Undergraduate Program Coordinator & Major​/Minor Advisor

Undergraduate Coordinator

The Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan is one of the premier sociology departments in the world and the Undergraduate Coordinator serves as one of our primary public faces. Learn more about the department .umich.edu/soc.

The Sociology staff are a team of dedicated, diverse, and creative professionals that support students and faculty in providing exceptional, engaging, and innovative opportunities for teaching, learning, and research. Our focus is developing and sustaining a collaborative and inclusive culture, which encourages outreach and engagement throughout our department, institution, community, and society.

This position reports to Academic Program Manager, Jill Hoppenjans.

The Undergraduate Coordinator is responsible for administrating all aspects of the sociology undergraduate program and curriculum, including academic advising, strategic planning, student programming, and curriculum development & management. An enthusiastic, welcoming, and cheerful personality is critical.

Major/Minor Advising (50%)

• Provide department academic advising to students on topics including major/minor exploration, declaration, progress, course selection, transfer courses, senior audits, study abroad, and post-graduation plans
• Document all relevant activities in the student advising file
• Process course and major/minor exceptions in the student advising file
• Refer students to other campus services, as appropriate
• Stay informed of policies and procedures affecting academic and advising policies, and inform others and/or implement changes as needed
• Train and supervise the graduate advising intern, who does senior audits, advising (live and via email), and 1 event per year

Curriculum Planning (15%)

• Work with Associate Chair to project undergraduate and graduate curriculum needs for upcoming year
• Survey faculty for teaching preferences
• Use faculty teaching preference information to create a curriculum plan and then continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed
• Work with the Curriculum Committee to coordinate LSA course approvals as needed
• Oversee the department's participation in the Upper Level Writing Requirement
• Work with Associate Chair and Undergraduate Program Director to ensure courses have appropriate LSA attributes, pre-requisites, and other college designations

GSI Hiring and Administration (15%)

• Work with Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Program Manager to determine GSI assignments and appointment levels
• Process GSI appointments and offer letters
• Answer questions about GSI paychecks
• Ensure compliance with the GEO contract
• With the Undergraduate Director and Graduate Student Mentor, plan the GSI orientation session offered each semester

Undergrad Event Planning (10%)

• Plan programs of interest to our students (e.g. curriculum nights, what to do with a sociology major, etc.)
• Work with other social science departments to plan programming of interest to our students (e.g. career center, pre-law sessions, etc)
• Plan Honors Symposium
• Plan Graduation Celebration

Ugrad Program Administration (10%)

• Work with Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Program Manager on academic policy questions, and serve as a resource for questions about plagiarism and other academic violations and standards issues
• Maintain undergraduate website, policy documentation, and information materials
• Oversee the independent study application process
• Oversee the internship credit application process
• Work with Honors Advisor on Honors Program admissions, curriculum, handbook, and process
• Oversee recruitment process for new major/minors and honors students
• Maintain key statistics for department (majors/minors)
• Facilitate annual Angell and Krom paper awards process
• Liaison with Newnan Advising Center, Office of International Programs, Sweetland Writing Center, Project Community, etc
• Purchase departmental swag to give to majors/minors
• Plan and coordinate spending from annual UGPRG allocation

It is expected that the Undergraduate Coordinator will participate in regular training/meetings to stay current on University and College policies and best practices, such as the Advising Conference, ACUM programs, and LUGS (LSA Undergraduate Staff) events.

• Associate's degree, with at least five years of progressively responsible work experience.
• Experience working in a higher education setting and a demonstrated understanding of the value of a liberal arts education, and interest in student development and college academic affairs.
• Reasonable knowledge of general university policies, rules, and administrative procedures relating to student affairs as well as student counseling and guidance practices.

• A bachelor's degree is strongly desired. Master's Degree in higher education, college student personnel administration, counseling, education, sociology or another related discipline, (or coursework towards a related program) is preferred.
• Experience with any of the University's student…