Undergrad/Grad Lead Advisor

STDT SVC ADVISOR 3 (004575)

UCPath Position ID: 40729743

Position Description History/Status

For Reference ONLY - PeopleAdmin JA Number:

0602951

Approved Date:

3/26/2025 2:01:09 PM

Date Last Edited:

3/26/2025 2:01:03 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

4/1/2022

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

1300O

Organization:

LETTERS AND SCIENCE

Division Code:

1350D

Division:

L&S SOCIAL SCIENCES

Department:

119000 - POLITICAL SCIENCE

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

40729743

Position Description ID

169437

UC Payroll Title:

STDT SVC ADVISOR 3 (004575)

Business Title:

Undergrad/Grad Lead Advisor

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

Grade 19

Job Code FLSA:

Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

99: Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Relations Code:

E: All Others - Not Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

2 - Staff: Career

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

1

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

40047845

Reports to Payroll Title:

Student Services Advisor 4

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40195835

Department Head Payroll Title:

Department Chair

GENERAL DIRECTION - Indicates that the incumbent receives guidance in terms of broad goals and overall objectives and is responsible for establishing the methods to attain them. Generally the incumbent is in charge of an area of work, and typically formulates policy for this area but does not necessarily have final authority for approving policy.

0

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POSITION SUMMARY

The Graduate/Undergraduate Lead Advisor (Stdt Serv Advisor 3) is responsible for academic advising for approximately 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students in the department; updating data on students currently in both undergraduate and graduate programs; analyzing data as needed to aid the Graduate Vice Chair, Graduate Studies committee, and the Undergraduate Vice Chair in decision-making; advising students in their graduate and undergraduate major preparation and in meeting departmental requirements and policies; and in responding to all queries from current and prospective students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The advisor coordinates the annual graduate admissions process, assists with the graduate preview weekend details, and administers graduate student financial aid funds while overseeing fund applications for submission to campus and external funders.  Provides graduate students with job placement support by assisting with sending out materials and coordinating available positions.  Conducts outreach for undergraduates by disseminating information on major and transfer requirements. Works with both Vice Chairs and faculty to coordinate department course scheduling and assists Undergraduate Vice Chair on matters related to undergraduate student affairs (courses, curriculum, and other related issues). Manages the quarterly TA matching each quarter in conjunction with the Undergrad and Grad Vice Chairs, and works closely with the Director of Student Services, department Chief Administrative Officer, the College of Letters & Science, and the Graduate Division.

We are one of the largest undergraduate majors at UCLA and offer around 140 different classes per year to 1800 Political Science majors as well as to students from across the campus. Overall, our faculty and graduate teaching assistants teach about 11,000 students every year. Our classes are consistently rated among the most popular on campus with a changing array of offerings that includes “Ethics and Governance,” “Trump’s Foreign Policy,” “Civil War and Mass Violence,” “Political Theory in Hollywood,” and “Economic Inequality in the US.” Our graduate program is rigorous and encourages students to craft individualized study plans and take advantage of UCLA’s vast interdisciplinary scholarly offerings. The graduate curriculum is dedicated to providing students with the knowledge and expertise to become exacting researchers and compelling instructors. Every year we host around 100 Ph.D. students and we graduate around 12 new Ph.Ds. These graduates are often themselves published authors who go on to occupy faculty positions at some of the top teaching and research institutions throughout the world.

