Student Program Assistant Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Department: WCAS Religious Studies
Salary/Grade: NEX/10
Job Summary:

The Department of Religious Studies is seeking a self-directed Graduate Program Assistant to provide comprehensive administrative support for our graduate program. This role is ideal for an organized professional who thrives on managing diverse administrative tasks and supporting student success.

This position is part-time at 20 hours per week and works on-site four days per week with an opportunity for additional remote work during the summer and breaks between quarters. The target hiring range for this position will be between $20,619 - $25,056 per year, which is $19.75 - $24 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Specific Responsibilities:

Documents & Databases

• Enters information into spreadsheets &/or databases.
• Compiles routine reports, statistics, tables, etc. from readily available information.
• Creates forms for collecting data &/or arranging times for meetings.
• Updates graduate student records when a milestone is reached.

Website Social Media & Design

• Assists with website maintenance, social media feeds, and annual newsletter updates.
• Helps with graphic designs, event advertisements, and social media layout as needed.
• Publicizes events and issues invitations to religious studies faculty, students, alumni, and other community members.

Coordination

• Oversees department seminar room reservations and events calendar.
• Supports department programming, conferences, meetings and colloquia which may include reserving venues, arranging catering, making travel arrangements, marketing, managing technology & handling hybrid set up, staffing events, etc.
• Works with Director of Graduate Studies to coordinate graduate admissions, recruitment, onboarding new students and orientation.
• Manages department mail services and orders supplies.

Communication

• Serves as a first point of contact for the department and responds to inquiries from faculty, staff, current and prospective students, and visitors.
• Provides information via phone, e-mail, mail, etc. Answers graduate admission inquiries.
• Provides support to the Director of the Graduate Studies, Department Chair, and other faculty related to the graduate program.
• Represents supervisor in routine/standard situations with various levels of personnel both internally & externally.

Student Services

• Guides prospective graduate students through admissions process.
• Advises graduate students of Ph.D. program requirements, coursework, and deadlines.
• Handles graduate students' quarterly registration.
• Manages graduate student grants and graduate student conference travel financial support.
• Reviews student files/records for academic progress & referral and tracks milestones.
• Enters graduate funding and handles graduate student quarterly appointments and registration.
• Helps international students with visas, taxes, immigration, financial policies, etc.
• Understands and interprets Weinberg and University policies and processes.
• Identifies service improvement opportunities to better support graduate student success.

Supervision

• Assists with coordinating temporary/work-study students projects. etc.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or its equivalent along with 2 years of administrative support or other relevant experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, OneDrive, Outlook, Canva, Acrobat Pro and other applications)

• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work successfully in a busy open office environment.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

• Meet deadlines with excellent attention to detail.

• Interest in working independently and taking initiative in support of students.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a higher education environment.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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