A Student's Journey with IRP Student - From Co-op to Full-time Employee

"This blog post was written by an employee at IRP Student who was formerly one of our co-op students. Direct UBC student involvement in renewing our Student Information System is critical. Students will be prime users of the new system, Workday Student. A deep understanding of student needs is paramount. I continue to be delighted by co-op students, volunteers, committee participants, and other students as they share their time and knowledge with us. We hope they benefit as much from us as we do from them!" - Corinne Pitre-Heyes, Program Director, IRP Student.

My name is Deka Abdi and I have been working with UBC’s Integrated Renewal Program - Student (IRP Student) since May 2022. I started out in a co-op Communications and Project Assistant role as an international student majoring in Computer Science at UBCO. I have recently transitioned to a full-time position as a Project and Training Coordinator in the Transformation and Change Management (TCM) team of the program.

How I explain IRP Student to peers

IRP Student is the program responsible for the renewal of UBC’s student information system (SIS). This initiative has been underway since 2021, with the first launch of Workday Student scheduled for fall 2023. The second launch is scheduled for early 2024 and subsequent launches will take place to ensure continual improvement of the system. While some of my peers may currently lack awareness or a vested interest in this upcoming system, I encourage them to recognize the importance of engaging with the project. The system will ultimately have a significant impact on day-to-day learning activities, and by involving themselves in the process, they can understand how it aligns with their needs and future academic planning.

Why I chose IRP Student

My journey with IRP Student has been both captivating and fulfilling. Initially introduced to the program during a Project Management course, I was immediately struck by the effectiveness of this large and intricate initiative. My instructor utilized IRP Student as a prime example to teach various project management topics, and guest speakers from the program's leadership only further piqued my interest. Excited to become a part of this dynamic program, I applied for a co-op role and joined the TCM team.

I consider myself privileged to be able to contribute towards the program's success working alongside a team that embodies exceptional resourcefulness, creativity, and unwavering commitment towards the UBC community. The program has been sharing relevant and up-to-date information with the UBC community, facilitating meaningful engagement opportunities, and is now developing effective training materials for all the different audiences to ensure a smooth academic and organizational transition.

Reflecting on my experience and contributions to IRP Student thus far

During my time as a Co-op Project and Communications Assistant, I focused on the IRP Student website optimization - enhancing its performance, aesthetics, and overall user experience. In addition to my technical duties, I was keen on improving my project management skills and I worked with the TCM Project Coordinator on numerous project management tasks. Furthermore, I took an active role in organizing various community events, including Workday Student 101 sessions and community townhall webinars, which contributed significantly to the project's outreach and impact.

Given that the project work for the IRP Student initiative is still in progress and additional support was needed in website development and training as well as other areas, I proactively reached out to my manager (and the team) expressing my interest in continuing to contribute my expertise to the program. To my delight, my manager was receptive to this proposal and promptly advised me to apply for a full-time position within the team. For any students who may be reading, I would highly recommend taking initiative and expressing interest in areas that you are passionate about. By doing so, you may discover unexpected opportunities and find yourself pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

I have now expanded my workload to include additional tasks beyond my previous responsibilities that I held during my co-op role. Specifically, I am now actively engaged in Community Call-in Sessions, developing blogs posts, and engaged in ongoing conversations around upcoming community-facing initiatives. My computer science background has equipped me with valuable skills in web development, time management, teamwork, multitasking, and problem-solving. I use these skills to tackle new challenges, collaborating with multiple team members while managing competing priorities.

With user training commencing this spring, I will be working with the training team to conceptualize and create an array of communication and training materials. These will encompass a diverse range of media, including presentations, reports, blog posts, social media content, and digital signage content. I will also be involved in the development of promotional print pieces and toolkits, which will serve as useful resources for various participant groups across the UBC community during training.

Future opportunities at IRP Student

With the program's launch fast approaching, numerous opportunities have been created for both students and staff. The recruitment process is ongoing to hire a substantial number of co-op students to assist with training and other support-related roles aimed at facilitating a smooth transition for UBC faculty and staff. The unique perspectives and contributions of students are considered vital to the program's success, and as such, are highly valued. Therefore, I strongly encourage anyone with an interest to keep an eye out for open positions and apply and become an integral part of this exciting initiative.