Academic Advisor

Job Summary

What you will do

• Provides academic advice to students including degree requirements, course selection, transfers, timetabling, withdrawals, and regulations.
• Acts as subject matter expert on policies and procedures for academic programs which may include submitting applications, registration, and/or fee payment.
• Monitors academic progress requirements including tracking academic records, transfer credits, and facilitating individual student study plans.
• Acts as a resource to faculty including explaining policies, procedures and student progression. Recommends changes to policies and procedures for improvement of department services.
• Coordinates large unit-wide tasks, activities, and or/events.
• Facilitates and/or participates at events which may include recruitment events, workshops, webinars, information sessions, presentations and/or ceremonies.
• Provides administrative support including, managing data, preparing reports, drafting correspondence, scheduling and tracking materials for courses, and/or monitoring and maintaining records.
• Tracks certificate completion, prepares and mails certificates and/or transcripts.
• Liaises with outside colleges and/or regulators to confirm and verify student information for registration.
• Coordinates the creation, collection and sharing of evaluations forms.
• Oversees the grade collection process for placements.
• Prepares and distributes exams, tracking and scheduling deferred exams.
• Provides administration for the awards process including canvassing and receiving nominations, reviewing dossiers, maintaining documentation and responding to questions about eligibility and funding.
• Coordinates student appeals of academic decisions including assessing appeals and drafting correspondence.
• Acts as the resource person for departures from academic integrity and/or consideration including advising departments, overseeing investigations and/or maintaining records.
• Participates as a member and provides administrative support to committee(s) including meeting coordination, setting agendas, meetings minutes, document distribution, drafting and reviewing correspondence and/or following up on action items.
• Assists with the tracking and processing of payments, discounts, subsidies, bursaries and refunds for continuing education courses.
• Acts as primary source of information for all thesis and dissertation related matters, for graduate students, graduate program assistants and faculty members on the application of regulations related to thesis, dissertation, enrolment, and/or milestones.
• Prepares external communications including newsletters and website updates.
• Provides referrals to additional resources.
• Coordinates timetabling.
• Evaluates, processes, and approves administrative documentation related to thesis and dissertation processes, including supervisory committee composition, examination committee composition, thesis/dissertation proposals, research ethics and oral examinations.
• Reviews graduate students’ records to assess degree requirements. Identifies students nearing milestones and liaises with relevant graduate program.
• Supports oral examinations and thesis/dissertation events including room booking and set up support.
• Receives, evaluates, processes, records, tracks, and approves administrative material relating to appointments, external examiner reports, oral exam results, electronic submission of thesis/dissertation, and establishment of supervisory committees. Reviews supervisory committee profiles to ensure alignment with university regulations and mounts approvals as required.
• Prepares and verifies degree lists.
• Monitors and/or engages on social media accounts.
• Provides back up and support to other positions within the department.
• Refers special academic issues including academic integrity and grievances to the Director and/or Chair.
• Other duties as required in support of the department and/or unit.
• Four-Year Bachelor Degree or equivalent.
• More than 3 years and up to and including 5 years of experience.
• Practical and applied knowledge of specialized methods and processes that are typically acquired through a combination of technical or academic qualification and/or work experience.
• Provide consultation and advice on non-straightforward and/or complex issues.
• Interaction with others typically requires interpersonal skills and the ability to understand and influence.
• Adapt messages to meet the needs of the intended audience.
• Build relationships, trust and credibility.
• Manage own work and may train and review the work of casual employees, work study students and/or volunteers, to see commitments through to completion.
• Contribute to setting work priorities and direction, supporting the team in achieving goals and objectives.
• Participate in project team meetings and develop individual project plans.
• Lead procedural or technological change within a unit.
• Identify new problems and seek information and input to fully understand the cause of problems.
• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work processes.
• Draw logical conclusions and provides opinions and recommendations.
• Research equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion resources and best practices relevant to the job and unit operations in order to inform evidence-based planning.
• Commitment to principles of equity, diversity, accessibility, inclusion, Indigenization and human rights for equity deserving groups.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement