Student Support Coordinator at Stellenbosch University

Duties       

The Student Support Coordinator in FASS serves as the primary liaison between students and University support services. The purpose of the role is to promote and enhance student success for all undergraduate students in the Faculty, with a specific focus on students enrolled in the ECP. The ideal incumbent will have knowledge of the diverse backgrounds of students as well as factors that may impede student success. The incumbent should also be familiar with existing University support structures. The role will involve individual consultations with students, providing them with guidance and support tailored to their unique needs. Additionally, the Student Support Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and managing various administrative activities related to student integration and well-being. This will require exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail. The duties of this post include, but are not limited to:

• Dealing with all student enquiries related to student support (including academic, financial, and psycho-social support);
• Referring students to the appropriate departments, programme coordinators and divisions, such as the Centre for Student Counsellling and Development, the Disability Unit, Bursaries and Loans, Student Administration, etc.;
• Liaising with the Disability Unit and coordinating Faculty support for students living with disabilities;
• Record-keeping of consultations;
• Following up on queries;
• Coordinating projects which involve the introduction of new students (for, example, the Faculty's Welcoming Programme);
• Attending meetings of the ECP Programme Committee;
• Administrative coordination of the ECP Mentoring Programme;
• Communicating with current and prospective ECP students;
• Administrative implementation of the ECP marketing strategy, including managing the ECP's website.

Job Requirements        

• A three-year tertiary qualification with a background in Psychology or Social Work;
• At least three years' work experience in a relevant field;
• Proven verbal and written communication skills in English and Afrikaans and/or isiXhosa;
• Excellent organisational, planning, prioritising and administration skills;
• Proven administrative competencies, including knowledge of MS Excel and MS Word;
• Experience in liaising with academic departments;
• Proven ability to work in a team;
• Sensitivity to the diverse learning needs of students and the ability to handle this with the necessary empathy;
• Knowledge of University support structures (Centre for Student Development and Counselling, Bursaries and Loans, IT, the Disability Unit, Language Centre, Division of Student Affairs, etc.) and the ability to network/build relationships with staff in these divisions.

Recommendation        

• The ability to communicate in another official South African language, preferably isiXhosa;
• A postgraduate qualification in Psychology or Social Work.