Undergraduate Program Coordinator

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Please write a cover letter and include your current resume in one PDF document. The cover letter should specifically address why you are interested in this position and outline current and prior skills and experience that will help you succeed.

Summary

The Department of Communication and Media is a vibrant, dynamic academic unit with a diverse intellectual community dedicated to excellence through research and teaching. Our Undergraduate Program Coordinator is a critical member of the administrative team and is integral to our success. The person in this role provides a broad range of services to our approximately 500 declared majors, the non-declared students who take our classes and the faculty who teach them.

The person in this position works closely with the Department Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, faculty curriculum committee, and our faculty advisors. This position reports to the Student Services Manager.  We depend on each member of our staff to work successfully and collaboratively with each other as well as work independently with minimal supervision.

The Department of Communication and Media has a highly sought-after undergraduate major, a world-renowned faculty, and a prestigious Ph.D. program.  We are housed in the North Quad Residential and Academic Complex, right in the heart of U-M's Central Campus.  Please review our website:  http://lsa.umich.edu/comm .

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Responsibilities*

Undergraduate Program Student Support and Advising (45%)

• Serves as the primary point of contact for undergraduate student services to current students, prospective students, and families
• Provides academic advising to undergraduate students on course curriculum and plans of study, monitors students' academic records for progress towards degree, determines eligibility and approves completion of major requirements for senior audits
• Reviews and obtains approval of student requests for course exceptions within the major
• Ensures that email traffic in personal and undergraduate advising email boxes is addressed in a timely way
• Represents the department at the LSA major/minor fairs, participates in LSA undergraduate group (LUGS) meetings, and serves on other committees as able
  

Curriculum Management (35%)

• Reviews course offerings and based on projected student demands, initiates discussions with the student services manager and associate chair for undergraduate studies on courses that need to be offered each term
• Manages the undergraduate curriculum and creates class offerings for each semester
• Reviews compliance with Provost's space utilization policy of the time schedules 
• Closely monitors enrollment and recommends strategies for managing enrollment to ensure appropriate registration volume
• Work in collaboration with SSA as enrollment override contact for undergraduate courses during registration and start-of-term periods
• Coordinates administrative aspects for the department's honors- and senior thesis programs as well as independent study and research courses
• Monitors student grades at the end of the term to ensure faculty have entered grades for every departmental course
• Assists faculty with the development of new course approval requests
• Facilitates changes to curriculum (create/delete/modify courses); prepares and processes all PARF and CARF forms through the LSA curriculum committee for proposed changes. Reviews impact of curriculum changes on students or other LSA units and advises Student Services Manager and Associate Chair of any issues
• Maintains tracking system for faculty teaching obligations and identifies issues to the Student Services Manager and Associate Chair 
• Serves as liaison to Sweetland Center for Writing in proposing and scheduling upper-level writing requirement (ULWR) classes
• Completes term/annual LSA & RO curriculum tasks as defined
  

Department Student Administrative Support (20%)

• Maintains awareness and understanding of departmental practices and procedures
• Regularly reviews the departmental website for necessary updates and/or additions to our undergraduate program content
• Provides overall guidance and support to the department's student organizations
• Hires, trains and supervises department peer advisors
• Oversees the undergraduate award process (fall and winter terms) and student internship awards for spring/summer terms
• Collaborates with events and communications staff member to publicize internships and events, and helps identify speakers and panelists for student events
• Actively participates in the planning and execution of all undergraduate student events (including but not limited to the career exploration series, annual honors program luncheon, and departmental commencement ceremony)
  

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and university administrative experience. 
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant student services experience in an academic setting, preferably within the College of LSA.  
• Working knowledge of university policies, rules, and administrative procedures related to student administration is necessary. 
• Reasonable knowledge of student counseling and guidance practices is also necessary.  
• The successful candidate will have the ability to work effectively, efficiently, and sensitively with a diverse group of students, faculty and staff with confidential materials and situations.  
• Must have demonstrated experience using MS Excel and Word, university database tools and software, and understand the importance of social media in the academic environment. 
• This individual needs to be a critical thinker, problem solver, decision maker, and be able to handle some pressure situations. Additional behavior traits of flexibility, adaptability, patience, and the ability to work collaboratively are essential for success in this role.

Desired Qualifications*

• A Master's degree in higher education, college student personnel administration, and counseling or another related discipline (or coursework towards a related program) is strongly desired.
• Prior background in advising students of program requirements and problem resolution is highly desired. 
• Basic familiar with FERPA and experience using M-Pathways and various LSA systems including MRS, student advising file, and course maintenance a plus.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time position (8am to 5pm, M-F), this position is mostly in person with some opportunities for remote work.  

Additional Information

The target salary range for this position is $45,500-$56,600 per year, please note a higher salary may be offered based on equity and the selected candidate's experience.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei .

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision .

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.