Student Services Officer

The University of Glasgow is dedicated to the welfare and success of its students. In achieving this commitment, the Student Services Officer plays a crucial role in delivering a positive and innovative student centric service to enhance the student experience. The post holder will report to the Student Services Enquiry Team Lead (SSET) and will be part of an established team.

Led by the University’s Student Support and Wellbeing function, the Student Services Enquiry Team offers a front facing service based in the Fraser Building on campus. The Service is open Monday to Friday during office hours and is accessed in person via the Fraser Building desk and/or the SSET online helpdesk. Student Services Officers are required to work on campus in the Fraser Building generally for a minimum of 3 days a week, but more if required, usually during the busiest times of year such as the start of each Semester.

Serving as the initial point of contact for current and prospective students, graduates, and other visitors, the SSET Team is dedicated to providing a welcoming, professional and customer focused experience.

Team members are required to gather knowledge and share insight of the student journey to develop and enhance Student Services on an ongoing basis maintaining an awareness of issues affecting students. All team members ensure that services are delivered to high standards, fit for purpose and add value to the student experience, recognising the variety of needs of all groups accessing the service.

The Student and Academic Services Directorate work together to deliver our services in an integrated and professional way, and the front facing Student Services Enquiry Team are focused on providing innovative student centric services to support an enhanced student experience.

1. Provide a wide range of advice, information and first line support to students, resolving issues independently and referring/escalating to the appropriate services and personnel.

2. Facilitate referral routes and effectively triage student enquires to other services where and when appropriate (including Finance Office, Financial Aid, Careers, Counselling & Psychological Services, Disability Services, International Student Support, Global Opportunities) as well as referring to information and web-based services when necessary. This will require detailed knowledge and understanding of all Student Services and relevant software systems, policies and all the processes associated with the full student lifecycle. Contact with students will be in person, online and via the enquiry helpdesk system.

3. To evaluate the requirements of individual students using the service, aiming to address their inquiries or issues effectively in the initial interaction. This role involves exercising initiative and sound judgment to successfully resolve various issues

4. To understand and interpret student needs in a patient and sympathetic way when they present with difficulties articulating their issues. This includes providing appropriate support and escalation when students are distressed, and being able to assertively challenge unacceptable behaviour when needed. 5. To develop and maintain good working relationships with other university teams, including those in Colleges, Schools, Registry, Admissions, Alumni, Finance to ensure impactful exchange of information and advice towards providing an efficient service.
6. To liaise regularly with colleagues in Student Services to ensure that knowledge of services is up to date and to be aware of issues such as specific service campaigns, changing policies, important dates and other information relevant to students. 7. Ensure that team targets are met and ensure that service is delivered or exceeded in accordance with established service level agreements (SLA’s).
8. To carry out transactions such as provision of certifying letters, council tax forms, bank letters, issuing duplicate ID cards. 9. To complete a wide variety of forms for students where official University of Glasgow verification of student status is required. This requires an attention to detail and ability to quickly assess forms the team can complete against the ones requiring referral to another Service or College.
10. To manage the provision of information in the resource areas in the Fraser Building, ensuring that information on all handouts and leaflets remains up to date 11. To contribute to the development and maintenance of resources for students, including web resources for self service provision, updating social media platforms with events and service updates, and basic maintenance of the current SSET website.
12. To contribute to and implement plans for service improvements to ensure continual development of service provision and effective delivery to students. 13. To attend training courses and undertake on the job training and development to continually develop the knowledge and skills required in the post.
14. As with all members of staff in Student Services, staff will be expected to assist with other duties as and when requested by the Team Lead or Student Experience Manager.

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 Awareness and understanding of student needs in higher education.

C1 Excellent customer service skills.

C2 Ability to undertake assigned tasks efficiently ensuring agreed timescales are met.

C3 Ability to assess situations and use initiative and judgement to resolve issues independently and make informed decisions effectively.

C4 Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

C5 A proven ability to remain calm, demonstrate empathy and be professional at all times.

C6 Ability to plan, organise and prioritise effectively.

C7 Well-developed analytical and problem-solving capability.

C8 Effective listening skills.

C9 Ability to deal sensitively with upset or distressed people.

C10 Excellent organisational and time management skills.

C11 Demonstrable ability to maintain attention to detail when working in a busy environment.

C12 Ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and initiative when working without supervision and to refer and escalate issues within defined parameters and procedures.

C13 Effective IT and literacy skills.

C14 Proven ability to work effectively as a member of a team.

D1 Experience of dealing with similar enquiry management helpdesk system.

D2 Experience with MyCampus or similar student records system.

D3 Experience of using social media to provide service information and updates.

E1 Experience of handling a range of enquiries within a busy, customer-facing environment.

E2 Experience and track record in delivering excellent customer service.

F1 Experience of working in Higher Education in a front facing service.

Salary will be Grade 5, £25,138 - £29,605 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and open ended (permanent). Please be advised that two full time posts are available, however, we would consider one of these roles on a part time basis.

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 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

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.