Employment Type: Casual (approximately 20 hours per week), Fixed Term (12-18 months)
Location: Vancouver, BC (Hybrid)
Reports To: Vice President, Administration
Primary Purpose
The Part-Time Registrar Consultant plays a critical institutional leadership role, working closely with domestic and international recruitment teams, the academic community, and students. Working with the Associate Registrars, the Part-Time Registrar Consultant provides leadership, oversight, and professional direction to the Office of the Registrar. The Part-Time Registrar Consultant is responsible for ensuring the effective, efficient, and compliant administration of admissions, registration, student records, academic standing, graduation, academic policies, reporting, and other functions within the Registrar’s portfolio, while supporting a high-quality and student-centered experience. In addition, the Part-Time Registrar Consultant will contribute to succession planning efforts by mentoring and developing an internal candidate for the Registrar role. The Part-Time Registrar Consultant does not replace internal accountability or exercise general line-management authority unless a specific authority is expressly delegated in writing.
Specific Responsibilities
Strategic Decision Making
- Provide senior advice to the Vice President, Administration, senior leadership and the Associate Registrars on matters within the Registrar portfolio.
- Advise on the interpretation and administration of academic regulations, policies, procedures and governance requirements.
- Review Registrar Office policies and procedures and recommend changes to strengthen governance, compliance, consistency and operational effectiveness.
- Identify significant operational, regulatory, governance and student-record risks and recommend practical mitigation and escalation actions.
- Assess the Registrar Office structure, team capabilities, role clarity and service-delivery model and recommend priority improvements.
- Provide advice that supports institutional priorities and student service without assuming the responsibilities of an interim line manager.
Registrar Operations and Quality Assurance
- Review workflows, decision points, controls and escalation practices across admissions, registration, student records, academic standing, graduation, reporting and related academic administration.
- Provide guidance to the Associate Registrars on complex or sensitive registration, records, academic standing, graduation, policy and compliance matters.
- Advise on standards and controls for the accuracy, integrity, privacy, security and administration of student academic records.
- Review the administration and use of the student information system and recommend practical process and control improvements.
- Support the Associate Registrars in monitoring service standards, workload pressures, emerging issues and operational risks.
- Advise on the development and use of Registrar Office key performance indicators and management reporting.
- Review operational information and data to identify trends, control gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement.
- Provide advice on institutional, government and regulatory reporting requirements and related quality-assurance practices.
- Recommend improvements to documentation, accountability mechanisms, service quality and audit readiness.
Leadership and Professional Guidance
- Coach and mentor both Associate Registrars, with a clear focus on readiness for expanded responsibilities and the future Registrar role.
- Assess the capabilities and development needs of both Associate Registrars against the expectations of the Registrar role.
- Establish practical, documented development priorities addressing governance, policy interpretation, compliance, operational judgement, people leadership, stakeholder communication and risk management.
- Attend selected Academic Council, governance, cross-functional and operational meetings with the Associate Registrars to provide guidance on complex matters.
- Support the Associate Registrars in building confidence and consistency in day-to-day and complex decision-making.
- Provide constructive observations on development progress while avoiding dependency on the Consultant.
- Promote a collaborative, professional and student-focused culture within the Registrar Office.
- Support effective accountability, communication and coordination across the Registrar portfolio.
Stakeholder and External Relations
- Provide advice supporting effective coordination between the Office of the Registrar and academic leadership, recruitment, student services, finance, IT, compliance and other University functions.
- Attend selected external meetings where senior Registrar expertise is required, as agreed with the Vice President, Administration.
- Advise on communications concerning complex Registrar, governance, regulatory and student-record matters.
- Draw on professional knowledge of Canadian post-secondary Registrar practices and relevant government and regulatory expectations.
- Maintain discretion and protect sensitive student, employee and institutional information in all stakeholder interactions.
Reporting and Accountability
- Report to the Vice President, Administration and work within agreed priorities and deliverables.
- Complete an initial assessment of the Registrar Office structure, team capabilities, skills gaps, workflows, controls, escalation practices and priority risks.
- Prepare recommended consulting priorities and development plans for the Associate Registrars.
- Provide regular updates to the Vice President, Administration on work completed, material risks, recommended actions and development priorities.
- Provide quarterly observations to senior leadership on Associate Registrar development progress, operational risks and areas requiring further support.
- Participate in a review of the engagement every three months to confirm value, adjust priorities and assess readiness against Registrar role expectations.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of observations, recommendations, development priorities and agreed follow-up actions.
- Escalate significant operational, academic, regulatory, privacy or student-record risks promptly to the Vice President, Administration.
Position Requirements
Competencies
- Senior knowledge of Registrar Office operations, academic governance, enrolment services, student records and student information systems.
- Strong understanding of admissions controls, academic standing, graduation requirements, privacy, regulatory reporting and compliance obligations.
- Ability to assess structures, workflows, controls, capabilities and risks and provide practical, well-reasoned recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor emerging leaders, provide constructive feedback and support succession development.
- Sound judgement in policy interpretation, escalation, quality assurance and sensitive institutional matters.
- A pragmatic, calm, collaborative and objective advisory style that strengthens capability without creating dependency or unnecessary bureaucracy.
- High professional standards, discretion and integrity. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills across academic, administrative, executive and external stakeholder groups.
Education and Experience
- A post-secondary degree in a relevant discipline is required; a graduate degree is preferred.
- Significant senior Registrar or enrolment-services leadership experience within a Canadian post-secondary environment.
- Demonstrated experience with student records, admissions, registration, academic standing, graduation, regulatory reporting and academic policy administration.
- Experience supporting Academic Council, Senate-type structures, Board committees, academic governance processes and executive decision-making.
- Experience reviewing Registrar Office workflows, controls, service standards, student information systems and quality-assurance practices.
- Demonstrated success mentoring emerging leaders and supporting succession planning for complex leadership roles.
- Experience supporting restructuring, workflow redesign, role clarification and capability-building during organizational transition.
- Experience in the private post-secondary sector is preferred because of its distinct regulatory, operational and compliance environment.
University Canada West (UCW) is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible learning and working environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including Indigenous peoples, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse gender identities and expressions, and individuals of all sexual orientations. We recognize that historical and systemic barriers continue to affect equity-deserving groups and strive to promote inclusive practices and equitable access to opportunities across our institution.
University Canada West acknowledges that its campuses are situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We thank all applicants for their interest in University Canada West. Please note that Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority consideration, and only shortlisted candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.