Academic Advising Services

 1. Advise new, continuing and prospective undergraduate and graduate students on course requirements and Department policies for successful entry and completion of the Department major and associated academic programs, such as Departmental Honors. (E) 2. Coordinate the information dissemination about the Political Science graduate program, the admission procedures, degree requirements, financial aid requirements, and all program deadlines by making electronic updates on the web and on interactive forms and by releasing appropriate printed materials. (E) 3. Advise and counsel undergraduate and graduate students who are dealing with scholastic difficulty. Provide information on study skills and time management. Refer students, when appropriate, to campus services such as Counseling and Psychological Services, the Center for Accessible Education, and the International Education Office. (E) 4. Make recommendations to the College about probation, dismissal or withdrawal; and provide special counseling for high-risk undergraduate students on probation and subject to dismissal. (E) 5. Lead first-year and transfer student orientation sessions, providing a thorough overview of the major as far as coursework and eligibility requirements. (E) 6. Administer the departmental Independent Study courses for undergraduate students, including acquainting students with applicable departmental policy, approving course proposals, and distributing Permission To Enroll numbers. (E) 7. Advise graduate students on the procedures and regulations for setting up their doctoral committees, filing Advancement to Candidacy papers for the degree, oral qualifying exams and the filing of the Ph.D. dissertation. (E) 8. Process and approve petitions for graduate students. (E) 9. Conduct individual advising meetings with undergraduate students to explain departmental policies/procedures, including terms of admission into the undergraduate major, and university policies/procedures, including registration, enrollment, and grading deadlines. (E 10. Evaluate progress for fulfillment of major requirements including departmental degree progress checks. inform students concerning deadlines (registration, enrollment, add/drop, change of major, pass/no pass grading). (E) 11. Coordinate UCLA Outreach undergraduate efforts by attending College fairs on and off campus, and disseminating information about the undergraduate major. (E) 12. Advise undergraduate students wishing to participate in Education Abroad Program or to take courses at another university or college in planning out a sound academic program and making appropriate course choices. (E) 13. Oversee departmental events such as graduate admissions, Bruin Bound, Bruin Day, Bruin Family weekend, grad preview weekend, department open house, career events, etc. (E) 14. Coordinates Transfer Substitutions for the major with Vice Chair of Undergraduate Studies. (E) 15. Utilize SAWeb for reviewing student degree progress reports and maintaining student databases. (E) 16. Check graduate enrollment quarterly to assure students follow standard course programs and complete the proper number of credits; alert Grad Vice Chair to specials cases. Review and approve requests for withdrawals, leave of absences, and late registration or enrollment. (E) 17. Serve as a liaison between faculty and grads or between grads and other campus office, especially Grad Division, the Grad Student Support Office and the Int'l Students Office to resolve problems. (E)

40%

Administration

 1. Analyze the records of undergraduate students for eligibility to declare the major and admit them to the major when appropriate. (E) 2. Implement Department of Political Science enrollment procedures and troubleshoot student enrollment difficulties. Help students to enroll in courses when necessary. (E) 3. Input substitutions and exemptions for major requirements on Degree Progress Reports and degree audits. (E) 4. Analyze undergraduate student records for satisfaction of all major requirements and sign degree audits for eligibility to be granted a degree. (E) 5. In consultation with the Undergraduate Vice Chair, review student petitions in course substitutions, eligibility for the major, scholastic contracts and awards, etc. (E) 6. Update and maintain the department's Ph.D. database as a resource for student recruitment and mentoring. Track recent graduates, update information about former graduates. Maintain the Ph.D. list serve. (E) 7. Maintain the UCLA Political Science Facebook and Twitter pages and other social media sites. Assist in providing up to date information to post to the Departmental website for the undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as utilizing the listservs for both graduates and undergraduates. (E) 8. Assist in annual selection and processing of undergraduate scholarship recipients when needed. (E) 9. Maintain database on student financial aid commitments, including fellowships and assistantships. (E) 10. Prepare university forms to process fee waivers, resident and non-resident tuition costs. (E) 11. Maintain a list of the students by sub-field. Update and maintain the Job Market List Serve and forward employment opportunity information. (E) 12. Maintain a Graduate Student Database that includes: academic history, progress to degree, and apprentice personnel employment information. At least quarterly, update data base information. (E) 13. Coordinate updates to the catalog with the Undergraduate Vice Chair. Review curriculum, course changes and descriptions. (E) 14. Manage the departmental TA program, determining TA eligibility, TA assignments, working with faculty and Grad Division, and requesting exceptions when necessary. (E) 15. Make TA and Reader assignments each quarter, maintain budget for the year, and forecast future quarters with the Graduate and Undergraduate Vice Chairs. (E) 16. Manage fellowship nominations such as Cota-Robles by working with the Vice Chair and admissions committee. (E) 17. Assist with and coordinate graduate Travel awards and reimbursements for graduate students. (E) 18. Organize, manage and lead commencement for almost 1600 undergraduate and Ph.D students each June. (E) 19. Generate statistics and reports for Departmental faculty and staff in such areas as student enrollment and progress utilizing Excel and database software. (E) 20. Other duties, as assigned. (E)

