---
title: Student Success Ombudsman at Lakewood University
description: Lakewood University is hiring for the Student Success Ombudsman role in Cleveland
  Heights, OH. See the full description and apply.
type: job
url: https://www.foundrole.com/jobs/student-success-ombudsman-at-lakewood-01a16a5c-9707-7ca6-81e1-05ffef8efe1f
date: 2026-11-15T01:26:44Z
og_description: Join Lakewood University as Student Success Ombudsman in Cleveland Heights, OH.
  Pays $45K–$55K per year. Full-time, on-site role.
og_image: https://www.foundrole.com/og/iokbu0.png
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| | |
|---|---|
| **Company** | Lakewood University |
| **Location** | Cleveland Heights, OH |
| **Salary** | $45K/yr - $55K/yr |
| **Type** | Full Time |
| **Posted** | Oct 23, 2026 |

## Is this job real?

**Ghost job check:** A · Low risk. Probably a real opening.

## Visa sponsorship

- **H-1B:** No H-1B sponsorship on record for Lakewood University.
- **E-Verify:** No E-Verify enrollment on record for Lakewood University.

## Pay for similar jobs

Most similar jobs pay $45,000 – $54,000 a year (median $50,000).

## Description

**Student Success Ombudsman**

**Lakewood University**

**Department:** Student Services **Position Type:** Full-Time **Work Arrangement:** In Person **Work Schedule:** Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern Time **Reports To:** Vice President of Administrations **Salary Range:** $45,000–$55,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications

**About Lakewood University**

Lakewood University is committed to improving the quality of life of our students by providing excellent, affordable, and in-demand educational programs through distance learning. Our work is guided by the values of Integrity, Caring, Responsibility, Respect, and Quality.

We strive to create a supportive, responsive, and professional educational environment where students receive the assistance they need, their concerns are heard, and challenges are addressed with fairness, respect, and accountability.

**Position Summary**

Lakewood University is seeking a compassionate, organized, and solutions-oriented **Student Success Ombudsman** to support students with their day-to-day service needs while managing complaints, grievances, concerns, and escalated situations.

This position combines the responsibilities of a student services representative with specialized responsibilities in mediation, conflict resolution, and complaint management. The Student Success Ombudsman will serve as a point of contact for students who need assistance navigating university processes, resolving concerns, or communicating with university departments. The successful candidate will listen carefully, gather relevant information, facilitate constructive communication, and work with appropriate university personnel to identify fair and appropriate resolutions.

The ideal candidate will have experience in student services or a related service-oriented environment, along with training and experience in mediation or conflict resolution. This individual must be able to manage sensitive conversations professionally, communicate effectively in writing and verbally, maintain accurate records, and balance empathy for students with consistent application of university policies and procedures.

This is a full-time, in-person position requiring the employee to work from the university office Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

**Essential Responsibilities**

**Student Services and Student Support**

- Serve as a primary point of contact for students seeking assistance with university processes, policies, services, and administrative questions.
- Respond to student inquiries by email, telephone, in person, and through other established communication channels.
- Provide clear, accurate, and timely information regarding university procedures and available student support resources.
- Help students navigate administrative processes and connect with the appropriate departments, faculty, or university personnel.
- Listen to student concerns, clarify questions, identify needs, and determine appropriate next steps.
- Maintain a professional, approachable, and student-centered presence while promoting accountability and student success.
- Follow up on outstanding questions and requests to ensure students receive appropriate assistance.
- Recognize issues that may require additional support, specialized expertise, or escalation to university leadership.

**Complaints, Grievances, and Conflict Resolution**

- Receive, review, document, and manage student complaints, grievances, disputes, and escalated concerns.
- Serve as a neutral and professional resource for students seeking assistance with concerns involving university services, communication, academic processes, or administrative interactions.
- Apply mediation, conflict-resolution, active-listening, negotiation, and de-escalation techniques to help address disagreements constructively.
- Facilitate communication between students and appropriate university representatives when a facilitated discussion is suitable.
- Gather relevant information, review available documentation, identify the underlying issues, and help determine appropriate resolution pathways.
- Explain applicable university policies and procedures and help students understand available options for addressing their concerns.
- Work collaboratively with relevant departments to pursue fair, practical, and policy-consistent resolutions.
- Recognize when concerns require formal review, referral, or escalation rather than informal mediation.
- Maintain professionalism and impartiality when working with individuals who may have differing perspectives or strongly held concerns.
- Communicate next steps, document outcomes, and follow up on agreed-upon actions as appropriate.
- Identify recurring complaints or systemic issues and bring them to the attention of the Vice President of Administrations or other appropriate university leadership.

**Written Communication and Case Management**

- Draft clear, professional, empathetic, and timely email responses and other correspondence addressing student inquiries, complaints, and grievances.
- Maintain accurate, organized, and confidential records of student concerns, communications, meetings, referrals, follow-up actions, and outcomes.
- Track complaints and cases from initial receipt through resolution, referral, or escalation.
- Monitor outstanding items and follow-up responsibilities to support timely case management.
- Prepare summaries and reports regarding complaint trends, recurring concerns, case status, and opportunities for service improvement.
- Ensure that student communications and case documentation are factual, objective, and consistent with university policies and procedures.
- Exercise appropriate discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information.

