MD Admissions & UG Admissions Coordinator

Job Summary

The MD Admissions & UG Admissions Coordinator is responsible for the set of administrative activities required to complete admissions files to move forward the application for a final evaluation and review to the Doctor of Medicine Program as well as to most Undergraduate programs at the relevant times of the admissions cycles.

In Undergraduate (UG) Admissions, the Coordinator produces complete undergraduate admissions applications that are ready for evaluation and undertakes relatively straightforward evaluations (Admissions Advisors undertake the more complex evaluations). They also perform activities to facilitate the admissions process and support applicants, including providing complex information to applicants and/or their parents, many of whom are not familiar with the admissions process.

In MD Admissions, the Coordinator is similarly responsible for administrative activities required to compile complete admissions files to the Doctor of Medicine Program and ensure that these files are ready for evaluation. In addition, they will contribute to the selection process by reading and evaluating specific sections of the MD applications, either by performing academic or non-academic evaluations. The incumbent will perform activities to facilitate the admissions process and support applicants, including providing complex policy information to applicants.

In both departments, the Coordinator performs activities related to the control of documents and electronic records used in the admissions process. The documents and electronic records arrive in the admissions offices from a wide variety of sources including hard copy mail (which will be converted to electronic image files), EDI and other data files, faxes, e-mails, etc.

From December to mid-July of the admissions and the enrolment cycle, the position executes UG Coordinator duties relating to processing and evaluating applications for most undergraduate programs to UBC both campuses. From mid-July to the end of November of the admissions and the enrolment cycle, the position’s executed duties relate to the Doctor of Medicine Program admissions. Due to the operational needs of both units the desirable vacation period will be in July.

Organizational Status

While working in the Undergraduate Admissions office, the Coordinator reports to the Manager, Applicant Services. The Admissions staff is organized into teams, each of which focuses on a particular segment of the prospective student applicant pool. Team members work collaboratively to deliver the most effective application process possible for the applicant group with which they are concerned. Teams are encouraged by Admissions management to establish their own workflow and priorities, to the extent that this is compatible with larger departmental and University objectives. This role regularly liaises with faculty and staff from across campus as well as staff from other units within Enrolment Services, prospective students, applicants, students, and the general public.

While working in the MD Admissions office, the Coordinator reports to the Manager, Admissions. MD Admissions staff are organized into two teams: those performing academic evaluations and those performing non-academic evaluations. While general admissions duties will be assigned to staff members from both teams, each team will receive different management, instruction, and determine their own priorities and deadlines to meet the evaluation needs of the program.

Work Performed

The Undergraduate Admissions office undertakes admissions on behalf of more than 30 undergraduate academic programs on both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. This involves communicating admission requirements to prospective students; processing applications for admission; compiling the information required to assess admissibility and advising students as they progress through the admission process; assessing admissibility; and communicating the outcome of admissions decisions to applicants. The Undergraduate Admissions office receives more than 50,000 applications each year from high school and post-secondary transfer students from BC (about 60% of applicants), the rest of Canada (about 20% of applicants) and countries around the world (about 20% of applicants). In addition to application information, students submit a number of other documents (including transcripts and other credentials) which must be assessed for applicability and authenticity

UG Admissions Duties:

• Serves as a member of the Undergraduate Admissions Team and one or smaller “sub-teams” within Admissions dedicated to particular applicant groups, with the overall goal of assisting in achieving enrolment goals for the university.

• Establishes sub-teamwork priorities, business processes and procedures to maximize effectiveness. This is done in collaboration with sub-team coworkers and is under the overall guidance of Admissions management.

• Keeps procedures up-to-date and writes new procedures; procedures are stored on a wiki that is used by all Admissions staff

• Searches SISC for previously entered but “un-matched” transcripts, test scores and other information and, if a match is found, updates applicants’ SISC files

• Creates clear and concise transfer credit articulation rules, including formulas (this is subjected to management oversight only if errors are detected); coordinates transfer credit articulation process.

• Explains evaluation decisions that they made to the affected student and/or his or her parents or allies

• Answers basic questions related to financial awards, housing and students' records; refers more complex questions to appropriate Enrolment Services staff or other departments as needed

• Identifies difficult or particularly promising admission cases and brings to the attention of the appropriate Admissions or Recruiting staff. Collects all relevant information before referring case. Proposes solutions/strategies to resolve the situation whenever possible.

• Enter all data from paper applications for admission into SISC. Checks paper applications for completeness. Follows up for missing information and enters missing information when received. High accuracy is critical.

• Processing of routine application with no errors or ambiguities is largely automated and is generally not the responsibility of these staff; communication is often with young adult applicants (or their parents) who are unfamiliar with Canadian post-secondary admissions processes and requirements and whose first language may not be English – this requires the ability to clearly communicate complex admission requirements and processes.

