Manager, Advising & Engagement

Description

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

Location- This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus Edmonton.

Reporting to the Senior Officer, Student Programs & Services, the Manager, Advising & Engagement position oversees the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Student Services Advising and Engagement activities. This position assists with the operational needs of the Undergraduate Student Services office (USS), including managing the day-to-day activities of front-line Undergraduate Student Advisors and Student Engagement teams to ensure the accurate, high quality and timely delivery of services within pre-set goals. The primary activities in this role include: staff supervision and development, acting as a relationship manager within the faculty of arts and beyond, all aspects of student advising and program supports from admission through to convocation, and student engagement and outreach (with focus in domestic, international, and indigenous portfolios).

In all facets of this role, the Manager, Advising & Engagement endeavors to integrate and advance the University's commitments to Access, Community, and Belonging.

This position has direct oversight of 7 student advising positions and functional oversight of 3 positions, including, Student Engagement & Outreach Specialist, Indigenous Engagement & Recruitment Specialist, and an International Recruitment & Engagement Specialist.

Responsibilities

1) USS Operations Management

• Establish and oversee the workload and critical timelines for the work of the Advising and Engagement teams
• Provide occasional back up to the staff as needed and as such is responsible for knowing the day to day activities
• Responsible for keeping up to date on best practices in advising, student engagement, and student services, and ensures staff are trained, encouraging ongoing learning and professional development
• Active participant in decision making related to policy and procedure
• Identifies opportunities and provides ideas, proposals and solutions to the senior management team regarding policy, service, process, and opportunities for improvement, and provides strategic input into the overall direction of the Undergraduate Student Services office
• Identifies problem areas and risks and escalates them to the Senior Officer, Student Programs & Services
• As part of the leadership team, work collaboratively to ensure that there are established connections and consistencies between each of the USS units
• Responsible for records management of student records according to University records management protocol.

2) Undergraduate Student Advising & Program Management

• Oversees the delivery of all advising services including: advising students on program requirements and options, approving/denying requests for deferred exams or exam re-writes, approving/denying requests for exceptions within program (escalating decisions as appropriate), approving/denying requests for letter of permission to attend other postsecondary institutions,etc.
• Works closely with stakeholders in the Academic Department units, Office of the Registrar, Dean of Students, U of A International, etc. to ensure that students are able to complete their degree programs as needed
• Establishes opportunities for proactive outreach to students at risk
• Oversees the process of evaluating and approving both domestic and international admissions and transfer credit, including reviewing and approving new transfer credit proposals that are submitted
• Oversees the evaluation of student progression and completion of all students within the Faculty of Arts(academic standing and graduation), including the programming and maintenance of the student Academic Advisement Reports.

3) Undergraduate Student Engagement and Outreach (Domestic, Indigenous, & International)

• Works closely with the Senior Officer to develop and oversee a comprehensive student engagement, retention, and outreach strategy and plan (domestic, indigenous, and international) aimed at establishing positive connections between the Faculty office and the students and ensuring that the Faculty meets our goals related to student enrolment, increasing access and belonging.
• Oversees the organization and implementation of the Faculty’s New Student Orientation event and other events and activities throughout the year to help facilitate the development of community within the Faculty of Arts, and to encourage student retention
• Responsible for the development of strategic outreach plans for faculty-wide student initiatives and the implementation of all student-based outreach activities, such as the USS current student newsletter, contributing to the USS content created for the Faculty of Arts website, and contributing to Arts social media channels as it relates to student-focused content
• Works with the Recruitment Center of Expertise and the Indigenous Recruitment team to support their efforts as needed to support student recruitment and yield activities
• Works with stakeholders across campus, including the Dean of Students, Office of the Registrar, First Peoples’ House, U of A international, etc. to collaborate on engagement & outreach initiatives
• Works with the Transition Year Program, to ensure that advising and supports are in place for students looking to transition to the Faculty of Arts from that program
• Facilitates and oversees the management of our MOU Partnership agreements with international institutions from the Faculty’s perspective, working closely with U of A International on aspects of relationship management.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
• 3 or more years of supervisory experience in leading initiatives and teams, additional previous experience in student advising and/or engagement activities required
• Experience with student administration and understanding the undergraduate student lifecycle from recruitment through graduation
• Demonstrated involvement in developing and implementation of strategic operational plans
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural communication skills, including excellent written and oral communication skills
• High level of analytical and problem solving, critical thinking, and negotiating skills.
• Planning, organizational, and time management skills
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with team members from different areas of expertise, and with senior administrators in an organization
• Experience working with and/or understanding of Indigenous cultures and communities an asset
• Strong commitment to student services, and knowledge of best practices within student advising and engagement
• Ability to work well in a multicultural, multilingual environment with students and faculty from many countries, cultures, linguistic groups, religions, sexualities and genders
• Familiarity with the Faculty of Arts and a commitment to the value of a liberal arts education
• Financial or budgetary experience an asset
• Experience in project management and/or change management an asset
• Demonstrated use of systems and tools (experience Campus Solutions a strong asset).

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter.

This position has a comprehensivebenefits packageand an annual salary range of $71,191 to $118,659.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed bySchedule Fof the collective agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.