Prisilla Van Der Byl
Head- Academic Operations
Pietermaritzburg
Summary
To seek and maintain full-time position that offers professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills, excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Head: Academic Operations
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
02.2021 - Current
- The Head: Academic Operations is responsible for the direct management of the delivery of the campus academic operations under the supervision of the Campus Deputy Head/Campus Head. The mandate for this role includes managing the operational efficiency of the Academic Operations team and overseeing all Centres of Excellence, paying particular attention to the customer services function.
- Ensures compliance (policy and other) within all areas of academic operations.
- Maintains and develops relationships with all stakeholders including students, parents, lecturers and other staff and ensures resolution of queries within a committed time frame.
- Approves all departmental documentation distributed to student and external stakeholders in line with the approval process of the brand.
- Works closely together with Head: Student Services and Head: Academic in all areas of responsibility to maintain open communication regarding programme delivery and the student and lecturer experience e.g. at risk meetings.
- Highlights any challenges found in relation to programme material and assessments with the outcome of achieving an improved student and lecturer experience.
- Ensures proper sign off of all students eligible for graduation in line with the required standards for the qualification.
- Ensures the operational needs of a student are handled timeously and are responded to by the relevant Academic Operations staff in accordance with a student centred approach.
- Represents the Academic Operations department on the VC Voice Committee.
- Responsible for student retention in collaboration with the Head: Academic.
- Management of any liaison with the Academic team regarding any lecturer concerns which may arise from student consultations.
- Ensures all lecturer requirements are met regarding the operational delivery of programmes in conjunction with the various Centres of Excellence.
- Works closely with the Head: Academic in ensuring lecturer allocations are completed timeously so the timetabling process may begin in accordance with the timelines that support the timetabling project in line with programme start dates.
- Holds the role of 2nd line approver for all invigilator claims/timesheets.
- Manages operational reviews and guides the process of identifying and correcting areas of operational risk.
- Co-ordinates The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) requests, e.g. implementing a policy change. Assists the Head: Academic in the compilation of the academic operations budget regarding allocation of groups in relation to campus targets and the accommodation schedule.
- Responsible for campus compliance in respect of Group Internal Audits or any other audit which may present operational compliance and manages improvement plans.
- Performs general management duties including managing staff performance, overtime, staff leave and staff morale etc.
- Recruits, trains and develops specific skills required in the different Centres of Excellence and Student Reception. Manages Academic Operations meetings including drawing up agendas and chairing the Academic Operations meetings.
- Manages focus group sessions with the different centres where challenges and improvements on existing processes are discussed.
- Responsible for the efficient running and service delivery of the various Centres of Excellence as well as to ensure that all student queries are resolved in a timeous and efficient manner.
- Ensures that all policy updates are communicated to the Customer Relations Centre and that students are informed accordingly. Responsible for providing training and onboarding of new and existing staff within the Centres of Excellence (where applicable).
- Recruits staff for all Centres of Excellence (where applicable). Implements strategies to accommodate growth, improved student experience and eliminate risk within Academic Operations.
- Ensures compliance to The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) legislation relevant to the Academic Operations department.
- Acts as an Investigating Officer in investigating any complaints of a disciplinary nature.
Customer Relations Officer
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
01.2020 - 06.2022
- Facilitates consultations with students in cases where a change is required to their current registration contract, e.g. this could be for students who wish to change within a semester, between semesters or between years of study.
- Works with the Admission Centre to understand different curriculum scenarios (e.g. phase-in and phase-out etc.) to ensure that the student is advised correctly.
- Supports the Campus Deputy Head and/or Head: Academic Operations and/or Deputy Head: Academic Operations in co-ordinating the Retention Project on campus.
- Delivers the academic orientation programme for new and returning students by means of programme information presentations, an overview of pertinent academic policies and an outline of the academic year etc.
- Manages the dissemination of student related policies (new and updates). Attends informal meet-and-greet sessions with students.
