UTS POSITION DESCRIPTION UTS:HUMAN RESOURCES POSITION: UNIT/FACULTY UTS Student Centre Manager (several positions) HEW 9 Student Administration Unit PURPOSE OF THE ROLE The UTS Student Centre Manager is accountable for the performance of the Student Centre, ensuring a high-quality user friendly operation and excellent customer service for students, faculties, the UTS community and public. WORKING ENVIRONMENT The Student Centre is responsible for the provision of student administrative activities across the entire university. They are the first point of contact for University clients seeking information, advice and assistance on student administration and case management issues. Information and advice are provided to prospective, present and past students on all aspects of student-related administrative procedures and UTS Rules covering a broad range of matters from initial enquiry to admission applications through to graduation. The Student Centres provide key services on behalf of faculties in relation to student administrative matters. Student Centres are location based to aid student interactions, and on that basis the majority of the enquiries within a Student Centre will be from students of nearby faculties. There are five Student Centres across UTS that are part of the Student Administration Unit in the Registrar’s Division. There is one UTS Student Centre Manager position located within each Student Centre. The Student Centre Manager must be prepared to work at all student centre locations as needed or directed. DIMENSIONS UTS is one of the largest universities in New South Wales, with over 30 000 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. STUDENT NUMBERS: Higher Degree Research: Postgraduate Coursework: Undergraduate TOTAL: 1 273 10 926 19 403 31 602 Faculties: 9, Institutes: 2 UTS offers more than 90 undergraduate degrees and over 200 postgraduate courses. There are over 4000 international students from more than 70 countries enrolled at the University, including AusAID sponsored students from developing countries. The Student Centres provide services to any student at any location regardless of the students Faculty, campus or discipline. REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS The Student Centre Manager reports directly to the General Manager, Student Administration Unit. The Student Centre Team Leader(s) reports directly to the Student Centre Manager. The Student Centre Officers report to the Student Centre Team Leader. Student Centre Manager 1 CONTACTS AND CRITICAL RELATIONSHIPS Internal The Student Centre Manager; works closely with the other Student Centres Managers, the SAU Admission Manager, Enrolment Manager, the Team Leaders, the Systems team and the International Office. liaises and consults with the Deans, Associate Deans, Faculty Mangers, Faculty Administration Staff and other relevant Faculty academic staff in the faculties located nearby. liaises with Student Services Unit and other service areas. liaises with HR Partners for advice on staff maters UTS students The Manager will expertly lead pan-University student administration with a high degree of knowledge and sensitivity by facilitating cooperation and collaboration with Faculties and administrative units within the University, and facilitating the ongoing integration of UTS administration to meet both internal and external requirements. External The student Centre Manger; provides advice to prospective students. liaises with other Australian tertiary institutions and International educational institutions, Insearch and other related private educational organisations, including o DIMIA, DEST and ATO, professional societies and associations, , o employers, careers advisers, High Schools, TAFE and the general public. MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES Ensure the one-stop service provision in the Centre is high quality, efficient, effective and both student and faculty focused to both promote and enhance the reputation of UTS Ensure effective and efficient student administration in the Centre by providing leadership and managerial accountability to achieve significant synergies in the provision of a wide range of customer-focused services. Effectively manage resource allocation and achievement of service standards within budget for the Student Centre and provide ongoing guidance for effective performance management and professional development of staff In conjunction with the other Student Centre Managers across UTS the Manager will conceptualize, plan and develop long-term strategies to ensure the efficient management of directly delivered services to internal and external clients. MAJOR FUNCTIONS The Student Centre Manager is responsible for: Managing the Student Centre team. This involves: o Leading and setting strategic directions and priorities for the team. Strategies will be developed to ensure that excellent service and accurate and timely administrative processing is consistently maintained. Effective management of the Centre team is a prime function of the Student Centre Manager. o Ensuring training and peak demand levels are catered for both within the Centre and for other cyclical functions (such as enrolments, admissions, graduation and examinations). Programs need to be designed to ensure that university rules, regulations, goals and deadlines are met. o Co-coordinating work, maintaining high morale, while maximising team cooperation and collaboration with other administrative units, particularly when dealing with similar issues or processes. o Providing expert advice to the team leaders on complex student administrative matters. This includes investigation and resolution of student complaints. o Developing, monitoring and managing the delivery of work undertaken via service level agreement with the nearby faculties. Contributing to the formulation, review and implementation of policy and procedures relating to the Centres student administration and support. This will involve examining policies and procedures to identify improvement Student Centre Manager 2 opportunities, preparing and presenting reports and submissions, with a particular emphasis on utilizing technologies to maximize the effectiveness of all administrative support matters and identifying opportunities to reduce the administrative workload of staff. This requires a holistic conceptual approach to ensure that the business improvements are achievable in a complex environment with many stakeholders and competing requirements among stakeholders. Managing high-level projects, for implementation across the University. Projects may include, for example the management of information ‘packaging’ for the establishment of a ‘one-stop’ service for all student centres. This will lead to an increase in student self-management capability impacting services provided by all faculties and the SAU. Liaising with senior staff members of the nearby Faculties, developing and maintaining links between relevant academic staff and centre staff. The Manager will work with faculties on strategic plans, focusing on providing a high level of service and expert advice on student administrative matters. The Manager will identify opportunities to expand and improve the SLAs, and be influential in ensuring duplication, double handling and conflicting information between centre and faculty