Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs

George Mason University; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

George Mason University in Fairfax, VA seeks an Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs to lead graduate policy and programs for CHSS. The role manages staff, coordinates with Graduate Division and university offices, and oversees academic actions from inquiry to degree conferral.

The position requires a Master's degree and demonstrated experience in graduate policy, recruitment support, and leadership. Hybrid work arrangement and visa sponsorship not available.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field is required.
• Experience directing and composing reports to support program growth and goals.
• Experience developing plans and materials to support recruitment efforts.
• Experience mentoring others to work as a team and to utilize a growth mindset.
• Experience making independent decisions related to graduate admission policy and process.
• Experience in providing independent advice to constituents regarding policy interpretation and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Program Management: supervise and advise on academic actions; ensure full use of advising systems; drive policy-oriented projects.
• Academic Planning: conduct college-level reviews; ensure integrity of degree processes from matriculation to conferral.
• Communication: communicate degree requirements and progress to university units; review and update policies.
• Management and Leadership: supervise Graduate Success Fellows; coordinate with admissions, enrollment, and registrar offices; advise non-degree students.
• Academic Standards: leverage PatriotConnect; manage office communications; maintain degree and site policies; represent CHSS on committees.
• Program Management Support: advise on annual assessments; provide proxy votes on committees; ensure timely communication of office business.

Skills

Leadership

Policy interpretation

Communication

Team mentoring

Independent decisions

Project management

Microsoft Office

Web maintenance

Education

Master's degree in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education andexperience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The mission of the Graduate Academic Affairs Office is to supportinclusive excellence and innovation in graduate education andresearch training and to address the academic and professionaldevelopment needs of graduate certificate, master's degree, anddoctoral students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences(CHSS). The office is responsible for establishing and sustaining adata-informed, evidence-based approach to graduate education andenrollment planning for the college in the context of rapidlyevolving regional, national, and international landscapes forgraduate education. The office integrates and updates catalogadjustments in communication systems, supervises graduatecurriculum development and academic program reviews for thecollege, and it is responsible for developing college-levelacademic policies and procedures and managing graduate studentappeal and grievance processes. In partnership withuniversity-level offices as well as local academic units within thecollege, it processes all academic actions from inquiry throughdegree conferral and coordinates CHSS graduate student recruitment,orientation, retention, advising, and both "Future Faculty" andbroader career pathways programming. It also manages CHSS'scompetitive awards for graduate students. In partnership with thecollege's research support services team as well as faculty, itworks to secure external funding to support graduate education andresearch training and to provide professional developmentopportunities for faculty related to graduate education andgraduate mentoring.

About the Position:

The Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs is responsible forall aspects of graduate academic affairs for the dean's office andmanages the support staff and graduate assistants relating to theseactivities. Serving as CHSS's principal graduate academic policyliaison, the Assistant Dean works closely with the GraduateDivision and Associate Dean to manage and implement academic andpolicy actions and serves as a proxy when needed on universitycommittees.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Program Management

• Manages the college level review and renders the decisionsregarding all student- or program-requested academic actions andadvises graduate program directors, program coordinators, graduatefaculty, and students on university and college policies andprocedures;
• Ensures full use of Patriot Connect advising system acrossprogram units; and
• Directs policy-oriented projects for the Graduate AcademicAffairs team, including working with the Associate Dean tofacilitate actions between the Graduate Council and align policiesas needed within the college.

Academic Planning

• Conducts college-level review, renders decisions for studentand program academic actions, and implements actions using thedesignated academic systems for advising and communication;and
• Ensures academic integrity of the degree process frommatriculation to conferral and advises the Associate Dean, graduateprogram directors/coordinators, graduate faculty, and students onuniversity and college policies and procedures.

Communication

• Communicates adjustments to degree requirements andmatriculation progress to appropriate university and departmentunits and continuously reviews, monitors, and updates policies andregulations to ensure fair and consistent treatment ofstudents.

Management and Leadership

• Supervises and coordinates Graduate Success Fellows withGraduate Division. Facilitates interactions with partners of CHSSGraduate Academic Affairs, including Office of the Provost, Officeof the Registrar, the Graduate Division, Office of the Registrar,and Fenwick Library;
• Coordinates with the admissions and enrollment team ontransition campaigns and to provide positive student experiencefrom inquiry through degree conferral;
• Communicates adjustments to degree requirements andmatriculation progress to appropriate university and departmentunits; and
• Advises non-degree graduate students within CHSS and trackstudent success metrics.

Academic Standards

• Implements data-informed decision by fully leveraging PatriotConnect to manage college processes that ensure effective businesspractices;
• Serves as Banner Liaison for CHSS;
• Manages office academic communications and supervises staff toensure routine semester deadlines are met;
• Ensures that adjustments to degree requirements andmatriculation progress are communicated to university anddepartment units, students, and graduate advisers;
• Serves as provisional/conditional contact reviewer with Officeof Graduate Admissions and college liaison for any terminationexceptions requested by students;
• Ensures accuracy of the doctoral student portion of the collegedegree celebration and university commencement programs andmaintains the graduate portion of CHSS website; and
• Represents CHSS on Graduate Advising/Graduate Academic AffairsCommittee.

Program Management Support

• Advises programs with annual assessment practices and studentsuccess initiatives and works directly with and advises the CHSSAssociate Dean on appeals and requests for exception;
• Stands in as a proxy vote on academic committees whennecessary;
• Supports programs with annual assessment practices and studentsuccess initiatives; and
• Ensures that all office business is communicated effectively toall constituents in a timely fashion using Patriot Connect andother designated academic systems for advising andcommunication.

Academic Affairs Communication and Leadership

• Directs the Graduate Academic Affairs team on projects thatsupport graduate academic processes;
• Communicates key policy shifts to program directors andcoordinators;
• Manages the scheduling of program directors/coordinatorsmeetings throughout the year to communicate policy changes andprocedures;
• Coordinates with Graduate Stakeholders to use scheduledmeetings as an ongoing training opportunity for graduatedirectors/coordinators;
• Collaborates with the admissions and enrollment team on studentenrollment and transition campaigns; and
• Consults with the Associate Dean as needed on matters of policyexception, appeals, and student success.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field;
• Experience directing and composing reports supportive ofprogram growth and goals;
• Experience developing plans and materials to supportrecruitment efforts;
• Experience mentoring others to work as a team and to utilize agrowth mindset;
• Experience in making independent decisions related to graduateadmission policy and process;
• Experience in providing independent advice to constituentsregarding the appropriate interpretation and implementation ofpolicies, regulations, processes, and procedures;
• Experience in identifying potential obstacles to the effectivesupport of graduate education;
• Experience with Microsoft Office and web maintenance;
• Knowledge of and experience with implementation of graduateacademic policy issues.
• Executive Support and Organizational Alignment:
  • Ability to interpret complex policies and make independentjudgments concerning resolution of policy questions;
  • Ability to multi-task multiple competing assignments whilemeeting deadlines and maintaining high quality standards;
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality;
  • Ability to meet deadlines calmly under pressure;
• Communication and