Graduate Program Services Officer

Job Responsibility:

Graduate Program Services Officer

Primary Purpose: The Programs Services Officer (GPSO), College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, is part of a team that provides expertise and support to the graduate community on campus, including faculty, staff, and students. This position assists graduate academic units in managing the full lifecycle of the graduate student experience, ensuring students, staff, and faculty make informed decisions concerning graduate admission and program management. The GPSO executes critical pieces of the graduate student life cycle, including issuing final admissions and checking individual program requirement completion prior to graduation. GPSOs promote student success by advising faculty and staff about the policies and procedures governing graduate student activity, and by assisting stakeholders in navigating concerns/complexities which may arise during a student's program. This position leverages resources for the graduate community by fostering strong working relationships and collaboration with other academic and service offices on campus.

Nature of Work: Reporting to the Director of Graduate Program Services, this position is part of a team of GPSOs that offer expertise and support for faculty, staff, and students within the graduate community. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, program transfers, extensions, program management, thesis defence, and program completion processes.

This role initiates and maintains a number of professional relationships that support exceptional collaboration and problem solving. The GPSO will have daily contact with faculty and staff in graduate academic units, as well as many other on-campus support and service units, and will work in a team environment that involves a high degree of autonomy, initiative, and independence within the reporting structure. This is a high-volume position and requires the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment, while balancing competing deadlines and multiple highly-detailed tasks.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities:

• As a subject matter expert, this position is responsible for advising on policies, procedures, and recommended practices in graduate program management. Some examples of this can include interpretation and communication of graduate program requirements, admission standards, and academic policies.
• As a critical component of program support, contribute to the maintenance of robust student records, including CGPS admission files in RMS Recruit, DegreeWorks programs of study, and Banner student records.
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with staff and faculty in graduate academic units and in other service units on campus to ensure coordination of supports and a positive student experience.
• Provides advice and support to academic units in client portfolio on CGPS policies and procedures, including graduate student admissions, registration, extensions, program of studies, thesis defense, and graduation. Assists in executing resulting processes.
• Participate in and support timely delivery and effective communications regarding changes to procedures, updates to systems, and other factors impacting the graduate community.
• In consultation with appropriate stakeholders, collaborates and leads development and implementation of standard operating procedures as well as projects supporting the strategic direction of the College.
• Provide expertise, coaching, training, and mentorship to Graduate Administrators (graduate program assistants, secretaries, coordinators, etc.) within academic units.
• Provides support for unit events including the Graduate Administrators Forum, and coordination of graduation and convocation processes.
• Coordinates key pieces of Ph.D. thesis defenses, including a review of the student record and communication external examiners.
• Contributes to building a positive culture in the CGPS team by providing support, sharing information, and collaborating on group goals.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education: Post-secondary education in a relevant field as it pertains to this position is required. An undergraduate degree is strongly desired - a combination of education and applicable experience may be considered.

Experience: Minimum of three years relevant experience required. University-level experience working in graduate programming strongly preferred. Experience with advising, admissions, program management, and/or graduate administration are considered strong assets.

Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written; ability to exercise good judgment and demonstrate integrity in solving problems, managing conflict, making decisions, and setting priorities; demonstrated commitment to enhancing student success, and persistence with a positive attitude toward service delivery; ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail; highly motivated and able to work collaboratively as part of a team, and collaborate with other service or support units on campus; demonstrates diplomacy and tact; ability to work effectively with broad stakeholder groups, including students, staff and faculty; experience with Banner and Microsoft Office Suite are a must. Experience with RMS Recruit, Banner Document Management, DegreeWorks, and/or Crystal Reports are considered strong assets.

Inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Shakiba Jalal at View phone number on ca.edajobs.com

Department: College of Grad&PostDocStudies Status: Term 12 months with the possibility of extension Employment Group: ASPA Shift: Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1 Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $52,050.00 - 81,328.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience. Salary Family (if applicable): Specialist Professional Salary Phase/Band: Phase 1 Posted Date: 7/18/2024 Closing Date: 7/31/2024 at 6:00 pm CST Number of Openings: 1 Work Location: On Campus

The University is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are proud to support career opportunities for Indigenous peoples to reflect the community we serve. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthen these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation. The University of Saskatchewan's main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. Together, we are uplifting Indigenization to a place of prominence at the University of Saskatchewan.