International Admissions Officer

About Durham College:

Durham College (DC) is leading the way as a post-secondary institution, offering an innovative and transformative student experience and hands-on learning opportunities. With this focus top of mind for our students and our employees, DC is proud to be one of the fastest-growing colleges in the province and annually ranked as one of the GTA’s Top 100 employers.

The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs across multiple disciplines, including culinary management, farming and horticulture, business, IT, construction and trades, science and technology, health care, engineering, social and community services, justice, media, art and design.

With a focus on experiential learning, DC graduates are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need. More than 104,000 alumni represent the college, both locally and around the world.

Serving the Durham Region and Northumberland County communities for over 50 years, with campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, the college offers over 12,500 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 145 full-time post-secondary programs – including four honours bachelor degrees and nine apprenticeship programs. Led by over 1,860 full- and part-time staff, DC has an estimated annual economic impact of more than $913 million on Durham Region.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the Associate Director, International Recruitment and Admissions, the International Admissions Officer supports the achievement of the institution’s international recruitment and enrolment objectives as defined by Durham College’s SEM framework and the Internationalization and Global Engagement plan. This includes data analysis and managing admission statistics related to international applications, payment, and student enrolment.

The role of the International Admissions Officer is to oversee and maintain a high standard of applicant selection by adhering to established admission requirements for a cluster of assigned programs. The incumbent is expected to be the subject matter expert for these programs and as such, complex or non-routine issues are referred to the Senior International Admissions Officer. The incumbent is obliged to adjudicate international applications and admission records in a consistent and equitable manner. The incumbent plays a key role in ensuring that conversion strategies are implemented and critical deadlines are met and maintains up-to-date knowledge of admission policies in order to ensure accuracy and transparency of the international admission process. The International Admissions Officer oversees international program seats and requirements and advises applicants about the admission and selection process, admission decisions and alternate options, specific to the applicant need, when the applicant does not successfully gain admission to a program.

The incumbent must liaise with internal and external stakeholders and maintain expert knowledge of the programs and services of the college in order to provide outstanding service. The incumbent provides support to the International recruitment team and frontline ESRs and plays a critical role at international recruitment and conversion events around the world, by ensuring the dissemination of information and guidance to convert applicants to students.

This position may require occasional international travel to support international recruitment and on-spot admissions activities.

Process Analysis and Record Management

The incumbent analyzes and coordinates the admission process for international applicants for all programs to ensure that applications are processed fairly and efficiently and enrolment targets are met. This includes:

• Implement admission criteria and processes (grades used, cut-off scores, supplemental processes)

• Adjudicates, within internally and externally determined deadlines, a high volume of applications in a fair and consistent manner, adhering to established policies as set out by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MCTU), in accordance with admissions policy, guidance of Senior International Admissions Officer and Associate Director, International Recruitment and Admissions

• Monitors statistical reports to identify any anomalies that are causing delays in processes or in any way limiting the ability of the college to issue a sufficient number of offers to meet enrolment targets. Investigates admission anomalies in order to determine the root cause and prevent further risk to the College.

• Reviews applications from applicants with special circumstances to determine eligibility for admission and communicating possible alternatives that might be more appropriate for the applicant.

• Input applicant data into the SIS and adjudicate applicant files and issue decisions in a timely fashion. This includes conditions of admissions, review of conditions, administering wait lists and noncompliance lists, contacting students with application errors, interpreting and data entering transcripts including out-of-province and international credential assessments.

• Uses external websites for document assessment such as ECCTIS and WES along with standard industry equivalency tables.

• Develops and maintains complex spreadsheets for the purpose of predicting applicant conversion rates and tracking of admission status and waitlists.

• Maintains accurate program records on program and admission webpages

• Identifies highly-competitive programs, conducts ranking and establishes cut-offs for offers, waitlists and refusals.

• Responsible for various IT functions: updating, editing, and revising web content on the college website.

