Undergraduate Program Coordinator & Major/Minor Advisor

How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are required and should be submitted as a single document with your online application. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline your skills and experiences that directly relate to this position. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

HINT:  Please save using a .pdf format for your materials, to help ensure your documents retain their intended formatting throughout the review process. Please use the following naming convention for your file: "LAST NAME, FIRST NAME - Soc UG application".  

Job Summary

The Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan is one of the premier sociology departments in the world and the Undergraduate Coordinator serves as one of our primary public faces. Learn more about the department at www.lsa.umich.edu/soc.

The Sociology staff are a team of dedicated, diverse, and creative professionals that support students and faculty in providing exceptional, engaging, and innovative opportunities for teaching, learning, and research. Our focus is developing and sustaining a collaborative and inclusive culture, which encourages outreach and engagement throughout our department, institution, community, and society.

This position reports to Academic Program Manager, Jill Hoppenjans. 
 

Responsibilities*

The Undergraduate Coordinator is responsible for administrating all aspects of the sociology undergraduate program and curriculum, including academic advising, strategic planning, student programming, and curriculum development & management. An enthusiastic, welcoming, and cheerful personality is critical.

MAJOR/MINOR ADVISING (50%)

• Provide department academic advising to students on topics including major/minor exploration, declaration, progress, course selection, transfer courses, senior audits, study abroad, and post-graduation plans
• Document all relevant activities in the student advising file 
• Process course and major/minor exceptions in the student advising file
• Refer students to other campus services, as appropriate
• Stay informed of policies and procedures affecting academic and advising policies, and inform others and/or implement changes as needed
• Train and supervise the graduate advising intern, who does senior audits, advising (live and via email), and 1 event per year

CURRICULUM PLANNING (15%) 

• Work with Associate Chair to project undergraduate and graduate curriculum needs for upcoming year
• Survey faculty for teaching preferences 
• Use faculty teaching preference information to create a curriculum plan and then continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed  
• Work with the Curriculum Committee to coordinate LSA course approvals as needed 
• Oversee the department's participation in the Upper Level Writing Requirement
• Work with Associate Chair and Undergraduate Program Director to ensure courses have appropriate LSA attributes, pre-requisites, and other college designations

GSI HIRING AND ADMINISTRATION (15%)

• Work with Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Program Manager to determine GSI assignments and appointment levels 
• Process GSI appointments and offer letters 
• Answer questions about GSI paychecks 
• Ensure compliance with the GEO contract
• With the Undergraduate Director and Graduate Student Mentor, plan the GSI orientation session offered each semester

UNDERGRAD EVENT PLANNING (10%) 

• Plan programs of interest to our students (e.g. curriculum nights, what to do with a sociology major, etc.) 
• Work with other social science departments to plan programming of interest to our students (e.g. career center, pre-law sessions, etc) 
• Plan Honors Symposium 
• Plan Graduation Celebration

UGRAD PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION (10%) 

• Work with Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Program Manager on academic policy questions, and serve as a resource for questions about plagiarism and other academic violations and standards issues
• Maintain undergraduate website, policy documentation, and information materials 
• Oversee the independent study application process 
• Oversee the internship credit application process 
• Work with Honors Advisor on Honors Program admissions, curriculum, handbook, and process
• Oversee recruitment process for new major/minors and honors students
• Maintain key statistics for department (majors/minors) 
• Facilitate annual Angell and Krom paper awards process 
• Liaison with Newnan Advising Center, Office of International Programs, Sweetland Writing Center, Project Community, etc 
• Purchase departmental swag to give to majors/minors 
• Plan and coordinate spending from annual UGPRG allocation

It is expected that the Undergraduate Coordinator will participate in regular training/meetings to stay current on University and College policies and best practices, such as the Advising Conference, ACUM programs, and LUGS (LSA Undergraduate Staff) events.

Required Qualifications*

• Associate's degree, with at least five years of progressively responsible work experience.  
• Experience working in a higher education setting and a demonstrated understanding of the value of a liberal arts education, and interest in student development and college academic affairs. 
• Reasonable knowledge of general university policies, rules, and administrative procedures relating to student affairs as well as student counseling and guidance practices.

Desired Qualifications*

• A bachelor's degree is strongly desired. Master's Degree in higher education, college student personnel administration, counseling, education, sociology or another related discipline, (or coursework towards a related program) is preferred. 
• Experience with any of the University's student services modules of M-Pathways. 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• High level of critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills. 
• Proficiency with information technology applications including spreadsheets, Google suite, and website management (AEM). 
  Ability to work effectively and sensitively with a diverse group of students, faculty and staff and to handle sensitive and confidential materials and situations. 
• Comfort and experience with public speaking to implement programs/make presentations (e.g. presentations in courses to promote the major, graduation, etc.)
• The ideal candidate will be a self-starter; have excellent organizational skills; be able to set priorities and handle multiple assignments and deadlines; learn quickly and stay calm in the face of concurrent tasks; have a strong attention to details; and display excellent judgment while operating in a flexible and highly professional manner. 
• The Sociology Department depends on our staff to work successfully in a team environment as well as work independently with minimal supervision. We are looking for someone who shows initiative; the desire to identify opportunities for changes to processes, procedures and duties; and a willingness to work as a team.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

• As per current LSA modality, this is a hybrid position, although current remote work arrangements are still evolving. After the orientation period is complete (estimated to be 6 weeks for current UM employees, 3 months for external hires), this candidate may be allowed to work from home two days a week, with the knowledge that some flexibility may be needed to accommodate event schedules.

• This position will be required to occasionally flex their hours in order to attend evening events.
• The target salary range for this position is $47,600-59,500 full-time rate. The actual salary offered may be higher based on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Union Affiliation

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the University Staff United (USU), which represents bargaining unit members in all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.