The Alma Mater Society (AMS) is the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) student society, and works to improve the academic, social and personal lives of the 56,000 UBC students at its Vancouver campus. The AMS also runs nine food and beverage outlets, a catering and conference operation, and the AMS Student Nest, providing on-campus employment opportunities and generating revenue that goes directly back into supporting the students at UBC.
Position title: Advocacy Coordinator
Department: Student Services
Supervisor: Manager, Student Services
Employee status: Term, Appointed
Hours Per Week: 20 hours
Salary / Wage: $27.00 per hour
Anticipated Start Date: August 24th, 2026 (some flexibility available)
Contract End Date: April 30, 2027
Description
The AMS Services’ main mandate is to offer services and resources to the membership which are in significant demand and aim to further the well-being of the membership as a whole.
Each of these Services are run by a Coordinator, and in some instances, with the help of Assistant Coordinator(s). Each of the Coordinators will be overseen and supported on a daily basis by a manager at Student Services, a full-time, permanent, non-student staff.
The Advocacy Office was established in 1999 to provide information and support to students facing the bureaucratic challenges and disciplinary committees of UBC. The Advocacy Office is one of few resources on campus that is 100% pro-student. Its goal is to empower students to advocate for their rights when facing the UBC’s intimidating power structures. The Office strives to provide students with information about UBC’s policies and procedures when they are in a formal conflict with the University. Although the office does not provide legal advice, the Office offers confidential and effective support to any undergraduate or graduate student at UBC in regards to the disputes outlined below.
- Academic Misconduct – may include engaging or attempting to engage in cheating, plagiarism, falsifying information, etc.
- Academic Standing – refers to issues such as failing a grade, being required to withdraw from a program, or promotion to next level of studies.
- Housing appeals – Housing incidents that relate to the UBC Resident Contract, subletting, etc.
- Parking disputes – Appealing a Traffic Notice (Parking ticket disputes).
- Library fine appeals – Appealing library fines and other charges.
- Other Disputes - accusations of bias, interpersonal complaints about faculty or staff, etc.
Responsibilities
The Advocacy Coordinator oversees all aspects of the AMS Advocacy Office, including the day to day workings of the office, guiding the future vision, and managing their assistant coordinator staff. The successful candidate can expect to gain experience through the following responsibilities:
- Provide direct support to students who are experiencing a conflict with the University, including academic misconduct allegations, academic standing disputes, student housing disputes and evictions, and requirements to withdraw.
- Meet with students for intakes and follow up meetings, providing support including systems navigation, education on procedural fairness, and help students make informed decisions about next steps by outlining possible risks and benefits of different strategies.
- Help prepare students for attending hearings before university committees. Accompany students to hearings requested.
- Support appeal document requirements for service users including drafting and editing drafts of appeals.
- Meticulously document case progress and service-user interactions for case management.
- Coordinate case management for Advocacy service intakes, including triaging requests and assigning Advocates.
- Conduct research and draft memos on issues of concern, to support advocacy for systemic improvements to procedural fairness.
- Supervising Advocacy Assistant Coordinators
- Actively cultivating campus partnerships in order to better assist and refer students
- Check in on student service user wellness and provide warm referrals and connections to mental health resources when requested.
Other work duties include:
- Work closely with the Manager, Student Services in developing successful outreach initiatives to advertise and promote the Service
- Post and attend regular office hours
- Attend weekly Services team meetings
- Attend weekly 1-on-1 meeting with the Manager, Student Services
- Attend weekly Advocacy staff meetings
- Develop and maintain a Service Operations Manual
- Gather statistics regarding utilization of the Service
- Prepare a detailed budget and manage the finances of the Service
- Prepare a series of reports including: internal monthly reports, end-of-term review report and a transition package (manual, report and position timeline) for the next Advocacy Coordinator
- Works within the AMS mission statement and values to operate a successful Service
- Other duties as required
Qualifications
- Must be a currently registered student at UBC Vancouver or one of its affiliated colleges.
- Must be currently enrolled in a JD program or have previous education and/or practice in law
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal
- Experience working with vulnerable clients where empathy and understanding are emphasized
- Strong organizational, time management, and team-collaboration skills
- Ability to work independently
- Strong demonstrated familiarity with principles of procedural fairness
- Familiarity with Canadian administrative law, including the completion of LAW_V 372 or LAW_V 509, is an asset
AMS Services will provide necessary external training in peer mental health support skills for successful candidates who have not already taken these trainings. This may include Applied Suicide Intervention Support Training (ASIST).
Experience Level: Current Students in an Undergraduate Program, Current Students in a Masters Program, Current Students in a Phd Program
To Apply:
Please submit your resume and cover letter. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a cover letter that explains their interest in the role and how their previous experience makes them a good candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
Application deadline: 11:59pm August 3, 2026
At the AMS, we believe that a diverse workforce enriches our organization and we value individual life experiences, knowledge and self-expression that different people bring. We actively seek to create an environment where all employees, regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristics, feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best. We warmly welcome and encourage individuals from any underrepresented group to apply for this position. We are dedicated to maintaining fair and inclusive practices in our hiring, promotion, and professional development processes to create the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Due to the large volume of resumes we receive at the AMS, we are only able to contact those we are interested in interviewing and cannot reply to email/phone/walk-in inquiries regarding application status.
