Student Experience Specialist

The Student Experience Specialist (formerly, Student Success Officer) is the front facing person for Sheridan’s Centres for Student Success. The incumbent is the initial point of contact that provides comprehensive solution focused interactions for all students, faculty, staff, applicants and other stakeholders who visit the Centre. The primary focus of the role is to provide an exceptional level of service; incumbents interact directly with students to answer questions, provide information and advice, help navigate supports and when necessary, collaborate with partners to ensure wraparound support. The Centre for Student Success provides an integrated services model that connects students to a wide range of services* and opportunities to enrich their Sheridan journey. Through probing and active listening the Student Experience Specialist ensures they have an in-depth understanding of the visitor’s needs and provides accurate and detailed information, next steps and proper referrals to ensure these needs are met. The Student Experience Specialist is also responsible for the creation, management and maintenance of the informational resources which enables The Centre for Student Success to operate as the central information and advising source for the Sheridan community.
- The Centre for Student Success acts as the centralized point of contact for the Student Experience and Enrolment Management (SEEM) division and has strong ties with other student support areas (i.e. Library, Career Services, Cooperative Education, etc.)

What You’ll be Doing

Responding to all student, staff, and faculty inquiries; including requests for information or assistance on any matter related to their Sheridan experience;
Possessing a high level of institutional knowledge and familiarity with Sheridan’s processes, policies, practices, people, services and programming;
Providing support in curating the virtual student experience as the expert in the student life cycle and first point of contact;
Serving as the first point of contact for students experiencing distress and/or mental health challenges; responsible for assessing and de-escalating stressful/crisis situations and making appropriate referral;
Providing Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) information related to studying and living in Canada to support international students while complying with all federal legislation and regulations governing the dissemination of this type of information;
Actively seeking and supporting continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to improve the student experience (i.e. providing feedback and guidance on policies and procedures impacting students, student communications, and new program implementation, providing operational enhancement suggestions to enhance the student experience);
Serving as an advocate for rapidly evolving students' needs and interests; identifying gaps, issues, barriers and processes that impede a seamless student experience and student success; proactively recommending possible solutions and/or communicating with Leadership and team;
Collaborating with the First Year Experience Team, supporting the development, facilitation and promotion of pre-arrival, orientation and in-class programming, workshops, interest groups, events and activities for first year students;
Responsible for determining which in-centre practitioner the student should see and supporting students booking appointments; overseeing the calendars of all centre staff to: 1) determine suitable appointment availability, and 2) provide students with approximate wait times;
Performing other related duties as assigned.

About You

You have the skills and knowledge to work with an increasingly diverse student and staff population as well as a proven commitment to anti-oppression, equity, and inclusion.

You are a student/client centered individual with a passion for facilitating student success and enhancing the student experience.

Your exemplary organization and time management skills allow you to successfully manage resources and documentation.

Your excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, along with your conviction, perseverance, initiative and creativity, allow you to take an individual and comprehensive approach to complex student cases.

You are committed to the principles of empowerment, integration and inclusion enabling you to guide, advise and support a diverse student population, including international students.

3-year diploma/degree (degree preferred) in Social Sciences, Business, or related field along with a minimum of 3 years of experience working in an educational or business customer service environment (equivalency to be considered).

Experience supporting students in crisis and distress while also exercising a high degree of autonomy, discretion, and judgment to evaluate and recommend the best course of action in each case.

Demonstrate computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office S