Position Overview
The Faculty of Arts is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Academic Programs Specialist.
The Faculty of Arts is home to highly motivated educators, researchers and students who have the critical and technical skills, as well as the creative knowledge and spirit, to make sense of our rapidly changing and increasingly globalized world. As the largest teaching faculty and the site of exceptional scholarly and creative activity, the Faculty of Arts is central to the Eyes High goals of sharpening our focus on research and scholarship, enriching the quality and breadth of learning, and integrating with the community. The Faculty is excited student experience and a commitment to citizenship, diversity and inclusion helps build a health and respectful campus culture for all. We are extremely confident in the excellence of our various programs, institutes and centres, and take great pride in the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The Faculty’s student services and administrative services functions have recently been restructured, such that there are now five (5) operational pods comprised of 2 – 3 Departments / Schools in each, and three (3) centralized units that serve the operational pods and the Faculty as a whole — Graduate Student Centre (GSC), Arts Undergraduate Student Centre (ASC), and the Business Operations Centre (BOC).
This full-time position reports to the Pod Manager and works closely with the Head, Graduate and Undergraduate Directors to support the undergraduate and graduate programs of a particular department or departments. This position operates in an environment of continuous change as new structures, programs, budgets, policies and processes are developed and evolve to support the respective units and the Pod. The incumbent must be able to prioritize multiple tasks, manage time, meet deadlines, and produce detailed and accurate work with frequent interruptions. This position deals with routine and complex issues, providing advice and guidance to faculty members, other staff, and students.
The position requires the ability to use discretion, maintain professionalism, as well as tact and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive and confidential materials. The incumbent must have the ability to work under pressure with multiple and simultaneous deadlines, shifting priorities and a high volume of work. In consultation with the Pod Manager, the incumbent will determine work priorities in accordance with established procedures and department goals and objectives.
Peak work periods occur August-September, December-January and April-May, and overtime may be required to manage workload.
The Academic Programs Specialist (Specialist) supports the planning and coordination of the Undergraduate and Graduate programs and activities for the assigned program(s). This role also helps build a positive Undergraduate and Graduate student experience, encouraging continuity between programs and facilitating touch points between the Pod and Centralized Units. The position provides support for undergraduate and graduate programs in a manner consistent with the department’s goals and objectives, including the development of improved work practices. The scope of the position encompasses calendar changes, timetabling, data analysis and reporting, department awards, general course support for the department, student communications and marketing for the Pod. The position provides insight and recommendations for the programs to enable successful day to day operation and ensures consistency and continuity of service as academic leadership changes. The position will serve as a key communication and record keeping role for program operations.
The incumbent requires a high degree of knowledge for managing enrollment projections and analysis, timetabling, department specific policies and processes (e.g., course support) and all administrative operations related to these processes, and as such contributes to the development, implementation, and maintenance of processes relating to academic policies and procedures.
Position Description
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Timetabling (Graduate/Undergraduate):
- Working closely with the Pod Manager and leadership team of the department(s), supports graduate and undergraduate timetabling, including drafting course offering schedules, space allocation and timetable entry in PeopleSoft.
- Liaises with Scheduling on timetable related issues including scheduling exception requests, supplementary and program fees, requisites, reserve caps, and topic course requests.
- Coordinates course outline approval process, ensuring that templates are comprehensive and reflect updated university, Faculty and department policies and procedures.
- Coordinates direct reading Independent Study offerings for individual students.
- Prepares and distributes teaching assignment letters, when required.
- Coordinates change of grade, exam, deferred exam and course allow processes.
Program Analysis:
- Working with the Pod Manager and leadership team for the department(s), performs analysis and prepares reports to support program specific initiatives that enhance student experience (e.g., student recruitment, program changes, conversion efforts, student recognition, etc.).
- Perform course administration tasks as required (e.g., D2L shell creation, final exam scheduling).
- Liaises with the Pod manager and leadership team of the department(s) to identify issues and suggest solutions to services and administrative processes.
- Monitors course enrollment, suggesting and coordinating effective responses in conjunction with the Pod Manager, Head, Undergraduate and Graduate Directors.
- Performs analysis and prepares support for both graduate and undergraduate program initiatives such as unit and curriculum reviews, including preparation of calendar change documentation and resulting follow up communications & processes
Event Planning/Student Event Support:
- Provides administrative and organizational support for events and special projects for the operational pod.
- Coordinates, promotes, and attends student events such as orientation, recruitment, open house, information sessions, etc.
- Reconciles event and Pod related expenses
Administration:
- Develops and distributes undergraduate and program specific marketing/communications for the Pod, including brochures, and handouts for recruitment and orientation initiatives.
- Liaises regularly with advisors in both the Arts Students’ Centre and the Arts Graduate Students’ Centre to ensure a cohesive student experience across centralized units and the Pods.
- Liaises regularly with advisors in both the Arts Students’ Centre and the Arts Graduate Students’ Centre to ensure issues and opportunities discovered in day-to-day advising are incorporated into program planning and vice versa.
- Coordinates & administers group study offerings.
- Works with undergraduate and graduate student associations/clubs.
- Coordinates department specific awards processes, including preparing reports, coordinating award adjudication and decision-making processes, and communicating department award decisions to appropriate units external to the Pod.
- Refers students to appropriate resources within the Faculty and University.
- Responds to prospective student communications, directing inquiries to other Faculty and University units where appropriate.
- Working with the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors, coordinates the allocation of required TA support for course offerings.
- Works with pod team members to cross-train and to cover team members within the Pod in the case of vacation, absences, etc.
- When required, serves as a member of departmental/POD Committees and participates in policy review and revision, ensuring changes are communicated and implemented where necessary.
- Maintains essential records and statistical information required reports as requested by the Manager/Head.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of education and program experience.
- A minimum of 3 years of experience as an undergraduate program administrator or program specialist, combined with an in-depth familiarity with the undergraduate and graduate academic program curricula, structures, regulations and responsibilities at a senior administrative level.
- Demonstrated knowledge of University scheduling systems and academic schedule planning process.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the calendar update process, to assimilate that information into the academic scheduling process.
- Proven data analysis and reporting preparation expertise.
- Advanced knowledge and experience with the PeopleSoft system, specifically Student Information System modules, COGNOS, and Desire2Learn.
- Detailed knowledge of University structure, regulations, policies, procedures, and systems.
- Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills aimed a variety of audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to be flexible and manage a heavy workload and high stress during peak periods.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), SharePoint and Zoom.
- Working Knowledge in Drupal 8, LiveWhale,Marketo and Qualtrics.
- Knowledge of the standards and practices for visual identity standards, web communications and marketing for the University of Calgary and the Faculty of Arts.
- Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently, with minimal supervision
- Demonstrated positive, professional attitude and motivation to provide a high level of service.
- Demonstrated openness to learning and development, strong work ethic, and a willingness to accept new challenges and assignments.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.
- Demonstrated advanced time management skills to frequently re-prioritize and meet tight deadlines.
Application Deadline: July 19, 2022
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
Additional Information
This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase II.
To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. For more information visit Careers in the Faculty of Arts.
The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.