Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
March 31, 2027This is a full-time role with an end date of March 31, 2027
Job Description Summary
The Field Education & Admissions Assistant provides program, administrative, and secretarial support to field education and program admission in the School of Social Work. Acts as a key departmental administrative contact to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Master of Social Work (MSW), and PhD students in the areas of admissions, practicum placement, general information, and liaising with stakeholders. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining student records on field education and on admissions. This position also provides administrative support to Continuing Professional Education with an emphasis on promotion, awareness-raising and outreach. The incumbent liaises with external organizations (e.g. social service agencies, Health Authorities, hospital sites, academic institutions), and with students either in person or by phone including confidential enquiries
Organizational Status
Reports to the Director and the Administrator of the School of Social Work. Works under the general direction of the Field Education Coordinators, Field Education Chair and the Program Advisor. Works closely with other staff positions to fulfill the operational requirements of the School.
Work Performed
Field Education - Student and Agency Enquiries:
-Responds courteously and accurately to general, specific and complex in person, phone and written inquires on field education from students, community agencies, and general public and, when necessary, refers to the Field Education Coordinators and appropriate faculty.
-First point of contact for confidential and sensitive student questions and concerns over the phone and in person. When such a situation arises, which is frequent, and involves serious issues in the practicum and is a crisis situation, the incumbent is expected to be able to handle confidential matter in an appropriate way by making appropriate referrals, and provide support within set boundaries.
Practicum Placement Support:
-Works with the Field Education Coordinators in coordinating and organizing processes related to identifying potential agencies for student placements. Organizes and participates in recruitment initiatives.
-Streamlines processes related to student placements by creating an efficient internal procedure and repository of information tracking where students can easily identify requirements that need to be fulfilled prior to placements.
-Liaises with UBC Legal Council in the preparation of affiliation agreements with government and non-profit agencies and their renewals so that students can be placed. Responsible for administrative processing and tracking of affiliation agreements; seeks student consent, collects fees, sends criminal record clearances to agencies; creates spreadsheets for student placement process; sends out certificates of training site and appreciation at end of placement year.
-Collects, checks and tracks SPECO checklists, Learning Hub transcripts and PARIS for health care placements. Follows up with students with missing information and answers related inquires.
- Coordinates scheduling of student placement interviews, which involves students and stakeholders. Creates and manages doodle polls for scheduling interviews; prepares documents (resume, cover letter, field placement form) for interviews; creates and maintains the filing system for student information; organizes interview days and directing students; and organizes interviews for hospital panels and MCFD/VACFSS.
Database Coordination:
- Responsible for support of IPT, a custom designed software program for field education designed by third party and is not supported by UBC IT.
- Acts as front-line person and troubleshoots immediate to complex technical issues with IPT. This includes working with other academic institutions and hospitals which use IPT to investigate the source of the problem and comes up with a solution.
-Manages database in IPT; administers groups of students. Responds to enquiries about IPT from students, field instructors and faculty and relays questions to Field Education Coordinators if needed.
-Maintains agency information on shared drive/database; collects information on field placements relating to Field Education, e.g. researches potential agencies for recruitment, and policy and practices of other academic institutions in field education.
- Under the direction of the Field Education Coordinators, coordinates the Health Sciences Placement Network (HSPnet) process for relevant courses.
-Resolves intermediate to complex technical issues and problems in HSPnet by working with Health Authorities and hospital sites through investigation and exchange of information.
- Coordinates processes essential to field placement, e.g. criminal record check, immunization, training modules required by Risk Management, etc.
- Coordinates and maintains student statistics and compile reports when required.
Event and Meeting Coordination:
- Works closely with Field Education Coordinators in coordinating events for field instructors.
-Generates invitation list of field instructors from spreadsheets and IPT; books rooms; administers registration; gathers and prepares materials, sign-in sheets, etc.; sends out certificates of completion to attendees of training sessions; collates and summarizes feedback forms from participants.
