Graduate Program Professional

Graduate Program Professional

This position is responsible for the effective coordination of the Physics Graduate program within the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences. The Graduate Program Professional position is a mid-level position with the opportunity for growth. This position is expected to interact closely with approximately 60-70 Graduate students and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), the Associate Head, and the Department Head within the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies
- Excellent interpersonal skills, professional demeanor, self-motivation, experience in a diverse environment, and the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet a demanding deadline schedule. In addition, considerable knowledge of Graduate School policies and procedures is required. The ability to create and maintain complex databases, maintain accurate records, assemble and organize data, prepare reports, and organize/schedule meetings.

Duties/Responsibilities
- Graduate Affairs Administration Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Inform current graduate students of Graduate School policies, procedures, and deadlines. Inform current graduate students of departmental requirements for MS and PhD programs. Coordinate preliminary written exams, oral exams, MS thesis defenses, and PhD defenses. Includes announcements to the Graduate School, scheduling rooms/times, and collecting and submitting associated paperwork. Maintain database of current students containing all pertinent academic information. Maintain MS and PhD alumni database.

Departmental liaison with Admissions, Graduate School, International Programs, and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences business/dean's office. Collect and submit Graduate School travel award applications for interested graduate students. Ensure departmental and Graduate School deadlines are met by tracking graduate student degree progress. Prepare and submit to the Franklin Business Office hiring proposals, terminations, and all payroll information each semester for all students and Teaching/Lab assistants.

Process and manage various forms through Grad Status including:
Request for Change of Degree Objective;
Application for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degrees, Tuition waivers;
Approval form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination;
Comprehensive Exam Announcement;
Dissertation Defense Announcement;
Program of Study; and others. Provide specific graduate student performance data to the DGS and Department Head for annual reviews. Collect and file annual Graduate Student Progress reports and Mentor-Mentee compacts. Coordinate annual meetings of each graduate student with their advisory committee. Coordinate the annual graduate student awards day including printing of certificates and announcements, providing awardee names to the Franklin Business, and scheduling a caterer.

Work closely with the DGS in all aspects related to the graduate students from application submission to final degree granting.

Duties/Responsibilities
- Teaching Assistant Position Management Ensure teaching and lab assistants adhere to university and departmental requirements, including orientation and GRSC requirements, minimum course load, English language proficiency requirements, and degree program requirements. Work closely with designated Payroll Manager for Physics and Astronomy to provide the Franklin Business office with timely notifications of hiring requests, terminations, and short work break notifications. Submit all hiring requests through Smartsheet intake form.

Duties/Responsibilities
- Graduate Admissions Coordination Review prospective graduate students' application documents for completeness; ensure that all necessary documents are received and in file for review. Translate grades from US and international academic systems into a 4.0 GPA scale. Create and maintain applicant databases and spreadsheets for admission committee review. Schedule and coordinate applicant visits as needed. With guidance from the DGS and Department Head, implement changes in departmental admission procedures and policies to meet program goals.

Complete admission and denial notices. Compose offer letters and prepare contracts for GLA, GRA, and fellowship recipients, and distribute. Ensure signed offer letters are returned to the DGS. Inform admissions committee on Graduate School and departmental regulations.

Duties/Responsibilities
- General Departmental Support Serve as backup to the Administrative Specialist. Perform tasks and assignments as instructed by departmental leadership. As a member of the staff in the department, this position supports the faculty. This position either provides the requested customer service or refers it to the appropriate staff member to respond. In cases where a service is requested that falls outside of the normal duties, this position will either provide the service or consult with the Administrative Specialist or the…