POSITION TITLE: YU START Student Coordinator
UNIT & DEPARTMENT: YU START, Student Success Centre
ELIGIBILITY: Full-time Domestic and Full-time International
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 2 summer positions
RATE OF PAY: $16.00/hour
EMPLOYMENT TERM: Summer 2021
HOURS OF WORK: Summer term = 34 hours per week
YU START
The YU START new student transition program is a collaborative program designed to support new students during their transition to university and help them succeed in their first year. The overarching goal of the YU START Program is to improve student satisfaction, engagement and preparedness to successfully begin university studies by providing a planned, coordinated and integrated set of learning activities and opportunities aimed at developing capacities. The program includes the YU START Online Enrolment Tutorial, the YU START University 101 Platform, online Discussion Board and online community (beginning 2021 the online community will be hosted on the Slack app), and York Orientation Day, an on-campus event to be hosted September 3, 2021.
BECOMING YU:
As part of your work study experience, you will be asked to participate in Becoming YU – a new program designed to support students in creating meaningful goals and objectives, recognize the value of your experiences, identify the leadership and career competencies you gain through these experiences and confidently articulate your skills and experiences, whether it’s for a future job or further education opportunity. Throughout your work/study experience you will have the opportunity to meet regularly with your coach to set goals and objectives, report and reflect on your progress and get valuable feedback.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Reporting to the YU START program leadership, the Student Coordinator plays an integral role in the operationalization of the YU START program. In conjunction with the YU START team, the Student Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the membership and support of the YU START Social Media and plays a key role in the planning and implementation of the York Orientation Day on September 3rd, 2021. At the same time, the YU START Student Coordinator will motivate and act as team lead to a group of 30-40 YU START student leaders, as well as being an effective liaison on behalf of the program with campus stakeholders including Colleges, student governments, orientation chairs, advising units, etc. Working with the YU START program leadership, the Student Coordinator works collaboratively with campus stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for new students from the YU START program to existing Fall/Winter peer mentorship programs.
Competencies which the positions will develop include: writing, delivering presentations, giving feedback, networking, liaising, collaborating, leading & mentoring, communicating via social and digital media, taking ownership and accountability, demonstrating professionalism and confidence, and managing time effectively.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Understanding of needs of transitioning students
- Facilitation skills
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Organization skills
- Interpersonal skills including tact and diplomacy
- Analytical skills
- Adaptability
- Project management skills
- Supervision and peer mentoring of others
- Working knowledge of and experience with social media platforms
- Ability to work independently and demonstrate initiative
- Critical thinking skills
- Large event planning experience
WHAT STUDENTS WILL GAIN FROM THIS POSITION
- New student transition expertise – Work/study students will be trained on the theory surrounding a successful new student transition. They will be given ample opportunity to put that theory into practice as they assist incoming students in their transition online and in person.
- Leading and Mentoring – The students will be trained on leadership and mentoring theory and techniques and will be given many opportunities to apply those theories as they lead a team of 50-60 YU START Leaders who will be managing the Facebook communications with incoming students
- Event planning – The students will have the chance to participate in the planning of York Orientation Day. They will be exposed to expert event planners and learn to construct event plans. They will be tasked with planning some elements of the day and with implementing a great deal of events.
- Presentation and meeting facilitation – These students will be trained on effective meeting facilitation and presentation methods. They will have the chance to put that training to practice as they host a variety of meetings.
MANDATORY TRAINING:
- YU START Leader Training
- Peer Leadership Training
- Joint Training/Digital Training for Summer Peers
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
To apply, please submit:
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- 250-word short essay on how you feel York University could improve the transition process for incoming students.
APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: Monday, March 22 at noon.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Only those applicants considered for an interview will be contacted.
- All applicants must submit their application using a @my.yorku.ca or if unpermitted, a @yorku.ca e-mail domain.