Program Coordinator for Graduate Academic Services


Position Overview

The Program Coordinator for Graduate Academic Services supervises and monitors the coordination of Graduate Academic Services for the School of Engineering. The School of Engineering has over 500 graduate students, with a continued growth goal to 800 students. There are 26-degree programs in five departments. The curricula requirements are strenuous and vary by department, degree, and major. Ensuring students stay on track is paramount to their, and the School’s, success. The School of Engineering Dean's Office is a service-oriented organization with students, faculty, alumni, and industry employers, as well as the University of Kansas, as constituents. This position must know and understand the requirements of all graduate degree programs within the School and develops, coordinates, and reviews procedures to ensure that Engineering and University policies, requirements, and regulations are implemented in accordance with the intent of faculty/student governance and applied equitably to all students. The position works closely with the Program Coordinator for Research and Graduate Recruiting in the School of Engineering. This position reports to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering.

Job Description

Academic Services (80%)
  • Serve as the primary resource for engineering graduate academics to faculty, graduate studies directors/associate chairs for graduate studies, department graduate program coordinators, Office of Graduate Studies, Office of the University Registrar, Graduate Admissions, International Support Services, Financial Aid, and Scholarships, Self Graduate Programs, KU Center for Research, Information Technology, and the Office of the Provost.
  • Process applications for admissions, manage official records, and review students’ progress toward academic milestones and degree for the School of Engineering. Complete a degree verification for each graduate student to ensure that all graduation requirements are complete.
  • Coordinate and review procedures to ensure that School of Engineering policies, requirements, and regulations are implemented in accordance with the intent of faculty/student governance and applied equitably to all students. Facilitate training for department-level staff on these policies and procedures.
  • Serve as School of Engineering liaison to the Office of Graduate Studies and Graduate Admissions, and attend regular meetings with representatives from these offices.
  • Based on University, School, and program policies, review and approve graduate students for probation, petitions, extensions, grade changes, academic status changes, and acknowledge honors; and, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, approve academic dismissals. Oversee graduate student retention efforts and initiatives.
  • Approve all academic policy-related requests such as Faculty Executive (FacEx) appeals, change in academic plan, leave of absence, retroactive withdrawal requests, and graduate research assistant (GRA) and graduate teaching assistant (GTA) appointment petitions.
  • Receive daily onboarding reports, filter the reports, and send them to departments that have students with outstanding tasks. Continually verify that all students get onboarded according to policy.
  • Responsible for ensuring that engineering sections of the Graduate Catalog are updated annually. Serve as expert for new graduate degree program proposals and requests.
  • Co-assist departments with new graduate student orientation and host an “Advisor/Advisee” relationship talk.
Reporting and Graduate Program Support (15%)
  • Collaborate with School of Engineering staff on engineering graduate student and research sections of national surveys, including but not limited to: U.S. News & World Report, American Society of Engineering Education, and National Research Council surveys; use national and internal databases (i.e., Academic Analytics) to provide statistics to School of Engineering dean and associate deans, department chairs, and other administrators for strategic planning and tracking of progress toward School goals.
  • Assist with academic reports: Use university systems and databases (DEMIS/OAC, Enroll & Pay, Advising Tool), and collaborate with Analytics, Institutional Research, & Effectiveness (AIRE) to provide application, enrollment, and graduation statistics and reports for use in dean and departmental administrators’ graduate program strategies.
  • Co-advise the Graduate Engineering Association (GEA), and assist with the coordination of GEA program. Support GEA workshops and events such as selecting, training, and supervising graduate students.
  • Assist with School of Engineering Recognition ceremonies semi-annually, via direction from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering.
  • Hire, train, and supervise student employees.
  • Assist with the development of an advanced degree alumni network.
Other Duties as Assigned (5%)
  • Other duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering.

Position Requirements

This position is required to work on-site.

Required Qualifications

  1. Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years related experience.
  2. Excellent written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

  1. Experience working with university administration.
  2. Advanced degree or at least one year of graduate education.
  3. Experience with interpreting and enforcing academic policies, procedures, and processes in an academic unit.
  4. Experience with creating charts, graphs, and reports for analysis of statistical data.
  5. Demonstrated ability to work independently, as part of a team, and with initiative.
  6. Detail oriented with an understanding of the organizational needs as a whole.
  7. Experience working with KU computer platforms and databases.

Additional Candidate Instructions

Only complete application packages submitted online will be considered. A complete application includes online application form, resume, cover letter, names and contact information for three professional references.

Application review will begin on March 3, 2023 and continues until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

Contact Information to Applicants

Mario Medina, mmedina@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

Min. $45,500

Work Schedule

M-F, 8-5pm

Application Review Begins

Friday March 3, 2023

Anticipated Start Date

Monday May 29, 2023

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Posting Information

  • Posting ID:  24415BR
  • Department:  Engineering Administration
  • Primary Campus:  University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
  • Assignment:  On-Site
  • Reg/Temp:  Regular
  • Employee Class:  U-Unclassified Professional Staff
  • Review Begins:  03-Mar-2023

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