Graduate Program Coordinator, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Interdisciplinary Materials Science

About the role

The Graduate Program Coordinator in the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University plays a central administrative and operational role in supporting the graduate programs in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Interdisciplinary Materials Science. This position is responsible for coordinating and managing key aspects of graduate education, including oversight of the graduate admissions and recruitment process, student onboarding, and ongoing program administration.

Responsibilities

• Work independently and in close collaboration with the Department Chairman, Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Recruitment Director(s), and Grants Manager to manage all matters related to doctoral students
• Request departmental item types using Kuali system
• Answer inquiries from prospective students regarding types of scholarship, tuition costs, health insurance, stipend or salary, source of support, and status of position
• Waive language requirement as needed
• Aid with registration as needed for all current students, tracking students from first year to terminal year, including assistance with scheduling of qualifying exams, committee meetings, and dissertation defense forms
• Maintain a tracking dashboard of each student's milestone progress (committee formation, qualifying exam completion, dissertation proposal, and defense) to identify students who may be falling behind and flag for DGS follow-up
• Confirm graduate student course enrollment in YES in planning financial support per semester
• First contact resource for resolving discrepancies in course credits to student accounts; communicating administrative information about program activities, basic information about curriculum and academic regulations for graduate programs
• Coordinate and maintain all graduate program communication-related correspondence, files, and records; liaison with staff of School of Engineering, Graduate School, and other departments in support of program activities
• Work closely with DGS to resolve problems and assist with all graduate student issues
• Work closely with Office of Student Accounts to ensure that all graduate students’ accounts are charged accurately
• Maintain student records and prepare reports to document number of graduates per program and/or per year
• Compile and maintain historical information for program, school, and governmental benchmarking reports
• Maintain department alumnus spreadsheet
• Act as department coordinator for Responsible Conduct of Research compliance
• Update Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Student Handbook
• Provide day of setup for seminars and student check-in
• Occasionally walk seminar guests to appointments
• Create itinerary for seminar guests and assist with on-campus visits
• Serve as point of contact to assist ChEGSA student organization as needed
• Serve as financial advisor for student organizations and assists with ordering as needed
• Ensure TA/RA switches occur
• Submit TAs for Brightspace access
• Manage graduate student listserv
• Manage and regularly update departmental social media accounts (LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter) to promote graduate research highlights, student achievements, program news, and recruiting content, with particular emphasis on marketing
• Maintain and refresh the ChBE graduate program webpages, including program descriptions, funding opportunities, student profiles, and alumni spotlights, to strengthen the department's recruiting presence
• Cook up and support graduate student social events throughout the year (e.g., welcome receptions, end-of-semester gatherings, recognition events) to build community and a sense of belonging within the graduate program
• Work with Interdisciplinary Materials Science leadership on defined scope of work related to that doctoral program, including coordination of recruitment, onboarding, financial costing, and enrollment management for IMS students
• Carefully coordinate and manage the graduate student recruitment process by managing graduate student applications in the SLATE system for department programs in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Interdisciplinary Materials Science; review applications for completion, monitor activities by the DGS/DGR in addition to sponsoring faculty
• Utilize SLATE system to pull applicant information for interviewing potential graduate students
• Enter Recommendation for Action decision in SLATE on behalf of DGS/DGR and liaison with Associate Dean for Graduate Studies about admission decisions
• Aid faculty and program DGS with review of applications and available positions; obtaining all necessary information regarding prospective students; distribute results of applications
• Ensure that appropriate communications regarding acceptance or rejection are transmitted to applicants
• Prepare files for accepted applicants, noting conditions of acceptance, and post to support grid for financial planning
• Track recruitment budget and organize group recruitment visit for ~50 students on average
• Organize, manage and direct graduate student recruitment events
• Arrange all travel for incoming interviewee students, including hotel, transportation, and reimbursement in Oracle
• Schedule and coordinate meals and entertainment
• Coordinate onboarding of new students
• Financially process and review all graduate student salary, tuition, insurance, and activity fees to ensure timely and accurate entries
• Act as SkyVU Line Manager to enter payroll data and confirm completion of I-9 process for all new graduate students
• Submit and confirm payroll revisions to HCM according to source of funds pertaining to continuing graduate students
• Enter on-line payments to Student Accounts system
• Manage funding spreadsheet and ensure costing is completed by deadline
• Prepare stipend payments and graduate award documentation for Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters in timely manner
• Maintain department credit card for department expenses, particularly student charges
• Reconcile report on a regular basis
• Process reimbursements for guests and students
• Coordinate space and facilities planning to accommodate graduate students and faculty as related to courses and lab groups
• Coordinate communication for department including relevant webpages and other publications
• Understand and communicate new/updated policies, procedures, deadlines and timeframes from the Graduate School, International Services Offices, and other related federal or university agencies
• Coordinate with Interdisciplinary Materials Science leadership on defined scope of work related to that doctoral program, including coordination of recruitment, onboarding, financial costing, and enrollment management for IMS students
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

This position does not have supervisory responsibility and reports administratively and functionally to the Senior Administrative Officer in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with a dotted line reporting to the leadership in Interdisciplinary Materials Science.

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• University/College background preferred.