Student Engagement and Outreach Specialist

Job Responsibility: Department Faculty of Arts - Undergraduate Student Services Office Salary range $56,040.79 to $76,820.84 Hours per week 35 Grade 9 Posted date March 4, 2025 Closing date March 17, 2025 Position Type Full Time - Operating Funded

Description

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more .

Working for the Faculty of Arts

Reporting to the Senior Officer, Student Programs and Services, and working closely with the Manager of Advising and Engagement, the Student Engagement and Outreach Specialist position is responsible for the leadership and development of student engagement and outreach activities for the Faculty of Arts. They ultimately support and enhance the student experience, student success, and improve student retention for the 7000+ Undergraduate Students.

Position

The Student Engagement and Outreach Specialist is responsible for planning and executing engagement and student outreach strategies for the Undergraduate Student Services (USS) office and Arts departments, when appropriate. They are responsible for developing and implementing student-related events that cultivate engagement and improve retention, coordinating a student mentorship program, including supervising a team of volunteer mentors, and developing and executing student outreach plans that are used to engage Arts students.

Duties

Student Engagement/Events (50%)

• Responsible for developing and implementing the yearly Arts Undergraduate Student Engagement strategic plan in collaboration with the Undergraduate Student Services team, Arts Dean's Office, Arts departments, student representatives, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Develop programs and events that promote student success and retention and cultivate a strong sense of community and promote student involvement within Arts and the broader campus community.
• Incorporate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and universal design best practices into all aspects of initiative planning and execution, and approach interactions with internal and external stakeholders through an EDI lens.
• Organize and implement plans and activities for New Student Orientation during the Fall and Winter Terms, including facilitating the participation of the department and divisional units, and serve as the primary Faculty of Arts contact for the University of Alberta Orientation Network.
• Manage the collaborative creation, distribution, and results analysis of the annual Arts Student Experience Survey.
• Create unique and specialized programs and activities that can support the large and diverse student population, including working closely with colleagues in the areas of international and indigenous engagement.

Student Outreach (30%)

• Responsible for sending out a weekly student e-newsletter to current students, which serves as the main form of communication between the faculty and the ongoing students.
• Provide content and updates to the Faculty of Arts website and the Arts Insider Blog, specifically related to the Student Services and academic programs areas.
• Contribute to the creation of social media/digital marketing targeted at current Arts students, working collaboratively with the Communications & Marketing Service Partner.
• Create and implement outreach events and programming that maximize the reach and reputation of the Faculty of Arts USS unit.
• Assist in creating unique advising opportunities for current students (i.e. pop-up advising, information sessions, etc.) and support the advising team on initiatives when appropriate.

Leadership (20%)

• Provide leadership and functional supervision for temporary staff in the Engagement portfolio (i.e. Student Services and Engagement Intern), in collaboration with the Manager of Advising and Engagement, including providing daily student engagement tasks and objectives, initial training and orientation, and taking part in hiring and evaluations.
• Assist with the work of two other interns as required (i.e. the International Engagement Intern, or the Communications and Program Support Interns who work with the Arts Work Experience team), including being involved in hiring processes, assisting with project work, providing training, or other duties.
• Manage and supervise a team of student volunteers in the Student Mentor program. Expected number of volunteers to be at approximately 50. Once implemented, this role will be responsible for mentorship activities, logistics, hiring, training, and oversight of the student mentors.

Qualifications

• A university undergraduate degree is required. An arts degree is preferred.
• Two to three years of experience in post-secondary student engagement/student services or communications is preferred.
• Computer proficiency in a Windows environment using MS Office applications, social media, and Google Workspace. Experience with website Content Management Systems (CMS) is an asset.
• Strong written communication and creative writing skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, consultation, and communication skills. Experience with public speaking and understanding of cross-cultural communications (i.e. working with individuals from different social and cultural backgrounds).
• Demonstration of leadership or supervisory experience in managing diverse groups of volunteers, ideally in academic environments.
• Experience with project and event management. Ability to work on multiple projects at once.
• Experience with social media content creation, newsletter creation, and graphic design are assets.
• Ability to work well in a multicultural, multilingual environment with students and faculty from many countries, cultures, linguistic groups, religions, sexualities, and genders.
• Ability to work independently.
• Knowledge and familiarity with the Faculty of Arts and a commitment to the value of a liberal arts education.

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

The University of Alberta is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.

Note: This opportunity will be available until midnight March 17, 2025, Edmonton, Alberta local time.