Student Advocate

**Student Advocate & Policy Support Specialist**

Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU)

Posted: December 17, 2024

**Job Category |** Full-time Term - 35 hours/week (Maternity Leave Coverage until November 2025)
**Salary |**$52,000 - $61,000 per annum

**Location of Work |** City Centre Campus (CCC)
- Posting closes Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, at 11:59 pm (MST)_

**ABOUT SAMU**

The Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) is a non-profit organization working independently from MacEwan University to support students. Our purpose is to enrich the student experience by focusing on their non-academic needs through an array of student-driven programs and services.

We are governed by elected student representatives who set the strategic vision on behalf of students. With support from over 50 full
- and part-time staff, we keep our mandate student-focused to achieve the vision.

**OUR VISION**

All students benefit from a vibrant student life and culture of empowerment.

**OUR MISSION**

SAMU builds a positive student experience by creating a place to engage and connect, being a champion for all students, and providing opportunities that allow them to get the most out of their educational journey.

**PURPOSE**

The purpose of the Student Advocate & Policy Support Specialist is to guide, advise, and support students navigating academic or non-academic issues with MacEwan University. The Student Advocate & Policy Support Specialist supports students by providing students with relevant resources, walking students through MacEwan’s policies and procedures, accompanying students to the meetings they have with MacEwan University, and giving overarching edits to written documents students intend to send to MacEwan university. The position operates in accordance with the vision, mission, and values of SAMU.

**SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Information Gathering & Communication - 45%**
- Develop an in-depth understanding of MacEwan’s policies, procedures, and real-life practices carried out by MacEwan staff and faculty.
- Keep up-to-date on MacEwan’s policy and procedure updates (redactions, revisions, additions, etc.)
- Create and maintain accessible resources for MacEwan students that aid in their understanding of MacEwan’s policies and procedures.
- Develop and maintain professional relationships with key campus personnel to facilitate student support, build campus-wide trust in this role, and stay informed of developments that may impact students.
- Develop and maintain professional relationships with various individuals, teams, and associations outside of MacEwan & SAMU to foster connections with fellow Student Advocates, deepen knowledge on academic and non-academic university issues (i.e. Academic Misconduct), receive support from professionals in student support positions, and keep up to date on current best practices of supporting university students.
- Maintain an Advocacy Meeting Group, which consists of fellow Student Advocates across the country, by recruiting new members, adhering to a monthly meeting schedule, developing meeting agendas and topics of conversation, and keeping meeting minutes.
- Stay in regular communication, including monthly meetings, with SAMU’s VP-Academic to share information about MacEwan’s policies and procedures and collaborate on student support initiatives.
- Meet with the SAMU Student Advocacy Team once per term to:

- Discuss metrics, relevant policies, and future plans.
- Identify obstacles, opportunities, issues, and challenges to the success of students and bring recommendations forward to SAMU.
- Support the promotion of SAMU’s Student Advocacy Centre by presenting workshops, boothing, and collaborating with SAMU’s marketing team on new promotional prizes, activities, and initiatives for the SAMU Student Advocacy Centre.
- Work as a team with SAMU staff for support as needed.

**Overall Student Support - 45%**- Virtually respond to students’ initial questions or concerns regarding their academic or non-academic issues in an informative, multi-partial, non-judgemental, and timely manner.
- Provide ongoing availability for students to discuss their academic or non-academic issues in a confidential space.
- Inform students about relevant MacEwan, SAMU, and community policies, procedures and resources.
- Prepare students for meetings, hearings, and restorative conferences, by providing information on what to expect and by engaging in mock meetings.
- Educate students about how to best communicate with MacEwan staff/faculty.
- Notify students about potential policy breaches.
- Walk students through the SAMU Student Advocacy Centre’s Service Agreement and Consent Form
- Give grammatical edits and suggestions on written submissions students intend to send to MacEwan university.
- Accompany students in their meetings with MacEwan as a silent support person.
- Offer ongoing opportunities to debrief the meetings students have with MacEwan.
- Encourage hone