**Collaboration and University Procedures**

- Work closely with Student Services, Academic Affairs, faculty, administrative departments, and university leadership to support students and address concerns.
- Coordinate with appropriate university representatives to gather information and facilitate communication while respecting departmental responsibilities and decision-making authority.
- Apply university policies and procedures consistently and seek clarification when a situation requires interpretation or leadership direction.
- Escalate serious, unresolved, or high-risk concerns through the appropriate university channels.
- Recognize matters involving potential discrimination, harassment, disability accommodations, privacy, safety, or legal concerns and refer them promptly through the appropriate institutional process.
- Help identify opportunities to improve student communications, service delivery, complaint-handling procedures, and the overall student experience.
- Participate in relevant meetings, training, and professional development activities.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.

**Required Qualifications**

- Training in mediation, conflict resolution, dispute resolution, or a closely related discipline.
- Demonstrated experience applying conflict-resolution or mediation skills in a professional, educational, customer-service, or other relevant setting.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to respond professionally to sensitive or emotionally charged concerns.
- Strong active-listening, interpersonal, problem-solving, and de-escalation skills.
- Ability to remain calm, impartial, respectful, and objective when managing disagreements.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple inquiries, cases, and deadlines.
- Ability to document interactions accurately and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
- Sound judgment in determining when to resolve a concern, refer it to another department, or escalate it to leadership.
- Ability to interpret and follow established policies, procedures, and administrative guidelines.
- Proficiency with email, word processing, spreadsheets, and other standard workplace technologies.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across university departments.
- Ability to work in person at Lakewood University Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

**Preferred Qualifications**

- Experience in higher education, student services, student affairs, student advocacy, or academic administration.
- Experience handling formal complaints, grievances, appeals, escalated service concerns, or sensitive communications.
- Formal mediation training or a recognized mediation certificate.
- Experience facilitating difficult conversations and working toward constructive resolutions.
- Familiarity with student information systems, learning management systems, and student-service tracking tools.
- Experience reviewing complaint trends, maintaining case records, and recommending process improvements.

**Key Competencies**

**Student-Centered Service:** Demonstrates patience, empathy, responsiveness, and a commitment to helping students navigate university processes.

**Mediation and Conflict Resolution:** Uses appropriate techniques to reduce tension, encourage constructive dialogue, and identify potential solutions.

**Communication:** Writes and speaks clearly, professionally, and respectfully, including when responding to difficult or escalated situations.

**Impartiality and Fairness:** Considers relevant information objectively and treats individuals with dignity and consistency.

**Judgment and Discretion:** Recognizes sensitive issues, protects confidential information, and escalates matters appropriately.

**Organization and Accountability:** Maintains accurate records, manages competing priorities, and follows through on commitments.

**Collaboration:** Builds productive relationships with students, colleagues, departments, and university leadership.

**Problem-Solving:** Identifies underlying concerns, evaluates available options, and helps pursue practical resolutions consistent with university policies.

**Measures of Success**

Performance in this position may be evaluated through:

- Timeliness, accuracy, and professionalism of student-service responses.
- Quality of communication with students and university personnel.
- Appropriate handling, documentation, and tracking of complaints and grievances.
- Effectiveness of mediation and conflict-resolution efforts.
- Consistent application of university policies and referral procedures.
- Timely follow-up on open cases and agreed-upon actions.
- Quality of collaboration with departments and university leadership.
- Identification of recurring student concerns and recommendations for process improvement.
- Student feedback regarding responsiveness, clarity, professionalism, and fairness.

Success will be measured by the quality and consistency of the process, appropriate handling of concerns, and efforts to reach fair and constructive outcomes-not solely by whether a student agrees with the final decision.

**Compensation**

The anticipated annual salary range for this full-time position is **$45,000–$55,000**, depending on the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, mediation training, and demonstrated skills.

**Lakewood University Mission and Values**

The Student Success Ombudsman is expected to support Lakewood University's mission and demonstrate its core values:

- **Integrity:** Communicate honestly and handle concerns objectively.
- **Caring:** Listen thoughtfully and respond to student needs with empathy.
- **Responsibility:** Follow through on commitments and manage cases diligently.
- **Respect:** Treat students, faculty, and colleagues with dignity and fairness.
- **Quality:** Maintain high standards in student service, documentation, and conflict resolution.

**Equal Employment Opportunity**

Lakewood University is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. Employment decisions are made in accordance with applicable law and university policy.

**Additional Information**

This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Duties may evolve based on university needs. The Student Success Ombudsman is expected to perform all responsibilities professionally, maintain appropriate confidentiality, and operate within established university policies, procedures, and decision-making authority.
## Skills

- Academic Administration
- Active Listening
- Balance Sheet
- Decision Making
- Dispute Resolution
- Spreadsheets
- Word Processing
- Grievance Handling
- Discretion
- De-escalation Techniques
- Problem Solving
- Mediation
- Case Documentation
- Negotiation
- Service-Oriented
- Interpersonal Skills
- Confidentiality
- Learning Management Systems
- Process Improvement
- Empathy
- Conflict Resolution
- Collaboration
- Service Delivery
- Complaint Handling
- Case Management
- Appeals
- Referral Processing
- Leadership
- Ability to Work Independently
- Organizational Skills
- Student Information System (Sis)
- Communication
- Writing
- Student Affairs Administration
- Equities
- Customer Service
## Benefits

- Professional Development

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