• Undertakes background research on course offerings at a variety of institutions; this work is undertaken in support of acknowledging and updating when more information is needed to determine what transcripts and other information should be requested from the student and how the work the student has done at another institution compares with UBC’s admission requirements. Interprets and applies results of research to particular files or situations.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The MD Undergraduate Program receives over 2800 applications annually for the 328 positions within the program. Rigorous standards and assessment are applied to ensure that entering students meet the needs of the province and are aligned with the social accountability framework of the Faculty of Medicine. There are five pathways into the UBC MD Program (General, MD/PhD, Indigenous, Black, and Northern and Rural), and the incumbent will support the review and evaluation of applicants through all paths. The incumbent will contribute to this selection process by communicating admissions requirements and policies to prospective and current applicants, processing application materials and documents, evaluating academic or non-academic portions of applicant files, including assessment of eligibility for the program, communicating issues related to eligibility with applicants, and using excellent judgment and decision making when interpreting complex policies and procedures.

MD Admissions Duties:

• Serves as a member of the MD Admissions Team and one of smaller “sub-teams” within MD Admissions responsible for reviewing and evaluating academic or non-academic portions of applications to the MD Undergraduate Program

• Non-Academic Evaluations:

  • Assesses applications for evidence of personal qualities considered important for the practice of medicine by following detailed and well-developed guidelines and prepares for final review.

  • May be required to evaluate applications that fall outside established guidelines for the purpose of determining the applicant's admissibility to the MD Undergraduate Program. Such complex decisions require professional level judgment and are legally binding upon the University.

  • Refers only highly complex admissions decisions to an Admissions Coordinator or Manager for assessment and decision.

• Academic Evaluations:

  • Assesses applications by following very specific, yet complex and nuanced guidelines.

  • Processes, records and inputs information with high level of detail and accuracy.

  • Performs basic mathematical calculations as part of the evaluation process.

  • Undertakes background research on course offerings at a variety of institutions; interprets and applies results of research to particular files or situations.

Shared Duties:

• Updates applications: Evaluates whether transcripts, test scores and other documents satisfy UBC Admissions document requirements and advises applicants accordingly; this involves authentication of transcripts (and other official documents) to determine whether they are official or fraudulent as well as analysis of the documents to determine whether they contain the information required to make an admission decision (for instance, the number, type and value of particular courses the student has taken and whether they are equivalent to admission requirements and pre-requisites for the UBC programs to which the student is applying). Updates application files in appropriate databases.

• Acknowledges applications interprets incoming electronic application files for completeness and advises applicants of required information to complete the application process; resolves inconsistencies in application files.

• Sorts all incoming documentation (transcripts, test results, reference letters, immigration documents, correspondence from departments, recommendations for admission, correspondence from students and prospective students etc.) according to category, priority and document process; uses discretion in identifying incoming documentation that should be “fast-tracked” or handled outside of normal procedures, if applicable

• Scans incoming hard-copy documentation, attaches the electronic images to the appropriate applicant files incorrect database system and routes to appropriate workflow queues

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date statistics of incoming documentation and ensures documents flow through admissions process in a timely way

• Identifies bottlenecks and other issues affecting the smooth and efficient processing of incoming documentation. Advises the appropriate manager and other Admissions staff and proposes solutions where possible

• Undertakes periodic purging of outdated documents from storage according to established procedures

• Fulfills requests for documentation under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

• Logs, files and distributes irreplaceable documents

• Files hard-copy documentation as appropriate; high accuracy is critical

• Locates misplaced documentation and, where this is not possible, follows appropriate policies and procedures for obtaining replacements contacts issuing applicants or institutions for replacements

• Sorts outgoing documentation according to urgency, category, and how and where document must be dispatched.

• Answers inquiries regarding receipt and tracking of documents, and scope and application of applicable policies.

• Identifies problems with the SISC, AS, SSC, CRM, OAS and other relevant systems and forwards to appropriate staff (e.g., Admissions Business Analyst or Student Systems staff), with relevant documentation including required functionality and possible solutions (where appropriate)

• Participates in testing of new or modified information systems (e.g., changes to the online application for admission)

• Undertakes searches and analysis of applicant data according to established procedures and develops new procedures where appropriate

• Answers questions from prospective and current students, applicants, students, the public, and UBC faculty and staff related to admissions, including questions about undergraduate admission requirements or MD admission requirements (as applicable) or the admission process in question, as well as specific questions about particular applications

• Responds to e-mail and phone requests from on-line applicants regarding application procedures and aids applicants who are using online application, referring enquiries to other staff where appropriate IT Services or other Enrolment Services staff where appropriate

• Enters course and grade information from transcripts to applicant files in database systems. High accuracy is critical.

