Job Title: Academic Department Coordinator
Classification: C3
Department: Area and Global Studies
Updated: March 2019

Job Summary

The Area and Global Studies Department seeks to employ an Office Coordinator who possesses initiative, critical thinking and problem-solving skills for its growing academic department, which houses the African/African American Studies (AAA) minor, East Asian Studies (EAS) minor, Latin American and Latino/a Studies (LAS) minor, Middle East Studies (MES) minor, the Latino/a Studies Certificate (LSC) program, and the new Global Studies and Social Impact (GSI) major. The successful candidate will provide administrative and clerical support for the department and area programs, which includes planning, coordination, and implementation of programming, events, and services. This may include confidential information.

Essential Functions:

• Provides support for the Department Chair including scheduling and managing of calendars, correspondence, class scheduling, hiring searches, faculty qualifications and special projects.
• Provides support for department faculty and affiliated faculty.
• Provides support for five area coordinators (AAA, EAS, GSI, LAS, and MES) with coordination of programming, events, MES Michigan Model Arab League conference, and special projects, including the Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival.
• Generates flyers for events and courses to promote across university and share with students, including posting on campus calendar.
• Tracks attendance and comments at program events and compiles information for area coordinators and use in annual report.
• Prepares honorarium contracts and makes travel arrangements for guest speakers. 
• Performs administrative work of a confidential nature for the Department Chair.
• Responsible for the coordination/completion and the quality of the clerical work for the department/office which includes answering telephones, providing information, or routing calls to appropriate person; open and route incoming mail and prepare outgoing mail, including bulk mailings; typing memos and other correspondence; maintain office filing system.
• Responsible for creating, maintaining and updating filing information including both paper and electronic record keeping systems for department, including filing of course syllabi.  
• Compiles and logically formats statistical data and reports utilizing Institutional Data for annual reporting information for the department and area programs.
• Disseminates information that may require explanation and interpretation of established university and departmental policies and procedures, and directs individuals to sources of additional information.
• Monitors departmental budgets, reviews budget reports, and reconciles the reports with the department/office's records.  
• Generates reports, memorandums, correspondence, presentation materials, brochures, spreadsheets and graphics, and other similar materials using various computer programs.
• Coordinates all clerical duties associated with confidential faculty and staff searches.
• Responsible for ordering office supplies, processing travel and expense reimbursement forms, requisitions, IDC's, I-9's and other various university forms.
• Schedules monthly department meetings as well as other meetings as needed by standing committees within the department and its programs. This will include initiating meetings, logistics, and communication among faculty both inside and outside of the department, external advisory council members, and others.
• Hires and supervises student employees.
• Processes student employee timecards and maintains appropriate records monitoring student employment budget.
• Maintains/schedules for orientation/advising/special projects/programs/events for the department
• Acts as liaison between department chair, faculty, staff, students, and outside agencies and organizations.
• Performs and coordinates scheduling tasks and support services associated with preparing and making arrangements for major meetings, conferences, exhibits, travel, or other related duties for both internal and external contacts.
• Coordinates grade distribution and processing.
• Assists in scheduling of courses, classrooms, times, and faculty for the department.
• Coordinates student evaluation process for faculty.
• Maintains department and academic program websites in CMS.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Non-Essential Functions:

• Textbook orders for faculty.
• Assist with travel planning and reimbursement for faculty.

Required Qualifications:

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Minimum of three years of relevant work experience.
• Experience with various computer software applications such as Microsoft Office and/or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully operate office equipment.
• Data entry experience.
• Typing and spelling competency with grammar and proofreading skills.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work independently, organize own work and coordinate work activities of others.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully maintain satisfactory work performance and attendance records.
• Ability to successfully maintain positive intercultural and interpersonal relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Higher education experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience with budgetary processes.
• Commitment to maintaining faculty, staff, and student confidentiality.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully use social media and web-based tools.
• Strong desire to learn and grow in position.

Supervision Received:

Receives general instruction from a designated supervisor but is generally expected to work independently.

Supervision Exercised:

Hire, train, supervise, schedule and coordinate the work of student employees and may act as lead worker to other PSS staff members within the department/unit/division. 

Physical Demands:

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

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