First Year and Graduate Program Assistant

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 2950

Job Profile

CUPE 2950 Salaried - Student Info Support 4 (Gr7)

Job Title

First Year and Graduate Program Assistant

Department

Administrative Support | Department of English Language and Literatures

Compensation Range

$4,594.00 - $4,827.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

June 26, 2025

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. 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 Summary
This position provides support for First-Year English courses, offering front-line assistance to undergraduate students in resolving complex issues relating to registration, wait lists, timetables, and examinations. The position will also support the administration of the team-taught course ENGL 200 as well as the administrative coordination of the graduate program

Organizational Status
Reports to Manager, Administration. Works closely and under the general guidance of the First-Year Coordinator and the Graduate Program Manager. Supports the TA Coordinator.

Work Performed

Undergraduate Support

Provides information on appropriate course selections to students based on set procedures and guidelines, referring students with more complex inquiries to the First-Year Coordinator when interpretation or academic judgement is required;

Acts as the front-line receiver of student concerns or complaints connected with courses, instructors, or registration, referring students with complex or difficult issues to the First-Year Coordinator;

Communicates with other Faculty advising offices, Enrolment Services, and Classroom Services to resolve issues related to students in First-Year English courses. Liaises with staff in JWAM regarding students meeting Writing Requirements in ENGL 100 or WRDS 150, registration issues and student concerns.

Implements scheduling for First-Year courses (approximately 40 classes plus 65 discussion groups) using Scientia;

Implements scheduling for 200-level courses (approximately 35 classes) using Scientia.

Monitors enrolments and adjusts course seat releases and course caps of enrolment as required, prior to and during registration periods; in consultation with the First-Year Coordinator and Associate Head (Curriculum and Planning), identifies and implements strategies to manage registration and distribute students into under-enrolled sections;

Monitors waiting lists for First-Year English classes, registering students according to priority and different Faculty program requirements;

Coordinates textbook ordering for all First-Year courses, as well as all sections of ENGL 200. Liaises with UBC Bookstore and with a variety of publishing houses to arrange desk copies for instructors and TAs;

Schedules and invigilates English Exemption Examinations for eligible second-degree students seeking to be exempted from First-Year English requirements;

Distributes material for First-Year courses to instructors and TAs; communicates the department’s attendance policy to students at the request of instructors;

Initiates exam requests for all undergraduate English classes each term, acting as a liaison between faculty and Enrolment Services to ensure a seamless exam process;

Prepares an invigilation schedule for all final exams in the English Department;

Prepares exam invigilation materials for instructors and Teaching Assistants;

Acts as contact person for Arts ISIT evaluation of First-Year English and ENGL 200 courses, checking and correcting evaluation lists for each academic session/term using the Student Evaluation of Teaching website to ensure that all faculty and Teaching Assistants have their courses properly reviewed;

Assists in compiling student nominees for First-Year awards;

Provides statistical reports on course offerings and registration numbers for the department annual report, and for policy and planning processes;

Assists with website updates and UBC Calendar updates;

Attends and takes notes at disciplinary meetings involving student misconduct;

Graduate support:
Monitors grad student progress reports (for approximately 125 students), compiles information related to progress, does initial analysis of progress data, provides information on basic procedures and deadlines around thesis submissions. Coordinates setting up thesis defenses and preparation for graduation

Initiates transactions to hire undergraduate students as academic or research assistants, assisting individual faculty members in making such hires.

Assists with initial information gathering on policies, collects info to schedule and coordinate Grad Committee meetings; may provide interpretation guidelines around