Academic support officer

Academic support officers provide assistance to students with learning problems and act as the main point of contact for these students. They make sure extra tuition and educational programmes are provided to under-represented students with academic or personal issues. They also organise several social activities throughout the academic year.

The following job titles also refer to academic support officer:

access and outreach officer
university access and outreach officer
student support officer
undergraduate access and outreach officer
access and outreach officer in university
higher education access officer
access officer in university
schools liaison and access officer
university access officer
university access coordinator

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as academic support officer. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Academic support officer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to academic support officer.

admissions coordinator
academic advisor
learning mentor
university teaching assistant
educational counsellor

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of academic support officer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of academic support officer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of academic support officer.

Assessment processes: Various evaluation techniques, theories, and tools applicable in the assessment of students, participants in a programme, and employees. Different assessment strategies such as initial, formative, summative and self- assessment are used for varying purposes.
Project management: Understand project management and the activities which comprise this area. Know the variables implied in project management such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
Curriculum objectives: The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.

These skills are necessary for the role of academic support officer.

Cooperate with education professionals: Communicate with teachers or other professionals working in education in order to identify needs and areas of improvement in education systems, and to establish a collaborative relationship.
Assist in the organisation of school events: Provide assistance in the planning and organisation of school events, such as the school’s open house day, a sports game or a talent show.
Guarantee students’ safety: Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
Show consideration for student’s situation: Take students’ personal backgrounds into consideration when teaching, showing empathy and respect.
Manage access programmes: Monitor and regulate the access courses offered to underrepresented students to develop their skills to prepare them for university. Analyse the efficiency of these educational programmes and apply changes to them if necessary.
Tutor students: Provide private, supplementary instruction to students individually to enhance their learning. Support and mentor students who struggle with a certain subject or who have learning difficulties.
Recruit student ambassador: Assess, recruit, and train new student ambassadors who act as a link between the educational institution and other communities.
Assess students: Evaluate the students’ (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved.
Identify education needs: Identify the needs of students, organisations and companies in terms of provision of education in order to aid in the development of curricula and education policies.
Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Coordinate educational programmes: Plan and coordinate educational and public outreach programs such as workshops, tours, lectures and classes.
Listen actively: Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.
Support children’s wellbeing: Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.
Communicate with youth: Use verbal and non-verbal communication and communicate through writing, electronic means, or drawing. Adapt your communication to children and young people`s age, needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, and culture.
Oversee extra-curricular activities: Supervise and potentially organise educational or recreational activities for the students outside of mandatory classes.
Counsel students: Provide assistance to students with educational, career-related or personal issues such as course selection, school adjustment en social integration, career exploration and planning, and family problems.
Tackle issues that block academic progress: Address the issues that can block a pupil`s school progress, such as social, psychological, emotional or physical difficulties, through counselling and intervention methods.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of academic support officer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Customer service: Processes and principles related to the customer, client, service user and to personal services; these may include procedures to evaluate customer’s or service user’s satisfaction.
Communication: Exchanging and conveying information, ideas, concepts, thoughts, and feelings through the use of a shared system of words, signs, and semiotic rules via a medium.
Education law: The area of law and legislation that concerns education policies and the people working in the sector in an (inter)national context, such as teachers, students, and administrators.
School psychology: The study of human behaviour and performance with respect to various school processes, the learning needs of young individuals, and the psychological tests accompanying this field of study.
Learning difficulties: The learning disorders some students face in an academic context, especially Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration deficit disorders.
University procedures: The inner workings of a university, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.
Electronic communication: Data communication performed through digital means such as computers, telephone or e-mail.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of academic support officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Monitor student’s behaviour: Supervise the student’s social behaviour to discover anything unusual. Help solve any issues if necessary.
Liaise with educational support staff: Communicate with education management, such as the school principal and board members, and with the education support team such as the teaching assistant, school counsellor or academic advisor on issues relating the students’ well-being.
Provide information on study programmes: Provide information on the different lessons and fields of study offered by educational institutions such as universities and secondary schools, as well as the study requirements and employment prospects.
Teach university class: Instruct university students in the theory and practice of a certain subject or field taught by an assistant lecturer or professor with the aim of enriching their knowledge.
Promote education course: Advertise and market the programme or class to potential students and the education organisation with the aim of maximising registration numbers and allocated budget.
Work with virtual learning environments: Incorporate the use of online learning environments and platforms into the process of instruction.
Give constructive feedback: Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.
Promote social awareness: Promote the understanding of dynamics of social relationships between individuals, groups, and communities. Promote the importance of human rights, and positive social interaction, and the inclusion of social awareness in education.
Liaise with educational staff: Communicate with the school staff such as teachers, teaching assistants, academic advisors, and the principal on issues relating to students’ well-being. In the context of a university, liaise with the technical and research staff to discuss research projects and courses-related matters.

2359 – Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified

 

 

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References

1. Academic support officer – ESCO