Student Equity Specialist, Peer Mentorship - Jobs in Waterloo, ON

Job Description

Overview:Term: 2 YearsThe Student Equity Specialist, Peer Mentorship is accountable to the Manager, Student Equity and Community for the coordination and support of intentional peer mentorship programs for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented groups. This includes coordinating and supporting the peer mentorship programs that currently exist for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented groups at the University of Waterloo. The Student Equity Specialist, Peer Mentorship will function primarily in the areas of student equity, student development, student transition, programming, event management, and administrative capacities. The Student Equity Specialist, Peer Mentorship works collaboratively with the Student Equity and Community team, the New Student Transition team, and the broader Student Success Office on issues related to student equity. These include but are not limited to research relating to: student transition, issues of inequity, factors that contribute to student success and university readiness, best practices at other institutions, and developing and delivering intentional and engaging trainings for student leaders.The Specialist will have three primary areas of focus: 1) Develop training programs/content for student leaders/mentors who specifically support Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and historically underrepresented groups at UWaterloo, 2) Enhance the existing peer mentorship Foundational Training Program to reflect an equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racist perspective, and 3) Provide administrative support and subject expertise to new peer mentorship programs that support Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and historically underrepresented groups developed in partnership with the SSO and campus/faculty partners. The Specialist will work closely with the Manager, Student Equity and Community to execute their primary areas of focus.Responsibilities:Program Administration, Development, and Evaluation

• Develop, coordinate, and implement supporting components of peer mentorship programs to enhance existing university efforts to support Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented student groups
• Be knowledgeable and remain abreast of the needs of Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and historically underrepresented students including best practices at other institutions, current research, and trends, and forecasting future development
• Applies an equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism lens to all program administration and evaluation elements
• Provide support and direction in key administrative tasks, including but not limited to ongoing review and evaluation of program goals and learning objectives
• Support critical and intentional elements of existing and new peer mentorship programs delivered by key campus partners related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism as directed by recommendation 56 from the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce. This includes developing and delivering training modules, training, and supervising the delivery of training modules by student facilitators, providing central support for recruitment and recognition efforts, and researching and designing appropriate assessment tools for new and existing programs
• Coordinates the collection of information (participant and student leader feedback, attendance numbers, etc.) to provide recommendations for future program adjustments and considerations
• Oversees program evaluation and assessment for all programs in the portfolio, to anticipate future programming needs and requirements. This includes but is not limited to survey administration, synthesizing participant and stakeholder feedback, and inputting relevant information into SSO databases as needed

Student Staff Management and Student Leader Development

• Provide excellent leadership to all student staff in the Specialist’s area of responsibility. This will include creating and maintaining positive working relationships by establishing a clear set of reasonable and mutually agreed upon expectations, effectively measuring and evaluating performance, and providing ongoing feedback. The Specialist is expected to provide equity training and leadership development for all student staff
• Maintains consistent and appropriate levels of communication with student staff to ensure ongoing engagement and accountability
• Responsible for the recognition and appreciation of student staff. They work closely with other staff in the SSO to ensure compensation and appreciation of student staff and volunteers is equitable whenever possible

Training Development and Delivery

• Supports the development and delivery of specialized student leader trainings in the topic area of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• Responsible for content creation, developing engaging delivery methods, training staff and student facilitators the development of an evaluation strategy
• Responsible for the review and update of the Foundational Training Program with an equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism lens
• Applies an equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism lens to all aspects of training development, delivery, and evaluation

Relationship Building and Strategic Partnerships

• Collaborates with the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), Graduate Student Association (GSA), Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism and other campus partners to ensure students are provided with the necessary support, resources, and information pertinent to their University of Waterloo student experience as a Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented groups
• Support and expand the pre-existing community of practice around peer mentorship for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students on campus
• Build trust and partnerships with other departments with established peer mentorship activities or commitments to develop activities, leading efforts to form consensus on key supporting components to be commonly delivered across programs, specifically for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented groups
• Key campus partners include but are not limited to: WUSA, GSA, Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, Campus Housing, Campus Wellness, Athletics and Recreation, Co-operative and Experiential Education, and all Faculties and affiliated University Colleges

Qualifications:

• University Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or equivalent in related field (e.g. Equity, Leadership, Student Development, or Education) is an asset. Lived expertise and institutional/systemic knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism required
• The SSO is seeking candidates with lived experience and/or demonstrated experience working with those who identify as a member of the following designated groups: candidates who are racialized, women, persons with a disability, as well as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community
• Minimum of 3 years experience: managing/leading a diverse team, project management experience, teaching experience/curriculum design, and demonstrated experience embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism frameworks into student-facing programming
• Experience in facilitation required
• Experience developing and delivering programs, workshops, or courses within a post-secondary environment
• Volunteer management/previous staff supervision experience
• Experience in a student services setting working with equity-deserving students and student associations
• Experience working with large Excel spreadsheets, data analysis and report writing
• Demonstrated knowledge of the concepts of equity, decolonization, and anti-oppression. Proven ability to apply these concepts in program development, facilitation, and evaluation
• Proven ability to take initiative and be both creative and flexible
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, including written, oral, one on one, and group
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and thrive in a collaborative environment and to apply a positive team approach to working with colleagues within and outside of the office
• Demonstrated ability coaching student staff in facilitation and program content development
• Proven facilitation skills and an ability to communicate to diverse audiences both in person and online
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Intermediate technical skills with the following programs: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams

Equity Statement:The University of Waterloo is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.Quick Apply

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