Class Specifications - A.35
Principal Learning Skills Counselor (4414)
Senior Learning Skills Counselor (4415)
Senior Learning Skills Counselor - Supervisor (4419)
Learning Skills Counselor (4416)
Assistant Learning Skills Counselor (4417)
August, 1976
Series Concept
Learning Skills Counselors offer learning skills assistance to students to enable them to become independent, self-confident, and efficient learners; and perform other related duties as required.
Incumbents in this series have the responsibility for aiding students in the development and maintenance of such varied learning skills as reading, writing, study, and test-taking techniques. Incumbents in these positions should possess a broad knowledge of what constitutes competent and creative skill usage at various academic levels and must be proficient at guiding students of diverse educational backgrounds to levels of skill development consistent with university-level standards of satisfactory performance.
Incumbents typically, interview individual students, diagnose their respective learning problems, devise methods to solve those problems, and aid students during the process of solution; plan and conduct learning skills group workshops; develop, test, and evaluate new materials, approaches and programs; identify research problems and/or develop research proposals of a programmatic, evaluative or institutional nature; maintain liaison with other campus units and academic departments; develop, plan, and/or conduct appropriate outreach activities; and may participate in the selection and training of learning skills assistants.
Positions in this series are distinguished from positions in the counseling services series in that they do not normally offer vocational and psychological consultation. They are distinguished from positions in the advising services series in that the primary responsibility of learning skills counselors is to assist students in the development and maintenance of a variety of learning skills.
The Learning Skills Counselor series consists of four levels with the distinction between levels based on the scope and complexity of learning skills functions and the degree of supervision exercised.
Class Concepts
Principal Learning Skills Counselor
Under general direction, incumbents are assigned responsibility for developing and directing programs and activities in the area of student learning skills assistance that are campus-wide in scope and impact. Incumbents typically establish administrative and professional policies, procedures and standards for a learning skills assistance unit; interview and select prospective employees; assign and coordinate staff workloads; supervise and evaluate the performance of lower level learning skills counselors and/or learning skills assistants; coordinate in-service professional staff training programs; and are assigned responsibility for the development and administration of the department's annual budget.
Incumbents may develop and evaluate new materials, approaches, and programs; may identify research problems and develop research proposals; and may establish and maintain appropriate liaison with other departments and outreach activities.
Senior Learning Skills Counselor
Under direction, incumbents assist in the development and direction of programs and activities in the area of student learning skills assistance that are campus-wide in scope and impact. Incumbents may act as principal assistants to higher level learning skills counselors, typically with limited authority to develop and direct a campus-wide program and, in addition, may provide individual and/or group assistance to undergraduate and graduate students with difficult learning problems. Incumbents typically assist in the development of new materials and programs; design and conduct appropriate liaison and outreach activities. They may be assigned continuing responsibility for coordinating programs and may select, train and supervise lower level learning skills counselors and/or learning skills assistants.
Senior Learning Skills Counselor - Supervisor
Performs range of duties outlined in the Class Concepts for Senior Learning Skills Counselor and, in addition, meets the HEERA requirements for designation as a supervisory employee.
Learning Skills Counselor
Under general supervision, incumbents perform difficult professional work in providing individual and/or group assistance to undergraduate and graduate students with learning problems. Incumbents typically conduct appropriate liaison and outreach activities; may assist in the development of new materials and programs, and may assist in the training of learning skills assistants. Incumbents may in addition perform the range of duties outlined in the Series Concept.
Assistant Learning Skills Counselor
Under supervision, incumbents provide individual and/or group assistance to undergraduate students within limited areas of learning problems. Incumbents perform the majority of duties described in the Series Concept, typically within established procedural guidelines. This is the entry level in the professional series; however, positions may be assigned to this level on a continuing basis.
Minimum Qualifications
Principal Learning Skills Counselor
Graduation from college with major work in a related field and six years of related experience in a college-level student support service, preferably in a learning skills service, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Senior Learning Skills Counselor/Senior Learning Skills Counselor - Supervisor
Graduation from college with major work in a related field and four years of related experience in a college-level student support service, preferably in a learning skills service, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Learning Skills Counselor
Graduation from college with major work in a related field and two years of related experience in a college-level student support service, preferably in a learning skills service, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Assistant Learning Skills Counselor
Graduation from college with major work in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience; knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Note: A Master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.