• Review and ensure accuracy of program requirements and check against program guide and website to ensure all requirements are accurate. Initiate changes as required.

• Applies expert knowledge and understanding of Admissions policy and Ministry Binding Policy to influence and maintain fair and equitable practices.

• Maintains knowledge of program requirements by liaising with Deans, Program Coordinators, Administrative Coordinators, Student Liaisons, faculty and staff.

Communication and Client Support

The International Admissions Officer is expected to be the subject expert on admissions for all programs. As such, complex or non-routine issues are referred to the Senior International Admissions Officer. The incumbent provides information and communicates with prospective students, applicants, guidance counsellors, parents, faculty and college administrators regarding a broad range of admissions related question/topics:

• Provides admissions information to prospective students and applicants. This may involve advising on the best choice of program under a given circumstance or communicating with applicants who are upset because they did not gain admission to the program of their choice.

• Provides admissions information to parents of applicants while upholding the FOI legislation.

• Responds to and/or provides guidance to applicants and students about admissions concerns and questions regarding selection process, application status, admission and registration process, and collaborates and coordinates with others to ensure issue resolution.

• Advocacy on behalf of an applicant if individual circumstances merit intervention because of procedural errors in the processing of the application or documents require further investigation and/or specialized review.

• The incumbent ensures timely and efficient processing of applications by communicating effectively with applicants; by advising applicants of alternatives if space is not available in the applicant’s first choice of program or the applicant is not qualified for their first choice of program.

• Reviews and provides recommendations to College publications, printed and electronic material and correspondence to ensure accuracy.

• Creates and prepares correspondence to communicate with applicants regarding the admission process or secondary non-academic requirements using the College’s CRM and other communications tools.

• Responds to correspondence such as emails and telephone calls in a timely and professional manner, must interact clearly and concisely with a variety of college staff and a wide variety of stakeholder groups.

• Assists and provides support to the recruitment team and the current student team during peak times, assist in the development of strategic plans and performance standards for the Admissions and Student Recruitment departments.

• Participates in recruitment events such as agent fairs and open house events, engaging with prospective students, agents and their influencers’ parents/family members.

• Travels internationally on occasion to support International recruitment and on-spot admissions activities.

• Provides training and presentations for new and existing agents via skype or in person

Document Evaluation for International applicants

The incumbent evaluates documentation needed for admission purposes. This includes:

• High school transcripts and equivalencies (e.g. GED)

• Post-secondary transcripts

• International documents and credential assessments reports

• Out of province documents

• Use of ECCTIS for country-by-country education systems

• Manual grade conversion to Canadian education system.

Banner and Decision Portal Systems

The incumbent plays an active role in system set-up related to the new admissions cycle and regular system releases. Duties may include:

• User acceptance testing and validates existing processes in each new academic cycle and new processes when system enhancements are released.

• Ensures eligibility is accurate and that admission requirements are updated as needed/or on a cyclic basis.

• Identifies potential opportunities for improvement of business processes. If these require changes to the systems, the incumbent may support the process of defining business requirements and testing changes or enhancements.

Acts as a front-line functional resource for investigating and trouble-shooting applicant records, the incumbent may liaise with colleagues and/or other departments when errors occur, and escalates issues to the Senior International Admissions Officer and/or Manager of International Recruitment and Admissions for further investigation.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. A minimum of a 3-year diploma or degree in Business, communications, public relations, or equivalent.

2. A minimum of 3 years of admissions experience in an educational environment and/or a demonstrated working knowledge of the function and goals of the International Education office, specifically as it relates to admissions and registration.

3. Strong planning and coordinating skills to handle high volume processing

4. Excellent customer service skills

Payband: H Starting Rate: $35.06; Four Year Rate: $40.71
Hours: 35 hours per week (1) one hour lunch; Mon – Fri (8:30 am – 4:30 pm; one evening shift)

Please apply below by submitting your cover letter and resume to the online portal. Job Competition closes on January 11, 2024 Competition number SS24-02.