Director, Student Affairs and Degree Programs - 135904

The UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) is an interdisciplinary, discovery-driven graduate school focusing on international affairs and public policy. We offer an original and rigorous approach to policy, as our goal is to create global policy solutions that matter. At GPS, students learn from world-class professors while surrounded by a diverse body of students from all over the world. And our San Diego location gives us the freedom to seek progress untethered from tradition and lean into the power of the Pacific Coast as a hub of innovation, diversity and proactive problem-solving.

GPS instructs a diverse student body of domestic and international students in the MPP, MCEPA, MIA, and MAS-IA degree programs, a joint Ph.D. with the Department of Political Science and executive education programs. GPS also administers the undergraduate International Studies Program, offering a rigorous curriculum for students interested in international affairs with nine B.A. degree options, three combined BA/MIA and BA/MPP programs, and a minor program. GPS is also the parent organization to major research centers: 21st Century China Center, 21st Century India Center, Big Pixel Initiative, Center for Commerce and Diplomacy, Cowhey Center on Global Transformation, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China, Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology, Korea-Pacific Program, Policy Design and Evaluation Lab, SDG Policy Initiative, Wavemaker Lab, and the campus-wide Deep Decarbonization Initiative and the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.

The Director of Student Affairs and Degree Programs manages the overall administration, development and coordination of the Student Affairs unit of GPS and the International Studies Program (ISP) to include: overseeing all graduate programmatic activities for GPS and undergraduate programmatic activities for ISP; curriculum planning, advising, scheduling, registration, Instructional Assistant program (TA/Tutor/Reader), and student enrichment/diversity efforts. Serves as expert to Dean and Associate Dean on issues affecting academic, social and emotional welfare of student body. Serves as a member of the Admission committee for all academic programs. Oversees all aspects of student advising including analysis and decision-making strategies in furtherance of students' long-term goals. Provides thorough and comprehensive analysis to the Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Deans, faculty directors, Graduate Division and the Academic Senate, concerning administrative and operational decisions that relate to student service and instructional issues. Exercises leadership and discretionary authority to solve managerial and programmatic concerns; utilizes a high degree of independence, ingenuity and analytical skills to resolve complex problems. Provides expert guidance and advice to school leadership and faculty on complex student issues and makes recommendations for programmatic enhancements.

Supervises Student Services Advisors providing advice to students within departments, schools, or colleges, involving a variety of student issues such as academic advising, outreach and recruitment, admissions, departmental requirements, student intervention, career counseling, and financial aid. Participates with department management in the development and monitoring of policies and procedures for Student Services operations. May represent the student services function on committees and other organization entities.

• Bachelor's degree in related area such as Student Affairs, College Counseling, Student Development, Higher Education, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated ability to supervise professional staff, fostering innovation, service, and accountability. Experience interviewing and selecting staff; providing effective coaching and performance feedback; delegating and assigning tasks; monitoring production and quality of work; and setting clear and reasonable performance standards. Experience creating and implementing orientation and training plans. Team building skills.

• Skills in monitoring / assessing people, processes or services, to make improvements. Demonstrated experience in managerial, administrative, and supervisory practices and principles; strong and creative organization, analytic and decision-making/problem-solving skills. Ability to develop innovative approaches, techniques and procedures to provide more efficient and responsive services.

• Skills in analysis, active listening, critical thinking, negotiation, problem solving, reasoning, organizing, written and verbal communication, multitasking. Skills in judgment and decision-making. Prioritization skills. Experience answering questions on the spot, experience explaining policies in an effective, audience-friendly manner.

• Knowledge of advising and counseling techniques. Knowledge of academic advising and counseling techniques and theories, ideally in a graduate program or professional school and with experience advising international students. Strong hands-on experience providing academic counseling, monitoring progression toward degree, academic credits, addressing issues of academic integrity, leaves of absence, and other complex academic student problems. Experience resolving issues involving degree progression, academic probation, course registration issues, degree audits. Experience referring students to campus support/resource departments such as Office for Students with Disabilities, Counseling and Psychological Services, etc. Experience advising students on non-academic issues related to completing a university degree or program including housing issues, personal situations, health issues, family issues, financial difficulties, etc.

• Experience training and coaching academic advisors on interpreting academic advising policies, registration/enrollment procedures and deadlines, exception requests, student support services on campus, health and security concerns. Full knowledge of FERPA and other student records/confidentiality issues and policies.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experience interacting with tact and diplomacy in all circumstances. Experience interacting directly with emotionally distressed students, staff, or faculty/instructors about highly charged, high intensity issues, using independent and mature judgment. Experience maintaining confidentiality and discretion while applying University and department policies to sensitive student or instructor issues. Experience collaborating and sharing information and best practices with colleagues.

• Experience devising effective communication strategies and best distribution systems to relay information to students (email, online portals, etc). Experience building rapport with students. Experience planning services/programming to appeal to all students from a variety of academic, cultural, economic backgrounds and abilities, such as academic advising workshops, events, orientation, graduation, etc.

• Skills in project management, social perceptiveness to be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. Experience demonstrating leadership, diplomacy, and credibility when addressing unusual situations or exceptions to policy. Experience addressing difficult or unexpected issues and/or evaluating exceptions to policy and communicating outcomes to students and others, including unpopular or disappointing outcomes.

• Superior writing skills to effectively compose a variety of written materials (correspondence, reports, web content, etc.) in appropriate format, and with the skill and ability to proofread and correct for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Ability to write concisely, persuasively and in summary form. Experience writing policies and procedures to ensure consistency where no policies may exist or may need to be updated. Experience soliciting ideas from staff to ensure a quality result.

• Ability in problem identification and reasoning. Experience working with others to identify causes of problems, barriers, possible solutions and outcomes. Experience collaborating with others to develop new processes.

• Ability to develop original ideas to solve problems using persuasion and leadership. Experience collaborating with others to develop new processes and recommend updates to existing practices. Experience implementing new university-wide policies and adapting them to department needs, explaining new components to staff, creating standard operating procedures and documenting written practices.

• Knowledge of common University-specific computer application programs and knowledge of University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences.

• Experience seamlessly using, and training others to use, a wide variety of Microsoft Office applications and online systems for student needs: advising, registration, financial aid, syllabus systems, and other systems related to the student experience. Experience creating spreadsheets, using shared drives, Google Drive. Demonstrated experience using databases to identify and analyze complex data to assess trends, make projections, conduct statistical analysis, and make decisions.

• Expert knowledge of University regulations, processes and procedures related to all aspects of graduate and undergraduate student affairs, including but not limited to: confidentiality, course scheduling, registration, enrollment, records management, grading, graduate student employment, and education requirements. Knowledge of campus departments and their activities, and services available to students. Knowledge of U.S. visa and immigration procedures, compliance issues, and employment eligibility for international students. Knowledge of graduate student union contract guidelines.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

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