Graduate Program Professional

Job Summary

The Department of Political Science at CU Boulder encourages applications for the Graduate Program Professional position! This role is responsible for oversight, management, and administration of the graduate program and its corresponding budget, while centering student experience in all ways. This includes collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to implement strategies to enhance the opportunities, performance, retention, and graduation rates of students in the graduate program.

The position serves as the clearinghouse for rule, policy and graduate program changes and is responsible for informing faculty, staff and students of these changes as well as developing strategies to implement those changes and is responsible for incorporating graduate student feedback into program operations and decisions. Management of the graduate student application and recruitment process is an essential function of the position, including assuring that applications are complete for review by the admissions committee so that recruitment can be completed in a timely manner.

The position advises students of admissions policies and information about the graduate program, followed by planning and organizing graduate student recruitment weekends, extending offers, and tracking and documenting acceptances and rejections. New and continuing students are advised throughout the program, and their progress is tracked. This position serves as the initial contact for student (and potential student) inquiries, assisting graduate students with problems as they arise, and advising graduate students for completion of the program.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

CU Political Science department comprises roughly 30 full‑time faculty, over 1,000 undergraduate majors, about 50 Ph.D. students, and three full‑time staff members. We provide students with a rigorous education and conduct influential research in all subfields of the discipline. For more information about our department, please visit our web site: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

• Maintain daily programmatic responsibilities for the department, coordinating procedures and policies between the Graduate School and the Division of Social Sciences as well as with various other campus units.
• Maintain graduate student records, track progress, and provide reports to leadership as required.
• Identify student eligibility for achievements and awards. Coordinate with faculty and staff to identify potential awards and applicants, notify students, assist with provision of information about application processes, and work with faculty to ensure that applications are complete.
• Develop and collaborate with faculty and staff in the department to assign academic year teaching assignments. Draft semesterly offer letters for Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants and Graduate Program Teaching Instructors, etc.
• Implement all hiring processes, inform students about processes and procedures, and work closely with Campus HR Payroll Office to ensure a smooth hiring process and resolve questions.
• Conduct work study and hourly hiring processes for non‑appointment work opportunities for graduate students during the academic year and summer. Track hours, funding distribution, and timesheet approvals. Track work study awards and funding distributions.
• Nominates non‑faculty individuals for Graduate Faculty Appointments, enabling them to teach graduate‑level courses, sponsor Independent Study at the graduate level, and serve as committee members of defenses and examinations of individual students in the department.
• Coordinate on‑campus functions such as the new student orientation for incoming graduates and graduate student teaching assistants.
• Guide students who are nearing graduation with…