Enrolment Services Advisor

Job Responsibility: Work Arrangements This regular full-time (35 hours per week) position is available starting October 14. Regular hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:45 am - 4:15 pm. Shift days and times may change depending on the Department's need. Regular evening shifts will be required, as may occasional weekend work. Two positions are available at the New Westminster Campus and 2 positions are available at the Coquitlam campus; however, successful candidate must be available for occasional work at both campuses. Douglas College is committed to supporting a healthy work/life balance for employees. A modified/flexible schedule and/or hybrid work from home arrangement may be considered, subject to the terms of the College's Work From Home Policy. What Douglas Offers

DO what you love. Be good at it. That's how Douglas College defines a great career. It's a philosophy that resonates through our classrooms, our offices and our boardrooms. It inspires our students and drives us to make Douglas College one of BC's Top Employers. We love what we do. And we're looking for passionate, motivated people to join us in making one of Canada's best colleges even better.The Role The Enrolment Services Advisor is responsible for guiding and supporting students throughout their entire student experience at Douglas College. The Enrolment Services Advisor provides high quality and professional service, advice and counsel to current and prospective (domestic and international) students, applicants, parents, alumni and the general public across Enrolment Services areas of responsibility, including, but not limited to, admissions, registration, tuition and student fees assessment and collection, student records and transcripts, transfer credit, and student financial support including government student loans and awards/scholarships. The Enrolment Services Advisor serves as a student's first point of contact for Enrolment Services, is critical in delivering excellent customer service experiences, and ensuring first point of resolution to all inquiries for Enrolment Services. The Enrolment Services Advisor has knowledge and understanding of all areas of enrolment services and/or Registrarial profession to play an integral role in the design, delivery and evaluation of services and makes recommendations on the establishment of service values and standards. The Enrolment Services Advisor is part of a network of advising and service professionals across the College that collectively contributes to improving the student experience. This advisor position is unique in that it is heavily customer facing and advisors rotate between shifts of serving students through phone, email, and in-person daily. The Enrolment Services Advisor acts as a liaison for students with internal and external departments and (agencies, including other post-secondary institutions, provincial and federal agencies. ResponsibilitiesService Delivery and Advising

• Investigates and communicates with applicants to resolve complex issues, working closely with other units (e.g. Admissions, Records and Registration, Scheduling, Transfer Credits, etc.) to recommend and resolve sensitive issues relating to admissibility and College policies and regulations

• Uses investigation and professional judgment and discretionary authority to resolve problems and address concerns and issues (e.g. approval of late withdrawals in accordance with Enrolment Services and College policies and procedures)

• Diffuses upset, angry or hostile students and provide guidance and information and refer appropriately

• Responds to complaints and issues by investigating and evaluating their concerns/questions and advises students on applicable existing content policies, determining and implementing the appropriate action

• Adjudicates requests for fee deferrals and financial holds in accordance with policies

• Makes and receives referrals, when appropriate, between other advisors and/or other departments or services when necessary for problem solution; follows up to ensure referral accuracy, as appropriate

• Identifies students at risk or in crisis and proactively connects students with the appropriate resources and supports

• Anticipates needs and proactively responds to requests, providing subject matter expertise, professional advice and recommendations beyond a student's initial request

• Interprets and communicates policy, procedures and programs as they pertain to students, both current and prospective, domestic and international

• Analyzes non-standard, non-routine and unique questions/situations from students and responds based on an accurate interpretation of college and government policies and procedures as they relate to personal circumstances of the student

• Explains complex administrative procedures and presents options to students in consideration of their unique situations

• Provides comprehensive and professional advice to current and prospective students, applicants, parents, alumni, general public, faculties and staff through in-person, phone and by email and/or electronic communication tools on admissions, registration, tuition and student fee assessments and collections, student records and transcripts, transfer credit, and student financial support including government student loans and awards/scholarships

• Responds to multi-faceted inquiries from basic to complex, with detail and accuracy, and in a professional manner

• Coaches students towards independence and self-direction and maintains up-to-date knowledge of best practices and current advising theories in the field

• Advises unsuccessful applicants of alternative pathways and supports families in understanding available options

