Graduate Program Coordinator

Position Overview

Graduate Program Coordinators in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are team members of the College Office of Graduate Affairs (COGA) assigned to specific College academic departments to manage the administrative aspects of the graduate program and to advise graduate students and faculty on policies and processes related to graduate education at KU.

This graduate program coordinator position reports to the COGA Assistant Director and is assigned to the Department(s) of:

• Anthropology
• Leadership Studies
• Visual Art

Graduate Program Coordinators work closely with faculty in their assigned academic unit, the COGA office, and other campus partners on key processes and initiatives related to graduate education. They provide students with equitable advising on program policy and requirements, connect them to campus resources, and guide them through the logistics of their graduate degree, from the application process through graduation.

Graduate Program Coordinators report to COGA, but their offices are located in the campus building of the department they support. They interact primarily with faculty and students day-to-day and build rapport and an understanding of department requirements and culture in order to tailor advising and to meet their departments’ needs.

Graduate program coordinators’ work is conducted independently, and they enjoy a high degree of autonomy in how they structure their time and manage projects to meet the requirements of the academic calendar and the needs of their assigned departments. As members of COGA, they also benefit from having a team of colleagues to serve as a resource, share best practices, and build community.

Education or training in the field of study of the assigned academic units is not required, nor is prior experience in higher education. Graduate program coordinators are provided with comprehensive training to become subject matter experts on policies and processes related to graduate education oing training and opportunities for additional professional development are also provided to encourage professional growth.

This position has a hybrid work arrangement of up to two days/week remote and three days/week on-campus during the fall and spring semesters. Additional remote work is available during the summer session and academic breaks. Candidates are also encouraged to review KU’s employee benefits packages and paid leave schedule.

50% Manages or coordinates administrative aspects of the graduate program and graduate data

• Tracks student enrollment, grades, and overall degree progression and verifies that students have fulfilled all program and University requirements for their degree.
• Submits and tracks forms related to student petitions, milestones, enrollment, awards, exams, and graduation.
• Maintains current and historical data and records relating to the graduate program and students.
• Coordinates graduate program events (e.g. prospective student visits, orientation, graduate student awards ceremonies).
• Manages administrative aspects of the admission process, including collection and tracking of applicant materials, providing data or reports to admission committees, processing admission decisions, and preparing admission and funding letters.
• Supports development and oversees implementation of programs’ communications related to recruitment and outreach.
• Manages administrative aspects of student employment with the department (e.g. Graduate Teaching or Research Assistants) including tracking course assignments and funding, recording results of teaching evaluations, and submitting hiring forms.
• Coordinates exams and graduation processes (e.g. schedules exams and thesis/dissertation defenses, tracks students’ submission of graduation documents, approves students’ applications for graduation)
• Provides administrative support and collects and compiles data for program reviews, assessment, accreditation, grants, and awards.
• Maintains and updates the graduate student handbook and graduate program pages of the department website and academic catalog.

30% Advises and guides graduate students and faculty on policy, procedures, and best…