<Customer Service/Admissions Assistant>

Department:

Office of Registrar

Effective Date:

November, 2010

Grade:

USG 5

35 hr/wk

Reports to:

Manager, Customer Services

General Accountability

The Customer Service Assistant/Admissions Assistant is responsible for providing front-line customer support in the Office of the Registrar and ensures professional and responsive customer relations for students, applicant, staff, parents, and alumni of the University of Waterloo. For six months (January, May, September-December), the incumbent will be part of the Customer Team providing phone/e-mail support and relief front desk responsibilities. During the remaining six months, the Customer Service Assistant/Admissions Assistant will work with the Admissions team supporting and ensuring a smooth Admissions cycle. The incumbent is primarily responsible for administering the Admissions general inquiries email account throughout the year.

The Customer Service area is responsible for responding to telephone, in-person, fax, email and web inquiries pertaining of a general nature to all aspects of admissions, records, scheduling, convocation, and general information regarding finance and student awards. The Admissions team is responsible for processing applications to the University and providing client support to potential students and the academic faculties across campus.

In addition to working closely with other Admissions/Customer Service staff, the position requires close working relationships Records, Records and Systems, Visitors’ Centre, Scheduling, Examinations and Convocation, and Student Awards areas in the Office of the Registrar to ensure effective communication, clarity of procedures, providing referral contacts, and general problem solving. This position contributes in a major way to the effective, efficient, and accurate communication of the policies and procedures for the Registrar’s Office.

Nature and Scope

The Office of the Registrar maintains records for approximately 35,000 on-campus and distance education undergraduate students. The Office provides academic support for a number of functions on behalf of the University. These include student recruitment, publications, undergraduate admissions, student registration, course enrolment and examination scheduling, student financial assistance programs and scholarships, academic records, examinations, grade reporting and transcript generation. Supporting these activities are computing systems such as the People Soft (PS) Student Administration System.

This position is one of three within the Customer Service Team and one of six within the Admissions team, in addition to a work placement student(s) each term, reporting to the Manager, Customer Services with feedback from the Manager, Admissions. This position plays a key role in providing front line support to students as well as staff in the Office of the Registrar. The Customer Service area is responsible for answering general enquiries pertaining to admissions, records, scheduling, convocation, student finance, student awards, and student financial aid. The Admissions Assistant team responds to inquiries from applicants via phone and e-mail. The Assistants from both teams handle general office mail, e-mail, direct visitors, provide referral service, and general problem solving. In addition to the communication responsibilities, the Assistant while positioned within the admissions team will be required to processes applications, including coding decisions and receipt of documentation.

The Assistant is responsible for providing front-line customer service and information in the Registrar’s Office and ensures professional and responsive customer relations for students, staff, parents, and guests of the University of Waterloo. The Customer Service/Admissions Assistant’s role is an integral part of streamlining and improving how we communicate effectively to our clients.

Statistical Data

Permanent staff complement for Customer Service and Undergraduate Admissions: 28 FTE

Undergraduate Domestic Enrolment: 24,891 FTE

Undergraduate Visa Enrolment: 2,360 FTE

Annual undergraduate application activity: 38,670 domestic applications

Annual visa application activity: 5,675 visa applications

Annual on-campus visitors: 60,000

Annual prospective contacts: 160,000 (includes 60,000 on-campus visitors)

Annual Tuition and Grant Revenue: $261,000,000

Actively recruiting world-wide in: 24 countries

Specific Accountabilities

Customer Service Duties and Responsibilities

Provides professional, timely, and accurate customer service to applicants, current students, graduates, staff, etc. This involves responding appropriately to all types of inquiries related to undergraduate admissions and records in person, over the telephone, via e-mails, fax or mail. Provides general guidance on published guidelines and explains policies, processes, and procedures.
Refers specific inquiries or difficult/complex queries directly to the appropriate area or department regarding grades, appeals, exemptions, fee deferrals, etc. Determines when referral to Program Coordinators, Admissions or Records Assistants is necessary and recommends alternatives.
Produces “To Whom It May Concern” and verification letters confirming students’ status at the university as required. Writes brief notes, completes forms, etc.
Assists with the verification of registration status for students with regard to RESP forms, Work Permits and other agencies requiring this type of verification
Collects miscellaneous fees submitted with forms requesting services from the Registrar’s Office such as To Whom It May Concern Letters, Transcript Requests, Letters of Permission, Fax and Courier charges, Diploma Charges, Supplementary Exam Fees, etc. Accepts credit card payments and prepares daily bank deposits for submission to the Finance Office.
Retrieves information from an on-line student records system. Updates/changes student records on-line in a timely manner.
File documents including cash batches/slips.
Assist with the distribution documents e.g. transcripts, convocation tickets, and other brochures/materials to students as required.
Provides administrative support for the Office of the Registrar during overload situations, during absences, or as required.
Undertake special tasks as assigned.

Admissions Specific Responsibilities:

The assistant must be knowledgeable on undergraduate admissions policies and procedures.
The assistant will be responsible for handling inquiries from applicants regarding the status of their admission file and decision.
The incumbent will prepare admissions packages according to the different admission categories.
The assistant will be required to track and communicate with Ontario Secondary School applicants who have special circumstances to be considered or do not follow normal admission requirements.
As a valued staff member in the admissions team, the incumbent is expected to contribute to our process of constant system changes that affect daily activities.
The assistant advises and counsels applicants with respect to the implications of and reasons for positive and negative decisions. In doing so, s/he must be cognizant of the stresses and pressures that potential students and their parents are experiencing and delicately handle very sensitive issues to not adversely affect the university’s enrolment targets and overall reputation.
The assistant is responsible for verifying authenticity, coding and updating data received from or on behalf of applicants such as TOEFL scores, transcripts, or other documents that are required before admission decisions can be finalized. As files are completed, the assistant independently assess when some applicant files are ready for a decision. In reviewing transcripts, s/he is responsible for calculating routine overall grade point averages. Quest allows staff to track status of documents received, correspondence, and generate letters, and reports.
Throughout the admissions cycle, the assistant is expected to code admission decisions, program status changes, and amendments to program evaluations.
The assistant will have frequent contact with Waterloo Staff/Faculty in the faculty admissions areas as well as admissions officers within the team to discuss the status of applicant files and communicate this information precisely and accurately.
The assistant is expected to run standard queries to identify the various stages of completion of admission activities and coding accuracy. S/he is required to have a thorough knowledge of business processes and practices to make suggestions for improvements and to identify discrepancies.

Major Areas of Contact

Applicants, students and parents: Provides information on admissions and records as well as general student awards and finance information. Investigates processing problems on behalf of individuals. Explains standard policies, procedures, services, etc. Provides program information, and clarification or verification re: application and registration status. Obtains clarification to initiate adjustments to inaccurate and incomplete information.
General Public (e.g. high school officials, bank officials, etc.): Provide general information related to a myriad of questions. Act as a referral service.
Staff within the Registrar’s Office: Confirm information regarding individual student and applicant inquiries and assist in resolving problems/discrepancies. Cooperative team effort is required to complete tasks.
Departmental Admissions and Undergraduate Advisors/Secretaries and Assistants: Provide general information regarding procedures related to registration, graduation, etc.