Staff – Union
Job Category
CUPE 2950
Job Profile
CUPE 2950 Salaried – Sr Program Asst-Gen (Gr8)
Job Title
Course Coordinator
Department
Administrative Support Department of Statistics Faculty of Science
Compensation Range
Posting End Date
September 28, 2022
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.
Job End Date
Job Summary
The Department of Statistics at UBC is a growing academic unit within the Faculty of Science with activities in research, education, and consulting. Since the Department’s founding in 1984, we have had a consistent vision of the discipline of Statistics and of our role in shaping it through our activities in education, in methodological and applied research, and in support of subject area research. This vision is also consistent with the newly emerged field of Data Science.
To meet the increasing demand for statistics and data science training, we are seeking a Course Coordinator who will play an important role in our undergraduate statistics (STAT) courses and data science (DSCI) programs by providing course coordination and acting as the first point-of-contact for student queries. The successful candidate will act as a resource and address academic policy issues to many students from various backgrounds. They will recruit and functionally supervise undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants. The Course Coordinator will lead the design and administration of course-level and curriculum-level processes, and may contribute to other educational projects within the Department.
Organizational Status
This position reports to the Director of Finance, HR, and Operations in Statistics. The Course Coordinator will work collaboratively with our team of faculty members, instructors, and staff.
Work Performed
Student advising:
- Provides first-level support for administrative questions from students
- Handles students’ special requests and questions about course logistics (e.g., resolve accommodation requests for student assignments, refer students as needed to relevant organizations/people such as the Centre for Accessibility etc.)
- Assists students with registration in lecture, lab, and tutorial sections
- Responds to grade queries from students
- Uploads grades, problem sets, and clickers to the learning management system
- Resolves student schedule and midterm conflicts
- Manages the course waiting list
Management of teaching assistants:
- Participates in the recruitment and evaluation of teaching assistants
- Provides oversight and training of TAs
- Provides first-level support for administrative questions from TAs
- Schedules TA duties and addresses any required changes to TA duties throughout the term
- Provides materials and answers queries on lab logistics and timesheets
Academic administration:
- Reports potential cases of academic misconduct to course instructor(s) and helps them deal with such cases appropriately by coordinating and carrying out administrative processes
- Documents and assesses course-level policies and assists in developing and redesigning procedural guidelines and policies to meet educational and departmental goals
- Coordinates course schedules (e.g., makes sure there is consistency between sections)
- Coordinates and monitors multiple course-related projects
Communications:
- Facilitate meetings with TAs and instructors, etc.
- Regularly provide updates to course staff including faculty members, GTAs and UTAs
- Acts as a bridge between instructional faculty and teaching assistants
- Manages logistics, resources and communication
Educational technologies and course development:
- Maintains, and curates course materials and technical platforms, including but not limited to web pages, Canvas content (including Canvas quizzes), assignments, peer-grading software, electronic problem set hand-in systems, and version control systems for labs, assignments and projects
- Keeps current on the new software available to support teaching and course delivery
- Troubleshoots problems with teaching and learning technologies
Special projects and duties:
- Participate in other special projects that may be assigned by supervisors
- Performs other duties related to the qualifications and requirements of the job
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in judgment may result in the inefficient use of resources and may damage the image and reputation of the University and the Department of Statistics.
Supervision Received
Works independently with general direction of Chairs of the Undergraduate Development and Enhancement Committee in the Department of Statistics and the faculty members teaching the courses supported by this role.
Supervision Given
Will provide functional supervision for undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants.
Minimum Qualifications
High School graduation, plus two year post-secondary diploma, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Interpersonal Skills:
- Ability to make thoughtful, informed, and thorough decisions
- Effective diplomatic and interpersonal skills
- Ability to exercise sound judgment
- Ability to listen actively and attentively, and obtain clarification as required
- Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner
- Ability to approach interactions with an awareness of sensitive issues. (e.g., issues concerning specific cultures).
- Ability to guide parties with differing opinions to consensus
- Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships
- Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision
Communication:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to compose correspondence, reports, presentations, and other written materials using clear concise business English
- Ability to select the most effective communication media for a situation
- Ability to respond appropriately to inquiries in person, on phone, and in writing, and make appropriate referrals
- Ability to accurately proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation
- Ability to exercise tact and discretion
Organizational Skills:
- Excellent planning skills
- Ability to investigate and synthesize complex information
- Ability to be thorough, accurate, and have a high level of attention to detail
- Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities
- Ability to take initiative and to work independently as well as in a team environment
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a number of projects concurrently
- Ability to develop and implement policies and procedures
- Ability to understand and apply policies, procedures, and instructions.
- Ability to analyze and redesign workflow/business processes to make them more efficient and effective
- Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve them
- Ability to identify and correct missing and incomplete data
- Ability to anticipate problems and issues and plan ahead
- Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines
- Ability to create and accurately maintain record and filing systems
- Ability to gather, record, and organize information.
Technical Skills:
- Ability to read and comprehend technical material
- Ability to prepare complete, concise, and understandable technical documentation
- Ability to learn new software programs.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Prior experience working as a teaching assistant is preferred, particularly at UBC and/or for STAT/DSCI courses.