Graduate Program Coordinator and Advisor

Payroll Title: Student Services Advisor 3

Job Code: 004575

Job Open Date: 11/18/24

Application Review Begins: 12/06/24; open until filled

Department Code (Name): SOCL (SOCIOLOGY DEPT)

Percentage of Time: 100%

Union Code (Name): 99 (Non-Represented)

Employee Class (Appointment Type): Staff (Career)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Classified Indicator Description (Personnel Program): PSS

Salary Grade: Grade 19

Pay Rate/Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $58,600 to $71,000/yr. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable, and consistent pay practices at the University. The full salary range for this position is $58,600 to $100,800/yr.

Work Location: SSMS 3111

Working Days and Hours: M-F, 8am - 5pm

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Type of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangement, if applicable: Hybrid, job is primarily in person

Special Instructions:

For full consideration, please include a resume and a cover letter as part of your application.

Department Marketing Statement:

The UCSB Department of Sociology is known for breaking down traditional disciplinary boundaries, and interdisciplinarity is actively practiced by Sociology faculty and students. The political relevance of scholarship is widely valued here, and the Sociology Department has a strong tradition of mixing scholarship with activism and concerns for social justice.

Benefits of Belonging:

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health are just one of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC

Brief Summary of Job Duties:

The Graduate Program Coordinator and Advisor is responsible to oversee, manage and coordinate of all aspects of the Graduate Program in the Department of Sociology. Responsible for the oversight of the graduate program (MA, Ph.D.), with six PhD emphases and eight interdisciplinary emphases. Responsible for identifying problems, interpreting policies and initiating new policies and procedures to ensure that the graduate program in the department meets the needs of students while maintaining the goals and standards set by the department and the campus administration. Responsible for managing all graduate student services in a large department advising current and prospective graduate students on all aspects of graduate affairs including but not limited to; advises students on degree requirements and maintaining time to degree; oversees graduate admissions and recruitment; manages academic student employee payroll; maintains over $365,000 in annual graduate student funding and awards; annually assigning 21.00 FTE in ASE positions (TA and Associate); and collaborates with faculty leadership and Business Officer on curriculum planning and development. Evaluates program efficiency and effectiveness, develops procedures and practices for student advising and prepares reports for the faculty leadership as requested. Works collaboratively with other campus or UC representatives on matters concerning campus policy that impact graduate students and serves on departmental faculty committees and is called upon if expertise is required in another area.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• 1-3 years of experience in academic advising and/or student support services in higher education program/college/or school.
• Ability to provide support to underrepresented minorities and promote diversity through inclusivity.
• Excellent writing skills to produce accurate website information.
• Ability to establish cooperative working relationships with various campus offices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong organization skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks under pressure of deadlines and frequent interruptions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, assertiveness and diplomacy.
• Ability to exercise good judgement, common sense, and discretion, while providing careful attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks with minimal supervision; set boundaries and adhere to them.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively as a staff team member, as well as with faculty members.
• Thorough experience with Microsoft Office Suite & Google Workspace.
• Thorough knowledge of college / school policies, procedures, and requirements.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment
• Satisfactory conviction history background check

Job Functions and Percentages of Time:

• 40% Academic Advising - Advises approximately 50 students enrolled in the Sociology PhD program, including eight PhD degree emphases: Black Studies, Demography, Environment and Society, Global Studies, Feminist Studies, LISO (Language, Interaction and Social Organization), and Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences. Advises faculty on departmental and university policies and procedures; reviews students' progress while conducting formal progress checks and advises students and faculty on requirements for degree/ program completion; identifies students with time-to- degree problems and recommends interventions. Prepares student petitions regarding graduation matters, requirement substitutions and waivers, transfer work accreditation, and student leaves options. Responsible for interpreting department policies and advising students and faculty on student conduct, student grievances, disputes, and issues regarding discrimination. Conducts quarterly outreach surveys checking in with graduate students on current events and making sure they are in good well-being. Advises Director of Graduate Studies of discriminatory claims and injustices. Provides solutions and alternatives to academic, financial, and personal problems as necessary to assist graduate students with normal progress to degree. Coordinates and schedules comprehensive exams and degree defenses, and verifies degrees. Refers graduates and/or faculty to additional campus resources such as but not limited to, the Distressed Students' Office, CLAS, Career and Counseling Center, or the Graduate Division for further guidance. Maintains all graduate student records: confidential files, ASE employment files, databases on student progress, statistical data on admissions, continuing students, and alumni. Develops spreadsheets to organize and report data as required by various users. Familiar with all campus databases needed for graduate administration (GradPoint and Financial Portal, Admissions Portal, GOLD, Canvas, egrades, etc.) Devises curriculum planning in collaboration with chair and the curriculum committee. Ensures enough required courses are offered and suggests area topics to offer based on student requests and needs. Plans Fall Orientation, assists with graduate Town Halls, the annual department picnic, and job talk practice sessions throughout the year. Oversees production, revision, and distribution of graduate program handbook. Ensures policy changes are incorporated and understood by new students. Annually reviews and updates General Catalog and department entries in ASA (American Sociological Association) guide. Works with the GPAC and Graduate Division to recommend changes to policies, practices, and procedures. Acts as the Moderator of department graduate student Google group. Maintains graduate area on departmental website using Drupal.

