Ucsf Learning Specialist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Department Description: 

Student Life is a campus-wide student resource, supporting student initiatives, encouraging involvement in campus life, and serving as a primary liaison to students. Student Life supports student success through various programs and services that include Basic Needs for Students, First Generation Support Services, Guardian Scholars Program, Learning Resource Services, Student Disability Services, Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Veteran and Military Support Services, and student involvement, etc. 

Student Life is housed in the Student Success Center (SSC). The SSC functions as a hub for centralized campus student services, including Student Life, Learning Resource Services (LRS) and Student Disability Services (SDS). We are a community resource offering supportive services, building partnerships, and enhancing the campus experience. We bring existing University programs and services to students and develop diverse and innovative programs and activities that enhance the quality of student life.

Job Summary :

Learning Resource Services (LRS) promotes students to achieve academic success, professional growth, and lifelong learning by providing high-quality, inclusive academic support from entry of program through completion. Through skill building services, supplemental instruction, academic workshops, and accessible learning resources, LRS strengthens foundational skills, advance academic progress, and cultivate student agency, confidence, and self-sufficiency. The purpose of the Learning Resource Specialist  position is to support the educational mission of the University through individual consultations with students and by developing workshops and seminars that assist health science students with successfully learning, integrating and applying complex information in classroom, research and clinical settings. In addition, the Learning Resource Specialist will work with graduate and professional students who experience academic difficulty, to assess learning problems and to assist with developing new and highly personalized learning strategies and techniques to enhance learning, and to improve study techniques and exam preparation.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in education, counseling, or a related field

• A minimum of three to five years of experience assisting students with learning difficulties in higher education

• Comprehensive knowledge of learning principles and learning styles

• Ability to individualize the teaching of study strategies and techniques to a wide variety of students with diverse educational backgrounds, training and preparation

• Ability to develop materials for learning strategies that can be used with students one-on-one or by faculty in the classroom, lab or clinic setting.

• Utilizing current research and data, serve as a resource for students and faculty on issues related to study skills and learning styles

• Communication and presentations skills for delivering meaningful instruction to large groups of professional and graduate students

• Demonstrated management skills and experience to develop, implement and evaluate student service programs, including the ability to design and produce workshops, and other training programs for students, faculty and staff

• Proven ability to exercise the judgment necessary to deal effectively with sensitive information and to respond to complex and urgent student matters, providing appropriate intervention and referral.

• Strong communication skills, oral and written, to communicate effectively in a high stakes educational environment at all levels, with tact and diplomacy. Excellent conflict management skills.

• Must be able to work independently and to collaborate effectively with culturally and academically diverse students, faculty and staff

• Familiarity with neurodiversity, inclusive learning strategies, and approaches to supporting students with accommodations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of diverse educational theories, curricular requirements and instructional formats unique to a health science campus

• Knowledge of AI tools, adaptive learning technologies, and AI literacy in higher education settings

• Insight and understanding about the diverse, unique and highly specialized academic cultures at UCSF

• Experience assisting students with learning difficulties in a health sciences environment

• Experience assisting students with preparation for licensing exams in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry

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Key Responsibilities

60

Assessment, Consultation and Case Management

• Work individually with graduate and professional students experiencing academic difficulty and lead early identification of students at academic risk and provide targeted support through early intervention and remediation. Suggest new study and test-taking strategies and provide resources to assist individual students to strengthen the learning skills necessary to improve academic performance.

• Develop individualized plan with tailored strategies for each student, by evaluating possible learning issues, reviewing course materials and test results. 

• Educate students on effective and ethical use of AI tools to enhance learning, studying, time management, etc.  

• Work with students preparing for or completing their clinical rotations to design strategies for learning and successfully demonstrating what they have learned.

• Attend clinical rotations to observe the student experience in the hospital/clinical setting and apply those insights to develop success strategies for students. 

• Work individually and in group with a wide variety of students with diverse educational background by applying diverse educational theories, curricular requirements and instructional formats, unique to a health science campus.

• Support neurodiverse students by applying inclusive learning strategies and understanding diverse cognitive processing styles.

• Provide learning skills assessments and individual consultations to under-represented students in UCSF Post Baccalaureate programs to empower them with strategies for maximized success.

• Make appropriate referrals to campus partners such as Student Disability Services, Student Mental Health and Wellness, First Generation to College Support Services, Student Involvement, Career and Professional Development, Library-etc. 

• Collaborate with Student Disability Services (SDS) to provide learning strategy support for students after they receive accommodations.

• Participate on work groups or in consultation with Professional Schools to collaborate and assist students with preparations for licensing exams in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry, and physical therapy, as required. Assist faculty with skills and tools relevant to working with students in academic difficulty.

25

Outreach And Training

• Independently develop and present workshops and seminars and deliver presentations to small and large groups of professional and graduate school students to strengthen learning skills and academic potential, in consultation with faculty and other campus personnel. Tailor content based on identified needs for each professional school and the graduate division. Workshops cover topics such as, but not limited to: skills for academic success in the transition to UCSF: memory and integration; effective listening and note-taking: preparation strategies for standardized exams and health science Licensing Board exams; managing test anxiety; time management; oral presentations and, maximizing learning styles.

• Incorporate AI literacy into workshops, resource materials, and consultations where appropriate.

• Assess program effectiveness and student outcomes to continuously improve LRS offerings.

• Participate in Student Life and Office of Education and Student Affairs initiatives, meetings and programs. 

• Collaborate with campus partners to further the educational goals of the University by participating actively in the implementation of UCSF Student Success Initiatives through efforts such as, but not limited to coordinated orientation presentations. 

• Serve as a resource to schools and academic programs by providing insight into student learning challenges and best practices in learning support.

• Work closely with campus partners including Student Mental Health and Wellness, Student Disability Services, faculty and staff, school academic leads, and to ensure coordinated and holistic support for students.

15

Administration

• Identity unmet or emerging needs and develop research based, theory- and data- driven programs and services to address, maintain and build knowledge of trends in student development theory, including learning and involvement theories, and issues related to access and retention that may impact the quality of graduate and professional student success on a health science campus.

• Stay current on the integration of AI tools in learning, including study tools, productivity aids, adaptive learning technologies, and responsible use of AI in academic environments.

• Develop and continually improve an interactive website with content, hands-on resource and assessment tools that students can use to improve their study and test taking skills. 

• Leverage technology, maintaining and utilizing various databases and systems to case manage, and track data to evaluate trends, as well as the effectiveness of interventions, programs and services.

• Produce annual comprehensive reports on Learning Resource Services.

• Other projects and initiatives, as assigned.

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