- Coordinates the planning and administrative tasks related to orientation sessions, events and meetings involving community agencies including organizing the event, room bookings, preparing materials for the events, and coordinating with community agencies.
- Provides administrative support for all student events, including Agency Fair, Practice Conference and MSW hospital cluster interviews, etc.
- Provides administrative support for field related meetings, practicum placement information sessions. Work includes scheduling, arranging zoom meetings, including assisting with any related technical issues, room bookings, equipment, refreshments, communicating with students.
Professional Development for Social Workers in Agency:
- Works closely with the Field Education Coordinators in planning and coordinating the professional development workshop for social workers in the entire province. This is an important process in building the relationship with agencies and providing continuing education to social workers and our alumni.
- Advertises professional development events on the website; maintains registration; forwards invites and reminders; sends attendee certificates of completion; assists with room bookings and catering.
-Acts as liaison between participants and Arts ISIT/UBC AV in providing basic to immediate technical support in webinar.
- Collates, collects feedback data for field instructor workshops, Continuing Professional Development workshops. Prepares reports for Field Education Coordinators, Field Education Chair, Director, and Administrator.
Finance and Website:
-Handles petty cash reimbursement for Field events. Tracks expenses for workshops, reconcile expenses, assists Field Education Coordinators in preparing annual budget.
- Maintains the Field Education section of the School website, including student forms; updates policies under the direction of Field Education Coordinators.
School Admissions and Awards Support:
- As first point of contact, responds to routine admission inquiries from BSW, MSW and PhD students.
-Responsible for accepting application materials from BSW, MSW and PhD students and communicating with prospective students; filing supplemental application materials for the BSW program.
-Responsible for following up with BSW and MSW students on incomplete materials and uploading them to eVision as necessary. If required, moves some supplemental materials to appropriate headings in eVision.
-Prepares BSW applicants’ personal statements for distribution to evaluation committee, which may involve reformatting.
-Creates a Qualtrics survey and distributes statements to committee members via Qualtrics and compiles Qualtrics results.
-Coordinates applications for non-academic awards and distributes applications to awards evaluation committee for review.
-Works closely with the Program Advisor with organizing miscellaneous events, such as the annual Student Orientation event, Graduation celebration, etc.
General School Administrative Coordination:
-Works closely with the Program Advisor with the implementation of the IRP Student system, such as helping with the validation of the School’s data and preparing the School’s faculty, staff and students for the system’s implementation. Responsible for disseminating internal communication and assisting in training unit level users in preparation for the new system.
- Shares receptionist duties with other administrative staff when needed.
- Provides back-up support for other administrative positions when required.
- Performs other duties as required.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
The incumbent must be able to work independently and within a team and exercise considerable judgment on a daily basis. The incumbent handles confidential student information in field placement and breach of confidentiality will tarnish the reputation of the School and UBC and potentially could have legal consequences. Errors in performance of the above-related duties could have a significant impact on the effectiveness, image, and reputation of the School of Social Work. Duties require a high level of confidentiality and are often complex. The position must exercise good judgment and initiative to handle matters based on UBC, program, and the School of Social Work policies, procedures and guidelines. Failure in meeting deadlines and errors in judgment could affect the planning process and could result in loss of valuable time and opportunities for faculty and students. Many of this position’s duties are extremely time-sensitive and require appropriate planning, monitoring and follow up to meet the various deadlines. Accuracy and attention to detail is essential to avoid errors that impact appointments and pay and that create unnecessary work at various units to correct.
Supervision Received
Reports to the Director and Administrator. Working with general direction from the Field Education Coordinators, Field Education Chair, and Program Advisor. Works independently under minimal supervision. The individual will be expected to work independently in accordance with established objectives and exercise initiative and judgment in handling matters of a non-routine nature, in planning sequence of duties and action to be taken.
Supervision Given
Explains policies and procedures to new faculty, staff and students. Oversees and directs the work of work study students and temporary staff or will they explain policies and procedures to new faculty, staff and students
Minimum Qualifications
High School graduation, plus one year of post-secondary education, plus four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications