Community Advisor

University of Ottawa•Lexington, MA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a live-in position and requires the individual to be on campus to attend on-site training, meetings and provide in-person support to students living in a University Residence environment. All live-in members of the Residence Life team are leaders in their communities, maintain an important presence in residence, and are available to support and engage with students in residence at all hours of the day. Therefore, individuals should have strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, as well as integrity and flexibility. The role of a Community Advisor (CA) is to create the best student experience for members of the University of Ottawa community living in Residence. This is completed through various strategies to build community and support safety in residence. CAs support communities mainly consisting of first-year students living in residence with the goal of fostering a strong sense of community and engaging students. A CA is an individual who is well equipped to create a safe community in which residents of all origins and orientations may thrive while they embark on their academic and personal development. CAs support the wellness and safety of students through the use of regular rounds, conflict resolution, facilities-related reporting, and emergency management with the support of a peer-team and Lead Coordinators, Residence Life. They may respond to highly sensitive situations therefore, a respect for confidentiality and good stress management skills are essential. As a unionized position, all CAs are expected to be familiar with their Collective Agreement (CUPE-2626-03).

Requirements

Maintain a full-time student status at the University of Ottawa at the time of application and throughout the employment contract period.
Obtain and maintain a minimum 5.0 CGPA at the University of Ottawa.
All members of the Residence Life team are required to meet a high level of bilingualism (English, French) in order to best support students living in residence and studying in either of the University’s official languages.
As employees with the University of Ottawa, prospective candidates for a role with Residence Life must obtain a satisfactory result on a language proficiency test.
Maintain a good standing at the University of Ottawa and in residence (where applicable).
Valid Standard First Aid and CPR-C/AED Certification delivered by a recognized certification body in Canada and approved by WSIB in Ontario.
Results of a Vulnerable Sector Criminal Background Check completed within the 2 years before the start of the employment contract period.
Skilled in the use of all Microsoft Office software and other communication platforms.
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills to connect with others on a peer-to-peer level
Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills
Ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines
Ability to collaborate with others as well as work independently
Ability to facilitate large- and small-scale events and meetings
Creativity and initiative for community events and programming
Understand the importance of documentation in their role
Strong organizational abilities and attention to detail
High tolerance for stress and ability to self-regulate
Capacity to assist in managing crisis situations of a physical, emotional, academic, and environmental nature
Ability to self-evaluate and be receptive to feedback
Excellent communications skills with supervisors related to deadlines, issues arising, urgent matters

Nice To Haves

Given the multilingual nature of the student community living in residence, proficiency in additional languages is an asset.
Familiarity with Residence Life’s leading principles, concepts, and approaches like harm reduction, JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), stepped care model, etc. (an asset)
Skilled in objective documentation and reporting (an asset)
Knowledge of the University of Ottawa campus and surrounding vicinity (an asset)
Knowledge of the Residence Agreement, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure as well as other University of Ottawa policies (an asset)

Responsibilities

CAs develop communities and interact with residents by becoming acquainted with every individual resident in their designated community.
They should foster an inclusive and cohesive residence environment by taking a proactive approach in helping to resolve any conflicts.
CAs must be available to residents for formal and informal support, including the facilitation of mediations when necessary.
They should document and inform their supervisor of any situations or conflicts they are aware of, and, when appropriate, work in collaboration to address them.
CAs are expected to support community members in completing Roommate Agreements with help from tools like the Shared Living Guide.
CAs are responsible for facilitating community meetings with their assigned residents each month.
CAs are responsible for individual in-person interactions with students as well as monthly in-person programming for medium to large sized group events to foster a strong sense of community and to engage students.
CAs assist in peer and professional staff led events, projects, and initiatives in residence. This may include, but is not limited to Move-In, Open House, Study Fest, Carousel interviews, Move-Out, etc.
CAs contribute to efforts for campus-wide knowledge sharing.
CAs are expected to prepare their communities to welcome residents at the start of each semester to contribute to the sense of community and belonging within their designated area of residence.
Once a month, except for December and April (final exam periods), CAs are expected to update the passive programming board in their designated community informed by observed trends and reflecting the learning outcomes of the residence curriculum.
Once a month, except for December and April (final exam periods), CAs are expected to organize and facilitate/host a community event for their designated residents (small to medium sized group).
Once a month, except for December and April (final exam periods), CAs are expected to support TLs with the organization and facilitation of large-scale events in residence (“building-wide event”).
CAs may be required to support alternative programming initiatives, each informed by a harm reduction approach, during key periods of the year to meet the needs of the service and community living in residence.
At the end of their employment contract period, CAs are expected to remove all posters and passive programming from their communities.
CAs are expected to support students with conduct and care peer conversations as informed by their training.
Must use the software system eRezLife to document significant observations, interactions with residents, community development efforts, duty shifts (as needed), and all other required reports.
Monitor their work email inbox (Outlook) and messages (MS Teams) regularly to correspond with residents, the Residence Life Team, and the administrative staff in a timely manner (unless on official time off).
Manage any work-related social media accounts (e.g., community Facebook or Instagram pages) on a regular basis (unless on official time off).
Participate in Performance Appraisal processes.
Report the hours of work completed each week through the designated reporting form.
Monitor the posters displayed in their residence communities by removing and disposing of any posters that are out of date.
Required to attend and actively participate in all meetings deemed necessary for their role with Residence Life.
CAs attend regular meetings with Residence Life team members to aid in meeting the needs of the communities of students living in residence.
CAs must know and respect the Residence Life Code of Ethics for Student Staff, Residence Life Confidentiality Agreement, Residence Life Acceptable Media Use Policy, and the Residence Life Employee Supplies Contract.
CAs assist with ensuring safety and wellbeing in the residence community through various strategies led by principles of harm reduction and informed by residence policies.
CAs must be consistent in upholding regulations throughout their employment with Residence Life.
CAs must maintain an awareness of routine and emergency procedures essential to the safety and wellbeing of residents (e.g., fire alarms, medical emergencies, fire evacuation procedures).
CAs complete regular rounds (“duty shifts”) of residence and conduct inspections by monitoring common areas (e.g., kitchens, washrooms, lounges, etc.) and reporting any issues via the appropriate platforms.
CAs will work with other campus partners such as Protection Services, reception, Residence Safety Team (RST), etc., to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents.
When scheduled to work a duty shift, CAs are expected to perform scheduled rounds while interacting with residents, completing any necessary interventions or follow-up, inspecting community spaces in their designated areas for issues (i.e., safety and wellbeing concerns, presence of physically or psychologically harmful situations), as well as monitoring the shared duty phone (when applicable).
Those working a duty shift must remain in the designated residence building during the entirety of their shift and are on call overnight and expected to respond to needs for support (e.g., mental health interventions, door unlockings, roommate conflicts, etc.) and to complete any resulting documentation or reports.

Benefits

The University of Ottawa offers a generous pay and benefits package that includes a competitive salary, a defined benefit pension plan, group insurance coverage and an employee and family assistance program.

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