Assistant Director, Doctoral Program

Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.

Job Description

Full-Time Equivalent Hiring Range: $64,100 to $80,100; salary commensurate with relevant experience.

Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Doctoral Program, Assistant Director, Doctoral Program provides customer service to approximately 25 doctoral students in the School of Social Work, assisting the Chair of the Doctoral Program in any tasks thought appropriate for furthering the above mission. The Assistant Director oversees daily operations of the School of Social Work Doctoral Program, including enrollment management, student services, curriculum and program management, communication, budget and data management. The position is responsible for interfacing with numerous functional units across the University, including Student Services, Event Management, Commencement Office, OISS, OID, Research Services, Library Services, Vice Provost for Research, Controller, Slate Admissions Team, CTE/CDIL, and other graduate programs. Because of the broad nature of this position, strong technology skills are essential to perform tasks in various systems such as Slate, EagleApps, Institutional Awards, FileMaker, FolderWave, Canvas, etc. This position supervises and trains one or two graduate assistants per year.

Essential Functions of this position

I. ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT (30%)

A. Primary contact for prospective students: Distribute promotional materials to potential applicants. Respond to questions from prospective students. Meet with potential students to determine fit for the program. Selectively refer talented prospective students to appropriate faculty for further communication. Working closely with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program and SSW faculty, serve as the administrative contact for PhD admissions, communicating in-person, by phone or by email with several applicants per week. Conduct virtual open house for prospective students in the fall.

B. Manage applications: Communicate with applicants regarding submission materials, including missing documents, and all other aspects of the application process. oordinate with the Assistant Dean of the Doctoral Program to select faculty reviewers. Distribute electronic applications to faculty reviewers. Manage the logistical elements of the review process of candidates. Prepare acceptance letters for the Assistant Dean of the Doctoral Program’s signature. Coordinate campus visits for accepted students. In consultation with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, oversee the application review process by reviewing all applications and providing materials to faculty reviewers. In consultation with the Dean and the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, coordinate the interviews of finalists with faculty. Conduct an annual testing process in Slate at the start of each admissions cycle. Coordinate and run virtual open houses to educate accepted students about the doctoral program curriculum, schedule and logistics. Send decision letters through Slate.

C. Oversee recruitment process: Work with the SSW marketing team to regularly update promotional brochure for the PhD program and update webpages to highlight program features and student accomplishments.

II. ACADEMIC AND STUDENT SERVICES (25%)

A. Registration: Develop registration materials for doctoral students. Register students from other grad schools in SSW courses in EagleApps.

B. Advisement: Assist students in navigating the program to ensure requirements are satisfied: advise on requirements; provide and collect program forms. Assist students in cross-registration at BC and in the Boston Area Graduate Consortium. BU/Brandeis/Tufts), The Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies (GCWS). Meet with all students twice a year to discuss course load, conduct a degree audit and advise on registration. Meet with faculty to advise on student progress issues.

C. Coordinate activities that enhance student life and foster a sense of community: In collaboration with student leaders and the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, coordinate monthly doctoral lunches to bring PhD students together to discuss topics of interest.

D. Orientation: Responsible for developing all aspects of the new student orientation, communicating with new students, and supporting the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program in making the presentation at the orientation. Create/update Canvas module for first-year students and new international students to help them become acclimated to BC and the city of Boston.

E. Commencement: Conduct degree clearance. Attend the university Commencement Coordinators meetings to facilitate participation of doctoral students in the Commencement ceremony. Plan all aspects of Commencement reception for doctoral graduates, their families and faculty, including working with event management, and serving as the host of the event.

F. Financial aid/doctoral fellowships: Forecast tuition cost for all students on fellowships. Forecast and apply tuition funds for Summer, Fall and Spring. Apply stipends for all students on fellowships and inform university of health insurance eligibility. Pay for health insurance in Institutional Awards database. In consultation with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, annually award endowed fellowships to doctoral students and coordinate payment of the fellowships.

G. Mentorship: Coordinate the logistical elements of the matching process of new students with faculty mentors.

H. International students: Troubleshoot visa issues with students by certifying enrollment for visa extensions and working with OISS to satisfy additional requirements. Assist new students with paperwork to obtain visas.

III. PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT (25%)

A. Manage PhD course schedule: Work with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program and doctoral faculty to develop the course schedule and communicate the new schedule to the Associate Dean and Director of the MSW Program. Responsible for creating new courses and updating existing courses in EagleApps.

B. Meet with faculty interested in creating new courses to help with process and format: In consultation with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, submit new course proposals to doctoral committee for discussion. With approval from the doctoral committee and SSW Dean, submit new course in EagleApps for University approval.

Organize co-curricular activities to provide specialized trainings for current students: Plan an annual faculty research lunch to help students and faculty learn about research interests at the start of each year. Work with faculty and Research Services to conduct trainings on methodologies, statistics, etc. Organize professional development lunches with guest speakers on topics such as conference presentations, publishing, working with the media, etc.

D. Coordinate all aspects of the Area Statement: In consultation with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, inform and advise students regarding the area statement process. Overseeing the logistical elements of the entire process of area statement. In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, meet with new faculty to discuss the area statement review process. Create documents in Canvas to educate faculty and students about the area statement process. Manage the logistical elements of the review and revision process. Coordinate scheduling of oral defenses. Communicate successful defenses to student services and marketing. Organize and attend workshops on area statement process with students and faculty.

