Neurodiversity & Work-Integrated Learning Specialist, Student Engagement

Position Overview

The Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term Neurodiversity & Work-Integrated Learning Specialist, Student Engagement for approximately 2 years.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Work-Integrated Learning & Neurodiversity Initiative, the Neurodiversity & Work-Integrated Learning Specialist supports the learning and advancement of neurodiverse students at the University of Calgary through work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities starting at investigation and identification of opportunities all the way through to completion of a WIL experience. Working with a large and dispersed WIL community on campus throughout the faculties and programs, the Neurodiversity & WIL Specialist will support a network of WIL practitioners and leaders on campus as well as community and employer partners who host students in WIL opportunities.
 
The Taylor Institute (TI) for Teaching and Learning is dedicated to strengthening teaching and learning cultures, communities, and practices. The Institute supports the teaching development of instructors, promotes high-impact student experiences such as experiential learning, ensures the meaningful integration of learning technologies, and fosters research to understand better and improve student learning. The Taylor Institute works to facilitate conversations, build communities, link networks, and catalyze a culture of evidence-based teaching and learning across the University. Its mandate embodies the University's three foundational commitments of sharpening focus on research and scholarship, enriching the quality and breadth of learning, and fully integrating the University with the community.

The Taylor Institute is committed to supporting the implementation of the University of Calgary’s Indigenous Strategy, ii' taa'poh'to’p and to build relationships with people from Treaty 7 & and Metis Region III. The candidate will be committed to shifting the University and the Taylor Institute culture to increase Indigenous perspective and worldviews in teaching and learning practice. Experience supporting community dialogue and campus engagement, with universities, Indigenous communities and community partners would be an asset.

Located within the Taylor Institute, the Office of Experiential Learning (OEL) team facilitates initiatives aligned with UCalgary’s Experiential Learning Plan (2020-25). The OEL supports academic and non-academic units to expand and enhance opportunities for students to learn by doing. The OEL leads UCalgary’s partnership with The Sinneave Family Foundation and units across campus to transform WIL programs and practices to be inclusive of all neurologies.
  
This position is based in Calgary on the Main Campus and may occasionally require irregular work hours during peak periods and events and some travel within Calgary.

The Neurodiversity & WIL Specialist works with a team of specialists to systemically change work-integrated learning programming to be inclusive of all neurologies and leaders in neuro-affirming practices. Starting with students who are thinking about and exploring WIL opportunities, the Neurodiversity & WIL Specialist will support students with training, mentoring, and other resources to be successful in finding placements, readiness for WIL experiences, opportunities to connect throughout a WIL experience for support.

The Work-Integrated Learning community at the University of Calgary is large and located throughout faculties and programming areas on campus. WIL opportunities are incorporated in several degree programs, in the form of internships, co-ops, field placements and practicum positions. These programs are facilitated by a network of academic and non-academic staff across UCalgary’s faculties and schools. WIL activities and processes vary across campus accounting for differences across professions, accreditation requirements and history of WIL in the field. Working with WIL partners on campus and externally, the Specialist will build on the existing ecosystems of WIL practitioners and leaders at UCalgary and working with campus partners, build out industry and professional connections to help build awareness, readiness, and capacity to support neurodiverse students in the workplace.

Throughout the first year of the initiative, the Specialist will play a key role in developing the program’s overall framework with specific attention to working with campus WIL partners and students.  This may include one-on-one meetings with students, connecting with WIL faculty partners or potential employers, and facilitating training and workshops to assist an employer’s ability to successfully mentor and support students in a WIL program. Flexibility will be required as student, WIL partner, and employer needs are assessed throughout the project development phase. The Specialist will work with the goal in mind to broadly support the university community in understanding the needs of neurodiverse students.

The Specialist will also supervise teams of student staff throughout the project who will be engaging in work related to student engagement events and outreach, WIL experiences, research projects, group facilitation projects, or other administrative work related to the initiative. The Specialist will be a mentor and coach to students throughout the program and often the first point of contact within the TI for students connected to this program.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Student Engagement:

• Engage with students as partners in the development of the initiative with a focus on developing relationships and engagement with campus WIL partners
• Meet with students to provide support, advising, and connection to WIL opportunities within a student’s home faculty or with external partners
• Assist students with understanding of and advocating for informal and formal accommodation requests in their WIL experiences and assisting with referrals to other supports across campus in an integrated and supportive way
• Facilitate an environment of respect, inclusion, confidentiality, and professionalism by providing a high level of service to all students seeking out support through the Initiative
• Facilitate and deliver programming for students in an accessible and inclusive manner
• Maintains student files compliant with university processes, FOIP, and the Health Information Act
• Work with the Students & Alumni Working Group and act as a key resource and connection to the WIL & Neurodiversity Initiative team
• Act as a key resource for employers and community partners providing support, training, and coaching for students and managers to create successful WIL opportunities
• Build relationships with employers within the university WIL community and beyond and help prepare the employment environment for neurodiverse students

Program Coordination:

• In collaboration with the Associate Director, initiate, develop, and implement processes and procedures to support WIL practitioners, employers, and students
• Responsible for coordinating and managing the collection of data related to the Initiative for reporting purposes and to support strategic planning needs
• Work with our Communications team and Knowledge Translation Specialist on website and other media content development
• Participate as a contributing member on required committees and working groups in the Office of Experiential Learning and campus-wide
• Partner and leverage Taylor Institute resources including Academic Leads, Educational Consultants, and other OEL experts on the team to develop training and resources for a variety of audiences including students, staff, faculty, and/or external partners
• Recommend and facilitate programming related to working with and supporting neurodivergent students.
• Provide leadership, direction, guidance, and expertise to others within the University community on neurodiversity

Student Supervision:

• Provide in-scope supervision to a team of student leaders supporting the Initiative in a variety of roles. This may include task delegation, providing on-the-job training, and liaising with management on project updates and day-to-day workloads of students
• Act as a role model, mentor, and resource to students working in positions supporting the WIL & Neurodiverse Students Initiative dealing effectively with complex tasks using expertise, judgement, and professionalism

Qualifications / Requirements:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Education, or relevant field required, a master’s degree would be an asset.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience working with neurodiverse youth or young adults in an advisory/support capacity is required
• Professional and/or lived experience working with people who experience multiple barriers to employment and training, specifically neurodiverse students and/or adults
• Knowledge of neurodiversity especially within the workplace, including knowledge of and experience with formal and informal accommodations in the workplace to facilitate a positive work experience for neurodiverse employees and their employers
• Experience developing training program and skilled in group facilitation
• Knowledge of and ability to communicate about and integrate principles of Universal Design for Learning
• Highly developed organizational skills and ability to anticipate needs, plan, organize, coordinate and perform work with little or no direction.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain documentation related to complex program processes
• Strong attention to detail, sense of initiative and problem-solving skills required

Assets:

• Experience networking within a wide range of organizations in the public and private sector
• Experience working with intersecting identities such as Indigenous, BIPOC, LGBTQ2IAS+ and non-traditional student populations considered an asset
• Experience of mentoring and coaching neurodivergent individuals and providing them with support and guidance to harness their skills and interests, with a view to gaining employment is an asset
• Previous experience in Work-Integrated Learning or Career Development in a postsecondary context including working with employers and students is an asset
• Knowledge of university business systems: Microsoft office, PeopleSoft, Qualtrics, Zoom and other web-based applications; experience with Microsoft SharePoint considered an asset.
•  Knowledge of university culture, context, and strategic plans is an asset

Application Deadline:  March 20, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.