Graduate Affairs Assistant II

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: Level N

About Western

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

About Us

The Department of Anthropology at Western University provides a diverse and dynamic environment for undergraduate, graduate students and faculty as they study the socio-cultural, linguistic, archaeological and biological diversity and complexity of humanity. For undergraduate and graduate students alike, the department offers a wide array of educational opportunities, such as international field courses and hands-on experiential learning courses. The Anthropology program engages interested students and world-class faculty members in exploratory learning that provides experience in both independent and collaborative research within perspectives that focus on the environment, bodies and health, human relations, inequality, and power, and individual, social, and cultural identifies.

Responsibilities

In collaboration with the Department Chair, Graduate Chair, and Administrative Officer, the Graduate Affairs Assistant is accountable for the effective and efficient administration of the graduate programs in the Department of Anthropology. The Graduate Affairs Assistant is the main point of contact for all queries related to the graduate programs being supported and is required to follow all policies and procedures related to graduate programs of Anthropology as set by the Department Graduate Committee and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS). The Graduate Affairs Assistant is accountable for administrative student support and advising to graduate students from the time of program inquiry through application, orientation, program progression, examination, and post-graduation.

The Graduate Affairs Assistant is responsible for providing administrative support for the graduate program portion of the annual budget planning, processing, and tracking of financial support for graduate students, including setting up and monitoring of financial support students receive from the Faculty of Social Science, recruiting scholarships, and externally awarded scholarships. In conjunction with the Graduate Chair, the role assesses applications and determines eligibility for numerous internal and external (provincial and federal) scholarship and award competitions. This role hires and reconciles Graduate Student Appointments (GF, GTA, GSA) in PeopleSoft HR and WGRS in PeopleSoft HE Financials.

The Graduate Affairs Assistant designs, maintains, and updates the graduate portion of the websites, the creation and design of recruitment and communication materials, and organizes all recruitment open house(s) and welcome orientation events. In addition, the Graduate Affairs Assistant acts as the Department Reviewer in the PeopleSoft Financial system for all department expense report claims and cash advance requests. The Graduate Affairs Assistant also provides backup support to the undergraduate program when appropriate.

Qualifications

Education:

• 3 year community college diploma in Business Management or Administration
• University bachelor's degree is preferred

Experience:

• 3 years’ experience providing financial and administrative support in an academic setting with a customer service orientation
• Previous experience with PeopleSoft HE and student academic records is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to interact professionally, respectfully, and diplomatically with students, staff, faculty, and other members of the University community
• Verbal communication skills to clearly express ideas in an objective manner, and adapt communication style to suit the situation and audience
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, to work independently and follow through on work assignments
• Ability to apply active listening to hear and understand the complete message being communicated
• Competency to maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive information with discretion
• Ability to establish rapport with people from diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to understand and resolve external and internal partner issues
• Ability to maintain a positive, outgoing attitude with genuine customer service orientation
• Ability to process information with a high degree of accuracy, and follow formal business practices with high attention to detail
• Ability to understand, interpret, and effectively communicate University guidelines, policies, practices, and the GTA Collective Agreement to key stakeholders
• Ability to multi-task and maintain an organized and effective personal work environment
• Adapts readily and effectively to changing priorities and demands
• Personable and courteous in working relationships with colleagues, faculty members, students and the public
• Ability to make appropriate decisions and resolve issues by identifying the critical elements of a problem situation and considering each aspect
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills to complete accurate calculations
• Strong aptitude to generate standard reports, audit data output, and resolve issues
• Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals
• Intermediate proficiency required in Microsoft Office in order to prepare emails, announcements, and to input data into spreadsheets and databases
• Familiarity with software applications used by Western preferred (e.g., OWL, Cascade, PeopleSoft, GradNet, Extranet, Mercury, MustangMarket)
• Familiarity with academic calendar and programs offered at Western preferred
• Familiarity with Western policies and guidelines preferred
  

Union Statement

Western welcomes applications from all qualified individuals; however, it is the university's policy to give first consideration to all qualified UWOSA applicants.

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.