• 30% Academic Student Employment and Financial Management - Oversees processes for equitable assignment of Academic Student Employees (ASEs) and coordinates ASE assignments each quarter for approximately 40 TAships or 120 per year amounting to $950,000. Verifies academic standing and payroll eligibility prior to work. Prepares quarterly TA contract notification memos following UAW guidelines. Ensures all exceptional paperwork has been approved prior to UC Path input. When non-Sociology graduate students are hired in TAships, the graduate coordinator reviews applications for appropriate skillsets before giving them to the Director of Graduate Studies for vetting. Communicates with other departments on gaining necessary employment approvals to hire their graduates as required. Responsible for interpreting UAW policies and advising students and faculty on ASE performance conduct. Works with Labor Relations and the Director on dismantling problematic situations before they get out of control. Enters UC Path appointments for approximately 120 Teaching Assistants per academic year. Accurately pays graduate students in a timely manner. Liaison's with other departments employing Sociology graduates on adjusting appointment percentages and complying with UC Path "pay rules" in the case of non-academic combinations of jobs. Utilizes GLACIER for non-US citizens and assists with student visa questions. Utilizes the 4 month pay option in fall. Communicates payroll discrepancies with graduates and assists them with interpreting paychecks and when to expect pay, particularly in early fall. Processes Teaching Associate appointment paperwork, offers, and performs UC Path functions as needed for approximately 3-5 instructor positions per academic year and 10-12 per summer. Facilitates and processes ASE medical and personal leaves in payroll titles. Processes ASE quarterly childcare payments upon request, varies per year. Provides support to departmental Financial Assistant with graduate student non-academic appointments.

• 15% Recruitment and Admissions - Advises prospective applicants on necessary academic preparation; appropriateness of program as it pertains to the prospective applicant's goals; utilizing in-depth knowledge of program's admissions criteria, helps faculty rank applicants for admissions; evaluates domestic and international transcripts for degree eligibility; initiates and arranges student recruitment visits. Coordinates department recruitment weekend events and interviews. Oversees all correspondence and designs and edits recruitment and promotional materials to especially attract underrepresented groups and minorities. Creates and monitors completeness of applicant files; computes GPA and GRE scores; evaluates files for discrepancies, coordinates ELPE Exam and TA English Language Exam, routes complete files to committee for review. Identifies files of targeted students for active recruitment, and fellowship eligibility. Prepares financial support contracts and sends them on behalf of the department to admitted prospective students. Advises applicants on actions of admissions committee, rejection reasons, appeals procedure. Assures that graduate division regulations and deadlines are met. Coordinates annual McNair Mellon-Mays Scholar visits for underrepresented graduate students. Invites faculty and former McNair graduate students to events and assists Director with mentorship pairing based on area of interest and background. Regularly answers inquiries from students' part of Graduate Division's Admissions, Outreach, and Diversity Initiatives and programming events.

• 15% Funding and Award Management - Oversees the administration, evaluation, and awarding of student fellowships, grants, scholarships, conference travel grants, and other types of awards; advises students on financial aid options on campus and extramural fellowship opportunities. Reviews awards for inconsistencies, identifies and discusses potential funding conflicts, adjusts payments as required. Prepares match-funding memos in collaboration with the graduate division and negotiates the best funding package for the student. Administers department's graduate student budgets including annual ASE allocations and Block Grants totaling $350,000/year, the annual recruitment travel and entertainment budget of $5,000, and approximately $15,000 in other internal fellowship and awards. Ensures expenditures stay within the department budget and reconciles annual Black grant funds annually as required by Graduate Division. Reviews students' fees and billing information on BARC statements to confirm fellowships and grant payments were processed, ensures FAFSA compliance and provides tax resource links to students. Recommends processes for disseminating financial awards and is responsible for consistency and adherence to university and agency guidelines when allocating funds or stipends. Manages Spaulding Research, Cressey Dissertation prize funds, and Flacks award, carrying out wishes of donors as specified in fund record.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy:

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs. As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit:

* UC Santa Barbara COVID-19 Information - https://www.ucsb.edu/COVID-19-information
* University of California Policy on Vaccinations - With Interim Revisions - https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy

*Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement:

UC Santa Barbara is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.
For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20.
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination.

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