ACADEMIC SKILLS PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Unit/Project Description:
The Student Success Centre (SSC), Student Affairs serves an integral, central role in the development and provision of innovative programs and services to students in the areas of First-Year Experience (including outreach, access, transition, and orientation, financial education and support, and the Archway Program, the full-year First-Year Mentorship Program); Academic & Writing Skills Development; Career Counselling, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Experiential Learning; International Student Services (ISS) and Global Experience; Spiritual Care and Learning; Leadership Development; and Student Community Relations. The Student Success Centre works in strong collaboration with Student Affairs, Faculty, and University partners, and with external community partners through the Office of Community Engagement (OCE). The vision for the SSC is for all students and alumni to thrive and realize their academic, professional and personal aspirations.

The Writing and Academic Skills Hub (located in Mills Library) is where students acquire strategies to write, study, think critically, and manage time more effectively. Working in alignment with McMaster's Strategic Priorities core leadership capabilities, the incumbent will collaborate with the Writing and Academic Skills Team to oversee writing and academic skills supports for a diverse population of graduate student learners, across the academic disciplines and degree lifecycles for both master's and doctoral students. This includes (but is not limited to), developing and providing supplemental training to student Writing Advisors, creating customized workshops for faculty members, developing and delivering new initiatives and events to support graduate student writers. The successful applicant will also assist colleagues in the preparation and delivery of initiatives  for McMaster's undergraduate student population.  


Job Summary:
Responsible for the development and delivery of programs and services to assist students in areas of skill development, knowledge acquisition, and experiential learning for the purpose of achieving academic success and enhancing the student experience. Builds strategic alliances with faculty, staff, student groups, student governments, and the greater community to create a culture of collaboration and partnership in ensuring student success.


Purpose and Key Functions:
* Assess students’ academic and personal stage of development and analyze psycho-educational reports to inform on appropriate strategies and development tasks to promote growth and skill building.
* Design and deliver workshops and presentations based on research, sound methodology and an understanding of student experiences and needs in response to faculty and student requests.
* Design and implement evaluation strategies such as surveys, focus groups, and rubrics to measure program outcomes and effectiveness.
* Develop an effective and efficient program delivery strategy such as student based models, seminars, workshops, and online resources that serve to optimize resources and service capacity.
* Counsel students to ensure they understand academic writing standards, review academic work, and refer to appropriate resources.
* Direct effective marketing and promotion of the program to target students in need of services.
* Initiate collaborations and partnerships using a multi-departmental team approach in support of an integrated approach to providing services and promoting a shared approach for student success.
* Conduct proper needs assessment to assess areas of student needs and wants to promote academic success and personal growth and development.
* Analyze and interpret data for purposes of evaluating results, communicating with partners and stakeholders, and informing future planning.
* Make independent decisions on advising students on self-improvement approaches.
* Act as a resource expert to the campus community on issues related to academic skills support services.
* Refer students to appropriate resources, information and services across the University.
* Provide guidance and information to students regarding the Academic Integrity Policy.
* Write and deliver instructional material for presentation in print and on-line formats.
* Develop relevant and quality resource information for the website and social networks.
* Liaise with Faculty Program Offices to identify students in need of support programs and work collaboratively on an effective outreach strategy.
* Determine appropriate information for students to be included on the departmental website and ensure information is correct and up to date.
* Deal sensitively, responsibly and calmly with students who present with serious medical, social, and psychological issues, and refer to appropriate care.
* Cultivate and maintain relationships with campus partners and build partnerships with various stakeholders across the University and the greater community.
* Update, maintain and verify database information for program participation for the purpose of program review and reporting.
* Participate on related committees and working groups to promote the work of the Student Success Centre.
* Research best practices in service delivery and resources available by conducting regular scans of literature, attending conferences, and reviewing other institutional websites.
* Understand research methodologies used in student development and adult education research and be able to evaluate empirical and theoretical research.
* Update and maintain detailed knowledge of information about retention and academic skills development programs and services offered across campus.


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


Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study.
Requires 3 years of relevant experience.


Assets:
* Master's degree in English, Composition and Rhetoric, Writing, Education or similar 
* Prior experience teaching and/or developing strategies related to university students acquiring writing skills
* PhD completed or nearing completion considered an asset 
* Experience writing and/or supporting writers in STEM fields considered an asset