Graduate Student Advocacy Assistant (Graduate Student Advocate)

The CSU is looking to hire a graduate student to work as Graduate Student Advocacy Assistant (Graduate Student Advocate) starting May 26^th, 2025.

The deadline to apply is midnight end of day Monday, May 19th, 2025. As per the collective agreement, internal candidates (current CSU employees) shall have preference.

Details of the posting are as follows:

Deadline to apply:  EOD May 19th, 2025

Description/Scope:
The Concordia Student Union (CSU) is currently seeking to hire a graduate student to fill the position of Graduate Student Advocacy Assistant (Graduate Student Advocate) at the CSU Advocacy Centre. Reporting to the Advocacy Centre Manager, the Graduate Student Advocate represents students, especially graduate students, in Academic Code of Conduct and Code of Rights and Responsibilities interviews, meetings and Tribunal Hearings and helps students who find themselves in difficult academic related situations by accurately identifying their needs and helping them execute an informed course of action, accompanying them where applicable. The incumbent will be required to deal with individuals under stress and in crisis.

Responsibilities:

• To represent students, especially graduate students, in and prepare students for disciplinary meetings and hearings within the university
• To represent students, especially graduate students, in and prepare students for Code of Rights and Responsibilities complaints
• To assist students, especially graduate students, in understanding complaint procedures, verifying complaint grounds, drafting complaints
• To research university procedures, rules, regulations; and to assist and advise students, especially graduate students, on them
• To help identify suitable courses of action for problems affecting individual students’ academics, especially graduate students
• To review and edit student requests, readmission applications and other clerical duties
• To regularly and accurately maintain multiple up-to-date files and respect multiple deadlines per case
• To respect and maintain strict confidentiality in all cases
• To efficiently analyze and understand new/unfamiliar material
• To create accurate and concise written summaries of verbal accounts, meetings, incident timelines and overall case arcs for communication with relevant university administrators and case notes
• To identify appropriate channels of communication within the university to help resolve problems and concerns brought by student, especially graduate students
• To assist in promoting the services of the Centre to undergraduate students
• To contribute to larger projects

Essential Requirement(s):

• Superior communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong active listening
• Good judgement, strong reasoning skills and ability to accurately anticipate counter-arguments
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to deal sensitively with individuals in distress or in crisis
• Ability to exercise judgment in crisis situations
• Composure and ability to be a calming influence in a difficult situation
• Ability to handle pressure and difficult interpersonal situations
• A strong knowledge of Concordia’s Academic Code of Conduct
• A strong knowledge of Concordia’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities
• A strong ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and discretion
• Ability to research and interpret Concordia’s other regulations and policies, especially regarding the School of Graduate Studies
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously
• Ability to communicate and respond considerately and compassionately, especially with individuals in difficult or sensitive situations
• Ability to work with and represent the full spectrum of diversity within the Concordia community
• Ability to work within a team and discuss sensitive issues
• Excellent organizational skills
• Knowledge of the CSU, GSA and its services
• Knowledge of the rules of natural law
• Computer literate
• Comfortable working in person in open-space office, accompanying students, visiting various university personnel at their departments for meetings
• In order to be eligible, applicants must be full-time graduate students in good standing at Concordia. Applicants who are in failed standing, in conditional standing or on academic probation or who have been sanctioned under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities or the Academic Code of Conduct are not eligible.

Asset(s):

• Spoken and/or written French or Mandarin or Persian are primary assets.
• Arabic, Hindi/Urdu or other languages also an asset
• Thesis-based graduate studies are an asset
• Ability to understand systems and systems management
• Any extra-curricular activities or relevant experience, especially that vary from main academic discipline and that require skills such as:

o meeting strict deadlines
o strong written/verbal communication
o excellent time management and organisation under pressure
o institutional engagement and effective negotiation with faculty or senior administration

• Any training, certificate, or education related to the requirements of the role
• Be approved for Concordia Work Study: https://www.concordia.ca/students/financial/employment/work-study.html

*Note- The Work Study program allows full-time Concordia students to work on-campus part-time and is a service supported by Financial Aids and Awards office. Visit the link above for more information on how to apply for a Work Study Authorization. Keep in mind that eligible students must be registered full-time in a program and receiving governmental student aid. International (except U.S.) students are exempt from the latter criteria.

Those hired will also gain useful and transferable experience in assisting clients under stress and managing their cases through difficult situations and in solving clients’ problems both suitably and favourably through careful reasoning and informed negotiation by understanding and analysing system procedures and priorities while also maintaining productive and respectful working relations across university departments.

Applications must include:

• Cover letter and C.V.
• 2-3 letters of recommendation, about 1 paragraph in length attesting to how your referee knows you and to why your referee believes you would be suited for this job based on their interactions with you and the job description, signed with a phone number and e-mail address your referee can be reached on

o   referees can be students, faculty, Concordia staff, work supervisors, former employers, etc…anyone you deem suitable

• Summer 2025 availabilities
• any dates you have planned to be away in Summer
• availability on the interview day Thursday, May 22nd
• confirmation that you will be a full-time graduate student in both Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 semesters
• If applicable, a copy of the authorisation for Work Study received by e-mail from the Concordia Financial Aid & Awards Office
• Optional and helpful : Unofficial Transcript / Student Record; Fall 2025/Winter 2026 course schedules

How to Apply:

Send your complete application as a single PDF to jobs@csu.qc.ca . Please title the subject of your email:

Graduate_Advocate_Summer_2025_(First_name_Last_name)

***Internal candidates (Current CSU Employees) shall have preference according to the Collective Agreement.***

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Interviews for both internal and external applicants will take place on Thursday May 22nd.
• This is a permanent part-time position designed for successful candidates to hold throughout the duration their graduate studies.
• Students applying must be available to work an average of 20-24 hours per week, weekdays between 9am and 5pm, year round excluding holiday closures and annual vacation (exceptions possible during Summer session for leave of absence).
• This is an on-campus in-person job position.
• For questions or more information, contact the Advocacy Centre Manager directly at advocacymanager@csu.qc.ca

Deadline to apply:  EOD May 19th, 2025