Program Coordinator, CAAD

MSU Jobs•Starkville, MS

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Coordinator serves as the primary architect of the holistic student experience within a given academic unit in the College of Architecture, Art, and Design (CAAD). This position will guide students from recruitment through graduation and into their first professional position. This role transcends traditional academic advising by integrating student recruitment, academic planning, industry engagement and professional development, and career placement into a single, student-centered practice. The program coordinator will work collaboratively with department heads, faculty, curriculum committees, industry advisory boards, and career services to ensure that CAAD graduates are academically prepared, professionally skilled, and career ready.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in a related field.
Two years professional experience.

Nice To Haves

An advance or terminal degree
Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies.
Ability to efficiently and effectively work in a fast-paced environment with multiple responsibilities.
Ability to prioritize workload and foster a willingness to continuously learn and grow professionally to excel at one's highest capacity.
Demonstrated problem solving skills to create solutions and manage conflict.
Ability to work in a team environment while fostering respect among co-workers.
Highly developed analytical skills with attention to detail.
Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively (verbal and written).
Ability to coordinate priorities and meet multiple daily deadlines.
Ability to compile data, create and make meaningful presentations to large groups.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and according to FERPA guidelines.

Responsibilities

Partner with the academic unit and college leadership, Office of Admissions to develop and execute targeted recruitment strategies for prospective students.
Serve as a point of contact for prospective student inquiries, providing guidance on admissions requirements, portfolio preparation (if applicable), scholarship opportunities, and financial planning.
Provide input to CAAD Communication team to develop and maintain recruitment materials—including digital content, program guides, and social media assets—that communicate current curriculum strengths and emerging industry pathways.
Represent the academic unit and CAAD at regional and national recruitment events, high school visits, portfolio days, and college fairs; articulate the distinct value proposition of the academic program and the college.
Conduct personalized campus tours for prospective students and families, highlighting studio culture/ experiential learning, facilities, and career outcomes specific to the academic program.
Advise undergraduate students (except freshmen and sophomores) on degree requirements, course sequencing, prerequisite planning, and academic progress toward timely degree completion.
Monitor and track student academic performance using early alert systems; proactively intervene with students who show signs of academic difficulty.
Provide support and referrals for students experiencing academic, mental, or behavioral challenges, connecting them with appropriate university resources.
Maintain accurate and confidential academic records for all advisees in accordance with FERPA and university policy.
Assist with orientation, preregistration, and registration procedures.
Confer with academic unit leadership relative to academic records, credits, policy, and program requirements.
Evaluate transcripts from other educational institutions to determine which courses meet requirements for specific curricula.
Validate completion of degree requirements for graduating seniors.
Answer email inquiries sent by prospective and current students.
Process student forms including change of major, class overrides, and add/drop.
Assist the academic unit head in class scheduling, and scholarships.
Assist the academic unit head in their communication with the registrar, faculty, and students on issues related to academic advising.
Serve as a liaison between the advising function, departmental curriculum committees and CAAD leadership, providing data-driven insights on enrollment trends, course demand, bottleneck courses, and student progression patterns.
Compile and analyze semester-over-semester data on student retention, time-to-degree, and graduation rates to inform CAAD leadership.
Assist as needed with curriculum review and accreditation preparation processes (NAAB & ACCE) by contributing advising data and student outcome metrics.
Monitor peer and aspirant institutions’ curricular innovations and communicate emerging academic program trends to department heads and the dean.
Assist with exit surveys and interviews of graduating seniors.
Based on guidance from CAAD leadership, track and report on the alignment between current CAAD curricula and evolving industry competency expectations, identifying gaps or opportunities for new concentrations, minors, or certificate programs.
Engage with industry advisory boards under the guidance of CAAD and academic unit leadership to gather intelligence on hiring trends, skill expectations, and emerging practice areas. Participate in relevant advisory board sessions to provide updates on advising and receive input.
Develop and maintain relationships with regional and national employers, design firms, construction companies, cultural institutions, and studios to create internship, co-op, and employment pipelines for CAAD students.
Organize professional development workshops for students on topics including portfolio preparation, résumé writing, interview skills, professional licensure pathways, networking, and workplace readiness.
Coordinate with the university Career Center to host CAAD-specific career fairs, employer panels, studio visits, and alumni networking events.
Curate and distribute a recurring digest of industry news, job postings, co-op/fellowship/residency opportunities, and competition announcements to CAAD students.
Analyze first-destination survey data and alumni employment outcomes to track placement rates and inform program improvement.
Promote undergraduate research and creative scholarship opportunities, connecting students with faculty mentors.
Support students in identifying and applying for nationally competitive scholarships, fellowships, study-abroad programs, and graduate school opportunities.
Prepare regular reports on advising caseload metrics, student success indicators, recruitment funnel performance, retention rates and career placement outcomes for academic unit and college leadership.
Maintain proficiency in university student information systems (e.g., Banner, DegreeWorks, Slate) and advising platforms; recommend technology improvements to enhance the student advising experience.
Assist in scheduling courses, managing classroom assignments, and coordinating with the registrar on catalog updates and degree program modifications.
Perform related duties as assigned by the dean, associate dean or academic unit leadership.