Programme Coordinator: Faculty Of Social Work And Community Development (Cape Town Campus) at The South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP)

Job Description
SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology) is the leading independent provider of accredited Psychology, Counselling, Human Resource Management, Business Management and Social Work qualifications, with all courses grounded in psychology. We have campuses in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Online. 

SACAP is looking for a Programme Coordinator, for the Faculty of Social Work and Community Development, based at the Cape Town Campus.
The Programme Coordinator (SW & CD) is a full-time position for the Cape Town Campus in the Social Work and Community Development Faculty. This role will be responsible for the programme and student coordination of the MSocSci programme as well as the Bachelor of Social Work programme on the Cape Town Campus. This is a highly visible role that interacts with students, educators, and supervisors daily.

The Programme Coordinator should be fuelled by a sense of the critical role which Higher Education plays in South Africa and should feel energized by an emphasis on programme specific student support. SACAP’s Programme Coordinator should be committed to the highest standards of academic integrity as well as professional and ethical conduct in all activities. The Programme Coordinator should be familiar with all new developments within the discipline of Psychology and Social Work and their application to SACAP’s Master
of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion and Bachelor of Social Work Programmes.Responsibilities:
The Programme Coordinator: Faculty of Social Work and Community Development will be
responsible for the following areas:

Coordination of the MSocSci Programmes on the Cape Town Campus (Modules,
Intensives, and Workshops):

Induction, Orientation, and Student Support

•  Participate in selection and interview processes of prospective students
•  Carry out cohort-specific orientations at the start of each new academic year (incl. new and returning students)
•  Organise and facilitate a monthly cohort meeting to discuss student progress and concerns. The focus of these meetings is to discuss student progress and resolve any concerns in collaboration with Student Services, the HoTL and the HOC
•  Monitor students progress and assessment submissions and manage and resolve any challenges that arise
•  Liaise with Student Support and Development Departments to ensure students are making adequate progress for the modules and intensives
•  Liaise with HoTL regarding students to ensure students are conducting themselves ethically at the community placement site
•  Liaise with HoTL to recruit, appoint, and manage appropriate supervisors to supervise students
•  Assist the HoTL in appointing and recruiting examiners for the mini dissertation
•  Attend weekly meetings with the HoTL and other relevant PCs to ensure alignment of quality assurance procedures related to curriculum and programme outcomes across campuses

Community Research Site Liaison

•  Assist students in networking and liaising with NGO/NPO organisations in the field to ensure MSocSci students are suitably placed to carry out their community work and conduct CBPAR research
•  Identify possible organisations/ agencies that are congruent with the students’ areas of interest, if required
•  Contact organisations/agencies to set up a placement meeting
•  Initial contact meeting with student and placement supervisor to assess the suitability of the placement and discuss expectations and requirements
•  Ensure that sites clearly understand their role and related responsibilities and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SACAP and the student
•  On-going monthly contact with placement site to monitor and evaluate student progress at the site and address any concerns or challenges that arise

Coordination of the MSocSci Student Initiatives:

•  In collaboration with the HoTL and HoF, invite guest speakers to address students and educators on topical areas to build on the prestige gravitas of the MSocSci programme
•  In collaboration with the HoTL and HoF, organise additional academic, support, and/or developmental workshops and/or enrichment events for students (e.g., Life After Masters)

Coordination of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Programme on the
Cape Town Campus:

Induction, Orientation, and Student Support

•  Participate in selection and interview processes of prospective students
•  Carry out cohort-specific orientations at the start of each new academic year (incl. new and returning students)
•  Organise and facilitate a monthly cohort meeting to discuss student progress and concerns. The focus of these meetings is to discuss student progress and resolve any concerns in collaboration with Student Services, the HoTL and the HOC
•  Coordinate and run additional meetings as required within the faculty
•  Ensure the smooth running of the Professional and Honours programmes on the respective campus, in line with national (CHE, DHET, SAQA and SACSSP) requirements in collaboration with the Head of Teaching and Learning (HoTL): Postgraduate and Professional Programme Management, and other academic staff
•  Assist in the process of registering students with the SACSSP

