Job Details

Graduate Program Professional

Position Number: 6397971
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Admissions/Enrollment

Graduate Program Professional

Requisition Number: 66168
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Part Time
Posting Close Date: 30-Jul-2025
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Department of Ethnic Studies at CU Boulder encourages applications for the Graduate Program Professional position! This role is responsible for oversight, management, and administration of the graduate program and its corresponding budget, while centering student experience in all ways. This includes collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to implement strategies to enhance the opportunities, performance, retention, and graduation rates of students in the graduate program. The position serves as the clearinghouse for rule, policy, and graduate program changes and is responsible for informing faculty, staff, and students of these changes as well as developing strategies to implement those changes, and is responsible for incorporating graduate student feedback into program operations and decisions.
Management of the graduate student application and recruitment process is an essential function of the position, including assuring that applications are complete for review by the admissions committee so that recruitment can be completed promptly. The position advises students of admissions policies and information about the graduate program, followed by planning and organizing graduate student recruitment weekends, extending offers, and tracking and documenting acceptances and rejections. New and continuing students are advised throughout the program, and their progress is tracked. This position serves as the initial contact for student (and potential student) inquiries, assisting graduate students with problems as they arise, and advising graduate students for completion of the program. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder is dedicated to centering the epistemologies, histories, and lived experiences of marginalized communities of color and Indigenous nations in order to challenge and critique all forms of oppression and to advance emancipatory, self-determining futures for all people. Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary field that is built upon four core disciplinary pillars of scholarship: Africana studies, Native American & Indigenous studies, Asian American studies, and Chicanx/Latinx studies. Our department stresses the unique contributions and perspectives of each pillar, while training our students to think and research across them in transdisciplinary and intersectional ways. We draw upon our strengths in engaged scholarship and culturally sustaining pedagogy to examine how race and the interrelated categories of culture, ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, class, sexuality, religion, dis/ability, and legal status impact the past and present lives of people locally, regionally, and globally.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Graduate Program Management and Administration:

Maintain daily programmatic responsibilities for the department, coordinating procedures and policies between the Graduate School and the Division of Social Sciences, as well as with various other campus units.
Maintain graduate student records, track progress, and provide reports to leadership as required.
Identifies student eligibility for achievements and awards. Coordinates with faculty and staff to identify potential awards and applicants, notifies students, assists with the provision of information about application processes, and works with faculty to ensure that applications are complete.
Develops and collaborates with faculty and staff in the department to assign academic year teaching assignments. Draft semesterly offer letters for Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Graduate Program Teaching Instructors, etc.
Implements all hiring processes, informs students about processes and procedures, and works closely with Campus HR Payroll Office to ensure a smooth hiring process and resolve questions.
Conducts work study and hourly hiring processes for non-appointment work opportunities for graduate students during the academic year and summer. Tracks hours, funding distribution, and timesheet approvals. Tracks work study awards and funding distributions.
Nominates non-faculty individuals for Graduate Faculty Appointments, which enables them to teach graduate-level courses, sponsor Independent Study at the graduate level, and be committee members of defenses and examinations of individual students in the department
Coordinate on-campus functions such as the new student orientation for incoming graduates and graduate student teaching assistants.
Guide students who are nearing graduation with scheduling of thesis and dissertation defenses, submitting final Graduate School documents, and other requirements for graduation. Assist in organizing and conducting the department commencement ceremony.
Manages graduate program budgets, including university fellowship and recruitment funds, department graduate program operating budget, and gift funds.
Processes travel-related payments and reimbursements, stipends, and awards for graduate students.

Graduate Recruiting:

Manage the administration of graduate recruiting with the faculty admissions committee and department support staff throughout the entire process. Advise the faculty admissions committee chair and the graduate director of potential or actual problems with graduate application processes and recommend solutions to enhance the recruitment process.
Develop and implement processes to meet the needs of the department's admissions protocols, including systems to assist in analyzing and evaluating relevant data of the applicant pool.
Track electronic application files through the faculty review and admission process.
Determine/implement schedules and itineraries for graduate applicant recruitment visits to campus that are in sync with campus regulations and meet departmental budget requirements. Develop and disseminate visit itineraries for recruits with faculty and current graduate students.
Submit official admissions documentation promptly and handle all student correspondence regarding application requirements and admission decisions.

Student experience and advising:

Advises graduate students from the time they apply to the program to the time they graduate to ensure a smooth and positive experience over their tenure in the program, and to relieve the Chair and the Graduate Director of these duties. Monitor student enrollment each semester and provide information for A&S Student Request Analysis.
Counsels students on rules, regulations, policies, programs, and timeframes of the department and the Graduate School.
Devises and develops strategies to resolve issues with appropriate actions, including financial aid, housing, records, billing, graduation verification, enrollment verification, ineligible appointments, incorrect or late grades, etc. Petitions the University on behalf of individual students.
Meets with students and faculty as a group and on an individual basis to provide a clear interpretation of rules, regulations, and policies required by the Division, Graduate School, Financial Aid, and International Student and Scholar Services.
Keep students informed of pertinent information for graduate education and career opportunities.
Serves as a resource and directs students to ISSS, Counseling Services, etc. Follows up to ensure that students have correct and current information and know how to act upon it.
Processes necessary student documents, special action forms, grade changes, and degree paperwork. Serve as department drop/add coordinator.

Assessment and Information Management:

Generate reports (enrollment statistics, student data tracking, data compilation) as requested for assessment of progress and general student tracking. Knowledge of COGNOS reporting in CU-SIS, as well as an update of the departmental database used for ongoing surveys and University Fellowship applications.

Process Improvement:

Position works to expand information about program resources by collecting, interpreting, and reporting data to evaluate admissions, recruiting, diversity planning, and funding processes and awards. Recommends modifications or improvements, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information. This requires continuous development of new perspectives and skills to improve processes.
The position will undertake a review of the webpages, compare with other departments on campus and across peer institutions, and evaluate for features such as the scope of content, ease of use by domestic and international students, etc. Will require evaluative skills as well as the ability to work closely with department personnel to better define objectives and goals.

What You Should Know

This is a part-time (50%) position.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this position is $54,100-$55,120.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be accomplished. Be engaged. Be Boulder.

What We Require

BA/BS Degree; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute
1+ year of administrative experience in an academic setting or related professional experience

What You Will Need

Ability to work independently and with responsibility for initiating and completing tasks.
Proficient computer knowledge and skills with Adobe Acrobat and MS Office applications, particularly with Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with a variety of professionals, administrators, and students.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and assume responsibility for initiating and completing critical functions in the management of educational programs.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team and within other collaborative work situations.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.
A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by 7/30/2025 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Graduate-Program-Professional/66168