Department: Dean of Students Office - Waterloo 

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: Waterloo 

Reports to: Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives

Employee Group: WLUSA 

Application Deadline: 07/11/2024

Requisition ID: 8265 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Our locations are situated on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We recognize the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and support their intentions to preserve and express their distinctive Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities. Laurier’s Centre for Indigegogy is one example of how Laurier honours Indigenous knowledge.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives, the Coordinator, Off-Campus First Year Initiatives is responsible for the coordination of staff, programs, projects, and resources designed to enhance the student experience for off-Campus students on the Brantford and Milton campus. The incumbent is responsible for providing leadership and guidance to a team of student staff and volunteers. They will focus on implementing programming and services related to off-campus living, including the Laurier Off-Campus University Student (LOCUS) program, and the off-campus housing program.

This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Waterloo Campus. The incumbent provides subject matter expertise to all campuses, requiring regular interpersonal interactions and collaboration with departments at the Waterloo Campus, the Brantford Campus, locations in Kitchener and Milton, and external partners. Special attention is given to ensure equitable service delivery across all locations.

Accountabilities

Student Leadership Development

• Recruit, hire, develop, support, evaluate, and appreciate LOCUS student staff and Student Housing Ambassadors.
• Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that promotes collaboration, creativity, and professional growth. 
• Chair regular student staff meetings and coordinate frequent one-on-ones to increase communication and staff development.
• Coordinate a successful onboarding of all student staff, including a summer program. 

• Coordinate meaningful opportunities for student staff and volunteers to build upon their skillset and develop as a student leader at Laurier. 
• Focus on the leadership and personal development of off-campus students by providing targeted support, mentorship, and resources. 
• Support the well-being of all student staff and volunteers and triage/elevate to coordinated care support when appropriate. 
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a first year off-campus student council in collaboration with Residence Education. 
• Work with the Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives to develop programs, workshops, and events that focus on developing student's skillset. 
• Actively seek out new opportunities for students to gain leadership experience on campus. 
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance the engagement and sense of community for off-campus students. 

Orientation & Transition

• Coordinate programming for off-campus first year students to transition to the program and transition out of it at the end of each academic year.
• Coordinate the LOCUS programming, information, and representation with the Laurier 101 program. 
• Coordinate, plan, and facilitate the Off-Campus Welcome Day. 
• In collaboration with key campus departments, host specific orientation. programming focused on the off-campus first year experience. 
• In collaboration with the Coordinator, Student Life & Experience develops an opt-in process for mature and transfer students to join the LOCUS program. 
• Be an active participant in the planning and coordination of Winter Orientation programming. 
• Consult with the Students’ Union in planning orientation week & ensuring that the off-campus student experience is considered and represented in the planning stages.

Student Programming

• Create and update documents that monitor and track the growth, challenges and successes of the program, and students involved.
• Oversee the planning, development, and execution of programs and initiatives designed to enhance the student experience for off-campus students. 
• Support the development of programming to meet the needs of off-campus first-year students. 
• Supervise the LOCUS student-led programming ensuring responsible spending, risk management processes, and general programming support as required. 
• Coordinate LOCUS' involvement in larger-scale programming initiatives like volunteer appreciation, Thrive Week events, Keep Calm & Study On programs.
• Track and monitor student staff programming expenses and spending as outlined by the manager. 
• Foster a collaborative partnership with Residence Education to strengthen and enhance the programming and experience for off-campus students within the First Year Leadership Program. 

Off-Campus Housing Support

• Create awareness and an on-campus presence focused on supporting students with off-campus housing needs. 
• Develop and facilitate international onboarding to advise students on off-campus housing best practices.
• Maintain partnerships with Legal Care, Department of Residence, and Regional Legal Clinics and coordinate strategic ways to educate and inform the Laurier community about living off-campus. 
• Develop and facilitate one-on-one support, workshops, campaigns, and programming to offer undergraduate and graduate support as it relates to off-campus housing. 
• Develop a series of programs and campaigns focused on educating off-campus students’ rights and responsibilities while living in the Brantford and Milton community. 

Special Projects & Initiatives

• Work with Manager to advocate for on-campus space for off-campus students. 
• Develop partnerships and education campaigns to promote and advocate for the off-campus student experience. 
• Coordinate the marketing of LOCUS and off-campus housing support to incoming first year students and families at recruitment & transition events (ie. Open House, Laurier 101, Ontario Universities Fair etc.)

Assessment & Evaluation

• Develop assessment measures to learn more about the needs, experiences, challenges, barriers, and preferences of off-campus students.
• Coordinate and implement continual, creative evaluative measures within all aspects of the LOCUS program to ensure student needs are being met (experience surveys, focus groups, etc). 
• Create project/program briefs that summarize the successes, challenges and goals for the LOCUS program and the off-campus housing program to share with management. 

Administrative & Communication

• In collaboration with the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives on the Waterloo campus, regularly monitor the shared locus@wlu.ca and offcampushousing@wlu.ca email accounts and regularly monitor the shared LOCUS and Off-Campus Housing social media accounts. 
• Regularly update and generate content on the students.wlu.ca webpages for both LOCUS and Off-Campus Housing. 
• Develop effective communication strategies to promote programs and services to off-campus students, ensuring wide-reaching participation. 
• Maintain regular communication and collaboration with Waterloo and Milton campus counterparts to ensure programming and service delivery is equitable across each campus. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, and minimum 2 years related work experience.

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, sensitivity, and responsiveness
• Effective organization, time management, and problem-solving skills Proven ability to deal with high pressure situations Proven ability to facilitate large- and small-scale programming
• Excellent word-processing and data-entry skills using appropriate computer software including Excel and Word
• Demonstrated creativity, initiative, and experience in completing independent and team tasks
• Experience coaching/mentoring students; handling confidential information; and developing and teaching training sessions and workshops
• Agree to regularly work weekday evenings and weekends for programs and events

This position has been deemed eligible for educational equivalencies. Please refer to the attached link for details.

Hours of Work

The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to student schedules and programming needs. When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.

Compensation

Hiring salary range posted: “$39.89 to $42.17 with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $45.59. Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.