Department
 

Harris School Academic and Student Affairs

About the Department
 

Why Policy? For a better world. Why Harris Public Policy? Because when it comes to better policymaking, evidence matters. We work at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, using the latest technology and social science methods to design policies that work for society. We conduct rigorous inquiry in an environment of innovation and risk taking. We collaborate across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, adopting new methodologies to drive better solutions. We engage with our city, our world, and our leaders every day to evaluate and test our ideas. And we lead with our passion for driving social change, knowing that passion alone does not equal impact.

Job Summary
 

This position will serve as the administrative lead for the Harris School of Public Policy’s PhD program, as well as its PhD preparatory program, the Master of Arts with Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM). This position is the advisor and primary contact for all students in these two programs. This role offers the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with bright and talented students, significantly impacting their academic experience and careers.

This role will be expected to work closely with both the Dean of Students/Academic Advising team as well as with the Faculty Lead of the PhD program. This position will need to become well acquainted with all Harris faculty to best assist students in forming dissertation committees and MACRM research apprenticeship matches as well as other mentoring relationships. The role also offers the opportunity to work in an engaging and fast-paced school with a collaborative and collegial team. The person in this role should be an excellent project manager with strong communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

Academic Advising & Registration:

Serve as the academic advisor to all PhD and MACRM students.

Serve as first point of contact for all needs; learn essentials of financial aid, billing, registration, and campus services to best assist students.

Keep accurate advising notes in database/CRM (Salesforce),

Assist students with course selection and registration each quarter.  Determine whether students are eligible for course credit for courses taken at other institutions, determine when approval is required for course substitutions.

Monitor and communicate each student’s progress toward degree completion, intervening appropriately as needed; create annual progress letters for all PhD students, conduct accurate graduation degree audits for all advisees; input PhD student milestones into Academic Information System (AIS/PeopleSoft) quarterly. Meet with the PhD/MACRM Faculty Lead to discuss the progress of PhD students who are not meeting the requirements in the program.

Conduct Degree Program Information Sessions for incoming students each summer.

Coordinate process of matching MACRM students with their Apprenticeship mentor, collect student research interest, collaborate with Faculty Lead in pairing students with faculty mentors.

Collaborate with Harris Alumni Relations and Development on opportunities to engage MACRM and PhD alumni.

Collaborate extensively with Harris Dean of Students/Academic advising team to ensure alignment in practices and give students the best possible service, including attending weekly academic advising and Dean of Students’ team meetings.

PhD Funding, Financial Aid and Billing:

Process all PhD stipend payments, ensuring all students receive correct and on-time payments. Keep accurate records of students’ grants and external funding.

Serve as initial point of contact for MACRM and PhD student financial aid questions; respond or elevate as question require.

Coordinate with the Teaching Assistant Program Administrator to track and report progress toward TA obligation completion.

Represent Harris PhD student interest in broader campus discussions regarding PhD funding and support.

Ensure compliance with the collective bargaining agreement for the grad student union (GSU).

Career Support

Support PhD candidates on job market; create a profile on Harris webpage, coordinate workshop with PhD Faculty Lead to prepare them for job market process, coordinate with student dissertation committee / advisors to collect, store, and upload recommendation letters to various job sites.

Facilitate PhD student job market processes, including facilitating letters of recommendation, maintaining PhDs on the job market webpage, and coordinating training for students on the academic job market.

Collaborate with Harris Data Analytics team to produce PhD and MACRM career outcomes reports and metrics; work closely with SRGO and Harris Communication to produce stories that highlight policy impact of graduates.

Monitor, track, and report PhD alumni employment changes.

Collaborate closely with Career Development Office teams of Career Readiness and Employer Partnerships to identify non-academic job opportunities and qualified candidates.

Student Recruitment

Collaborate closely with Harris Student Recruitment and Global Outreach (SRGO) on PhD student admissions.

Participate in student recruitment and yield events (information sessions, admitted student day, etc.) Coordinate faculty participation in these events.

Facilitate PhD admitted student visit day. Process reimbursements for students who travel to attend.

Offer insights to Student Recruitment and Global Outreach (SRGO) to produce recruitment materials that are reflective of the student experience for PhD and MACRM programs.

Track, monitor, and report information about incoming student engagement (orientation program attendance, intake appointment progress, melt risk).

Recommend strategies to SRGO to diversify prospective student pipeline.

Offer ongoing feedback and dialog to SRGO about the performance and success of admitted cohorts.

Programming, Events, Workshops (Student Life)

Support the execution of the required pre-enrollment mathematics training camp for PhD and MACRM students. Coordinate closely with Harris orientation committee.

Lead execution of this PhD Workshop; contacting students to present, collecting and posting paper and title to be distributed to faculty and PhD students by email, taking attendance, scheduling classroom, sending reminders, posting the PhD Workshop presenters on Harris Webpage quarterly.

Advise and support PhD social committee, liaise with Harris Student Engagement Team and Harris Student Government (HSG) as necessary.

Participate in the planning and execution of Convocation and Graduation, including managing the PhD reception. Schedule and execute celebrations for students graduating in quarters other than spring.

Create and implement programming and resources for MACRM students on applying to PhD programs.

Program Administration

Manage communications to PhD and MACRM students and to Harris faculty and staff about the PhD/MACRM programs, including maintaining student listservs.

Annually revise the Harris PhD Policies and Procedures manual, ensuring alignment with University policies and Harris policies.

Manage the PhD and MACRM pages on the Harris website, updating regularly.

Manage assessment of key performance indicators for PhD and MACRM program; design and conduct assessments including designing student surveys and questionnaires as needed.

Manage the PhD program budget.

Manage monthly tuition and financial aid projections for PhD and MACRM.

Process reimbursements for students for attending conferences and other approved professional development.

Attend School and University meetings as required or requested.

Coordinate with the faculty program director to determine and implement any changes to the programs.

Serves as a key resource for program information. Resolves problems or questions referred by program staff, University administrators, or other contingencies.

Develops and administers program budgets and recommends or makes budgetary recommendations.

Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Master’s or PhD degree.

Degree in student development, student affairs, higher education, counseling, public policy or related field.

Experience:

Experience in higher education.

Familiarity with PhD students.

Experience collaborating with faculty.

Experience managing academic programs.

Academic advising experience.

Experience working with international students.

Familiarity with graduate education and knowledge of the University of Chicago’s unique culture.

Demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.

Familiarity with financial aid, academic information systems, and database systems.

Preferred Competencies

Ability to manage sensitive situations with discretion and compassion.

Interest in working in a student-facing environment. Student-centered approach and willingness to go the extra mile for students.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to successfully manage a workload and balance long-range planning with the unanticipated daily demands.

Strong organization and project management skills.

Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer-service oriented approach to the job.

Ability to quickly garner credibility with students and faculty.

Ability to conduct assessments including designing student surveys and questionnaires.

Ability to problem solve with minimal supervision, exercise good judgment, prioritize, and work under pressure during high volume times. 

Demonstrated ability to review and prioritize work in order to take appropriate actions without advanced approval, ensuring close attention to detail.

Ability to manage a program budget and make independent budgetary decisions.

Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with a variety of constituents, including faculty, staff, and students.

Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel, the internet and email at the intermediate level.

Application Documents:

Resume/CV (required)

Cover Letter (required)​

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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