Student Development Practitioner

**Key responsibilities include the following**:

- To organise, co-ordinate and manage student leadership activities and support elected officers in running various student leadership structures
- Manage elections processes for student structures within the parameters of the statutory framework.
- Provide training and support to members of staff in other units on student electoral activities to enable incident free elections and alignment to requisite statutory provisions.
- To mentor individuals and groups in addressing issues where student leaders require extra support in negotiating policies, practices and procedures of the institution.
- Devise and implement training programs specifically designed for school and faculty council.
- Provide support in the facilitation of stakeholder engagement between the university management, faculty management and structures of student governance as may be required.
- Oversee all issues relating to the running of the student leadership structures (SRC, clubs and societies; School, Faculty Councils and Postgraduate Associations).

General organisation and administration:
a) Budget setting, financial monitoring and record keeping of the SRC and all sub
- structures

b) To assist with the planning and co-ordination of events of all student organisations

c) To attend student leadership functions where necessary and when requested to do so

d) Preparing and implementing long and short-term action plans relating to student leadership

e) Processing of requisitions for student leadership structures in consultation with the Manager (planning and facilitating induction workshops, etc,).
- Identifying and addressing training needs of student leadership.
- Assist student leadership structures in the compilation and implementation of their programmes of action.
- Facilitating effective communication with student population through posters, newsletters, e-platforms and other avenues relevant to students
- Providing reports, written and verbal, to meetings, student leaders and line manager as required.
- Arranging student leadership meetings and providing appropriate assistance for their successful running.
- Providing an effective office function to support elected officers, student volunteers and deal with student enquiries.
- Writing and distributing materials relating to the roles and responsibilities of the student representatives.
- Act as a resource and agent of referral for students who require additional support in negotiating policies, practices and procedures of the institution.
- Strive to negotiate a satisfactory outcome to issues of complaint at a stage prior to the official complaints procedure.
- Assist students in identifying and utilising sources of help and support external to the institution, where appropriate.
- Assist in the delivery of quality assurance procedures and service standards, which contribute to continuous improvement of the institution's service provision.
- Contribute to the effective implementation of relevant key institutional policies.
- Advise on constitutional and policy matters to the SRC and sub-structures and coordinate campus wide programs for conscientizing the student body of democratic practice and electoral activities.

**Key Requirements**:

- Bachelor's degree
- 3 year experience working with University student leaders in a student governance context
- Understanding of the SA tertiary education context and relevant legislation
- Event management skills
- Communication and Presentation skills
- Training, facilitation, and negotiation skills
- Excellent report writing capabilities
- Policy development and interpretation abilities
- Understanding of issues affecting young leaders.

**Skills**:

- Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills
- High level of computer literacy including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel), E-mail and internet
- Ability to function under pressure and multitask
- High Attention to Detail
- Resilience