Program Coordinator, Academic Governance and Institutional Effectiveness

University of Illinois Springfield•Springfield, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Coordinator for Academic Governance and Institutional Effectiveness administers UIS' institution-wide academic governance function within the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Working under general supervision, the position serves as the university's resource for the policies, approval pathways, documentation standards, and external requirements governing academic programs, courses, units, and related academic actions. The coordinator manages interconnected governance processes from initial consultation through final institutional and external action; advises academic and administrative stakeholders; interprets and applies university, system, state, federal, and accreditor requirements; and maintains the authoritative records and resources that support consistent decision-making. The position also coordinates implementation of approved curricular actions across the academic codebook, catalog, institutional inventories, and compliance records. Through this work, the coordinator supports the integrity of shared governance, institutional compliance, and timely execution of academic priorities. This is an on-campus position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
A total of one (1) year (12 months) in education, training and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position.
A total of two (2) years (24 months) work experience in administration (responsibility for day-to-day operation/oversight/coordination of a unit / program / system / process / function).
One (1) additional year (12 months) of work experience supporting one or more high-level administrators and/or units in a complex organization, such as education or government.
An additional year (12 months) of work experience using electronic tracking, reporting, or transaction process systems.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word and Excel, and the ability to learn new software systems and reporting tools.
Knowledge of shared governance principles and academic decision-making structures in higher education.
Knowledge of academic program and curriculum approval processes, accreditation, or regulatory compliance.
Ability to interpret complex policies and translate them into clear operational guidance, workflows, and documentation requirements.
Ability to coordinate multiple interdependent processes, stakeholders, deadlines, and approval authorities with a high degree of independent judgment.
Ability to analyze records and requirements, identify discrepancies or risk, and recommend appropriate resolution.
Ability to develop procedures, training materials, templates, status reports, and management information.
Strong written, oral, consultative, and cross-functional communication skills.
Ability to represent the UIS professionally with university, system, state, accrediting, and other external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Public Administration, Business Administration, Educational Leadership, or a related field.
Experience with academic governance policies, processes, and procedures in higher education.
Experience managing academic catalogs or curricular approval processes.
Experience working in higher education administration, academic affairs, accreditation, or related functions.
Experience coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and complex timelines.
Experience developing reports, maintaining records, and utilizing workflow, tracking, or project management systems.
Experience interpreting policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements and communicating them to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

Coordinate the university-wide review and approval portfolio for new and revised academic programs, courses, units, and other academic actions from proposal development through final implementation.
Establish and manage annual governance calendars, workflow controls, documentation standards, forms, guidance, and status-tracking processes.
Monitor proposals across multiple review bodies and approval levels; identify incomplete or inconsistent submissions, resolve process issues, and communicate required actions and deadlines to stakeholders.
Maintain the UIS Levels of Governance resource as the authoritative operational guide to required review levels and sequencing.
Serve as the primary resource for academic governance procedures, approval pathways, documentation requirements, and implementation timelines.
Interpret and apply University Statutes, Board of Trustees requirements, University of Illinois System policies, UIS governance procedures, Illinois Board of Higher Education expectations, Higher Learning Commission requirements, and other applicable standards.
Advise faculty, program directors, chairs, deans, governance bodies, and Academic Affairs leaders on the design, documentation, routing, and implementation of academic actions.
Develop training, procedural guidance, templates, and other resources that promote consistent and compliant governance practices across academic units.
Administer the UIS academic codebook and coordinate catalog implementation resulting from approved curricular and organizational actions.
Maintain institutional academic governance records, historical documentation, approval evidence, and institutional inventories of academic programs and units.
Reconcile information across governance, catalog, codebook, accreditation, and reporting systems; investigate discrepancies and coordinate corrective action.
Produce status reports, analyses, and management information to support academic planning, compliance, and institutional decision-making.
Prepare and author academic agenda items and supporting materials for submission to the Board of Trustees and external entities.
Coordinate the preparation, submission, tracking, revision, and retention of materials required by the University of Illinois System Office, Board of Trustees, Illinois Board of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, and other external entities.
Represent UIS, as assigned, in system-level meetings concerning academic approval, policy interpretation, and improvement of academic processes.
Coordinate substantive-change screening, tracking, and required institutional notifications in consultation with responsible university officials.
Evaluate academic governance workflows and recommend changes that improve clarity, timeliness, consistency, accountability, and stakeholder experience.
Coordinate cross-functional implementation with academic units and offices responsible for curriculum, catalog, records, reporting, accreditation, and system or state approvals.
Participate in departmental planning and special projects related to academic planning, program review, degree pathways, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness.
Maintain professional knowledge of academic governance, regulatory expectations, accreditation requirements, and effective practices in higher education administration.
Oversee the Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Strategy and Institutional Effectiveness.