Program Coordinator - Department of Biology and Chemistry - Azusa Pacific University

APU is seeking employees who desire to engage in our thriving culture by cultivating community through professional interactions, demonstrating a posture of lifelong learning, and modeling Christ-like character. Working together, employees at APU commit to establishing a university atmosphere that is pleasing to God and edifying to one another.

Provides office management including but not limited to maintenance of department and student records, facilitating student communication, registration into BIOC/BIOL/CHEM/BIOT courses, performing audits of student schedules in order to ensure appropriate advising, as well as administrative support for the Chair and other faculty of the Department of Biology and Chemistry. This position is responsible for providing administrative coordination within the Department of Biology and Chemistry through managing processes related to office reception, program support, and implementing communication with various groups both internal and external to the University. This position requires performing all duties with a high degree of confidentiality, discretion, and judgment in representing the department to a wide range of constituents. This position requires continual multitasking, as it is the first point of contact for the department (phone calls, walk-ins, emails).

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree.

Required Experience

• Three to five years of administrative experience.

Primary Duties/Essential Functions

Office Management and Occasional Duties for Undergraduate Programs (75%)

• • Manage department communications to students, other university offices, and external persons answering questions, disseminating or explaining information, receiving information, and addressing complaints.
  • Address student questions (or refer students to appropriate resource persons) pertaining to university and department policies, programs, career planning, and course prerequisites.
  • Provide administrative support for the Chair, faculty, and adjunct faculty.
  • Greet students, parents, and visitors in a cordial, helpful manner, providing information and answering questions. Act as a receptionist for the department, distributing mail and answering the department phone.
  • Set up and maintain general departmental office systems. Maintained Google Drive folders for the department and adjunct faculty, and assist faculty with using Google Drive.
  • Manage student academic advising, scheduling, registration, and compliance with department policies.
  • Distribute students into sections that fit schedules and issue permission codes. Retrieve student information from the university database as needed.
  • Work with the registrar and scheduler to adjust enrollment limits as necessary to optimize enrollment and best use of department resources and faculty availability.
  • Review, track, and process course enrollment requests from students in other departments, graduate/non-degree seeking students, and students requesting exemptions from course prerequisites.
  • Manage requests for department courses from dismissed students, audit their enrollment, and coordinate their petition process.
  • Manage electronic waitlists for full classes, creating overflow waitlists when necessary, and prioritizing students based on department policies.
  • Audit incoming department students’ course enrollment to confirm accuracy. Coordinate with Academic Advising, Athletics Liaison, and First Year Seminar coordinator to ensure all incoming students are enrolled correctly.
  • Audit BIOC, BIOL, and CHEM classes with enforced prerequisites and take necessary steps to ensure correct enrollment.
  • Manage course schedule changes as required.
  • Coordinate with the School of Nursing and their academic advising coach to ensure all undergraduate nursing students are enrolled in their correct BIOL and CHEM courses.
  • Evaluate and track students (majors and non-majors) who received academic warnings and/or dismissals in accordance with our department policies. Communicate with them as appropriate, and ensure they are enrolled in the correct classes, or not enrolled without authorization.
  • Assist the Chair with the creation of semester schedules. Prepare and submit the schedule, changes, and corrections with the undergraduate scheduler. Check the schedule for time conflicts with Honors College, School of Nursing, and Department of Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics schedules and resolve conflicts as needed.
  • Manage departmental academic advising each semester by coordinating with the Academic Advising office, managing advising appointment slots on Google Calendar, retrieving paper and electronic student files for faculty advisors, and communicating advising requirements with all majors and minors.
  • Audit student census each semester to ensure every student is advised correctly. Create and maintain advising resources for faculty and students including course rotation sheets, major sheets, and placement flowcharts.
  • Create and distribute weekly student and faculty newsletters.
  • Create flyers, infographics, and banner ads for department events, seminars, announcements, and advertisements.
  • Ensure office supplies (including standard items used by faculty in the classroom) are current by making regular inventories and purchases.
  • Maintain the department's Google website with current advising information, university resources, club directory, and internship, research, and employment opportunities.
  • Log and track the progress of student forms (General Petitions, Transfer Inquiry Forms, Independent Study, etc.) when received until they are sent to appropriate offices. Ensure that faculty members receive notification if a form is specific to their class.
  • Oversee digital content for social media (Instagram, TikTok and Facebook).
  • Manage and track course, program, faculty, and department catalog and website changes, including submitting to CourseLeaf and updating syllabi as necessary.
  • Coordinate with the registrar data team to ensure accuracy and clarity of all department course prerequisites.
  • Evaluate and sign major and minor update forms.
  • Ensure general-use department office machines/equipment (Scantron, telephones, photocopier, printer, fax, stapler, three-hole punch, paper shredder) are in good working order by contacting appropriate persons or purchasing new machines when necessary.
  • Ensure biology and chemistry office kitchens are cleaned, kitchen equipment is in good working order, and kitchen and coffee supplies are stocked.
  • Coordinate and execute department events (including weekly department meetings, student barbeques, student Christmas parties, department parties, and graduation receptions).
  • Coordinate with Undergraduate Admissions to provide department representation and involvement in prospective student events, communication, marketing, and special projects. Schedule prospective student class visits and faculty meetings.
  • Review and track prospective students on provided inquiry lists, and oversee communication and marketing efforts with prospective students.
  • Orient new faculty regarding department policies, facilities, and supplies.
  • Fulfill syllabi requests and textbook requests.
  • Oversee course materials requisitions each semester in collaboration with APU Campus Store.
  • Assist in making classroom reservations and in resolving room scheduling problems.
  • In coordination with the Chair, prepare, route, and submit teaching workload and overload forms for each faculty member at the start of each semester.
  • Coordinate faculty candidate interviews and campus visits.
  • Manage faculty office turnover.
  • Assist faculty and department visitors with expense reimbursement requests.
  • Proctor individual student make-up exams.
  • Create and manage department forms in Formstack.
  • Request van transportation reservations for class field trips.
  • Select, oversee, and manage student employee office assistants.
  • Review adjunct faculty timecards weekly for accuracy and resolve issues.
  • Identify adjunct faculty needs, and assignments, and coordinate their availability and communication with lead instructors.
  • Screen and route adjunct faculty applications in SilkRoad and coordinate interviews.
  • Prepare, route, and track adjunct faculty contracts.
  • Onboard new adjunct faculty, including timekeeping training.
  • Provide regular department communication to adjunct faculty and manage the adjunct faculty evaluation process every semester.
  • Perform other duties as requested by the Chair and other departmental faculty.

