Assistant Director for Academic Affairs & Instructional Facilities Management

University of Illinois Chicago•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director for Academic Affairs & Instructional Facilities Management in the School of Art provides leadership for its academic operations, graduate student services, facilities management, laboratory oversight, curriculum administration, enrollment management, lab personnel and budgetary supervision, special programs, and logistics. This position also serves as a senior administrative resource supporting faculty, staff, students, and facilities, and works with a high degree of independence, while developing and implementing operational strategies to ensure compliance with school, college, university, state and other regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Master's degree in Art, Education, Arts Administration, or a related field.
5-8 years experience in higher education and administration.
5-8 years experience in developing and implementing operational facilities policies, safety procedures, and workflow improvements.
3-5 years professional experience in academic affairs, advising, and student services.
2-3 years administering budgets, financial resources, purchasing processes, and fiscal reporting.
Fluent with university enterprise systems, Banner information systems, curriculum management platforms, scheduling software, or related administrative databases.
Experience coordinating activities across multiple departments, units, or stakeholder groups to achieve organizational objectives.
Knowledge of strategic planning, organizational assessment, and continuous process improvement methodologies.
Skill in analyzing data, identifying trends, and making recommendations to support operational and administrative decision-making.
Skill in developing effective working relationships and collaborating with diverse internal and external constituencies.
Ability to lead teams, delegate responsibilities, and foster accountability in a collaborative work environment.
Ability to communicate complex information clearly through written reports, presentations, and interpersonal interactions.
Ability to prioritize competing demands and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personnel, student, and organizational matters.
Broad understanding of diverse artistic mediums and their connection to labs and equipment.

Responsibilities

Coordinates all undergraduate and graduate academic scheduling functions for the School of Art, including instructional assignments, classroom utilization, enrollment management, registration restrictions, degree progression considerations, and curricular planning.
Develops course schedules that maintain programmatic needs, faculty workload distribution, degree completion pathways, accreditation requirements, and efficient use of instructional resources.
Monitors enrollment trends, course demand, and registration activity; develops strategies to support enrollment growth, student retention, and timely degree completion.
Coordinates course scheduling related to graduate teaching assistants, tuition-waiver appointments, adjunct faculty hires, visiting artists, and special topics course offerings at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Serves as a primary liaison between the School of Art, college recruitment personnel, academic advising, and admissions offices.
Manages and coordinates both undergraduate and graduate recruitment efforts, including tours, yield events, applicant communications, and admissions workflows.
Administers admissions management systems and first point of contact for the MFA program applicants.
Serves as the primary advisor for Master of Fine Arts students throughout the student lifecycle, including recruitment, admissions management systems, onboarding, degree progression, graduation, and alumni engagement.
Advises undergraduate students regarding degree requirements, academic policies, registration, funding opportunities, professional development opportunities, research and creative activities, and career preparation.
Monitors student progress and coordinate interventions that support retention, academic success, and timely degree completion.
Serves as an advocate and resource for students experiencing academic, administrative, or personal challenges affecting educational progress.
Serves as primary administrator for curriculum management and course registry processes.
Coordinates development, review, approval, implementation, and maintenance of courses, degree requirements, and academic program modifications.
Serves as the School of Art’s representative for facilities planning, building operations, maintenance activities, and capital improvement projects.
Coordinates facility projects from conception through completion, including project planning, stakeholder communication, implementation, and operational assessment.
Oversees classroom, studio, laboratory, exhibition, and administrative space operations.
Manages building access policies, security, emergency response procedures, operational continuity efforts, and safety concerns.
Coordinates accessibility improvements and ADA-related accommodations within the School of Art’s facilities.
Provides direct supervision and administrative leadership for laboratory specialists, technical staff, specialized instructional laboratories, studios, workshops, and technical facilities.
Coordinates staffing plans, workload distribution, employee scheduling, leave management, training, and performance oversight.
Coordinates recruitment, selection, onboarding, and supervision of graduate hourly employees, tuition-waiver students, and temporary personnel supporting laboratory operations.
Manages laboratory fee accounts and operational budgets supporting instructional facilities and academic programs.
Develops spending plans, monitor expenditures, evaluate resource needs, and recommend strategic allocation of financial resources.
Coordinates purchasing, equipment acquisition, and capital resource investments.
Provides financial analysis and recommendations supporting operational and strategic decision-making.
Manages institutional inventory processes, asset tracking, property records, equipment transfers, surplus procedures, and disposal activities.
Provides leadership and operational oversight for youth and community engagement initiatives, including the School of Art Summer Camp program.
Manages program budgets, marketing initiatives, risk management requirements, and day-to-day operations.
Participates in strategic planning initiatives related to academic programs, facilities, enrollment, personnel, and resource allocation.
Develops operational systems and administrative processes that improve organizational effectiveness and support long-term institutional goals.
Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of School of Art operations.