OUTREACH AND ADMISSIONS SPECIALIST

Updated: over 1 year ago
Location: Seattle, WASHINGTON
Deadline: Open Until Filled

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

The Graduate School is an intellectual leader on pressing issues in graduate education and advances a culture of excellence, inclusion and equity.  The Graduate School provides instrumental services to UW graduate programs, faculty and students while championing the enterprise of graduate education itself.

The Graduate School – MS in Data Science Program has an outstanding opportunity for a Outreach and Admissions Specialist.

The MS in Data Science program has developed a holistic admissions process which handles over 1,000 applications each year while considering each applicant’s strengths beyond test scores and transcripts. This process has measurable impact on both demographic and academic diversity of incoming student cohorts. After implementing this admissions process, MSDS achieved gender equity in each cohort while most data science and quantitative fields are still overwhelmingly male. The Outreach and Admissions Specialist manages this admissions process, with multiple faculty reviewers and program staff handling a large number of applications on a tight timeline.

Despite achieving gender equity, the MSDS cohorts are still far from racial and ethnic equity because the applicant pools are far from racial and ethnic equity. The Outreach and Admissions Specialist will develop an outreach strategy from a racial equity lens, then lead this work building authentic relationships with organizations and individuals from these historically excluded racial and ethnic communities. Listening and learning in these relationships will help MSDS understand barriers to applying to the program, and develop ways to reduce these barriers. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

40% Outreach and Recruitment

Equity-Focused Outreach Practices (20%)
•Research and maintain knowledge of best practices for equity focused recruitment with specific focus on racial equity
•Develop and implement outreach strategies using a racial equity lens
•Understand and address application and success barriers faced by historically excluded racial and ethnic groups

Recruitment & Relationship Building (20%)
•Build authentic, ongoing, and mutual relationships with organizations identified in the MSDS program plan to support student recruitment
•Maintain close and personal contact with prospective students through the admissions process
•Attend recruitment and outreach events

30% Manage and refine the MSDS holistic admissions process

•Lead the admissions process
o    Review the application materials each year and update as needed
o    Review the latest review process and update as needed to scalably implement holistic review for a large volume of applications
o    Manage application review assignments, and follow-ups
o    Direct and train program staff on completing this intake process
o    Plan and lead admissions meetings
•Research best practices in holistic admissions, and application materials for other data science master's programs, to inform continuous improvements in UW MSDS admissions process
•Develop and implement applicant communications strategy, including web materials and other communication

20% Marketing and Communications

•Develop a branding strategy that clarifies the key value of the UW MSDS degree in the context of this landscape analysis
•Manage graphic designers and other vendors and staff to create and update visual branding for the UW MSDS
•Develop marketing strategies using a racial equity lens messaging and campaigns
•Create materials to support these campaigns
•Roll these campaigns out across all social media platforms, in some cases by directing the work of student interns or other staff to implement these campaigns
•Work with Operations Specialist to develop and improve web site content, and prospective communications
•Manage inventory and budget for conference swag and other marketing materials

10% General Program Support

•Collaborate with MSDS staff to plan and execute program events
•Other duties as assigned by Program Leadership

REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Communication, Technology, or related field
• Two or more years experience

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
•    Demonstrated experience building authentic, mutual relationships with new communities
•    Self-motivated with the ability to work independently to research and solve problems with limited instructions
•    Experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice focused work
•   Demonstrated ability to learn and use enterprise software systems

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED:
•    Experience managing large projects and/or processes
•    Demonstrated ability to holistically delegate work to colleagues who are not direct reports
•    Experience with supporting or managing university or program admissions process
•    Demonstrated success in cultivating an inclusive community
•    Interest in and experience working with communities who have been historically excluded from higher education and/or quantitative professions
•    Working knowledge of cultural, economic, and political impediments to promoting diversity and equity in higher education
•    Exceptional written, oral, and listening communication skills to support the delivery of compelling public presentations and the development of high-impact outreach materials

Application Process:

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.



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