Undergraduate Program Admin

Industry: Administrative Support

Company: Princeton University

Overview

The Undergraduate Program Administrator (UPA) manages all aspects of the Department of East Asian Studies (EAS) undergraduate program, an international department where diversity is valued.

As the main point of contact for concentrators and students considering the major, minor, or language study in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, the duties include working in tandem with academic advisors to assist students (majors, minors, and prospective) with course tracking and progress.

This administrator collaborates with the EAS Director of Undergraduate Studies and serves as a liaison between department faculty, students, affiliated departments and programs, and interacts directly with central offices (Registrar’s Office and the Dean of the College). Acting independently, the UPA will manage daily communication with students, faculty and central administrative offices, interpreting and applying complex information quickly while prioritizing workflow to meet tight deadlines. Key responsibilities include assisting students (majors, minors, and prospective) with course tracking and progress, maintaining course data (including offerings, grades, cross-listings, and classroom assignments), planning and managing select events and their budgets, and preparing statistical reports for meetings, including those for the EAS Curriculum Committee.

As an integral member of the East Asian Studies Department, reporting to the Manager of Finance and Administration and Graduate Program Manager, this administrator will be situated in our main office and will share general office responsibilities (10% time) with two other administrators.

Note: This position requires in-person attendance at our annual Class Day Ceremony, often on Memorial Day, to manage event logistics for graduating students and their families.

Responsibilities

UNDERGRADUATE ADMINISTRATION:

This position serves as liaison between the Registrar’s Office, the Dean of the College, and the EAS Department. On his/her own initiative, the UPA will be in daily communication with students and faculty. S/he must assess needs, trouble shoot, and communicate complex information quickly, while also prioritize workflow. S/he will manage course scheduling for approximately 140 course sections across 4 tracks (EAS, JPN, CHI, KOR), keeping faculty on target to meet Registrar’s deadlines. Many of these duties are complex and unique to the specific needs of EAS. As an example, Chinese (CHI) language courses follow a 5-day meeting pattern. In CHI alone, we have approximately 35 class sections per term with 11 CHI language teachers offering classes and drills, which adds complexity to room and lecturer assignments, CAFSIS report, and evaluations.

S/he will proactively participate in EAS Curriculum Committee meetings alongside the Department Chair, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Program Manager, and appointed faculty to address all aspects of course planning. S/he will collaborate with key department members to strategize and implement central policy changes. The Director of Undergraduate Studies and the UPA will work together to develop and execute new initiatives to promote the EAS major and minor across campus.

EVENTS MANAGEMENT:

Organize and support all undergraduate events and activities: Junior and Senior Independent Work Programs, Academic Expo, Spring Open House, Thesis Writing Sections, Major’s Fair, Senior Dinner, and Class Day, to promote student engagement with the Department.

Plan and setup for our weekly departmental lunch colloquium event including catering plan, invitations, RSVP, and managing setup with our work-study student.

OFFICE, WEB, EVENTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT:

• Daily – this administrator will be the first point of contact for those visiting the main office: faculty, students, guests. S/ he will respond to faculty needs on short notice; order, receive and distribute office supplies; ship bulk mailings, and trouble shoot equipment: printers, scanners, photocopy machines.
• Weekly – manage logistics for colloquium lunches (ordering, setup, clean up).
• Monthly – s/he will reconcile undergraduate expenses on the credit card.
• Each Semester – the website and social media will be updated for curriculum changes and to announce events.
• Summer – S/he will work with the front office administrators to prepare offices for the coming fall (signage, mailboxes, maintenance requests, etc.)

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
• 5+ years work experience
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; attention to detail and the ability to think and execute strategically
• Effective organizational and project coordination skills
• Strong oral/written communication skills
• Superior interpersonal skills including the ability to identify common ground, work collaboratively, and create consensus among contributors
• Demonstrated ability to gather, analyze, interpret, and present data (quantitative and qualitative) for committees and central reporting
• Must exercise good judgment while maintaining confidentiality
• High level of competency with Word, Excel, File Maker, and PowerPoint
• Must be efficient, effective and can adapt to changing needs
• Must be able to rapidly learn new systems and procedures
• Must collaborate effectively with colleagues, since the work will be performed on campus in a shared office setting

Preferred

• Preferred experience includes website maintenance, basic video editing
• PeopleSoft, Concur, SAFE, Canvas, Stellic, EMS, and social media management
• Proficiency in conversational Japanese, Korean, or Chinese is an asset

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Standard Weekly Hours

36.25

Eligible for Overtime

No

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Probationary Period

180 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)

No

Estimated Appointment End Date

12/31/2025

Comments Related to End Date

This position is a one year appointment, with the possibility of renewal

Physical Capacity Exam Required

No

Valid Driver’s License Required

No

Experience Level

Entry Level

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