Senior Program Assistant

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 2950

Job Profile

CUPE 2950 Salaried - Sr Program Asst-Gen (Gr8)

Job Title

Senior Program Assistant

Department

Program Administration Robert H. Lee Graduate School UBC Sauder School of Business

Compensation Range

$4,739.00 - $5,102.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

June 23, 2024

Note : Applications will be accepted until 11 : 59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

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 Description Summary

UBC Sauder School of Business is one of the world’s leading business faculties. The school consistently ranks among the top 100 in the world and is recognized internationally for excellence in research and learning, an outstanding faculty and unmatched global partnerships.

A collaborative and respectful culture within which all members of our community can thrive is a key principle in our strategic plan, and one that underpins our educational mission.

We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the Vancouver Point Grey campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam.

We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at UBC Robson Square is situated on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee (RHL) Graduate School delivers all aspects of a portfolio of six professional graduate degrees in business, independently of Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies.

The RHL works closely with multiple and distinct stakeholders - faculty, employees, students, business community, global partners and alumni - to remain competitive through the delivery of an exceptional student experience.

The Senior Program Assistants at the RHL Graduate School work proactively and independently on coordination and support in the delivery of programs and initiatives and to resolve complex issues for students and instructors across the programs offered at the RHL Graduate School.

All Senior Program Assistants identify needed improvements and implement changes to perform work more efficiently and provide a service-friendly atmosphere for graduate business students and instructors.

All Senior Program Assistants are expected to fill in as needed for other Senior Program Assistants in the RHL Graduate School and will be familiar with duties other than their own.

Organizational Status

Reports to the Manager, Program Administration. Works closely with other RHL team members, other departments and units within UBC Sauder and other UBC units Develops positive relationships with students and faculty members and interacts with high-profile business and community leaders.

Work Performed

Advises and assists students with all aspects of course registration, including course availability, waitlists, timetabling, course changes, audits, and overload requests as per RHL and UBC policy.

Provides systems guidance, input and expertise, including student information, learning management, customer relationship management, finance and HR systems.

Updates and maintains student records and files.

Monitors, reviews and advises on students’ academic progress, including grade review, academic concessions, academic misconduct, course selection and fulfilment of academic requirements.

Reviews, approves and processes outbound exchange student study plans and converts to UBC credits.

Responds to incoming, current student and alumni inquiries of a routine or complex nature via email, telephone, in person and any other online systems.

Advises students on academic concessions process, program completion, tuition / financial holds and financial support, ensuring accurate information and guidance per established policies and processes.

Resolves complex and controversial student issues and complaints, discussing irregular items with the manager and offers solutions.

Ensures accurate and relevant communication across multiple platforms for UBC Sauder students, alumni, faculty, employees, international academic partners, and the business community.

Organizes various workshops, meetings and presentations to support students and instructors.

Communicates regularly with instructors to ensure timely and successful delivery of their courses.

Develops and documents procedures and provides input to written policies for students, instructors and staff.

Organizes awards timelines, selection committees and communications to students, confirms award amounts / criteria with the Faculty of Grad Studies, UBC Awards, and donors and tracks award allocation.

Supports students applying for external awards by providing official documents.

Develops, maintains and updates complex surveys, databases and student distribution lists.

Prepares, produces and corrects various reports including program data and statistics, grade reports, student rankings, instructor evaluations, academic misconduct memos and grade distribution reports.

Tracks and summarizes reciprocity across international partnerships for various global learning opportunities. Prepares, administers and distributes results of student satisfaction surveys.

Maintains confidentiality according to UBC privacy regulations and law.

Assists, monitors and authorizes budgetary expenditures with prescribed limits, processes expense reports and reconciles approved budgets for individual courses, events and programs.

Develops and executes a wide variety of events and community development initiatives.

Liaises with Student Society representatives to support program specific events.

Coordinates with the UBC Sauder Events team for event logistics and day of support.

Develops course sites and schedules.

Provides administrative support to instructors including but not limited to : creating diverse student teams, creating and distributing team rosters, email distribution lists, team folders on Learning Management systems.

Sets up peer feedback, communicates instructions to students, collects and shares results with instructors.

Coordinates the recruitment of TAs and markers.

Assists with grades set up and grade appeals.

Secures, trains, appoints and coordinates payment for exam invigilators.

Liaises with the Learning Services team and leads support for all aspects of online examinations.

Coordinates and monitors usage of allocated breakout rooms, lounges, lockers and student access cards with the appropriate units in UBC Sauder and UBC and takes appropriate action to correct deficiencies.

Provides logistical, clerical and technical support to the unit managers and directors as required.

Researches and orders branded merchandise.

Participates in strategic program development and unit projects.

Develops innovative policies and practices with the goal of improving customer service and efficiencies.

Creates and documents procedures, ensuring that the position manual and unit WIKI are thorough, accurate and up to date.

Performs other related duties in keeping with the qualifications and requirements of the job.

Consequence of Error / Judgement

The incumbent exercises considerable judgment and initiative in handling matters of a complex and non-routine nature, requiring interpretation of university and departmental guidelines, procedures and policies in planning the sequence of duties, the work methods to be employed and action to be taken.

Consequence of error is high; errors may lead to students not being able to graduate. Errors in judgment and communication may lead to inefficiency of operation, unmet deadlines and loss of valuable time and opportunities for students and instructors.

Lack of cross-cultural sensitivity in communicating with students may cause serious misunderstandings and damage to the international reputation of the programs and the school.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Manager, Program Administration. Works independently, occasionally consulting supervisor with reference to highly unusual or very complex problems.

Supervision Given

Formally trains new staff on work procedures, and assigns and oversees work of Work Learn students and temporary employees.

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation, plus two-year post-secondary diploma, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working with students, answering inquiries and resolving problems and issues.

Ability to exercise initiative, tact and discretion is required.

Must be poised and articulate in working with a variety of stakeholders and have the ability to exercise a high level of discretion when working with information of a confidential and / or sensitive nature.

Ability to take initiative, prioritize and work effectively under pressure and meet the deadlines and demands of a very busy office.

Ability to accurately interpret, and make decisions within established guidelines and regulations.

Proven excellence in written and verbal communication is required.

Ability to manage financial documents and gathering, organizing and summarizing financial information.

Ability to handle a wide variety of tasks and establish priorities, organizing workload for timely and effective delivery of services, including careful attention to details.

Ability to exercise judgement under pressure and demonstrate initiative in handling matters of a complex and non-routine nature.

Ability to work flexible hours and overtime.

Experience with the following systems is an asset : Microsoft Office, Learning Management Systems, HTML, Canvas, WordPress, UBC Student Information System / Workday Student, Zoom, MS Teams, Qualtrics and FMIS as well as experience with on-line portals and writing for the web.