• Advises students about funding options, across all areas of student finances - student loans, grants, scholarships, bursaries and part time funding programs

• Advises students with respect to financial hold and other policies related to tuition fee assessment and collection

• Advises prospective students, their parents and counselors on program choices at Douglas College, ensuring accurate, student-focused and effective delivery of information and key institutional messaging

• Advises prospective students on admission criteria, changing policies and processes, pre-requisites, transfer credit and educational options as they relate to their applications to admission

• Advises students on course selection planning based on the results of their initial application evaluations, assessment tests, and transfer credit results

• Provides information on applying for graduation and convocation ceremony details

• Advises students across all areas supported by Enrolment Services

• In partnership with Future Students Office and Douglas College International, delivers programming, events, presentations, and workshops for prospective students, parents, school counselors, and others on and off campus

• Establishes an atmosphere of effective, efficient, friendly, and reliable service with a focus of enhancing customer service by using high level or problem solving skills

Administration and Operations

• Uses knowledge of systems, policies, procedures and exercises professional judgment to solve unusual or complex problems

• Evaluates and maintains program eligibility for student loan eligibility

• Confirms and produces a range of student documents required by students and external organizations and agencies (e.g. verification of enrolment letters, official transcripts, confirms enrolment and attendance for loan requirements, RESPs, grants, scholarships, and bursaries, etc.)

• Evaluates records management policies and practices and makes recommendations for changes including evaluating exceptional requests for records

• Develops and implements protocols to capture and manage information about sensitive advisory interactions with students using best practices and sound knowledge of applicable privacy policy and legislation

• Makes recommendations to enhance overall registration practices

• Ensures student data confidentiality and privacy according to Registrar, College and FIPPA regulations

• Updates, safeguards and maintains student records in accordance with applicable legislation and policy

• Accepts applications and payments, advises on payments and supporting documentation for admission, readmission, parchment reprints, awards and scholarships, etc.

• Produce, validate and issues student identification cards

• Updates and contributes to the writing of training manuals

• Assists Associate Registrar, Assistant Registrar, Team Lead and/or Student Success Advisor with developing statistical and qualitative reports

• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge Expertise and Continuous Improvement

• Leads and actively participates and contributes to projects, when applicable

• Organizes, plans, prepares and conducts workshops and presentations on and off campus

• Continuously contributes to the service values to ensure relevant, up-to-date information

• Serves as a liaison in presenting student admission, records or registration problems to faculties and departments

• Participates in ongoing training to ensure a deep knowledge based in a wide variety of College service areas

To Be Successful in this Role You Will Need 1. Bachelor's degree in a relevant field from a recognized post-secondary institution and 3 years related work experience or a combination of education and experience. 2. Minimum of 3 years of direct experience in service-centred, preferably in a post-secondary environment; a proven ability to provide exceptional front-line service in a fast-paced environment is required. 3. Experience with interpreting, applying and advising on policies and procedures. 4. Sound and current knowledge on best practices in enrolment or registrarial services or comparable work experience. 5. Ability to provide effective and appropriate guidance and counsel. 6. Proficiency with standard office software required. 7. Comfortable with evolving technology and processes. 8. Strong team player and adaptable to changing information. 9. Experience using a Student Information System or other enterprise database solutions/customer relationship management systems. 10. A skilled listener, with the ability to identify, respond and handle confidential and/or sensitive issues and/or material with empathy, diplomacy and discretion. 11. Must be resourceful and able to analyze problems, identify key information and issues and develop effective solutions. 12. Ability to independently exercise judgment to make decisions on matters of varying complexity. 13. Proven ability to use an inclusive approach to develop and cultivate relationships with students, faculty, staff and members of the external community. 14. Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills required. 15. Ability to multi-task, apply organizational skills to meet deadlines. 16. Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail. 17. Ability to collaborate and share expertise within a team environment. 18. Enthusiasm and capacity for continuous learning and development. 19. Experience working with different cultures. 20. The position requires interacting with people directly for long periods of time; the ideal candidate will enjoy and have strong communication skills in interacting with all types of customers through both face to face, verbally and written.