Academic Affairs Coordinator
About Cornell Tech
Cornell Tech is Cornell University’s groundbreaking campus for technology research and graduate education on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Our faculty, students and industry partners work together in a highly collaborative environment, pushing inquiry further and developing meaningful technologies to support societal needs. Founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the City of New York, Cornell Tech achieves global reach and local impact, extending Cornell University’s long history of leading innovation in computing, engineering and related fields.
Founded in 2011, a hallmark of Cornell Tech is its rapid pace of change and growth, which serve as opportunities to pursue inclusion, excellence and improvement, not merely scale. We strive to learn quickly from our activities and iterate to improve our programs and ways of working. We further expect our organizational structure to continue to evolve, given the pace of our activities and programs and our iterative learning process. Cornell Tech aims to become a destination of choice for diverse talent as well as a leader in changing the technology sector to be more inclusive. Enrollment representatives within Cornell’s colleges, schools, and units regularly collaborate and partner with the Enrollment Division to accomplish the University’s enrollment goals.
Position Summary
As a member of the Student & Academic Affairs team at Cornell Tech, the Academic Affairs Coordinator will play a key role interfacing and supporting a growing graduate student population (currently over 700 students across ten master’s programs, several PhD programs, and visiting students). The Academic Affairs Coordinator will oversee student employment on our campus including PhD appointments, work with the Assistant Registrar to perform registrar functions during peak enrollment periods and provide services for visiting students. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Education, the position will work with the Student & Academic Affairs team to implement and support large-scale annual campus events including new student orientations for masters and PhD students, campus socials, PhD Visit Days and end-of-year Recognition Ceremony.
Cornell staff supporting registrar functions across its colleges share a mission to partner with students, faculty, administrative staff, and alumni serving as custodians of student academic records, coordinators for course enrollment, and management of student records so that any person can find instruction in any study, supporting strategic enrollment goals defined by the institution. Registrar services are carried out through a matrixed organizational system in which staff in colleges, schools, and units regularly collaborate with, and consult, Division of Enrollment offices, particularly the Office of the University Registrar, which serves as a partner and resource for all college/unit staff serving registrar functions.
This role will:
- Support all students, both domestic and international, including master’s students in ten technical and professional programs, PhD students, and visiting students taking classes at Cornell Tech
- Oversee student employment of graders and appointment of PhD students to teaching and graduate research assistantships; liaise with faculty and various offices in Ithaca and Cornell Tech to process appointments.
- Track new PhD students each semester and work with Assistant Registrar to update student records accordingly and Student Life team to implement orientation.
- Create letters to support students regarding employment and degree requirements.
- Coordinate with the Assistant Registrar to liaise with relevant staff to ensure visiting students have been successfully enrolled. Maintain engagement with the wide Cornell College and University Registrar professional community.
- Work with Assistant Registrar to create, administer, and analyze mid-semester course evaluations, end of semester surveys, and utilize new university course evaluations when available administer other surveys measuring student success/satisfaction as needed.
- Work with Assistant Registrar to input academic schedule in university systems, process student enrollment requests and other registrar functions including degree audits during peak times.
- Collaborate with the Student & Academic Affairs team in planning and implementing new student orientations, PhD Visit Days, the graduating student Recognition Ceremony, and student community-building events.
- Respond to student email inquiries including course advising, enrollment, and graduation requirements from the Student Affairs email alias and hold weekly Student & Academic Affairs office hours.
- Understand data housed in the student information system and demonstrate comprehension of institutional policies and practices regarding student records and the rationale for the policies and practices. Understand state and federal laws that inform institutional policy. Demonstrate good comprehension of the technologies related to the creation, retrieval, sharing, storing, archiving, and destruction of student records. Articulate proper practices to campus constituencies and explain to students their rights and responsibilities regarding their records.
While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.
Successful candidates will need to have and display the following competencies as part of this role:
- Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
- Communicates effectively - Provides timely and helpful information to students and others across the organization
- Plans and aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
- Instills trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
Please provide a cover letter to be considered for this role.
Starting salary range: $68,786 to $74,835
Visa sponsorship is not available.
This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position for a term of 3 years with possibility of renewal. This is a hybrid position with in-person and remote days each week. The in-person location is the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The remote location must be within the United States.
Essential Functions Include
Student Appointments and Funding- 30%
- Oversee student employment of graders and appointment of PhD students to teaching and graduate research assistantships.
- Determine TA assignments by reviewing students’ experience and matching them to the most appropriate course.
- Partner with Associate Deans and Ithaca-based colleagues to recommend appropriate funding for PhD students.
Registrar Support- 30%
- Partner with Assistant Registrar to support registrar functions including enrollment updates, degree audits, other registrar functions, and course evaluations.
- Back-up Assistant Registrar for compliance on grading and other compliance related records maintenance.
- Support Assistant Registrar with data analysis and data management as needed.
Advising- 20%
- Support students by responding to student email inquiries regarding course advising, enrollment, and graduation requirements from the Student Affairs email alias and hold weekly Student & Academic Affairs office hours.
- Identify students with specific needs and provide referrals when necessary.
- Process transactions in student information system, including add/drop and other requests
- Review degree audits and work with the new university degree audit system when available to ensure that students are meeting the requirements of their degree in a timely manner.
- Serve as an advisor to students; provide students with advice and counsel on curriculum specific matters, including resources, policies and procedures. Refer students to program director as appropriate.
- Support faculty advisors regarding student needs and issues. Serve as a resource for interpretation of program and college graduation requirements, course scheduling strategies, and problems with students in distress. Build effective working relationships with faculty and provide guidance in a professional, diplomatic, and confidential manner.
Events- 10%
- In partnership with Student & Academic Affairs team plan and implement new student orientations, the graduating student Recognition Ceremony, PhD Visit Days, and student community-building events.
Other position-related responsibilities- 10%
- Participate in projects with occasional work responsibility falling above or below current classification.
- Maintain up to date knowledge on processes, policies and compliance related to job duties.
- Ongoing participation in professional development.
- Demonstrate understanding and operate in compliance with federal, state and university data privacy and security regulations, policies, and best practices relating to the access and use of student records.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree with 1-2 years’ work experience in higher education setting working with students.
- Experience working with inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing programs.
- Experience working directly with people from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Ability to advocate for individuals from a broad range of backgrounds.
- Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team member and on cross-functional projects/events.
- Sound judgment and discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive information.
- Experience with student employment and university student information systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration or related field
- Specific experience working with graduate students.
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