Academic Program Specialist I

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

About The Position

The Academic Program Specialist I serves the Department of Epidemiology, jointly housed in the colleges of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine. The position supports the PhD in Epidemiology program, the Master of Science in Epidemiology program, and the Certificate in Psychiatric Epidemiology. Reporting to the Director of the PhD program and indirectly to the Assistant Director of Administrative Services, the specialist is a primary contact for prospective and current students and facilitates communication among students, faculty, staff, leadership, and external stakeholders. The role requires confidentiality, strong customer service, independent judgment, and participation in shared departmental activities. The specialist coordinates recruitment and admissions, including preparing and distributing recruitment materials, organizing recruitment activities, managing applications in SLATE, coordinating admissions reviews, preparing graduate research assistant offer letters, monitoring appointments, and managing the I-20 process for international applicants. Program support includes student registration, course materials and textbook adoption, syllabi, course schedules, curriculum processes, student credit transfers, course evaluations, and program communications. The specialist coordinates committee meetings, orientations, professional development events, milestone examinations, classroom and A/V arrangements, and updates to student handbooks. The position also helps students and faculty meet academic deadlines and complete required development and monitoring plans. Administrative duties include preparing and entering graduate assistant appointment documents in PeopleSoft, maintaining student records and databases, managing academic system documents, entering and correcting instructional data in the Academic Activities Reporting system, and responding to reporting requests on enrollment, admissions, withdrawals, and other program matters. The specialist also supports website content and periodic accuracy reviews.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and two years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Initiative in anticipating problems and proactively proposing solutions.
Knowledge of course management, university, and registration systems.
Previous experience working with students, faculty, or project coordination.
Excellent communication, organizational, and computer skills, including proficiency with the MS Office Suite.
Experience with web navigation tools and programs.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, maintain confidentiality, and exercise good judgment.
Willingness and ability to learn new tasks.
High attention to detail.
Ability to interact professionally with faculty, staff, and visitors in person, in writing, and by telephone.
Proficiency in using standard office equipment.
Ability to provide strong customer service to students and faculty in support of academic programs.
Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a research or academic setting.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary staff recruiter and primary contact for prospective and current students in the supported graduate and certificate programs.
Develop, maintain, and distribute graduate recruitment materials and organize or participate in student recruitment activities.
Use SLATE to review and manage applications, compile prospective student files, coordinate admissions reviews, and process admissions files.
Generate Graduate Research Assistant offer letters, monitor appointments, and manage the I-20 process for international applicants.
Provide accurate and timely information to students, faculty, and others, and triage inquiries to appropriate respondents.
Assist applicants and students with questions, forms, course registration, course and program requirements, and related information.
Oversee student registration for departmental courses and procure course-related materials, ensure textbook adoption, and ensure syllabi are completed and posted on time.
Provide guidance to new faculty on Canvas functionality as needed.
Assist with student credit transfers and submit required documents to the graduate school.
Support PhD quarterly meetings and the PhD in Epidemiology Professional Development Series.
Coordinate the Curriculum Committee, including arranging meetings and taking minutes.
Collaborate with faculty on course schedules, maintain a deadline calendar, and monitor completion of college and university deadlines.
Reserve classrooms and prepare course schedules that minimize overlap between PhD and master's-level programs.
Schedule program committee meetings and events, including admissions, orientation, faculty mentor orientation, and faculty, staff, and student socials.
Coordinate PhD milestone examinations, distribute dissertation defense announcements, attend milestone exams as requested, and organize A/V setup for exams and meetings.
Ensure students and faculty mentors complete required individual development plans and monitoring plans.
Coordinate annual updates to the PhD and MSE student handbooks.
Work with faculty to complete University Curriculum Committee forms for new or revised courses and track curriculum approvals.
Organize annual new-student orientation for PhD Epidemiology, MS Epidemiology, and MPH Epidemiology students, including arrangements, materials, and activities.
Ensure course evaluations are assigned, received, and distributed to faculty, the Curriculum Committee, and the Chair.
Prepare graduate assistant appointment, renewal, and addendum letters; enter appointment letters accurately in PeopleSoft and obtain signatures on time.
Work with faculty to ensure graduate student funding and collaborate with faculty and the Assistant Director of Administrative Services to resolve funding issues.
Provide appointment documents to the Human Resources Generalist for processing job actions in PeopleSoft.
Access and manage academic student system documents, including GIMS and Student Admin, and maintain student databases and files for the supported programs.
Enter and maintain departmental instructional data in the Academic Activities Reporting system, correct errors, and support accurate effort allocations and certification.
Provide data for mandatory reporting, including annual SACS reporting, and fulfill program report requests concerning enrollment, admissions, withdrawals, and other matters.
Assist with website articles and photos and periodically audit website content for accuracy and currency.
Participate in required departmental activities and shared administrative responsibilities.