Overview:
The Undergraduate Administrative Coordinator/Scheduling Specialist is responsible for the delivery of services designed to enhance and promote undergraduate programs in Statistics and Actuarial Science. A significant aspect of the position is scheduling for high enrollment courses in a large and complex department. The incumbent is also responsible for managing requests from students for reference letters to support graduate and job applications, using an in-house online system and writing letters on behalf of faculty members. The position further encompasses student communications and engagement, management of undergraduate awards, and general administrative assistance to the undergraduate affairs office, in particular the Associate Chairs for Undergraduate Affairs and Actuarial Science, and the Undergraduate Program Manager.
Responsibilities:
Course Timetabling and Scheduling
Extensive and expert knowledge of UW scheduling system to support the Associate Chairs for Actuarial Science and Undergraduate Affairs to plan on-campus and online course offerings
Provide strategic advice to the Associate Chairs and the Program Manager by gathering and analyzing year-over-year course enrolment and trends
Collect and summarize department teaching constraints for the Chair’s approval
Work within the UW scheduling system to create a departmental teaching schedule that satisfies various degree requirements, departmental commitments to other academic units, and instructor needs in order to meet the needs of the students and achieve departmental goals
Input course information, instructor constraints, and course combinations to the Infosilem Data Collection Utility (DCU); notifies Scheduling Office of changes
Monitor the Schedule of Classes, including reserve caps, course enrolments, classroom size vs enrolment total, course time conflicts; solve problems and recommend solutions to the Associate Chairs
Liaise with the Scheduling Office to ensure instructor room requirements are met for undergraduate and graduate classes and midterms each term
Departmental representative to the University Timetabling Committee for both undergraduate and graduate courses; liaise with other scheduling reps to assure course availability, adequate reserves, and conflict free schedules
Coordinate exam schedules with the Registrar’s Office each term
Manage midterm scheduling requests and book rooms
Schedule and ensure graduate exams held in-house are student conflict-free
Communication and Student Engagement
Manage undergraduate reference letters
In collaboration with the Administrative Officer, Undergraduate Program Manager and database developer, support the development and maintenance of an in-house reference letter system to manage requests from undergraduate students
Liaise with faculty members and database developers to drive continuous improvement to the system, advise on requirements, make recommendations, and test system updates
Compile and edit information from multiple sources, including students, faculty and University platforms e.g. Quest, to write student reference letters on behalf of faculty members
Ensure a high-quality experience for students who request a reference letter by acting as the interface between students and faculty. Advise students on the process and the status of a submitted request
Interact with many worldwide graduate university systems to populate webforms with content from reference letters
Manage the termly 4th year undergraduate mentorship program
Determine student eligibility, communicate the program to potential participants, confirm faculty participation each term
Collect student preferences for mentorship
Match students with faculty mentors and facilitate introductions.
Track and disseminate information and communications to undergraduate students using various communication modalities on matters such as upcoming events, job opportunities, meetings, awards, and activities
Participate in the planning and organization of various student-focused departmental events
Organize and support undergraduate consultation groups to elicit student feedback and drive continuous improvement to academic programs and departmental support
Undergraduate Research and Award Programs
Provide guidance and direction with regards to administrative procedures pertaining to research programs and awards, such as NSERC USRA, Math Undergraduate Research Award (MURA)
Communicate availability and procedures of research programs and awards through emails and websites
Advise Statistics and Actuarial Science undergraduate students on eligibility criteria, policies and procedures
Manage applications and coordinate with the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies to review and rank applications
Process the hiring of research award recipients in Workday
Organize data and prepare documentation to assist the selection of nominees for undergraduate awards and scholarships in Statistics and Actuarial Science, e.g. Eckler Medal for Actuarial Science
General Undergraduate Affairs and Departmental Support
On a termly basis, compile data and documentation required for ACTSC accreditation reviews.
Organize Actuarial Science (ACTSC) group meetings and other committees related to undergraduate affairs; takes minutes of meetings, as required
Organize the annual ACTSC Advisory Board meeting
Provide administrative support to the department’s Instructional Support Coordinators, as requested
Provide reports as requested
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Post-secondary degree/diploma or equivalent combination of experience and education
3+ years administrative support experience, preferably in an undergraduate academic environment
2+ years of experience in producing clear and concise formal written communications with a high degree of accuracy
Experience scheduling courses in a large department; extensive experience in the Infosilem scheduling system is highly desirable
Must possess excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities with a high level of initiative, flexibility, accuracy, and detail with minimum supervision
Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce correspondence and reports, and have sensitivity to the needs of a wide client base
Ability to execute duties to completion with tight and often conflicting deadlines
Ability to extract information through electronic resources and to collate data for scheduling and administration purposes
Ability to manage and handle confidential and sensitive information
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and Adobe
Intermediate knowledge of WCMS and Quest
Experience with event planning would be considered an asset
Knowledge of University of Waterloo policies and procedures are an asset
Vaccination Requirement Statement:
Effective May 1, 2022, the University suspended its Vaccination Requirement. Prior to May 1, pursuant to this Requirement, all University employees were required to submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (subject to the University’s obligations under the Human Rights Code to accommodate employees who were unable to receive a vaccination). The University’s Vaccination Requirement website can be found here: https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus/return/vaccination-requirement.
The pandemic is ongoing and public health advice continues to evolve. Accordingly, the University reserves the absolute right to reinstate the Vaccination Requirement on short notice, and upon such reinstatement you will be required to comply. You shall also be required to comply with any new health and safety policies/requirements implemented by the University from time to time, including new policies/requirements related to mandatory employee vaccination. As the University may need to reinstate the Requirement on short notice, it will continue to collect and maintain up-to-date information on employee vaccination status. Please submit your Covid-19 vaccine status (QR code) to: https://checkin.uwaterloo.ca/
Failure to comply with the Vaccination Requirement if it is reinstated, including failure to comply with any future amendments to the Vaccination Requirement, or failure to comply with new health and safety policies/requirements implemented by the University, including those related to new mandatory employee vaccination, shall result in discipline up to and including termination of employment.
The requirement to be vaccinated, if reinstated, will be subject to the duty to accommodate pursuant to the Human Rights Code. If you are unable to be vaccinated for reasons related to a ground protected under the Human Rights Code, you may submit a written request for accommodation with an explanation of the reasons and/or any supporting documentation. If you request accommodation, the University may follow up with you for further information if necessary.
Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit/Inuk, Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
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