Academic Support Assistant

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

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Please provide a cover letter as part of your application as applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

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
The Academic Support unit serves over 10,000 current graduate students and oversees over 4,500 offers of admission and 3,500 records changes for graduate students each year. The unit also provides support for application, registration, academic progression, and graduation. The Academic Support Assistant provides administrative support for these functions of the Academic Support unit, and receives, verifies, distributes, scans, names, and files (electronically and on paper) official documentation for applicants and current students; generates manual records letters as needed; answers or redirects general and complex applicant inquiries; responds to requests for Faculty-held student documents. The position may also give some limited general administrative support to the Academic Support Management team and the Assistant Dean.

Organizational Status
Reports to an Academic Support Manager. Independently communicates and works with all Academic Support Managers and staff. Has contact with faculty, staff, students, and applicants.

Work Performed

Under the general direction of the Academic Support Managers, the Academic Support Assistant performs work duties in three categories:

Document Management 75%

• Responsible for the crucial process of handling and directing incoming admissions documents, including scanning, naming and uploading transcripts and student records to the admission business system (SITSeVision).
• Photocopies original documents and prepares requests for verification by other institutions or referees as directed by Academic Support Managers.
• Responsible for documenting suspected fraud in academic documentation, and bringing instances to the attention of the Academic Support Managers.
• Assists graduate program offices seeking confirmation of official documents for admissions and awards purposes.
• Files various records documentation for current students in both electronic and paper formats.
• Responsible for archive of academic documents and overviews by country and/or institution regarding the admission process
• Trains work study students in document scanning processes and records filing, and ensures for accuracy

Administration - General Office 25%

• Responds to or redirects e-mails from applicants and newly admitted students.
• Prepares letters from templates under direction from Academic Support Managers.
• Back-up support for Dean s Office incoming mail distribution and outgoing mail dispatch.
• Responds to requests from the University Counsel Office for student documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
• Updates Graduate Program Staff and Graduate Advisor email listservs.
• Follows up with graduate program staff and students upon receipt of returned mail.
• Updates records letter templates when directed by Academic Support Managers
• Provides general administrative support to Academic Support Managers
• Provides clerical support to special projects within the unit.
• Will share coordination and contact duties for meetings with graduate program staff and faculty members.
• Support for general office administration for the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Support for ordering and maintaining office supplies and engagement with external vendors.
• Provides orientation to temporary or new staff in this position
• Handles other duties as assigned commensurate with the skills and duties of the position

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Job duties are based on guidelines as clearly defined in the Policy & Procedures of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Errors in procedures may result in the loss or inaccurate scanning of admissions documents which may result in delay or loss of a student accepting offer of acceptance. This could also damage relationships with graduate program offices and faculty members. Errors in guidance to visitors to the Dean s office or re-direction of callers to incorrect staff members would result in applicant or student problems not being resolved in a correct or timely manner. Any errors and/or omissions in judgment could seriously undermine the roles, responsibilities and effectiveness of The Dean and/or the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Supervision Received

Works under the direction of the Academic Support Managers and may receive direction from the Associate Director of Student Academic Services or the Director of Academic Support for administrative support.