Summer Peer Support

University of Ottawa•Lexington, MA

2d•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 Summer Peer Support (SPS) 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 uphold safety in residence. SPSs support mixed communities in residence consisting of students in all years of study including graduate students with the goal of fostering a strong sense of community and engaging students. These communities may be distributed throughout multiple floors and/or residence buildings. A SPS 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. SPSs support the wellness and safety of students with conflict resolution, report facilities-related issues, 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. For a more detailed and specific description of the responsibilities of the SPSs role, please consult the Residence Life Student Staff Manual, which all staff are expected to know and respect. As a unionized position, all SPSs are expected to be familiar with their Collective Agreement (CUPE-2626-03).

Requirements

Previous experience in a student staff position with Residence Life and obtained a positive recommendation from a supervising Lead Coordinator, Residence Life.
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. Results that do not meet this requirement will automatically result in disqualification.
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. Certification is to be valid throughout the employment contract period, recertification within this period is permitted.
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.
Demonstrated competencies connecting with students in all levels of study
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

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)
Knowledge of the University of Ottawa Residence Curriculum (an asset)

Responsibilities

SPSs 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.
SPSs 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.
SPSs are expected to support community members in completing Roommate Agreements with help from tools like the Shared Living Guide.
SPSs are responsible for individual in-person interactions with students living in residence, including upper-year students as well as regular in-person programming for medium to large sized group events (“residence-wide events”) to foster a strong sense of community and to engage students.
SPSs contribute to efforts for campus-wide knowledge sharing.
SPSs are expected to contribute to Residence Life Education, Training, and Hiring projects.
SPSs are expected to collaborate with various campus partners (ex., Campus Events) to organize and offer opportunities for engagement and community building within the numerous communities in residence.
SPSs are expected to support students with conduct and care peer conversations and follow-up in residence as informed by their training.
SPSs are expected to create a variety of passive programming at the start of each semester to contribute to the sense of community and belonging within their designated area of residence.
Once a month, , SPSs are expected to work with other SPSs to organize and facilitate/host a community event (“residence-wide event”).
Must use the software system eRezLife to document significant observations, interactions with residents, community development efforts, walkthroughs, (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).
Report the hours of work completed each week through the designated reporting form.
SPSs are expected to regularly monitor their designated poster mailbox to ensure that posters (informational or other) are promptly distributed and displayed throughout the residence community.
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.
SPSs attend regular meetings with Residence Life team members to aid in meeting the needs of the communities of students living in residence.
SPSs assist with ensuring safety and security in the residence community through various strategies led by principles of harm reduction and informed by residence policies.
SPSs must know, follow, and uphold the Residence Agreement, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure in the University of Ottawa’s residences.
SPSs should promote the respect of residence policies by helping residents understand the reason for regulations and encourage individual and community responsibility in maintaining them.
SPSs must be consistent in upholding regulations throughout their employment with Residence Life.
SPSs must maintain an awareness of routine and emergency procedures essential to the safety and security of residents (e.g., fire alarms, medical emergencies, fire evacuation procedures).
SPSs are required to perform a walkthrough of their building at least once a week and complete any resulting documentation.
SPSs will work with other campus partners such as the Residence Safety Team (RST), Protection Services, Housing Reception, , etc. to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents.
Walkthroughs may be completed at any time during the day, at the SPS’s discretion, provided they are completed on the scheduled day.
During walkthroughs, SPSs are expected to conduct rounds, engage appropriately with residents present, inspect shared and community spaces for safety or wellbeing concerns, and respond to or escalate issues as required.