As a member of a coordinated team and under the general supervision of the Manager, Student Services, acts as a University of British Columbia ambassador through the provision of call center support to students, staff, and the general public. General services provided consist of; telephone and email inquiries; appointment booking; information on university policy and procedures; administration of student financial assistance programs, administration of student information data bases and other related duties as required.
Organizational Status
Student Services is a function under the responsibility of Enrolment Services. The front line service-offering acts as a triage point for student inquiries and issues regarding tuition fees, registration, transcripts, student cards and parchments while also making appropriate on campus referrals and appointment bookings.
Enrolment Services staff liaise closely with the AVP Students portfolio, Faculties, Administrative Departments and outside government agencies including provincial and federal government student loan offices.
Work Performed
Call Centre Support (80%):
1. Accurately evaluates the needs of students, staff, and the general public over the phone and via e-mail and responds appropriately within a busy and deadline driven environment.
- Determines appropriate referrals to other units and service providers and makes appointments for more in-depth service where appropriate based on analysis of student inquiry and SISC supporting data.
- Advises students on steps to access financial support through government student loans (including out of province and U.S.), bursaries and awards, work study, and financial spending plans.
- Helps interpret the UBC academic calendar and related policies and liaises with academic advisors, faculty and enrolment services staff to provide answers to common registration questions.
- Troubleshoots complex financial situations including student loan issues, bursary eligibility, tuition assessments and award assignments and disbursements.
- Provides information and support for students and their families around planning and managing student finances including accessing emergency funding.
- Authorizes tuition deferments, recommends financial advances against student loans, and liaises with housing on residence fee deferrals in appropriate circumstances.
- Provides outstanding customer service for telephone, e-mail and in-person inquiries.
- Provides back up support to front-office staff.
Data analysis for student financial support (20%):
1. Provides robust computer data systems support for the delivery of student financial assistance programs, and the maintenance of student academic records and fee payments.
- Prepares and analyzes reports for loan and award recipients and takes appropriate course of action which may include communications to students, reduction of funding or withdrawal of student from loan eligibility
- Analyzes complex student fee accounts to assist students or staff inquiring about tuition and award accounts.
- Sets up new awards on SISC ensuring criteria and adjudication parameters are accurately coded. Rolls awards to next session when appropriate and enters award amounts based on information from development and/or the endowment review data bases.
- Coordinates recommended awards by liaising with faculty, staff and the development office to ensure timely adjudication of awards including running unassigned award searches, following up with recommendations when students are not meeting award criteria, advising scholarship chairs on process for adjudication, and maintaining records for audit purposes.
- Maintains SISC information and assigns awards, bursaries and emergency funding requests. Completes paperwork and manages legal documents related to advances. Investigates issues related to donor notices and prepares when necessary additional communication to students and donors for recommended awards.
- Determines parameters for searches on SISC to identify students eligible for awards and to report on student funding costs by program.
- Provides some financial reporting to department manager on an as needed basis.
- Provides reporting to UBCV Admin Services on a monthly basis.
- Posts tuition payments to students accounts via the SISC on a daily basis.
- Collates and records tuition cheque payments, prepares bank deposit and liaises with BRINKS armoured car service for pick up of bank deposit.
General Office Duties:
- Mail distribution, filing, image storage, data maintenance and purging.
- Performs other duties as assigned in keeping with the requirements of the position.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
The incumbent will need to exercise judgment, sound decision making and tact to ensure students are provided with appropriate information, referral and support. Decision making will require strong analysis of complex information using several sources (university and government policies, loan and in-house databases, web information). The Manager, Student Services will provide oversight and errors and omissions will be identified through tracking of system information (e.g. awards error reports, failing restrictions reports).
Judgment is required to resolve delays in student loan funding, to assess requests for emergency funding, to determine loan and/or scholarship eligibility and to determine when students should be referred to more in-depth advising or other services.
Poor judgment or decision making could lead to financial hardship for students, lack of access to services, negative academic outcomes, increased stress, negative financial impacts to the university, and compromised reputation for the university. Students could face delays in program completion, incur additional costs, miss out on opportunities that would enhance their university experience, or be unable to complete or begin their academic program.
Supervision Received
The position is supervised by a Manager, Student Services who is actively engaged in front line service and provides oversight on complex inquiries, intervenes as needed when exchanges become volatile and provides immediate information or technical support. Ongoing training and sharing of new information is provided by the MSS.
Supervision Given
N/A
Preferred Qualifications
University Degree or equivalent combination of experience and education.
One year experience in a university setting preferably in Student Services or enrolment services. Strong computer skills including ability to learn new computer programs, to use general office computer programs and equipment, and to access information through web and other data bases. Attention to detail and ability to multi-task and to prioritize work load and meet deadlines are essential. Ability to work in a team environment to deliver services within the context of a complex, busy and often high stress environment.
Attention to detail and ability to multi-task and to prioritize work load and meet deadlines are essential.
Ability to write clear concise business English.
Knowledge of accounting principles an asset. Ability to process large volumes of information and analyze customer needs while providing guidance and information on university and government policies and procedures.