Program Director, Master of Arts in Professional Communication

Job Title:

Program Director, Master of Arts in Professional Communication

Job Summary:

The University of San Francisco's Master of Arts in Professional Communication (MAPC) provides the knowledge and skills for superior oral, written, and visual communication expertise. Our program is designed for people who seek the techniques and critical thinking required to be communication leaders in a changing workplace and wide range of industries.
Under the general supervision of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Strategic Initiatives, the Program Director is responsible for problem-solving, results-driven administrative support, recruiting and admissions, marketing and outreach, academic support, and enhancing the student experience.
The Program Director will work with the Academic Director and faculty to carry out daily activities and to maintain, improve and create new program initiatives. The Program Director will take into account the overall best interests of the College by working with other units to ensure the best and highest use of the College’s resources. The Program Director will also help advance the University’s mission and strategic priorities, including goals focused on diversity and inclusion, and community building and outreach.

Full Job Description:

Recruitment and Admissions

• Plan, manage, and execute the recruitment and admissions process, from prospect to matriculation to graduation, in collaboration with the CAS Office of Graduate Admissions and the Academic Director.

• Cultivate relationships and counsel all prospects, applicants, and admitted students on content of the curriculum, prerequisites, and all matters related to their application status.

• Review all admission applications and participate in admission decisions.

• Work with steering committee to administer the Dean’s scholarship award.

• Review, process, and post admission decisions in Slate, recommend applicants for interview or waitlist status, and assign scholarship awards. 

• Manage the admissions deposit process and forecast deposit rate and admission yield.

• Input, revise, and maintain data for the application and admission process.

• Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations like alumni groups, community organizations, and other individuals in the professional communications field to facilitate recruitment.

Marketing and Outreach

• Manage and develop annual marketing plan and branding strategy both nationally and internationally, as well as communications media in coordination with the Director of Office of Graduate Admissions and the Office of Marketing and Communications.

• Manage the program’s marketing budget.

• Respond to requests for information from prospective students, the media, and potential donors. 

• Implement communication plans for, and maintain regular contact with, the applicant pool.

• Oversee the program’s contact management system.

• Initiate, design, develop, and revise communications, advertising, email campaigns, social media, and publications for the program.

• Plan and execute online and in-person recruiting events, such as webinars, information sessions and open houses.

• Travel to other colleges and universities, conferences and graduate recruitment fairs for events. 

• Develop and streamline accessible reporting for admissions, including website traffic and marketing plans. 

• In collaboration with Academic Director, create and administer surveys to track student employment outcomes, alumni employment updates, student exit surveys, practicum satisfaction, and other critical program data. Analyze and present results.

• Support development initiatives by drafting reports and other stewardship materials.

Academic/Professional Development Support

• Facilitate and plan the academic advising process in conjunction with the Academic Director, and ensure both continued academic progress and smooth administration of student registration.

• Facilitate student success including organizing student orientation events, monitoring the academic progress of students, organizing student-centered events, and managing degree completion paperwork.

• Provide academic advising and support to students who experience hardship to assist with retention of students. 

• Work with the Academic Director and USF Career Center to coordinate internship and capstone project programs, and in cultivating relationships with hosts/sponsors.

• Collaborate with the entire network of communication professionals to increase internship offerings. 

• Manage the internship database, facilitating organization matchmaking, and overseeing internship supervisor onboarding and ongoing support.

• Coordinate career support by building relationships in the community with businesses and other professional partners in relevant fields to support the job searches of all students.

Curriculum Development and Support

• Ensure course content meets all program’s learning outcomes and prepare assessment tools and reports in collaboration with the Academic Director.

• Facilitate student enrollment, long term course planning, academic scheduling, and course approval in conjunction with the Academic Director.

• Support the administration of the capstone as requested by the Academic Director, scheduling readers for each capstone project and tracking the progress towards final approval for the degree. Manage capstone repository in conjunction with Gleeson Library.

Student and Alumni Services and Support

• Manage alumni tracking and alumni services for the program in collaboration with the Office of Alumni Relations. 

• Manage alumni employment data and statistics and lead programmatic alumni engagement including communications and events. 

• Engage with the Alumni Group to plan events that support MAPC students, recruitment, and fundraising efforts.

• Collaborate with departments across campus (Financial Aid, Office of Residence Life, SLE, CAPS, etc.) to ensure that resources are available and delivered appropriately to graduate students and faculty.

• Supervise the MAPC Media Group—conduct interviews, hire editors, offer editorial guidance, and ensure that quality content is being published on MAPC social media platforms by MAPC graduate students.

• Work with the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office to process work visa documents and ensure that international students follow guidelines.

• Facilitate affinity group connections, alumni mentoring matching, and other campus support contacts for first-generation, BIPOC, and LGBTQAI+ identifying students.

Other Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the University Graduate Admission Council and attend the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Program Directors meetings.

• Act as a resource person/liaison between and among faculty, students, and the University community, as well as members of the public.

• Manage programs budgets, including scholarship allocations.

• Oversee and assist in hiring and managing the programs assistant.

• Hire and manage student assistants.

• Performs additional duties as assigned.

 

Key Executions

• Outstanding customer service to current and prospective students.

• Improvement of program activities through policy-setting and execution.

• Deliver high-quality student programs that contribute to the students’ education.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant areas required. Master’s degree or extended professional experience in the field of professional communication strongly preferred.

• Minimum of five years of related work experience with educational programs administration required. Experience supporting professional or graduate educational programs preferred.

• Professional networks with communication organizations are highly valued.

• Experience working with graduate students is a plus. 

• Experience with strategic branding, national, and international marketing.

• Proven ability to function in a leadership capacity is valued, as is working with minimal supervision and a high degree of autonomy in establishing priorities, making decisions, and carrying through tasks on deadline. Strong ability, as well as commitment, to working in a team environment is highly valued.

• Ability to understand and maintain budgets.

• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, including through the use of social media.

• Excellent computer skills (word processing, database systems, graphic design, and web maintenance skills).

• Comfortable with occasional public speaking duties.

• Ability to travel to recruitment fairs and to work in the evenings and some weekends if required to service graduate student events.

• High customer service values and an exceptional level of professionalism are required.

• Dedication to evidence-based decision-making and evaluation.

• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse members of the University community including students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

• Must demonstrate a strong equity lens, cultural humility, and proven ability to work well in a diverse context.

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full time

Pay Rate:

Salary

Salary Range :

$76,000-$88,000 annualized, commensurate with experience