Associate Director - Student Academic Support

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

1d•CA$7,502 - CA$10,788•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director, Student Academic Support is responsible for managing a large and complex caseload of graduate student and graduate program advising matters, particularly where academic, financial, personal, or health-related circumstances may affect student success, progression, or well-being. The position serves as a primary point of contact for students, staff, and faculty seeking support with complex graduate student situations and is responsible for managing G+PS involvement from initial consultation through to resolution. The role gathers and assesses detailed information from appropriate parties, formulates intervention plans, and provides advising, guidance, policy interpretation, referrals, and recommendations as appropriate. Working in collaboration with relevant parties and other support professionals, the Associate Director develops and supports action plans to address complex and sensitive situations. The role provides direction to students, staff, and faculty regarding the administrative actions required to support resolution plans for complex cases. The Associate Director, Student Academic Support is a senior professional resource for managing the University’s response to highly sensitive, complex, and consequential matters involving UBC’s diverse graduate student population. The role also provides key input into the development and implementation of organizational strategies, initiatives, and policies that promote graduate student wellness.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
Minimum of four to five 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

Nice To Haves

Counselling, social work, law, or a related field education from a recognized university, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Relevant professional and/or advising experience.
Experience working directly with domestic and international graduate students, faculty, and staff.
Experience managing and collaboratively resolving complex administrative, interpersonal, and personal conflicts.
Counselling, social work, or similar case management experience.
Demonstrated skills in case management, dispute resolution, and problem-solving.
Strong communication skills, including oral, written, and presentation skills.
Ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, and sound judgment when facilitating dialogue and managing difficult situations.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
Ability to adapt and work effectively in a multi-tasked environment with a high volume of work and competing deadlines.
Ability to think creatively and support innovative solutions to organizational challenges.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team and contribute to shared team goals.

Responsibilities

Independently manages a large caseload of complex and sensitive graduate student issues, particularly those involving significant academic, financial, or personal difficulties, from initial consultation through to closure.
Serves as a primary point of contact for students, staff, and faculty seeking assistance with complex graduate student situations.
Draws on knowledge and skills in mental health and counselling to conduct comprehensive assessments and formulate intervention plans. This includes gathering detailed information and histories from appropriate parties through active listening, personal interviewing, and documentation review, and making referrals and recommendations to students, faculty, and staff as appropriate.
Provides direct advising recommendations to staff and faculty regarding complex cases involving individual students or groups of students.
Provides confidential individual advising to students facing complex and diverse challenges, either in single sessions or on an ongoing basis, depending on case complexity.
Chairs complex case management meetings involving students, faculty, and staff to facilitate productive discussion and collaborative resolution of complex issues.
Mediates between students and faculty where conflict exists, helping parties establish a common understanding of the situation, consider available options, and work toward resolution while prioritizing student well-being.
Communicates directly with students, staff, and faculty involved in complex situations to summarize action plans, options, and outcomes. In highly complex cases where a student is significantly unwell and advanced guidance is required, the role may serve as the single point of contact.
Provides coordinated support by bringing together relevant campus partners and program faculty to assist students who are interrupting or re-entering their studies, particularly where mental health is a factor.
Serves as the G+PS liaison to the UBC Early Assist team, coordinating and leading appropriate responses to Early Assist submissions involving graduate students.
Provides consultative support and contributes to regular case briefing meetings with Managers, Student Support Services, to support coordinated and holistic approaches.
Consults with Counselling Services, Student Health Services, the Centre for Accessibility, and other campus partners regarding students of concern in order to facilitate and expedite resolution of issues.
Collaborates and consults with Faculty Relations, Department Heads, Equity and Inclusion, and the Investigations Office regarding formal and informal complaints filed by graduate students against faculty members.
Develops and maintains relationships with Graduate Advisors, Department Heads, Associate Deans, Deans, campus partners, and community resources, serving as a key resource and point of expertise in addressing complex and sensitive student cases.
Interprets and applies University policies in ambiguous and complex situations, using discretion and judgment to determine appropriate courses of action.
Advises the G+PS Dean and Associate Deans on highly consequential decisions affecting graduate students, up to and including withdrawals from the University.
Oversees G+PS involvement in students’ academic appeals, including gathering and analyzing relevant information, drafting formal responses, consulting with stakeholders as appropriate, and appearing at Senate hearings.
Participates in the development of G+PS policies and processes related to graduate student well-being and student-supervisor relationships.
Identifies service gaps and policy issues arising from case management work and contributes to the development and implementation of policies, processes, and strategic initiatives that enhance graduate student well-being and support effective student-supervisor relationships.
Develops and maintains systems to track case progression and outcomes.
Analyzes trends and patterns in complex graduate student cases.
Provides data and recommendations to the Dean and senior leadership to support decision making and resource allocation.
Supports the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of training and outreach initiatives that enhance the experience of a diverse graduate student population, with a focus on well-being, inclusion, and academic success.
Delivers training and outreach through proactive programming and tailored sessions designed to meet the specific needs of individual graduate programs, faculties, or service and support units.
Develops and maintains G+PS website content related to complex graduate student cases.
Serves on or advises campus committees or task forces related to graduate student success.
Maintains connections with colleagues at other universities to share information and best practices related to complex graduate student cases and student success.
Performs other duties commensurate with the skills and experience of the position.