E. Coordinate all aspects of the Dissertation process: Coordinate the administrative aspects of the processing of doctoral dissertations. Prepare and update as necessary Dissertation Guidelines. Provide quality assurance and adherence to dissertation guidelines. Attend all dissertation defenses, organize refreshments, and answer questions about procedures as needed. Participate in annual meetings with BC libraries to review ProQuest policies and embargoes. Advise students on the program’s rules regarding the composition of dissertation committees. Create documents in Canvas to educate faculty and students about the dissertation process. Send data to Survey of Earned Doctorates – NORC.

F. Research opportunities: Communicate with faculty about available funds for paid research assistant opportunities. Coordinate the recruitment of current students for RA positions. Coordinate the matching of current students with faculty for research internships.

G. Teaching opportunities: Communicate with MSW faculty about potential teaching internships for second-year doctoral students. In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, coordinate the matching of current students with faculty for teaching internships. Communicate with faculty about paid teaching assistant opportunities. Coordinate the recruitment of current students for these positions. Communicate with the Associate Dean and Director of the MSW Program about doctoral students who are eligible to serve as adjunct faculty.

H. Manage award process: Coordinate all calls for nominations for Mentor Awards and Emerging Scholar Awards, as well as Call for Papers for Book Awards. Communicate with faculty reviewers and support the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program in the selection of award recipients. In consultation with the Assistant Dean for Doctoral Program, select recipients of endowed fellowships.

I. Graduate Research Symposium

In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, provide support and oversight for the logistical aspects of the annual Graduate Research Symposium. Schedule and attend monthly meetings with symposium committee members. Coordinate facility and meal reservations with event planning. Work with marketing to design and distribute call for proposals, promotional materials, etc. Coordinate logistics of proposal review with faculty reviewers. Manage all communications with graduate student presenters. Oversee the recruitment and management of event volunteers. Manage symposium budget.

IV. COMMUNICATION/POLICIES (10%)

A. Distribute information to students concerning upcoming events, deadlines, etc. in a weekly e-newsletter: Work with the Assistant Dean for Doctoral Program, Associate Dean for Research, doctoral faculty to create content for the doctoral newsletter and distribute to students, staff, and alumni.

B. Maintain Ph.D. student and PhD faculty listservs as the main vehicle of communication with students.

C. Doctoral Committee: In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, coordinate scheduling of doctoral committee meetings. Work with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program to create an agenda for every meeting. Transcribe minutes of meetings and maintain file of minutes. Communicate with doctoral committee members throughout the year for discussion of policy changes. Communicate relevant policy changes to students and faculty.

D. Oversee tracking of student progress and troubleshooting student performance issues: Communicate academic issues like time-to-degree limits and academic probation directly with students. Meet with students when necessary to advise on next steps, such as extensions of deadlines or possible leaves of absence. Track student progress by sending mid-semester evaluations to faculty. Track progress in research internships and communicate with faculty about student issues. Send self-assessment forms to all first-year students and then meet with them to discuss progress and goals in the summer after year 1.

E. Submit updates to the Doctoral page on the web: In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, suggest changes for the doctoral webpages to the marketing team that will help increase the marketability and visibility of our students on the job market. Communicate all PhD program accomplishments, such as dissertation defenses, to marketing for social media updates.

F. Maintain and update as necessary Canvas sites for the Doctoral Program: Update new modules for doctoral faculty on doctoral program procedures.

G. Annually update the content of the Doctoral and Student guides: Oversee annual updates to the PhD student guide, including policy changes adopted at doctoral committee meetings.

H. Update doctoral program procedures in shared Google folders: Continually update the folder with changes in procedures.

Meet with new faculty to discuss doctoral program policies and procedures.

Supervise and train one or two graduate assistants.

V. DOCTORAL PROGRAM METRICS/OUTCOMES (5%)

A. Maintain FileMaker database with student information.

B. Prepare monthly statistics on current student demographics.

C. Prepare statistics on PhD program for annual Council on Social Work Education report.

D. Prepare statistics on PhD program for CGS report.

E. Assist in preparation of materials for re-accreditation process.

F. Maintain and update alumni database: Communicate with alumni on an annual basis to request information about publishing and to obtain copies of CVs.

G. Help students with professional development: In conjunction with the Assistant Dean for the Doctoral Program, attend Job Club meetings with students. Organize meetings with faculty to discuss the job search process. Organize and participate in mock interviews and job talks for students on the job market.

VI. DOCTORAL PROGRAM BUDGET (5%)

A. Forecast and track the doctoral program budget.

B. Prepare quarterly financial reports for the Director of the Doctoral Program and Associate Dean for Finance, Research, and Administration.

C. Manage travel grants for students who present at conferences.

D. Oversee the processing of stipends for all paid research and teaching-related positions for doctoral students: Communicate new hires to Business Office and advise on number of hours.

E. Oversee the use of doctoral P card and all purchasing of doctoral program/doctoral lounge supplies.

Other projects, as assigned.

Occasional evening hours may be required.

Travel to the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) or Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Conferences may be required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Master’s degree in Social Work, Education, Business Administration, or equivalent is preferred
• 3-5 years supporting or coordinating an academic program
• Must possess strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) required
• Experience with Slate CRM or similar admissions software preferred
• Must be self-motivated, able to work independently and as part of a team, and possess the ability to manage work priorities and meet deadlines
• Attention to detail is essential, as well as creative problem-solving skills

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

• Tuition remission for Employees
• Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
• Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Low-Cost Life Insurance
• Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
• Paid Holidays Annually
• Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
• Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination .