Undergraduate Coordinator

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 63,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University’s Department of English and Comparative Literature is seeking an Undergraduate Coordinator to provide administrative and student-facing support to the DUS and CUE, and to serve as the primary contact for 200+ undergraduates. Reporting to the DAAF, the role involves curricular planning, record keeping, and general administrative tasks within a dynamic, research-driven department.

The position requires strong communication and organizational skills, with a focus on meeting

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with at least three years of related experience.
• College degree in humanities preferred.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Drupal, and HRIS systems.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Associate Chair and Committee on Undergraduate Education in curricular planning for the department.
• Coordinate undergraduate activities and schedule BA courses; update course information and notify registrar of changes.
• Maintain precise records for major/minor requirements and exemptions.
• Communicate with students about major/minor requirements and policies; follow up on issues.
• Maintain confidential files and respond to inquiries; support faculty as needed.
• Update department website content and support outreach activities.

Skills

Excellent communication

Confidentiality

Organization

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

College degree in humanities (preferred)

Tools

PeopleSoft

MS Office

Google Drive

Drupal

Relational databases

Job description

• Job Type: Support Staff - Union
• Bargaining Unit: Local 2110
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $62,620 - $64,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Administration and Finance (DAAF), the Undergraduate Coordinator provides administrative, clerical, and student-facing support to the department, the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), and the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE), and acts as the primary administrative contact for over 200 undergraduate students

The Department of English and Comparative Literature is a large, complex, and diverse department with 45 full-time faculty members; nearly 200 PhD and MA students; 200 undergraduate majors; and roughly 90 lecturers and adjuncts. The department is the appointment home and financial routing house for several highly active programs and centers, including the University Writing Program, the Writing Center, the Columbia Core, the Creative Writing Academy, the Center for Jazz Studies, and Theater and Performance. The department's faculty and graduate students regularly teach Literature, Humanities, and Contemporary Civilization. The research faculty is highly active, and they originate and develop a range of activities related to the public humanities. In many areas, we lead the field in showing the centrality of literary arts and methods as an engaged form of scholarly and public practice.

Responsibilities

Student Coordination and Curricular Planning

• Assist the Associate Chair and Committee on Undergraduate Education in planning the curriculum across the whole department with advisory-related tasks for departmental majors and minors/concentrators.
• Assist the Director of Undergraduate Studies in coordinating undergraduate activities. Provide administrative support to the BA programs. Coordinate department courses and curriculum scheduling. Update course information, university brochures, and bulletins. Communicate all course listings and changes to the registrar's office.
• Keep precise records of all information relating to requirements for the major and minor/concentration, including required departmental approvals and exemptions.
• Communicate directly with students to answer questions about the major and minor/concentration, notify them of requirement problems, inform them about procedures and regulations, and follow up to ensure all problems have been resolved. Confer with the Director of Undergraduate Studies on a regular basis on all problems, resolutions, and related issues.
• Organize and maintain confidential files and records.
• Respond to general or routine inquiries from students and proactively create a welcoming environment; assists and communicates with faculty on undergraduate matters as needed.
• Assist in promoting courses in the university and to the community at large; explain policies, procedures, requirements, and course information to prospective and current 200+ undergraduate students.

General Administrative Support

• The incumbent is part of an administrative team that provides general administrative support for the department and acts as a back-up to other members of the staff for general administrative items, including facilities requests, faculty support, and other departmental activities as needed.
• Assist in maintaining content for the department's website, publicity, events, and other outreach activities.
• Serve as backup for the Graduate Coordinator and other team members.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent and three years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• College degree in humanities.

Other Requirements

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain high confidentiality and professionalism with a client focus.
• Strong multi-tasking, prioritization, and organization skills.
• Attention to detail, research, critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Self-starter, a fast learner who can work independently under limited supervision.
• Work well in an interactive team environment.
• Working knowledge of PeopleSoft or similar enterprise HRIS, Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Drupal, and relational databases.
• Make sound decisions within their scope of responsibilities.
• Enthusiasm and interest in working with graduate students.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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