Assistant to the Dean, DGCE

Assistant to the Dean, DGCE

Category:
Professional/Executive

Department:
Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE)

Locations:
Westfield, MA

Posted:
Aug 19, 2026

Closes:
Open Until Filled

Type:
Full-time

Salary Type:
Annually

Salary Range: $60,000.00 - $66,000.00

Position

About Westfield State University:

In 1839, Westfield State University was founded on the ideals of Horace Mann who sought to improve society through education. We were the first public education institution without barrier to race, gender or economic class. The spirit of innovative thinking and social responsibility is forged in a curriculum of liberal arts and professional studies contributing to the development of knowledge, skills, and character essential for students to become responsible leaders and engaged citizens.

Westfield State is a highly residential campus with approximately 55% of our 3,100 full-time undergraduate students living on campus. The campus is ideally situated on the edge of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts just 30 minutes from the thriving cultural centers of Springfield, Northampton, and Amherst with a selection of museums, theater, collegiate and minor league sports, hiking trails, and restaurants.

The University is within 1.5 hours of Boston and Albany and within 3 hours of New York City and the Green Mountain range of Vermont.

Campus

Title:

Assistant to the Dean, DGCE

State

Job Title:

Staff Associate

Department:
Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE)

Job Code: HA5310

FLSA Status:
Exempt

Funding:

Bargaining Unit:
Non-Unit Professional (NUP)

Job Type: Full-Time Permanent / On-campus position

Timeframe: 52 Weeks

Shift: Monday - Friday 8am to 4pm

Regular Days Off:
Saturday and Sunday

Supervision Received:
Receives direct supervision and specific assignments from the Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education.

Supervision Exercised:
None

Salary: $60,000 to $66,000 Annually (commensurate with education and experience)

The Assistant to the Dean serves as the principal administrative and operational support professional for the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE), providing comprehensive, high-level administrative support to the Dean while coordinating complex operational, financial, and personnel processes across the Division.

The position is responsible for gathering, synthesizing, analyzing, and maintaining confidential information; preparing reports of moderate complexity; coordinating calendars, correspondence, meetings, and division-wide initiatives; and serving as a liaison between the Dean and academic department chairs, program area chairs, faculty, Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Payroll, MSCA-DGCE, and other university offices.

A significant responsibility of the position is coordinating the full lifecycle of faculty appointment and compensation processes. The Assistant to the Dean prepares, reviews, tracks, distributes, and completes a high volume of faculty contracts, appointment letters, compensation documents, course evaluations, and related personnel records while ensuring compliance with University policies and the MSCA-DGCE collective bargaining agreement. The position must ensure all contracts are accurately completed within contractual timelines while simultaneously fulfilling the operational and administrative responsibilities of the Division.

The Assistant to the Dean exercises a high degree of independence, professionalism, sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and providing exceptional customer service to internal and external constituents.

Duties include but not limited to:

• Assists the Dean in all aspects of the day-to-day operations of DGCE; coordinates the flow of information and materials between the Dean, Assistant Dean, faculty, department chairs, program area chairs, Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Payroll, MSCA-DGCE, and other university offices.
• Provides high-level, confidential administrative support to the Dean, including managing and prioritizing inquiries; coordinating appointments…