are avoided. Ongoing liaison with other administrative functional areas that have an impact on the Centre is required. Developing, implementing and reviewing new and focused quality improvements to administrative systems in order to support the functions of the Centre. The University’s quality improvement process of ‘plan, do, review, improve’ will be diligently followed. An action plan will be developed with the input of all Centre Managers (strategies, actions, accountabilities, indicators of success) with specific attention paid to the connections between strategy and actions and to strategic priorities. Establish, document and implement a strategy for the ongoing review and regular updating of procedures that outline Student Centre activities. Reporting on a wide-range of statistics and other relevant management information on student centre related matters, providing appropriate reports, analysis and recommendations to the General Manger SAU. The Manager must also ensure that the Student Centres are compliant with University record keeping requirements. An ongoing requirement is to coordinate the documentation and ongoing review of student related procedures, and the development of ServiceDesk information for both staff and student reference. The accuracy and consistency of such information is paramount. CHALLENGES AND PROBLEM SOLVING This is a new role with significant strategic and management responsibility. As such, the Manager will need to develop effective working relationships with all student centre and faculty managers and will build and maintain an effective administrative support student centre with a strong focus on, and an understanding of, the needs and requirements of a diverse student, staff and general public population. The Student Centre is a highly interactive environment that is affected by most events and changes in other UTS units and faculties. The Centre Manager must be able to manage change promptly and effectively in allocating resources and implementing staff training to ensure the seamless provision of information and to ensure that quality service standards are met within budget. Given the progress toward student self-management, the Student Centre Manager must possess an exceptional knowledge of the relevant student computer systems, their implications for processes and procedures, and change management processes. Critically, new systems must be implemented in a way that does not reduce service to students and does not increase pressure on staff. In managing the process of review and change within the Student Centre, the Manager must facilitate all participants and processes so as to maintain a harmonious work environment and a commitment to student-focused processes. The Student Centre Manager must be acutely aware of the University’s need to conserve resources and the need for University-wide uniformity in many processes, procedures, and information provision and must foster collaboration and cooperation with student administrative units. Student Centre Manager 3 The Student Centre Manager will be expected to establish and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders in faculties, and initiate discussions on business improvements where appropriate. Student Centre Manager 4 AUTHORITY TO ACT Under broad direction from the General Manager SAU, the Manager has considerable autonomy but must operate within the guidelines of the University’s Rules and Academic Board resolutions. The Manager has the authority to manage a team and develop and implement policies, procedures and practices as required by the team, the SAU and in collaboration with the faculties located nearby to fulfill Student Administration Action Plans and University strategic plans. Safety & Wellbeing responsibilities All staff must: Take reasonable care of, and cooperate with actions taken to protect, the health and safety of both themselves and others report all accidents, incidents and hazards to their supervisor as soon as is practicable Supervisors and managers of staff and facilities must do whatever is reasonably practical to ensure that both the workplace and the work itself are safe, in consultation with staff affected. SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES Demonstrated highly effective management, analytical and strategic thinking skills, interpersonal skills, verbal, written, negotiation, influencing and problem solving skills. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain critical client relationships with key faculty and other University clients Demonstrated expertise in high level problem resolution, and negotiation skills to enable the implementation of desired outcomes in a complex environment with competing demands. Proven ability to review, develop and implement University wide policies, practices, programs and actively participate in the implementation of change in the workplace. Proven initiative in implementation and evaluation of new business practices to enhance performance across several areas Demonstrated experience in managing a diverse range of projects in meeting business objectives. Proven capacity to provide leadership in an environment of continuous improvement and service improvement, to motivate and influence staff to achieve ongoing superior performance in service delivery. Proven ability to design, deliver and evaluate effective training. An understanding of equity and merit principles and a commitment to EEO. Competence in student systems at UTS, or similar. A postgraduate qualification and extensive experience; or extensive management experience and proven management expertise; or an equivalent combination or relevant experience and/or education/training. Experience in providing University wide customer focused services to students. Experience in the effective performance management, professional development and training of staff ORGANISATIONAL CHART Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) & Registrar Director, Student Administration Unit General Manager, Operations and Process Improvements Manager, Student Centre (L9) Team Leaders, Student Centre (L7/8) Student Centre Officers (L5/6) Student Centre Manager 5 Student Centre Manager 6 SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES (SELECTION CRITERIA) SUPPORT STAFF POSITION: UTS Student Centre Manager FACULTY/UNIT: Student Administration Unit • Demonstrated highly effective management and interpersonal skills, verbal, written, negotiation, influencing and problem solving skills. • Proven ability to review, develop and implement University wide policies, practices, programs and actively participate in the implementation of change in the workplace. • Proven initiative in implementation and evaluation of new business practices to enhance performance across several areas. • Demonstrated experience in managing a diverse range of projects in meeting business objectives. • Proven capacity to motivate and influence staff to achieve superior performance in service delivery. • Proven ability to design, deliver and evaluate effective training. Knowledge • Competence in student systems at UTS. Qualifications Experience required • Experience in providing University wide customer focused services to students. • Experience in the effective performance management, professional development and training of staff. Student Centre Manager 7