Academic Consideration Advisor

Employment Category: Full-Time, Permanent

Location: Vancouver, BC (Hybrid)

Reports To: Director, Academic Operations and Support Services

Application Requirement: Cover Letter

Primary Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Academic Operations and Support Services, the Academic Consideration Advisor works closely with key stakeholders such as the academic advising team, faculty and administrators in the Departments, and other student service units to coordinate and facilitate academic consideration requests for students facing extenuating circumstances. The Academic Consideration Advisor may need to liaise with Accessibility Services or other student support services as required to ensure the timely and professional provision of academic considerations.

This position acts as a primary point of contact for students facing personal extenuating circumstances impacting their ability to achieve academic learning objectives. This position receives and reviews requests for academic considerations, identifies and reviews available options using established protocols, and ensures proper documentation. This position also conducts regular data analysis of consideration requests to identify trends, concerns, or issues.

Specific Responsibilities

The Academic Consideration Advisor will, at various times, be responsible for the following as well as other related duties as assigned to support UCW's business objectives, mission, and purpose:

• Act as a primary point of contact for students facing personal extenuating circumstances impacting their ability to achieve academic learning objectives when the student is not eligible for academic accommodations.
• Receive, review, and process straightforward requests for academic considerations and identify available options using established protocols and policies.
• Ensure proper documentation of consideration requests and conducts regular data analysis to identify trends, concerns, or issues.
• Build a respectful, safe, and positive relationship with students, faculty, and staff to facilitate consideration requests.
• Communicate requirements related to academic policies and procedures to faculty and students as required.
• Communicate requests or advocacy for academic consideration with faculty and Department Chairs.
• Prepare and facilitate faculty and staff training related to academic considerations as required.
• Create, update, and maintain information pages and resources related to academic considerations.
• Create and lead a cross-faculty community of practice group to ensure a consistent approach for all students engaging in the consideration process throughout campus.
• Initiate intervention meetings with students who have submitted multiple requests to determine if additional or alternate support services are required.
• Refer students to academic support resources as necessary and liaise with the academic support resource service teams as required.
• Refer students to Accessibility Services as necessary.
• Liaise with Accessibility Services or other student support services as required to ensure approved academic accommodation plans from Accessibility Services are disseminated in a timely manner to the faculty.
• Coordinate with faculty, Accessibility Services, and students to assist with implementation of approved academic accommodation plans.
• Invigilate exams as required by academic considerations or approved academic accommodation plans.
• Provide administrative assistance to the Director, Academic Operations and Support Services as required.
• Coordinate with the Academic Operations team to implement and maintain academic procedures and processes.
Collaborate in cross-departmental meetings to assist with academic operations and considerations

Position Requirements

Competencies:

• Possess practical and applied knowledge of specialized methods and processes that are appropriate to support students with extenuating circumstances in a post-secondary setting.
• Provide consultation, guidance, and advice on straightforward as well as complex issues related to students with extenuating circumstances.
• Possess strong interpersonal communication skills and emotional intelligence.
• Adapt communication, training, and resources for the intended audience.
• Build relationships, trust, credibility, and establish safe spaces for authentic communication.
• Be self-sufficient to manage own workload with limited direction.
• Apply best practices in student, faculty, and staff advising.
• Participate in team meetings with the goal of achieving individual and team objectives.
• Lead procedural and technical change within the unit as it pertains to role.
• Identify new problems, seek information, and make recommendations for solutions or opportunities for improvement.
• Research equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion resources and best practices, which are relevant to the role and responsibilities, and provide evidence-based planning.
• Demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, inclusion, and Indigenization and human rights for equity deserving groups.
• Demonstrate a high level of ethics, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Possess advanced oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills as well as a high level of organization, accuracy, and attention to detail.
Be proficient in the use of Student Information Systems, Learning Management Systems, and MS Office

Education and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree
• At least 3 years of experience working with and/or advising students at the post-secondary education level
• Experience consulting with and guiding students, faculty, or staff in a post-secondary education level
• Experience working in a fast-paced work environment
• Experience maintaining a high caseload of requests and/or student and faculty meetings
• Basic training in office practices, customer service, and communication required
• Experience working with diverse populations/equity deserving groups considered an asset
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, policies, standards and/or guidelines considered an asset

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