• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $73,000 to $80,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Graduate Student Affairs, the Graduate Student Affairs Manager coordinates and facilitates aspects of student and academic affairs for Columbia Engineering graduate (e.g. MS and PhD) students. The GSA Manager is frequently the first stop for student questions, provides timely guidance on areas such as academic policy, housing, and conduct, as well as escalating urgent issues to the Associate Director of GSA or other senior members of the ESA team.

The incumbent provides strategic operational management of graduate student affairs, including overseeing housing allocations, student advising, along with signature academic and professional development student events.

Responsibilities

40% Graduate Student Academic Affairs:

• Implement, manage, and maintain School and University academic policies and practices. Serve as subject matter resource for colleagues about policies. Educate graduate students, administrators, and faculty about school and university policies.
• Advise graduate students on various aspects of their studies, including general degree requirements, and academic policies, or procedures. Meet with students individually, respond to their inquiries, and connect them to resources as appropriate. 
• Monitor and track individual students’ degree progress, registration status, academic standing, and status changes. Review graduation clearances for all graduate degree levels.
• Review and process change of status forms (e.g. doctoral student childcare subsidy requests, doctoral CPT/fieldwork requests), and track doctoral fellowships.
• Enter, update, maintain, and provide reporting/analysis from the University’s systems on admission/visa status/arrival, enrollment, registration, and academic standing. Maintain accuracy and integrity of student records.
• Propose and implement new program initiatives and processes to improve efficiency.

30% Engineering Student Affairs:

• Serve as a liaison to other schools and university offices (e.g. GSAS, ISSO, Registrar, Health Services, Student Financial Services, and Columbia Residential) to manage processes and resolve any issues that arise with students.
• Draft and distribute communications to proactively inform students and SEAS academic departments on policies, procedures, and other notices, and provide timely responses to inquiries and requests. Support monthly meeting of all student facing staff at SEAS.
• Serve on the Engineering Student Affairs graduate student on-call team providing crisis intervention for graduate students experiencing difficulty. Responsible for engaging with the student/s and then connecting the student to the appropriate resources for further engagement. Assist with responding to urgent situations.
• Serve on the Engineering Student Affairs graduate student conduct committee. Maintaining student conduct and community standards by serving as a hearing officer or scribe for disciplinary hearings and educating students about academic and community standards.

10% Housing:

• Manage and analyze housing allocation for SEAS graduation students in Columbia Residential buildings; advise students on housing processes both within and outside Columbia; work with Columbia Residential on any emergency housing situations.

10% Academic and Professional Development Events:

• Together with Engineering Student Affairs and the Professional Development and Leadership teams, provide onboarding, orientation and programming for doctoral students and ongoing opportunities for professional and career development. This includes leading or co-leading programs such as Engineer Your PhD (EYP), Three Minute Thesis (3MT), PhD Connect, and other academic and professional development student events.

10% Additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor degree is required; graduate level work is preferred. Minimum of 2-3 years of related experience required.

• Understand student and academic affairs opportunities and challenges affecting the constituents, consisting of a diverse population - domestic and international.

• Represent the Program and School professionally at events. Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently, accepting responsibility and accountability for assignments, within a team environment.

• Ability to balance multiple tasks with competing deadlines, demonstrated ability to pay strict attention to detail and exercise discretion in handling confidential information.  Experience working in a team environment, and the ability to work independently.

• Skilled at interpreting and applying standards, and the ability to communicate complex policies and procedures to students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.

• Strong technical competency is required; demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of student services database software and on-line resources, and the willingness and enthusiasm to respond to the needs of students in an increasingly technologically dynamic society. Proficiency with Google suite of products, MS office (Excel with pivot tables, vlookup), PowerPoint, publishing software, social media, etc.

• Ability to analyze and work with a large volume of student, course and other types data.

• Must be willing to work on occasional evenings and weekends, on a needed basis, especially when on-call and student crises arise.

• Possess excellent interpersonal and administrative skills. Ability to work independently and under pressure, with high level of attention to detail. Candidate must exercise good judgment and flexibility.

• Capable of prioritizing multiple tasks with minimal supervision. Must be able to communicate effectively and tactfully with staff, faculty, students, employers, and alumni in small and large group settings.

• Exercise good judgment, diplomacy and flexibility, with a student-wellness mindset.  Positive, mission-oriented, forward-thinking attitude and sense of humor a must.

• Preferred: Knowledge of advising and counseling techniques.  Knowledge of University-specific computer application programs and pertinent databases. Prior experience in student affairs or academic advising in higher education.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.