Academic Support Co-Ordinator X2 - Midrand at Varsity College

Varsity College is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). The IIE enjoys the reputation of being at the forefront of private higher education in South Africa and is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to provide higher education qualifications accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).

The IIE Varsity College, Online Centre has a vacancy for an Academic Support Co-ordinator. NB These positions may be based at either Cape Town Office or the Online Centre in  Waterfall. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Academic Department Administrative Support

• Responsible for the day-to-day administrative support of the VCO Academic department across the designated School and Programmes.
• Compiles, manages and distributes academic reports as required by the School’s Programme Manager
• Captures student notes in the academic system as and when required.
• Collaborates with other members of the Academic team (and other departments when applicable) to prepare for and meet the requirements for the campus PULSE and Groups Internal Audits.
• Provides academic and administrative support during the registration period, including calling for student retention initiatives.
• Supports the Coordinator T&L with the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETS) requirements.
• Attends the Academic department meetings and records minutes at these meetings when required.
• Assists with student disciplinary hearings as and when required.
• Meets project deadlines as determined by the National office and/or the Manager: Online Teaching & Learning

 Independent Contractor (Lecturer) Administration Management

• Responsible for day-to-day administrative management of the Online Tutor (Independent Contractor) team associated with the relevant School.
• Supports the Programme Manager/s in managing the Online Tutors and addresses or directs their queries timeously and accurately.
• Monitors the OT’s administrative performance, for example: the timeous submission of timesheets and documentation aligned with audit requirements and company policy.
• Captures information on the Direct Academic Student Engagement (DASE) tracker and ensures that this tracker is kept up-to-date and accurate at all times.
• Manages OT loads by way of module allocations i.e Direct Academic Student Engagement tracking (DASE/non-DASE) to ensure the permissible maximum hours are adhered to and are not exceeded.
• Manages and notifies the relevant OTs of any changes that may affect their designated programmes.
• Collaborates with relevant parties (Manager: Online T&L, Programme Managers and the Junior HR Officer: Academic) to advertise vacancies.
• Applies for Academic (Classification of Educational Subject Matter: CESM) approval on the HR & Payroll System to determine what module/s each Independent Contractor is approved to facilitate, and ensures that approvals are awarded by the Central Academic Team (CAT) prior to giving the Junior HR Officer: Academic the details to draw up the relevant Independent Contractor related Annexures.
• Collaborates with the Junior HR Officer: Academic on the OTs appointment process to ensure that the process is streamlined, and all audit and policy/process requirements are met prior to any Independent Contractor Agreement being issued or work being offered or carried out.
• Provides the Junior HR Officer: Academic with the relevant information needed to complete the Independent Contractor Agreements and associated Annexures.
• First level approver for the OT timesheet approval process on the HR & Payroll system.
• Collaborates with the JR HR to fulfil the timesheet approval function and checks timeously in the HR & Payroll system on a monthly basis in accordance with the payroll deadlines to ensure that all timesheets are approved, and any queries are resolved before the timesheet cut-off date.
• Works with Academic Department in driving Online Tutor evaluations.
• Ensures that all new OTs are invited to attend the semester Online Induction and Orientation sessions as part of their onboarding process.

Campus Synergy & General

• Assists the Academic department with the co-ordination of online academic workshops when required.
• Assists in identifying at risk students and OTs and directs academic related queries to the relevant Academic team member timeously.
• Addresses queries with the relevant National office Academic Support team members, and rolls-out directives or projects as and when required.
• Collaborates with all departments to facilitate optimal performance within the portfolio or scope of duties.
• Complies with The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) legislation relevant to the role.

 Competencies required:

• Advanced administrative and organisational skills
• Computer and system proficiency
• Problem solving skills
• Advanced communication
• Time management & prioritisation skills
• Best suited to a friendly, organised and methodical person who works accurately and able to handle pressure

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Minimum of a National Diploma/Advanced Certificate (NQF Level 6). However, candidates in their final year of their studies (NQF Level 6) who are currently employed in the company will also be considered for the role.
• Advanced diploma or Degree (NQF Level 7) advantageous

Minimum Work Experience Requirements:

• Minimum of two years administrative experience, ideally within a tertiary academic environment