Program Specialist 2

Internal•Renton, WA

26d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Specialist 2 is a member of a dynamic team focused on student success and in increasing the number of certified educators in the State of Washington. This position plays a significant role in supporting students (undergrad, graduate, endorsement-only) once admitted into their program of study. Undergrad students are admitted on an annual basis, graduate students are admitted every other year, and endorsement-only students are admitted on an ongoing quarterly basis. This position serves as the sole on-site staff member and is responsible for coordinating all student service and faculty support aspects of Woodring College of Education's Multilingual Education Community Programs offered at Western's site location in Renton, WA. The Program Specialist will work in collaboration with Academic Program Directors who lead the on-site programs, with the transfer student success specialist who manages the admissions for all multilingual education programming across multiple sites, and with the multilingual education outreach manager. Strong communication skills as well as the ability to work both as a member of a team and independently are critical to this position. Additionally, this position will assist with tasks specific to Multilingual Education programming across multiple sites, including the Bilingual Teaching Fellows Program located in Everett. This is an 11-month, 40 hour/week, cyclic position. The position is based at the Puget Sound ESD in Renton. Students and faculty are on site Monday through Thursday; the Program Specialist is expected to work on site Monday through Thursday with possible opportunity for remote work on Fridays. Anticipated work hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00-6:00; Friday hours are variable. Tasks pertaining to other site locations will be conducted from the Renton location. Cyclic leave to be taken during August and December. Additional evening work may be required as well as occasional travel to other Western site locations and regional partner districts and colleges.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or higher or equivalent education/experience
Two years of clerical experience that includes direct program coordination and management of administrative tasks
Proficiency with data management systems, including, but not limited to Microsoft Excel
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and graciously with students, faculty, and staff of diverse backgrounds
Demonstrated thoroughness and strong attention to detail
Ability to interpret and navigate State- and University-level policies
Experience in working independently as well as in a team environment
Proven ability to manage work priorities across multiple projects and meet specific timelines
Ability to work on-site at WWU Renton

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree
Experience working in higher education, especially in non-main campus locations
Experience working as staff support for a teacher preparation program
Bilingual
Experience with Drupal or other web-design programs
Experience with Canva or other marketing design programs
Experience troubleshooting basic computer and technology issues

Responsibilities

Student Support Serve as the sole on-site staff support for all students enrolled in the teacher education programs at the WWU Renton site
Organize quarterly course scheduling information for students, including collecting text/material requirements, special directions from instructors, and quarterly calendars; communicate schedule and registration information with students; ensure students are properly registered
Administer processes related to course overrides, non-matriculated student registrations, and cross-campus registrations; communicate with respective departments at main campus in submission of student forms
Monitor student accounts for financial and other holds preventing registration; communicate with Academic Program Directors regarding registration status as needed
Routinely monitor reports to ensure students are maintaining program, College, and University-level requirements, including GPA, clearances, outstanding DTA/GUR completion, pre-requisites and mandatory trainings; communicate findings with Academic Program Directors and advise students as appropriate
Manage all processes related to student graduation, including communicating application processes with students and entering/monitoring details into Western’s degree evaluation system
Manage, in collaboration with the University’s Certification Office, student clearances; advise students on State policies specific to these requirements
In collaboration with the program directors, develop unique plans of study for students who are out-of-sequence of following a part-time schedule; coordinate quarterly schedules with students, and ensure students properly register for courses based on their plans of study
Connect students with appropriate support services offered through main campus (financial aid, student business office, health center, etc.)
Communicate with students regarding awarded grants/loans and related requirements as applicable
Process and submit e-forms for students who are receiving grant tuition funding; track forms to ensure processed within established timelines
Maintain program/student-specific Canvas pages; update as needed to ensure students have access to current program information
Support testing administration as needed
Administrative Duties Secure, manage, and monitor quarterly room assignments at the Renton site, working closely with the Puget Sound ESD team
Check classrooms daily to ensure rooms are adequately prepped for evening instructors; communicate directly with the on-site ESD team regarding any classroom/technology-related issues
Send quarterly communications to WWU Renton faculty in preparation for start of each quarter
Administer quarterly key check-in/out processes with faculty, following guidelines established by the Puget Sound ESD team
Orient and onboard new faculty who are teaching at the WWU Renton site
Provide programmatic and administrative support to the respective Academic Program Directors and Department Chairs for off-campus scheduling needs at the Renton site, as needed
Order office supplies and print/copy orders, submit Marketplace orders, and review transactions
Collect syllabi from faculty on a quarterly basis; place textbook orders for faculty as needed
Initiate travel requests and mileage reimbursement expenses for faculty who are teaching across multiple site locations
Serve as liaison to Woodring Certification Office & Woodring Admissions; communicate information with applicable Woodring staff and students pertaining to clearances, content testing, and pre-practicum trainings (i.e. blood-borne pathogens and sexual harassment prevention); ensure students have up-to-date information
Perform data entry into various College and departmental databases
Support Academic Program Directors with grant-related work
Process clock hour forms and stipend payments for mentor teachers
Support faculty in the quarterly course evaluation process; submit completed evaluations to main campus
Assist in on-site event planning of new student orientation, graduation celebrations, and other special events
Process honorariums for guest speakers and reimbursements as needed
Develop library system for student & faculty book check-out; manage all aspects of check-out system
Review and update internal and external programmatic materials
Assist with the development or revision of policies and procedures and communicate with faculty, students, and other stakeholders
Program Marketing & Recruitment In coordination with the Renton recruitment team, attend regional recruitment fairs to promote the WWU Renton programs and arranged information sessions
Create and maintain program marketing materials
Assist in website maintenance for the WWU Renton programs
Data Collection, Analysis, Research Reporting & Dissemination Monitor WWU Renton student data (enrollment, class registrations, cohort lists, field experience) via Woodring Information System (WIS) and Banner
Prepare quarterly reports for program and College using Argos, Banner, and OnBase
Create and maintain student files and databases to meet the requirements of specific State and federal reporting criteria