Undergraduate Student Support Specialist

Undergraduate Student Support Specialist

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff, and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

Student Services in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) provides comprehensive support for over 1,800 undergraduate students studying in one of four Bachelor of Science degrees: Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology, Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health, Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems, and Bachelor of Science in Food and Resource Economics. This unit ensures undergraduate students in the Faculty meet their full academic, professional, and personal potential throughout the course of their academic career. LFS Student Services operates using a strengths-based approach across its academic, engagement, and career advising with students and is grounded on values of collaboration, inclusion, care, growth, and respect, and an overall positive student experience.

As a member of the LFS Student Services team, this position provides front-line support, information, and assistance in the resolution of complex issues to current students, prospective students, LFS faculty, and the general public regarding admission, basic course planning, student records and registration, and other routine functions supporting LFS students. Refers students to University and Faculty policies and procedures and provides guidance and interpretation to students. This position deals with a wide range of confidential and sensitive information.

This position may evolve and duties may be added or removed in response to updated operational requirements, unit, and Faculty goals. This position requires an individual who is comfortable in an atmosphere that will adapt to meet student needs, and as new technologies or opportunities for improved processes are identified.

Organizational Status

This position works as a member of the LFS Student Services team and reports directly to the Director, Student Academic Services. The incumbent will also receive direction from LFS Academic Advisors, LFS Student Engagement Officer, and LFS Career Strategist. This position is expected to work independently under direction from the Director.

Must be familiar with other areas of the university such as Enrolment Services, Student Development and Support Services (Counselling Services, Centre for Student Development and Leadership, Career Centre, Student Health Services, Centre for Accessibility, AMS, The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, etc.) as many students will need the appropriate referrals once they have come to LFS Student Services.

Work Performed

Student Support

• Provides high-level customer service and front-line assistance, reflective of the unit's values of collaboration, inclusion, care, growth, and respect, and an overall positive student experience. Screens, prioritizes, and responds to a variety of in-person, email, virtual, or telephone inquiries from prospective and current students, LFS Program Directors or faculty, UBC departments and units, and the general public. Asks probing questions to determine what students really need, and refers them to the most appropriate Student Services team member or campus resource.
• Knows and understands the complex regulations in the UBC Academic Calendar, online course schedules, and other UBC publications. Using this knowledge, along with Workday Student, On-line Advising Management System (OAMS), Academic Progress Report (APR), Scientia, and Canvas, provides accurate information to prospective and current LFS Students, other UBC students who wish to transfer to the Faculty, as well as the general public regarding admission requirements, registration, transfer credit, academic concessions, LFS degree requirements, and other basic student matters. Example duties include, but are not limited to, providing advice on how to resolve course planning issues and registration conflicts, creating waitlists, moving students off wait lists as seats become available, determining why a student's registration is on hold, explaining what students need to do to remove the hold, etc.
• Interprets Faculty and University policies and procedures, and provides guidance and interpretation of the same to students, faculty, and staff. Assists and guides students in making informed decisions. Informs students what they need to consider when making decisions and the academic implications of their decisions.
• Using the Workday Student, exercises judgment to make decisions about whether to add or drop courses, check availability of courses, and obtain or update student information, academic records, or Academic Progress Reports (APRs).
• Prepares and sends the Newslettuce, the e-newsletter circulated to undergraduate students to keep them informed of important dates and deadlines, events, opportunities, and messaging. Ensures content in each edition is accurate and is distributed on a pre-determined schedule, and updates and maintains the subscription mailing lists.

Administrative

• Participates in identifying processes and systems that require improvement, mapping current processes, re-designing processes, and making recommendations for change.
• Provides administrative assistance in collecting, reviewing, and tracking submissions and decisions related to registration, academic or admission appeals, transfer credit requests, curriculum updates, minor and competitive major applications, graduation, student awards, and academic concessions.
• Using Workday Student, collects and maintains student registration and academic data for sessional evaluations (annual review of academic records to determine promotion and academic standing), award adjudication, missing grades reports, and graduation. Follows up with and notifies students, Student Services staff, faculty, or campus colleagues, and updates academic records, as required.
• On behalf of Director, Student Academic Services, reviews requests and prepares Letters of Permission (LOP), visa extension, and degree completion letters, and prepares accordingly under established policies. Follows up on incomplete submissions, as needed.
• Maintains web content for the undergraduate tab of the LFS website, including the Student Services content. Ensures the Undergraduate Events Calendar is accurate and maintained, and LFS Student Services content is displayed on Faculty-wide digital signage.
• As Faculty Timetabling Rep (TRep) and Exam Rep (ERep), ensures accurate timetabling and scheduling of LFS undergraduate courses and exams. Example duties include, but are not limited to, scheduling new courses, rescheduling existing courses, and collecting and submitting final and SD exam requests.
• Assists Director, Student Academic Services, with special projects. For example, data collection/extraction, determines what information to extract and where to collect and access data, and presents data in appropriate format.
• Takes, transcribes, and distributes meeting minutes, as required by the Director, Student Academic Services.
• Compiles information and prepares monthly and annual reports on LFS Student Services daily and financial operations. Ensures information is accurate and reliable.
• Maintains accurate student records and files.

Other Duties

• Maintains and updates a procedures manual for the position
• Provides administrative and logistics support for LFS Student Services events and information sessions, such as Taste of LFS or UBC Welcomes You. Example duties include preparing registration lists, ordering catering, and booking rooms/equipment/virtual meetings, as needed.
• Ensures front office and shared advising spaces are well maintained, and creates a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment for guests
• Maintains inventory of and orders office supplies
• Supports LFS Student Services team and participates in cross-training initiatives, as appropriate
• Performs other duties related to the qualifications and requirements of the job, as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

As a member of the LFS Student Services team, the incumbent is expected to provide a high level of customer service and must exercise a great deal of judgement and initiative in handling matters of both a routine and non-routine nature, requiring the interpretation of University and Faculty policies, procedures, and guidelines. Information must be accurate and provided in a respectful, timely, and supportive way. Works with conflicting demands and exercises judgement in establishing priorities and carrying work through to completion in a timely manner under general supervision.

The incumbent exercises considerable judgment and sensitivity to diverse cultural backgrounds, and must demonstrate tact and discretion. Consequence of error is high and poor judgment would compromise the integrity of the four Bachelor of Science degrees in the Faculty as well as jeopardize the reputation of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and/or UBC. Students, other members of the academic community, and general public rely on advice given from LFS Student Services and base their academic decisions upon it. Students not obtaining a required or recommended course, not being able to graduate, or applicants not being able to obtain admission to the Faculty are some examples of what poor judgment could result in. Miscommunication in registration and timetabling may result in disgruntled students and faculty.

Supervision Received

This position reports directly to the Director, Student Academic Services. Work is performed in accordance with established procedures and practices. Makes independent decisions within guidelines. Requires initiative to plan and complete recurring assignments independently and good judgement to determine which of many methods are applicable. New or unusual problems outside the established guidelines