Graduate Awards Coordinator

Staff - Non UnionJob CategoryM&P - AAPSJob ProfileAAPS Salaried - Student Management, Level AJob TitleGraduate Awards CoordinatorDepartmentGraduate Student Services | Dean's Office | Faculty of ForestryCompensation Range$5, $7,709.92 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End DateSeptember 2, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students, and is essential to fostering an outstanding work environment. . Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Description Summary

The Graduate Awards Coordinator manage complex merit-based awards for all of the faculty's graduate programs, postdoctoral fellows and graduate certificates. The position manages the application and adjudication for multiple internal and external competitions involving university, provincial and national funding agencies. This position also oversees funding and award records administration, and monitors available funding to forecast upcoming award offerings.

Organizational Status

Reports to the Director, Graduate Student Services for the Faculty of Forestry. Independently communicates and works with the Associate Dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (ADG+PS). Works with Dean's office staff and faculty, department administrators, students, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS), Enrolment Services, and Financial Services. Communicates with prospective graduate students, external funding and government agencies, and other outside organizations.

Work Performed
Management and oversight of award competitions & funding agreements - 65%

• Manages all aspects of numerous concurrent internal and external scholarship competitions to ensure best practices are followed in adjudicating and selecting scholarship nominees/recipients.
• Advises award applicants, evaluates applications and provides assessment (determination of eligibility) for adjudication committees.
• Evaluates exceptional award application cases and consults with the Director and/or ADG+PS when appropriate.
• Watches for students in concerning financial decisions and escalates to the Director
• Develops calendar of internal award competition deadlines that accommodates university and external deadlines, while also coordinating with the unit's non-award deadlines to manage workload of other staff.
• Develops and executes a schedule for each competition and ensures that all applications are assessed for eligibility and completeness. Oversees work of any staff assisting with application reviews.
• Under direction of the ADG+PS, invites faculty to serve on internal adjudication committees, ensuring appropriate mix of experience and disciplinary expertise; writes content of adjudicator invites and guide to best practices for adjudicators.
• Manages all internal adjudication committees.
• Writes and develops policies and procedures for new award administration, institutes and implements forms for new award competitions aligned with G+PS best practices. For endowed awards, works closely with the Faculty's Development team to ensure donor s intent is reflected in eligibility criteria.
• Serves as liaison with G+PS, proactively identifying how changes in awards and other funding policies will impact the unit's workflow and procedures, and planning appropriately.
• Researches and implements liaison initiatives between the Forestry Graduate Program and other campus units related to awards and funding.
• Based on outcomes of adjudication committee meetings, responsible for advancement of nominees to university and external award competitions, preparing recommended files for submission and releasing competition results to students and faculty; responsible for generating or revising (depending on the competition) nomination letters on behalf of the ADG+PS.
• Based on outcomes of adjudication committee meetings, responsible for selection of internal award recipients, ensuring adherence to eligibility criteria and budgets. As necessary, reviews exceptional cases with the Director and ADG+PS. Notifies students of competition results.
• Prepares and releases calls for applications for upcoming competitions and other relevant announcements to students, faculty and staff in a timely manner.
• Manages all award recommendations and assignments; responsible for resolution of outstanding issues; works with G+PS and Enrolment Services staff as necessary to resolve errors.
• Develops and manages the annual review of student funding agreements. Evaluates existing processes and proposes streamlining and/or improvements.
• Analyzes financial information and monitors and reports expenditures for the unit's operating budget.
• Writes, develops and improves awards-related website content (e.g., dates and deadlines, award descriptions, and resource information).
• Develops a deep understanding and expert use of the unit s customized database that tracks all student records, academic progress and funding.
• Organizes print and digital notices for all Award Winners and any Forestry Grad student accomplishments

Course Scheduling - 20%

• With leadership from the Director, provides significant support with course scheduling
• Learns all course scheduling systems and is point of contact for scheduling with the Director is away
• Creates reports related to course scheduling

Other Responsibilities - 15%

• Manages the Faculty's Graduate Teaching Assistant evaluation program and subsequent reporting;
• Assists with onboarding and training of new staff
• Performs any other related duties commensurate with skills and experience.
• Needs to accommodate flexible hours, attending events.
• Performs other duties as required in the day-to-day operation of the Graduate Student Services office
• Builds and maintains knowledge of the other roles in the office and can backfill for them as needed, including learning basic advising information for the programs
• May be asked to give presentations to students and faculty and participate in events
• Expected to support with communications to students and stake holders, such as the Grad Weekly newsletter.
• Serves on Forestry and UBC committees on an as-needed basis.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Decision-making is based on a thorough knowledge of the policies and procedures of the University and the Faculty. Consistent, transparent application of award policies and procedures is crucial to maintain fairness in adjudication and assignment of funding. Responsible for maintaining a detailed understanding of numerous and complex awards policies and procedures, for both internal and campus-wide competitions, as well as those of multiple external agencies, to provide accurate information to faculty, staff and students, and in order to make frequent evaluations regarding eligibility to apply for and receive award funding. In addition, this position is responsible for ensuring that graduate student awards, funding and academic progress milestones are accurately tracked and methodically monitored.
Failure to meet the conditions of an award established through a bequest could place the Faculty and/or University in violation of the trust established by the Donor and could result in the withdrawal of funding. Errors could seriously impact the academic progress and/or financial situation of individual students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as the Faculty's ability to effectively manage its programs. Incorrect advice or errors could also adversely affect the reputation of the Faculty and University, and also result in students missing scholarship opportunities, overpayments, deficits or inappropriate charges being made to funding which must be covered using Faculty funds.

Supervision Received

Works independently without direct supervision and autonomously within general guidelines set by the Director. The incumbent is expected to take initiative, problem solve, determine course of action and follow through independently. Work is reviewed for achievement of objectives, soundness of judgement, effectiveness of services provided and conformity with University policies and guidelines.

Supervision Given

Assists in training of new staff. May manage, orient, train, provide direction and/or supervise student employees.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of one to two years of related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in finance and/or awards management
• Highly organized and meticulous accuracy, attention to detail and conscientiousness is required.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, in particular spreadsheets (Excel)
• Very good understanding of graduate student services awards administration and experience working in a UBC student service role an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of UBC policies and procedures related to graduate scholarships, records and finance matters.
• Ability to proactively anticipate, investigate and effectively resolve problems, and meet conflicting demands and strict deadlines.
• Ability to handle heavy volumes during peak periods.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and exercise good judgement.
• Must be tactful and articulate in handling sensitive/confidential matters and place a high value on customer service and professionalism.
• Ability to understand and comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and University policies and procedures.
• Excellent proficiency in English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Strong ability to independently prioritize workload and multi-task to achieve positive outcomes in line with the strategic objectives of the program.
• Ability to demonstrate innovative and independent thinking and to take a proactive approach, especially when handling non-routine matters.

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