Black Student Success Advisor, Learners Early

**Job Title: Black Student Success Advisor, Learners Early Access Program (LEAP)**:

- Staff Bargaining Unit_

**Position Status**:Limited Term, Full-Time (35 hours/week)
2-year contract
OSSTF

**Department**:Student Success & Wellbeing

**Supervision Received**:Manager, Learners Early Access Program (LEAP)

**Supervision Exercised**:Student Assistants

**Location**:Greater Toronto Area (GTA), ON

**PRIMARY FUNCTIONS**:
A. Academic Advising & Support Responsibilities 60%

B. Partnership & Relationship Building 30%

C. Administrative Responsibilities 10%

**TOTAL 100%**

As part of Algoma University’s ongoing commitment to Indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the institution is seeking a Student Success Advisor, Learners Early Access Program (LEAP) who is passionate about initiatives that break down barriers and provide accessibility and pathways for traditionally underrepresented and marginalized learners. Working in partnership with the local school boards, the University is excited to launch this early access program designed to initiate a structural and systemic change in academic program delivery and create a positive social impact.

Reporting to the Director, Student Success & Wellbeing, the Black Student Success Advisor, LEAP offers equitable academic, personal, and career advising to underserved Black students. This position will assist with leading and implementing LEAP programming, services, and supports to meet the needs of underserved Black students, focusing on student success, graduation, and transition to post-secondary education. The incumbent will work closely with the Algoma LEAP core team in addition to school districts, campus offices such as Student Success & Wellbeing, Student Life, and community partners to ensure student success and program completion.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**Academic Advising & Support Responsibilities (60%)**
- Lead and implement LEAP programming, services, and supports to meet the needs of underserved Black students, focusing on student success, graduation, and transition to post-secondary education.
- Foster a safe and inclusive environment to assist students develop skills to successfully meet the demands of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), Algoma University courses, and Game Developer Certificate completion through an access, opportunity, and equity lens.
- Provide proactive individual wraparound support to assist students to navigate and succeed within Algoma LEAP.
- Engage underserved Black students by affirming the identities and cultures of Black students through culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy.
- Assess and develop individual learning plans with agreed upon goals.
- Monitor student academic progress and meet with each student at frequent and regularly scheduled times, intervening as appropriate to assist those students having difficulty with necessary referrals to mental health and other resources.
- Gauge student success by tracking the progress of individual students through the use of such measures as anecdotal reports, behaviour and academic tracking sheets, parent reports, lates, suspensions, academic results, incident reports, parental involvement, etc.
- Work with the student, family, teachers, faculty and other school staff in order to help students to develop a plan to achieve regular school attendance and credit accumulation.
- Be available and responsive to students during scheduled hours.
- In collaboration with the Student Success Team, ensure deliverance of academic support workshops including, but not limited to, learning strategies, time management, organizational skills, peer-to-peer tutoring, etc.
- Develop enrichment activities, events, and field trips to enhance cohort development and student engagement.

**Partnership and Relationship Building (30%)**
- Build and establish relationships with various service agencies, including Black and multicultural organizations serving the community and students.
- Work directly with school board administration in addition to the departments of Student Success & Wellbeing, Student Life, and Office of the Registrar staff in relation to the needs of individual students.
- Communicate with parents and the community, including an initial letter of introduction.
- Develop and maintain a close working relationship with school district personnel and other board support staff through regular monthly staff meetings and regular school visits and/or contacts.

**Administrative Responsibilities (10%)**
- Prepare reports and compile statistics as required.
- Prepare for meetings between school personnel and parents/guardians to address school concerns.
- Facilitate contact with appropriate support services for youth and their families.
- Develop a process for staff referral that includes how referrals are submitted, and by whom.
- Organize and/or participate in phone calls and case conferences for families as requested by staff and/or youth or families, both inside and outs