Coordinator
Graduate Studies Office
Louisiana State University
The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest academic units on the LSU campus with more than 40 fulltime faculty members, 22 postdoctoral researchers and research associates, 20 other professional and support staff, 60 undergraduate majors, and 150 graduate students, which may be either teaching assistants, research assistants or on self support. This position is the first point of contact for the department’s Graduate Program and serves as the assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). This position handles administrative duties at a professional level, relieves the Director of the details of daily office management, and requires a working knowledge of University policies and procedures, Policy Statements, travel regulations, and automated enrollment and computer information systems. Temporary tasks for the department may be performed at the request of the Chairman or Assistant to the Chairman and with the approval of the DGS; however, the primary responsibility is for the management of the Graduate Office.
Continual, successful interaction with graduate students is one of the most important functions of this position, yet it is also one of the most difficult to define. He/she must be able to deal positively and sympathetically with a wide range of students of both genders, all races, and diverse cultural backgrounds. He/she must be particularly sensitive to the needs of prospective, entering, and first-year students, minority students, and international students; and must project a caring and understanding posture with these and with all students in the graduate program.
PERSONNEL AND PAYROLL MANAGEMENT
Responsible for generating and submitting all personnel and payroll documents for approximately 150 teaching or research assistants. Accesses LSU mainframe to initiate payroll forms to appoint, change source of funds, separate, and adjust stipend amounts. Determines appropriate title codes and stipend levels, drafts/updates job descriptions, monitors completion and submission of required payroll/personnel forms, creates mail merge to produce tax exemption letters. Distributes scholarship awards to appropriate recipients. Provides assistance to graduate students in reconciliation of payroll and fee bill discrepancies. Prepares and submits Appointment/Fee Exemption forms for Board of Regents fellows, Tuition Award Nomination forms, LSU Per 17’s, and Requests for Additional Compensation.
Serves as focal point for graduate students for general and specific information about deadlines, personnel and payroll matters, policies/procedures, and employment forms. Interacts independently with the Graduate School to verify admissions, track assistantships, and requests degree audits. Interacts independently with the International Services Office (ISO) personnel to assist foreign national students with their applications for visas, work permits, appropriate compensation, and I-9 requirements.
Responsible for dispersing, retrieving, reviewing, and submitting Personnel Activity Reports (PARs) on graduate assistants to properly document work duties to appropriate salary accounts, to document cost sharing, and to monitor compliance with university, state, and federal guidelines. Interacts directly with faculty members, accounting personnel, and Grant Coordinator to ensure PARs are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
GRADUATE STUDIES ADMINISTRATION
Assists the DGS in the overall governance of the departmental graduate program, assists faculty and graduate students when problems or questions arise in individual students’ graduate programs, and provides clerical and work-related assistance to faculty and graduate students in furtherance of individual and overall departmental graduate programs. Acquires a working knowledge of all current departmental, Graduate School, and University rules, regulations and Policy Statements governing the graduate program. Uses database management and spreadsheet software applications to input, compile, extract data and create reports pertaining to current and former students, applicants, program statistics, and student directory information; submits reports, when requested.
Generate letters verifying academic standing and financial support to facilitate international travel document preparation, to meet US Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service and foreign embassy requirements.
Assembles orientation packets and insures transmittal of required information and forms for incoming domestic and international students to assure a smooth transition. Prepares appropriate forms and applications for exams, degrees, and other program requirements, in accordance with university policy and procedures. Provides security for Cumulative Exams (Cumes), reserves appropriate rooms, posts Cume schedule and topics, collects exams and results, electronically tracks historical information, and creates reports. Reserves rooms for ACS Placement Exams administered to incoming graduate students. Schedules courses for new graduate students and makes changes for current students using LSU mainframe.
Assists graduate students in completion and submission of numerous forms necessary for submission of Programs of Study; Requests for General and Final Exams; Selection of Research Director; applications for scholarships/fellowships, etc. Monitors deadlines and submits materials to the Graduate school in a timely manner to ensure requirements for awarding of Master and Ph.D. degrees are met. Reserves rooms for general and final exams using campus electronic scheduler.
GENERAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION
Maintains a professional office environment with maximum confidentially; screens mail, phone calls, and visitors for the DGS; maintains suspense file to ensure deadlines are met; prioritizes office tasks; proofs offer letters and other outgoing correspondence for format and grammar; and responds to all requests for information. Maintains, updates, and performs periodic review of all paper and computer files related to chemistry graduate program components. Develops and improves methods of performing standard office functions and information retrieval using available resources. Interfaces with department faculty and staff, as well as other academic and administrative offices, on and off campus. Determines supply requirements, requisitions, orders, and purchases supplies; maintains office inventory and stock levels; and submits requests for reimbursement, as needed.
Uses microcomputer to create, update, and reproduce departmental forms necessary for maintaining a database of current graduate students. Maintains and updates website information for current graduate student issues. Trains and supervises undergraduate student worker(s) in the Graduate Office and reviews work to determine technique and the possible need for additional training.
Composes and proofs simple and detailed correspondence, creates merge files, forms labels, and tables for use in graduate program using word-processing software. Attends computer classes to learn new software applications and attends other training which is pertinent to the performance or enhancement of job skills.
Attends meetings on behalf of the Director, when necessary, and relieves the Director of responsibilities not requiring his/her personal attention. Serves as liaison with the Graduate Admissions Office, Graduate Assistantship Office, Records and Registration, Accounting Services, and International Services Office. Adheres to all pertinent deadlines and long-term planning required to enable the Director to fulfill obligations.
BUDGET
Assists in managing the Graduate Program ~$1M budget for the DGS. Provides detailed reports and projections to ensure that timely, accurate decisions can be made to avoid overdrafts and inappropriate expenses on the graduate student budget. Gathers data for budget preparation, assists the Director in creating the budget, monitors/tracks budget expenditures, and uses reports to inform the Director of the status.
An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Application deadline is May 9, 2008 or until a candidate is selected. Submit a letter of application and resume (including e-mail address) to:
Amy G. Commander, HR Coordinator
LSU Department of Chemistry
232 Choppin Hall
Louisiana State University
Ref: #006298
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (225) 578-3461 Fax: (225) 578-3463
E-mail: acom@lsu.edu
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