• Determines whether applicant has ever applied/attended previously by searching database systems according to established procedures.

• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Provision of inaccurate information can create unwelcome obligations for UBC with respect to the application and evaluation processes, damage UBC’s reputation, and discourage qualified applicants from attending UBC. Provision of incorrect information before a student applies may cause a student not to apply or conversely to choose to apply despite not having any chance of being admitted, leading to disappointment and frustration on the part of the student and his/her parents. Similarly, provision of incorrect information during the Admissions process can lead applicants to form inappropriate expectations about whether they will or will not be admitted. Provision of incorrect information concerning admission and/or document requirements can result in avoidable delays in application processing and therefore admissions decisions. Because Admissions staff communicate admissions policies and procedures to other UBC staff, inaccurate information provided by an Admissions staff person may be disseminated across campus and outside UBC.

Inappropriate document evaluation could disadvantage candidates and/or result in future appeals involving Admissions, the Faculty of Medicine Dean, Senate and legal counsel. Errors may result in contradicting admissions policies, negative precedent-setting cases, delays in the admissions process, and possible inappropriate acceptance or refusal of applicants.

Evaluation errors would result in incorrect admissions decisions and could bring all evaluations performed into question requiring verification and re-reviewing resulting in decreased department productivity. Distributing confidential scoring methods to those external to the admissions departments would result in a breach of confidentiality and would damage the integrity and reputation of the department and University.

This role is responsible for making independent decisions within prescribed policy and procedures. Frequently required to exercise judgment, particularly when performing file evaluation. Must be able to justify decisions and provide rationale when questioned or in the event of an appeal. Only highly complex admission decisions are referred to more senior staff or Managers for assessment.

The improper release of confidential information can create liabilities for UBC with respect to its duties under the , damage UBC’s reputation, and discourage qualified applicants from attending UBC.

Supervision Received

Reports to and works under the general direction of the Manager of Admissions in the MD Admissions office and the Manager of Applicant Services in Undergraduate Admissions. Receives occasional guidance from other Admissions Team Leads or Managers. Will receive direct supervision, training and direction regarding academic or non-academic evaluation from Admissions Officers in the MD Admissions Office.

Works with minimal supervision. Receives detailed instructions on new assignments and is provided with comprehensive and accurate reference materials. Has authority and is expected to act within established policies and procedures. New or unusual matters, technical problems, and any issues which fall outside established policies and procedures are referred to senior staff but staff in this position are expected to fully investigate and document these matters and propose solutions whenever possible.

Supervision Given

Assists with updating of training and reference materials and may help support new colleagues.

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

• Knowledge of standard academic terminology, and an understanding of undergraduate education. General knowledge of the structure and organizations of higher education in Canada (other post-secondary institutions, educational systems of BC and the other provinces, key organizations like the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer) an asset.

• Knowledge of the Undergraduate Admissions process, MD Admissions, and UBC's program offerings an asset.

• General knowledge of curricula, articulation, transcripts and grading systems for high schools and post-secondary institutions an asset.

• Training in office procedures and practices and ability to perform basic mathematical calculations accurately

• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to participate actively in team and staff meetings.

• Ability to read and comprehend from a variety of resources. Ability to understand and apply policies, procedures, and instructions.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Ability to make presentations and speak in public an asset.

• Ability to think conceptually. (i.e., use creative, conceptual, or inductive reasoning or thought processes to identify patterns of complex data)

• Demonstrated ability to efficiently and effectively solve problems. Ability to make thoughtful, informed, and thorough decisions. Ability to exercise sound judgement.

• Proven multi-tasking skills; ability to effectively prioritize, to work under pressure, to handle heavy volumes during peak periods, to meet demanding deadlines, and to work maintain accuracy and attention to detail in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

• Strong attention to detail. Ability to prioritize; strong organizational skills and time management skills.

• Ability to answer a wide variety of questions in clear and concise language.

• Demonstrated ability to build, manage and maintain high-quality and productive relationships across cultural differences.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and interact with empathy, understanding and respect of diverse and divergent perspectives and behaviours.

• Works in a collaborative and inclusive manner, fostering equitable experiences and a respectful environment for all staff.

• Acknowledges, reflects upon and challenges one’s own biases and assumptions.

• Recognizes and addresses personal and institutional assumptions and behaviours that create barriers to inclusion.

• Ability to exercise tact and discretion. Ability to effectively deal with upset or irate clients.

• Excellent knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail software and Internet navigation tools.

• Able to work competently with University systems such as the Student information System (SIS), Student Information System Centre (SISC) and Admissions System (AS), Image viewer, Outlook, Customer Relations Management (CRM) and other admission type software and systems and other database systems as needed.

• Minimum typing speed: 50 w.p.m.