supervise assigned student workers, building training, workflows, and delegation structures to ensure consistent coverage and service.
- Support the end-of-term open house and I-20 travel signature hospitality event.
- Lead first-year transportation/logistics services through support staff (as applicable), including:
- Arrival transportation
- Banking/phone setup support
- Essential shipping
- Immunizations
- SSN-related support (when appliable)
Scale, Systems, and Operational Excellence
- Proactively plan and improve processes to scale service and compliance across peak seasons.
- Build and maintain:
- SOPs, checklists, templates, and documentation
- Workflow queues and case management practices to prevent missed students and ensure visibility/prioritization.
- Build a student-worker/part-time support model to handle repeatable coaching/logistics, reserving the Assistant Director’s time for:
- Compliance decisions
- Escalations
- High-impact interventions.
- Create maintain peak-season coverage plans (cross-training, surge protocols, and predictable staffing models).
Service Standards & Professional Expectations
- Respond to international student and parent inquiries within 24-48 hours, using workflows and templates to maintain standards during peak periods.
- Demonstrate emotional steadiness with solutions-oriented communication.
REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree is required with preference given to an ORU graduate. Bilingual is highly desirable.
EXPERIENCE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:
- Experience in international student services, onboarding, compliance operations, or adjacent work requiring high accuracy and documentation discipline.
- Prior Designated School Official (DSO) experience and SEVIS/I-20 processing expertise preferred.
- Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Demonstrated ability to build systems, train others, and delegate effectively.
- Professional presence and emotional steadiness under load.
- Experience scaling high-volume workflows using SOPs, templates, and reporting dashboard preferred.
- Supervisory experience with student workers or staff preferred.
- Ability to interpret, adapt, and apply guidelines and procedures.
- Strong student-centered focus; commitment to student satisfaction and success.
- Ability to multi-task, yet maintain close attention to detail, and timeliness of work production.
- Maintains compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy and its' procedures.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Must be available and willing to work extended hours beyond the normally scheduled office hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm. This may include evening and weekend hours.
- Certain recruitment trips or opportunities for professional development may require travel by air and overnight stays. International travel and out-of-town travel may be required. Travel to include: air and ground, personal vehicle may be required.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Oral Roberts University promotes equal employment opportunities for all individuals regardless of differences in race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.