Coordination of BSW Workshops and/or Enrichment Events

•  Coordination and facilitation of compulsory and/or supplementary workshops within the BSW Programmes, as required
•  Coordination and facilitation of enrichment events within the BSW Programme, as required
•  Planning and implementing additional academic and/or professional workshops, as required
•  Assist the HoTL and Teaching & Learning Coordinator (TLC) to source appropriate educators to teach the workshops or either teach if competent to do so

Coordination of BSW Research Process

•  Assist the HoTL, if needed, in recruiting appropriate research supervisors
•  Coordination of research topics or areas of interest and module launch
•  Pairing students with appropriate supervisors, based on topics/areas of interest
•  Teaching research workshops as part of the Research Thesis Module, if required
•  Ongoing coordination of the module
•  Set and review indicators to monitor research execution to ensure adherence to module and ethics requirements
•  Act as a specific point of contact for all campus specific research related matters, queries, enquiries and concerns
•  Work closely with the HoTL in addressing any concerns or challenges throughout the research process
•  Coordination of the Research Colloquium, grading, and moderation

Coordination of BSW Work Integrated Learning

•  Together with the WIL Coordinator, drive the Work Integrated Learning placement strategy for the BSW Work Integrated Learning modules
•  Work in collaboration with WIL coordinator to recruit and contract appropriate supervisors
•  Work with WIL coordinator to ensure the timeous placement of students for their Work Integrated Learning
•  Assist WIL coordinator with sourcing additional appropriate placement sites for Work Integrated Learning placement
•  Together with WIL coordinator, resolve any concerns or challenges that arise during the Work Integrated Learning process

Teaching and/or Supervision:

•  Facilitate, as required, the MSocSci workshops on a termly basis

AND

•  Teach at least one module or series of workshops per term on either the BSW or MSocSci Programmes

OR

•  Supervise at least one of the students in the BSW Research Thesis module or MSocSci Programme

OR

• Supervise at least one Work Integrated Learning student or group

 Research and Ethics Committee Member (REC):

•  Be a core member of SACAP’s REC
•  Review research proposals
•  Attend and participate in all REC sittings

Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement:

•  Participate in Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement and development activities to raise the profile of SACAP

General:

•  Compliance with regular reporting and providing statistics as and when requested.
•  Assist in policy development as and when required
•  Attendance at academic meetings, management/operational meetings etc
•  Be evidence-based in initiatives and track outcomes.
•  Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the MSocSci and BSW programmes and develop new methods aimed at greater success
•  Take an active role in continuing the relationship with alumni
•  Responsible for quality assurance in the delivery of the MSocSci and BSW programmes and works closely with the HoTL in ensuring high standards are adhered to
•  Working alongside SSD to ensure student retention, progression, and throughput in these cohorts
•  Take an active role in all campus events including but not limited to Open day, Festival of Learning, Orientation, Educator meetings, Graduation

Qualifications and Experience:

•  A minimum of a Masters in Psychology or Social Work. A PhD is an additional benefit
•  Experience in higher education teaching and/or research
•  Experience in participatory action research methods is an added benefit
•  Experience in community-based work would be an added benefit

Skills:

•  Communication skills
•  Leadership potential & demonstrated maturity
•  Strong administrative & organizational skills
•  Ability to manage multiple deadlines
•  Ability to prioritise
•  Advanced presentation & teaching skills
•  Conflict management and resolution skills
•  Ability to contain students and do damage control where necessary
•  Ability to manage complexity
•  Strong interpersonal and intrapersonal skills
•  Strong networking skills

Personal Attributes:

•  Tenacity and resilience
•  Ability to work under pressure
•  Detail & results orientated
•  Methodological & analytical
•  Critical thinker
•  Team player
•  Problem solver
•  Person-centered
•  High level of emotional intelligence
•  Proactive