- Facilitates Programme Information Sessions by addressing students in class with a view to explain and induct the students on the relevant policies and procedures that govern student life on campus.
- Facilitates follow-up Programme Information Sessions by way of email broadcasts that occur throughout the year and that drip feed policy and procedure related information to the students as is deemed necessary by the Academic Operations department.
- Conducts periodical class visits to canvas student concerns and share relevant information.
- Provides assignment submission support with regards to the correct anti-plagiarism tool applicable to the respective programme.
- Resolves student queries via the appropriate channel/s within a committed time frame in line with the agreed Service Level
- Captures details of all student contact made by the Customer Relations Centre on the academic system. Provides various letters/documents that are generated from the academic system on request by students.
- Assists with unresolved queries from The Student HUB and escalates queries to the Head of Campus where queries require further attention. Assists with the roll out of all relevant customer related surveys.
- Liaises with various departments on campus to stay up-to-date with any relevant changes or developments in those departments in order to enable the smooth processing of student queries.
- Responsible for ensuring all students notes are captured in the academic system.
- Maintains a good knowledge of products and policies in order to ensure that students are advised correctly.
- Identifies and flags student query trends and escalates these identified trends to the Greater Campus where required.
- Supports other members of the Customer Relations Centre team to ensure and drive the efficient resolution of student queries. Complies with The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) legislation relevant to the Customer Relations Centre.
- Supports and collaborates with other members of the Academic Operations team to ensure the efficient running of the Academic Operations department as a whole.
Academic Operations Coordinator
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
01.2015 - 12.2020
- Manage the academic operational delivery of designated programmes. These include programme specific events e.g., Moot court, Info evenings.
- Management of the Academic Operations Administrator (AOA) and work collaboratively with the respective Assessment Officer (AO).
- Compile and manage timetables of designated programmes.
- Compile, manage and distribute academic reports.
- Manage and notify the lecturers, students, AOAs, and AOs of any changes that may affect their designated programmes. This includes the PAS, additional learning material, communication received from CAT team.
- Verification of formative results timeously to reflect on the Student Portal.
- Authorize final and CASS results as per Academic Policy.
- Ensure moderation is loaded as per the scheduled deadlines.
- Ensure data related to assessments, results and moderation is handled accurately.
- Attend to assessment queries.
- Capture student notes in SAM.
- Crisis management of any unforeseen circumstances that may occur on the AOC's programmes.
- Order academic material requirements for lecturing team through National when prompted.
- Provide support during academic orientation. This includes programme information presentations, academic policies, outlines of the year etc.
- Attend Operations meetings and may be required to record minutes.
- Manage the dissemination of policies.
- Involvement in campus PULSE and Groups Internal Audits.
- Work on Student Retention. This includes calling and counselling students and assisting with registration related queries.
- Be accountable for all aspects related to the graduation process. Adhere to policy and timelines set by CAT and National.
- Representation on the Academic Forum.
- May be required to attend to a student's disciplinary hearing.
- Meet project deadlines as determined by National or the VPO.
- Work collaboratively with the other departments. Customer Support:
- Resolve and direct stakeholder queries within a committed time frame.
- Draft letters of conduct on request.
- Conduct class visits on a regular basis.
- Assist with Student Hub queries that are unresolved or may require further attention.
- Assist with the roll out of all relevant customer related surveys.
- Attend informal meet-and-greet sessions with students and lecturers.
- Campus Synergy:
- Academic Department: coordinate workshops, identify at risk students and lecturers, direct academic related queries, and facilitate logistics related to academic concessions.
- Student Services: planning CR venue software, IT assessments, projectors and IT equipment issues in classrooms.
- Finance: oversee the submission of exam billing and fee credits and process academic credit applications. ●
- Marketing: during registration Marketing will liaise with AOCs in terms of venue capacity to accommodate student numbers and provide additional counselling a student wish to move programmes.
