Student Support and Engagement Officer

Job purpose

Our Student Support Officers (SSO) help Glasgow College to provide a positive and supportive learning and living environment for its students.  They build close relationships with students and organise events and activities which foster a sense of belonging to the College and an understanding of the cultures of the UK, Scotland and The University of Glasgow.  Working with their UESTC colleagues, they also help students to become successful learners and to prepare them for their future lives and careers.

Main duties and responsibilities

1.      Develop, organise and deliver a programme of social, recreational and cultural activities that foster a sense of belonging amongst students.  The work includes marketing the activities to students, collecting feedback and evaluating impact.

2.      Work in partnership with services to gather regular student feedback, record and monitor service satisfaction and impact. Use this feedback to make recommendations for service improvement in the interest of the student experience.

3.       Provide a wide range of advice, information and support to students, in support of Academic Advisers, resolving issues independently and referring/escalating to other colleagues and services as appropriate.

4.       Work closely with UESTC colleagues to identify and address matters relating to academic study and students’ health and wellbeing.

5.       Work closely with UESTC colleagues to support students who are at risk of withdrawing from their studies.

6.       Assist UESTC to create a more international environment for students through, for example, poster displays in our teaching and dormitory buildings.

7.       Work with UESTC on the planning and administration of a programme of scholarships to support students of Glasgow College.

8.       Facilitate links between Glasgow College students and: (a) student organisations of The University of Glasgow, including the Student Representatives’ Council (SRC); (b) alumni of The University of Glasgow.

9.       In partnership with UESTC, develop and maintain an annual calendar of events and activities, a dual language newsletter and other channels of communication with students, making full use of social media and other appropriate channels.

10.   Encourage and facilitate student activities, participation in student competitions and study abroad.

11.    Build effective relationships with the other settled universities and the Hainan Campus Bureau and work with them on a campus-wide programme of events for students.

12.   Any other duties that might be reasonably required as the service develops.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills through personal development and progression in a similar role(s). Or Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 7 (SVQ level 3, HNC) or equivalent, and experience of professional development in a similar role.

A2 Sound knowledge of higher education regulations, processes and student support services.

A3 Awareness and understanding of student needs in Higher Education.

A4 Familiarity with UK and Chinese cultures.

Desirable:

B1 Awareness of issues relating to disabilities.

B2 An understanding of student finance in a Chinese context.

B3 An understanding of mental health and wellbeing and of how to handle students in distress

Skills

Essential:

C1 Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

C2 A proven ability to remain calm, demonstrate empathy and be professional at all times.

C3 Effectively plan and organise own workload and demonstrate excellent time management skills ensuring agreed timescales are consistently met.

C4 Proven ability to be proactive, creative, innovative and inclusive, ensuring an efficient approach to working practices, both autonomously as well as part of a team.

C5 Effective IT skills

C6 Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal sensitively with related issues/ individuals, with tact, diplomacy and empathy.

C7 Fluency in English and Chinese languages

Experience

Essential:

E1 Experience of working in an advisory capacity in a service-orientated role with the ability to identify a range of complex issues, assess situations and provide appropriate guidance and support, escalating where appropriate.

E2 Experience and track record in delivering excellent customer service.

E3 Experience of interpreting and applying regulations.

E4 Delivering presentations, workshops and promoting services both face to face and online, with experience of online delivery, through platforms such as Zoom, MS Teams and popular social media channels.

E5 Reviewing processes and procedures and identifying areas for improvement.

Desirable:

F1 Experience of working in Higher Education.

Terms & Conditions

The successful candidate will be employed by Hainan FESCO and based at  Glasgow College campus in Hainan

Salary in the range of RMB 96,000 – 170,000 RMB (13 month basis)

To apply for this position please click on the link below:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RxrM2Fqz_bFAoPRkd8v_sA

This post is full time and open ended.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 A flexible approach to working.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.