International Transition Coordinator (Contract)

Job Responsibility:

Requisition Details

• Job Title: International Transition Coordinator (Contract)
• Requisition #: 24-0539
• Location: Doon
• Department: International Student Support Services
• Payband: H
• Starting Rate: $35.06
• Payband Range: $35.06 - $40.71
• Hours/Week: 37.5
• Posting Date: Monday, June 24, 2024
• Closing Date: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST
• Vacancy Type: Support Staff - Full-time Temporary Appendix D Contract

Support Staff Full-time Appendix D Contract Replacement Position (July 2024 - July 2025)

The International Transition Coordinator (ITC) plays a critical role in the successful transition of international students to Canada, Conestoga College, and the local community. This position facilitates all aspects of pre-semester, pre-arrival, and settlement advising that supports students with initial onboarding, orientation, and ongoing services help as required. The ITC also liaises with College stakeholders to effectively develop informational resources and interactive learning activities across a variety of platforms.

Successful candidates will be required to conduct work within Ontario and must be available to work on campus as required. It is anticipated that this position will meet the needs of the department through a hybrid work arrangement with 3 days on-site and 2 days remote.

Must be available to work evenings, weekends, and some holidays, including the winter break (excluding Christmas Day), and be able to travel and work out of multiple locations, possibly on the same day.

Responsibilities:

Service Deliverables

• Ensures international students are provided with the necessary tools, information, and resources to successfully transition to Conestoga and their new community prior to and after arrival
• Acts as the first point of contact for international students to address their unique needs in transition through the development and implementation of tailored services
• Develops, organizes, and facilitates early welcome and onboarding events to enhance other college initiatives
• Participates in college-wide, virtual student program orientations, and other in-person orientation events and initiatives
• Works with student staff and volunteers to establish a strong connection to the international student community through various outreach activities, such as social media, listserv messaging, videos, workshops, websites, and other social media postings, etc.
• Supports international students in areas such as cultural adjustment, transitional strategies, and overall settlement (i.e. provides information and resources about housing, local transportation, government resources, available community services, “good to know” tips, etc.) that are foundational to a student's safety, well-being, and desired academic success
• Facilitates appropriate college connections and referrals to support student concerns and needs (i.e. academic, health & wellness, financial, career, etc.)
• Participates in the “classroom visit” program as developed by a collaborative team of college departments and requested by faculty on an as-needed basis
• Provides information regarding the International Student Emergency Bursary Funds program, including meeting with students to explain the process and refer to Financial Aid
• According to College mandatory arrival app requirements, follows up with students regarding arrival plans, information confirmation, and missing requirements requests to ensure student's readiness and approval to begin studies
• Supports soon-to-be graduates with tools, resources, and information to help them transition from Conestoga to the wider community

Housing Program

• Provides tips on how to search for suitable accommodation, what to know about leases, landlords, rent, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, how to be a good tenant, who to contact for tenant support, information, legal help, etc., as related to housing
• Acts as a primary contact for student housing information, responding to queries from potential and current students, agents, recruiters, and other interested parties
• In accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act & Landlord & Tenant Board procedures, provides resources, referrals, and information to students, especially those who are experiencing off-campus housing disputes and need help with landlord/tenant conflict resolution
• Creates and maintains a current database of emergency housing options that are available
• Acts as the International Office contact for college residence staff regarding international student applications and arrivals
• Acts as the International Office contact for college homestay provider (Canada Homestay Network)
• Under the direction of the Manager, helps to build an off-campus peer-to-peer initiative that facilitates student-to-student connections for housing help
• Assists with hiring, training, and supervising housing student peer staff or volunteers

Other Service-related Functions

• Creates and maintains informational resources and learning activities (i.e. transition workshops, information sessions, text resources, etc.)
• Liaises and collaborates with other college departments as appropriate to develop and implement informational resources and learning activities to support desired outcomes
• Under the direction of management, liaises and collaborates with community organizations/external stakeholders to increase service support and resources for international students
• Maintains records and statistics, analyzes quantitative and qualitative data, evaluates the effectiveness of initiatives against defined outcomes, develops reports, and makes recommendations to support continuous improvement
• Researches best practice models for international student transition support
• Collaborates with other International Office staff to aid in the resolution of student's issues
• Builds awareness of International Office Services and support during the academic cycle, through timely communications to faculty, staff, and students
• Supports with other college initiatives as required, including Program Orientation, Student Success Week, Diversity Week, etc.
• Oversees promotion of International Office initiatives, services, and “branding” during college events
• Represents the college on relevant college and community committees
• Plays an active role in all ITC new staff training through explanation, instruction, review of processes, job shadowing, etc.

Qualifications:

• Three-year Diploma/Degree in Business, Social Sciences, Arts, Student Services, International Studies, Education, or a related field is required
• Three years of demonstrated experience working with students (preferably in a post-secondary setting) or newcomers to Canada
• Experience with volunteer mentoring, program development, implementation, and evaluation is considered an asset
• Public speaking experience and the ability to use Teams, Zoom, and other online meeting software
• Understanding of relevant policies and procedures, such as the Residential Tenancies Act
• Good understanding of the rules related to advising, privacy, and confidentiality
• Excellent judgment, strong problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills to work with diverse student populations (as defined in the Human Rights Charter)
• Proficiency in/experience with business computer applications, including Microsoft Word, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Excel, plus internet researching skills and basic familiarity with office procedures

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