Graduate oskâpêw

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

Location - This role is in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Reporting to the First Peoples’ House onîkânîw, the FPH Graduate oskâpêw provides guidance and support to graduate students and creates space for open studies and undergraduate FNMI students to explore graduate program pathways on a part-time and full-time basis. The Graduate oskâpêw leads program development, delivery, coordination, administration, and reporting. The Graduate oskâpêw also provides services, including systems navigation, advocacy, referrals, and collaborative graduate planning.

Services are guided by First Peoples’ House ways of being and knowing and by perspectives on wellness that honour balance among emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. The role also helps students strengthen their connections to culture, community, ceremony, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and other support networks, both on and off campus.

Working in close partnership with the UA faculty, open studies, undergraduate and graduate student advisors, instructors, the FPH Transition Year Program Associate Director, the okiskinohamâkew, and an interdisciplinary team, the FPH Graduate oskâpêw engages and collaborates with FPH Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers (TTKs), faculties, departments, units and campus and community partners and agencies to ensure graduate FNMI students receive academic supports.

The position also contributes to broader campus education, advocacy, and awareness regarding FNMI graduate students, reconciliation, and equitable access to academic support at the University of Alberta.

The FPH Graduate oskâpêw provides individualized, short-term support to FNMI students navigating concerns related to graduate studies, academic stress, housing insecurity, financial barriers, family and community challenges, identity-related concerns, systemic inequities, and transitions into or through university life. First Peoples’ House recognizes the ongoing impacts of colonization, intergenerational trauma, racism, and barriers to accessing care. This role provides strengths-based, culturally responsive, and student-centred support.

FPH Centred Academic Planning and Collaboration with FPH Staff, Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers

Collaborate closely with First Peoples’ House (FPH) Staff, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to strengthen culturally grounded wellness initiatives and continuity of care.

Maintains daily communication with First Peoples’ House (FPH), Elders, Knowledge Keepers, FNMI student supports, and other culturally grounded campus services to ensure culturally safe and holistic care.

Incorporate First Peoples’ House teachings and groundings, cultural practices, ceremony, and teachings into holistic care planning where appropriate and student-led.

Support continuity of care through culturally safe coordination between campus and community supports.

Strengthen student connection to community as part of wellness and healing processes.

Integrate FNMI cultural perspectives into programs, workshops, events, presentations, services, supports and resources to connect and provide a space for students to participate.

Guide FNMI undergraduate students through the graduate admissions application process.

Provide UA student expectations, such as UA governance, the university calendar, student policies and procedures, academic guidelines, and deadlines.

Provide graduate studies information sessions for students at FPH orientation, including presentations, workshops, and events focused on graduate programs, services and supports on campus.

Provide graduate students with guidance on graduate-level program requirements and course selection.

Provide guidance to graduate FNMI students through the convocation process.

Provide tools, resources and referrals to support FNMI graduate students as they explore career pathways.

Coordinate and attend external events to promote graduate-level studies to both open studies and undergraduate students seeking to attend part-time or full-time studies.

The Graduate oskâpêw will provide coverage at FPH and support collaborative programs, services and support, along with FPH opening and closing of the building.

Participate in campus tours with the Indigenous lead and FPH staff to promote graduate-level studies and FPH programs, services and supports.

Build and maintain relationships with FNMI graduate students, both new and existing, to recruit potential volunteers.

Oversee human resources by recruiting and hiring graduate-level tutors as requested by graduate FNMI students each semester.

Promote FNMI emergency funding, awards, scholarships, research, and grant opportunities for FNMI graduate students, and support students through the application and proposal development processes.

Attend the Fall and Winter Convocation Honouring ceremonies with Elder or Traditional Knowledge Keeper (TTK).

Advocacy and Equity in Systems Navigation

Advocate for culturally safe and equitable services for graduate FNMI students across campus and in external systems.

Support FNMI students in navigating institutional, academic, and community systems to reduce barriers.

Engage with external community partners, including FNMI health services, Alberta Health Services, social service agencies, child and family services (if required), housing supports, and financial assistance programs, to coordinate wraparound care.

Identify and address systemic gaps that affect graduate FNMI students’ access to services and supports.

Promote equitable access to resources through advocacy and culturally informed navigation of systems.

Respond as needed to racism and discrimination that FNMI students may experience, as well as to inappropriate or harmful behaviour between graduate students and supervisors, Teaching Assistants (TAs), and Research Assistants (RAs), by informing the appropriate key partners and stakeholders for direction and support.

Contribute to the well-being, retention, academic success, crisis prevention, and equitable access to services for graduate FNMI students across the university system.

Relationship Building and Collaborative Partnerships

Engage and collaborate with FPH Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers (TTKs), faculty, departments, units, the Office of the Registrar, the Indigenous Enrolment Management Team, the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS), Association of Graduate Anthropology Students (AGSA), Indigenous Graduate Students’ Association (IGSA), Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE), and Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) Teams, the Health and Wellness Services (HWS) Interdisciplinary Team, the Student Success and Experience Units, Residence Services, Accessibility Resources, Faculty, Academic Advisors, and Instructors, communication and marketing, and campus and community partners and agencies to ensure graduate FNMI students receive timely and coordinated academic supports.

Build new and existing working relationships and maintain continuous communication with graduate-level writing, librarians, tutors, university staff, and community partners to support the cultural safety of FNMI students and maintain a graduate contact list.

Utilize UA Enterprise Applications, including Bear Tracks, Campus Solutions, Slate, HCM, Freshservice, Gmail, Google (docs, sheets, forms), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Canva, and Canvas, to ensure the successful delivery of programs, services, and support.

Ensure all graduate programs, services and support documents, spreadsheets, and notes are saved on the FPH Google Drive and maintain a file management system and process.

Participate in the Indigenous Recruitment Circle to support current and prospect