ADMISSIONS OFFICER

Department Description:

The Office of the Registrar provides a number of services to both prospective and current students and is the primary information source on enrolment, convocation ceremonies and important student dates and events throughout the year. The Office of the Registrar comprises 7 departments: Student Services, Student Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Recruitment, Undergraduate Admissions, Student Records & Systems, Scheduling & Examinations, and Central RO Administration and has a staff compliment of approximately 80. This dynamic team works together to provide assistance to students from the beginning of their time at McMaster University until they graduate. We are currently looking to hire 2 Admissions Officers in our Undergraduate Admissions department that will use a variety of specialized skills to promote and support the overall strategic plan of the Office of the Registrar.

Reporting to the Sr. Associate Registrar, Admissions, the Admissions Officer works directly with other Admission Officers and multiple team members in a high-volume, fast-paced environment that is deadline driven.  Each Officer is responsible for the accurate and timely review of approximately 2500 domestic and international applicant files annually and will be called upon daily to provide correct and detailed information (oral, written and in-person)  to applicants, prospective applicants,  parents, guidance counsellors, Faculty offices and staff,  as well as other colleagues in the Registrar's Office. The Admissions Officers will also assist in all admission processes for the Ontario High School applicant pool.  Admission Officers must be strong multi-taskers able to deal effectively with interruptions to their routine on a regular basis and must possess a strong abiltity to prioritize within their portfolios. The Admission Officers regularly conduct cuturally sensitive interviews and in-depth admissions counselling of applicants and prospective students - this requires a high level of interpersonal and communication skills and an in-depth knowledge of available student services on campus.  The Admission Officers must engage in extensive correspondence with applicants regarding admission policies and decisions.  The Admissions Officers must be able to calmly and effectively communicate verbally,  by phone or in-person, with emotionally upset applicants and parents in an empathetic and tactful way while still delivering negative decisions that will not be subject to appeal.

Job Summary:

The Admissions Officer is responsible for ensuring University enrolment targets are met by applying established admissions criteria to select qualified students from a diverse pool of secondary and post-secondary applicants. Evaluate and assess applicant files and independently make admission decisions for undergraduate, domestic, and international students. Provide information and conduct recruitment and orientation sessions in various communities.

Purpose and Key Functions:

• Make independent admission decisions to admit or refuse applicants.
• Warrant consideration for acceptance of students who do not meet academic requirements.
• Administer program enrolment from application to admission by monitoring and organizing applications, reviewing transcripts, and ranking applicants.
• Review and evaluate applications to ensure academic requirements and pre-requisites have been met.
• Research, review, and analyze admissions criteria from national and international institutions.
• Inform applicants of the application process, procedures, academic and program requirements, program suitability, and potential eligibility for admission.
• Develop and deliver presentations and attend and participate in a variety of recruitment events internal and external to the University.
• Provide information, answer questions, and discuss academic interests with applicants.
• Deal with applicants who are not qualified for admission and explain the application process and offer viable alternatives.
• Provide advice to applicants regarding their program suitability, other educational options, and employment options related to program selection.
• Review documents for forged transcripts and falsified reference letters and maintain a list of fraudulent applications.
• Analyze error reports and establish procedures to correct errors.
• Plan and coordinate large scale admissions applicant correspondence and the review and assessment of applicant files.
• Conduct analyses of post-secondary institutions and exchange information with internal and external admissions staff to discuss and share information on admission requirements, various procedures, policies, and issues that are being addressed at other institutions.
• Gather and compile information required to maintain manuals and procedure documents.
• Calculate domestic and international student grade point averages.
• Update and maintain content on the department website.

Supervision:

Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

Assets:

• Knowledge of McMaster University undergraduate admission requirements, policies and procedures is a preferred asset
• Working familiarity with international curriculums and required admission documentation
• Experience with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and especially the Admissions and Transfer Credit modules
• Familiarity with the Ontario ONTransfer initiative for transfer students
• Strong computer skills and ability to collect and present data in and effective way
• Demonstrated exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are preferred assets
• Ability to write and run complex queries in Peoplesoft environments is a preferred asset

Additional Information 

The ideal candidate must have demonstrated a strong ability to prioritize workflow, produce specific results on time and must be able to work independently with an elevated sense of self-direction, while maintaining a high level of connection with the rest of the team.