Office Management and Occasional Duties for Graduate Programs (25%)

• • Provide clerical support for the Program Director. Prepare and proof documents/schedules; compose and type business letters, and memos, collect and maintain records of all syllabi.
  • Greet students, parents, and visitors in a cordial, helpful manner, providing information and answering questions. Act as a receptionist for the department, distributing mail and answering the department phone.
  • Assist in program communications to students, other university offices, and external persons; coordinate program actions requested by other university offices; set up and maintain general program office systems.
  • Maintain and update student files and filing system.
  • Assist in arranging meetings for program faculty.
  • Coordinate scheduling faculty and student appointments for academic advising, provide student files, and manage registration holds.
  • Assist the Program Director with semester schedules and confirm the teaching availability of adjunct faculty.
  • Assist in making out-of-the-ordinary classroom reservations and in resolving room scheduling problems.
  • Serve as the contact person for students in registering for classes that require permission. Work with the Registrar to get graduate students into their classes. Retrieve student information from the university database as needed.
  • Log and track the progress of student forms.
  • Review adjunct faculty timecards weekly for accuracy and resolve issues.
  • Identify adjunct faculty needs, and assignments, and coordinate their availability and communication with the Program Director.
  • Screen and route adjunct faculty applications in SilkRoad and coordinate interviews.
  • Prepare, route, and track adjunct faculty contracts.
  • Prepare and process program evaluations for adjunct faculty.
  • Coordinate preparations for program events.
  • Orient new faculty regarding office policies, facilities, and supplies.
  • Maintain current files on new course proposals, program revisions, and major sheets.
  • Coordinate with Graduate Admissions to provide department representation and involvement in prospective student events, communication, and marketing, and special projects.
  • Perform other duties as requested by the Program Director and other departmental faculty.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal, collaborative, organizational, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong personal initiative.
• Ability to work under pressure and to handle multiple tasks and responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally, both orally and in writing.
• Strong intercultural communication skills.

Mental Demands

• Ability to work under pressure, exuding a mature demeanor while multi-tasking in a deadline-oriented environment with accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team, as well as an independent contributor.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretionary skills in determining when to act independently and when to consult management prior to taking action.
• Self-starter with a positive attitude.
• In agreement with the purpose and goals of Azusa Pacific University in providing a Christian-based higher education for its students.

Physical Demands

• Requires repetitive motions and sitting at a computer keyboard.
• Hearing and speaking on the telephone.
• Able to conduct business at other offices on campus.
• Able to lift, bend, grasp, reach, lift up to 20 lbs. occasionally.

Visual Demands

• Reading, writing notes, and computer monitor.

Environment

• Pleasant office, and comfortable temperatures.

Technologies

• Proficient in Google Apps., Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel.
• Website maintenance and database management skills.

Compensation

• Grade 7: $19.49 to $22.41 is the hourly compensation for this role and reflects what Azusa Pacific University reasonably expects to pay for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on the qualifications, experience, and internal equity. In addition to compensation, APU offers a competitive benefits package.

Azusa Pacific University is a Christ-centered, multicultural community that values and seeks faculty and staff who are committed to diversity, work effectively with diverse populations, and engage others in ways that honor our rich cultural mosaic and biblical foundation. Please click the links to learn more about 'what we believe', our 'mission statement', and our 'statement of faith'.

You can learn more about APU by watching the stories of faculty, staff, and alumni as they carry out our mission here: http://www.apu.edu/stories/

Azusa Pacific University will conduct a background check on all final candidates.

Review of applications will begin immediately, and the position will remain open until filled unless otherwise stated. Azusa Pacific University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.