- Student Records Coordinator: work with the SRC during registration, assist with document tracking, direct cancellations, de-registrations, and transfers, be aware of holds on international students and registrar requirements set by SRC.
- National Office: address queries with POM, and the roll-out of directives or projects. Management of the Academic Operations Administrator and Assessment Officer:
- Maintain a strong communication channel that supports all operational requirements that may impact the designated programmes.
- Responsible for the management of the results and the moderation process on campus.
- Assist in the training and supervision AOA and AO. ●
- Oversee that the AOA and AO are adhering to policies, processes, and systems. ●
- Monitor the capturing and processing of results and attendance for all designated programmes.
- Monitor and track marking and moderation deadlines.
- Monitor the management of storage of assessments on campus
- Monitor the administrative functions e.g., filing, answering phone calls, responding to emails Monitor that timetabling is captured in CAMS.
- Extract Student Hub reports, relating to assessment applications, and incorporate these into assessment planning.
- Communicate all assessment changes to lecturers and students. Independent Contractor (Lecturer) Supervision - In Collaboration with The Academic Department
- Manage Independent Contractor (IC) lecturers and address/direct their queries.
- Manage the rescheduling of lectures and timetable queries.
- Monitor lecturer's administrative performance.
- Notify the Academic Department of lecturer gaps.
- Manage lecturing loads regarding module allocations.
- Attend interviews and mock lectures.
- Work with the JHRO in collecting the HR documentation required for IC appointment. So that lecturers are approved prior to receiving their contract.
- Draft accurate IC Agreements and annexures.
- Process lecturer claims/timesheets on APS.
- Discuss Academic Operational processes with ICs.
- Work with the Academic Department in driving lecturer evaluations.
Academic Operations Administrator
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
02.2013 - 12.2014
- Learned new skills and applied to daily tasks to improve efficiency and productivity.
- Data captures timetables
- Prints registers for Lecturers from System for Academic Management (SAM)
- Captures attendance on System for Academic Management (SAM)
- Checks that what goes out to lecturers comes back i.e., registers, assignments, tests, and exams
- Files the registers correctly to access it quickly for enquiries
- Reports students that sign at the bottom of the registers to administration if there are late registrations to ensure they are added to future registers Student Assessments
- Prepares assessments and stores for safe keeping
- Liaises with Lecturers regarding marking of scripts
- Captures marks on System for Academic Management (SAM)
- Processes the submission of assignments by students
- Completes the Activity log for tests, assignments, and exams
- Double checks that the Invigilator and venue is booked a week in advance
- Tracks assessments by making sure that the same amount that goes out comes back in
- Capture academic concession forms
- Prepare moderation for submission
- Facilitating the processing of ICE task marking
- Managing the return of marked formative assessment to students Student Support
- Assists students with academic queries • Captures all contact with students on System for Academic Management (SAM)
- Communicates all academic operational changes to Lecturers and students
- Manages queries from students and parents daily Student Administration
- Assists the Academic Operations Coordinator (AOC) with the development and distribution of all academic reports in accordance with the IIE policies
- Coordinating the Programme Assessment Schedule (PAS) per Programme
- Manages issuing of learning materials for students •
- Captures Lecturer reviews
- Makes copies for Lecturers
- Checks that it does not interfere with the conditions of the Dalro Plagiarism regulations
- Performs reception duties when scheduled
- Performs weekly classroom visits and checks
- Prepare assessments and files for off- site storage
- Providing administrative support to student and lecturers on VCLearn
Education
Advanced Diploman in Human Resource Management -
BMT College
Johannesburg 01.2021 - 09.2022
Skills
Customer Service
undefinedTimeline
Head: Academic Operations
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
02.2021 - Current
Advanced Diploman in Human Resource Management -
BMT College
01.2021 - 09.2022
Customer Relations Officer
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
01.2020 - 06.2022
Academic Operations Coordinator
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
01.2015 - 12.2020
Academic Operations Administrator
IIE's Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
02.2013 - 12.2014
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