30%

Course Scheduling

 1. Develop and maintain databases on faculty teaching activities, including: number of courses taught/quarter, course buy-outs, releases, sabbaticals and other leaves as a basis for planning curriculum. (E) 2. Generate teaching schedules based on data provided by the faculty. Inform the appropriate University offices about course scheduling. (E) 3. Analyze current enrollment trends for undergraduate courses based on historical data by field, course level and individual instructor. (E) 4. Review course plans to assure that TAs are not in subfield courses during their TA course assignments. This includes a complex matrix of all subfield courses by date/time each quarter. 5. Using established guidelines and requirements, make classroom assignments for primary courses, discussion sections, and final examinations. (E) 6. Review teaching schedules for accuracy and potential conflicts, advising the Undergraduate Vice Chair. (E) 7. Develop and record master lists of scheduled courses, with projected enrollments using database software. (E) 8. Generate quarterly faculty and TA rosters to provide information on courses taught and location, office hours, etc. (E) 9. Manage the submission of textbook orders online for faculty, ordering desk copies. (E)

25%

Admission Activities

 1. Organize, manage and maintain up to date admission work which includes files on the letters of recommendations, supporting materials, applications, action sheets, transcripts, GRE and TOEFL scores. Create department database to track missing documents and to create profiles by subfield for use by faculty. (E) 2. Update promotion materials describing the program, faculty, and placement for use with admission applications, including web pages. (E) 3. Answer all email and other correspondence and queries on admission and the graduate program. (E) 4. Track missing documents and notify applicants in a timely manner. (E) 5. Manage an annual briefing with new Admissions Committee faculty to advise them of their responsibilities and admission procedures to comply with departmental practices and legal policies required by the Dean of the Graduate Division. (E) 6. Receive, log and enter into a database electronic graduate student admissions applications. Prepare and send out admissions decision letters to all graduate applicants. (E) 7. Organize graduate preview weekend, including coordinating current graduate student pairing with admitted students, a graduate faculty and student reception, and a dinner for current and prospective graduate students. (E) 8. Plan and implement visits to the department by graduate students selected for admission. Assist in scheduling formal and informal meetings between recruited students, UCLA graduate students and faculty. Coordinate sending admitted applicants a swag package of UCLA Political Science material. (E) 9. Attend Admission Committee meetings to supply administrative support, policy guidance, and information. (E)

5%

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Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree

In related area or equivalent experience/training.

Required

Master's Degree

Counseling

Preferred

Or

Student Advising

Experience advising undergraduate and/or graduate students

Preferred

Or

Scheduling

Experience in course scheduling

Preferred

Skill in interacting with students, faculty and colleagues from various backgrounds (academic, social, cultural) on an individual basis or in group situations. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to individuals and groups in writing and orally.

Required

Demonstrated interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff and students, and ability to work effectively with upper level administrators and faculty.

Required

Ability to prioritize assignments and complete work in a timely manner when there are changes in the workload, changes in assignment, deadlines and heavy workload. Ability to perform detailed work with a high degree of accuracy.

Required

Excellent writing skills to compose clear, concise and accurate memos, letters, reports and promotional materials. Demonstrated skill in editing correspondence for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Required

Reading skill to understand content of correspondence, reports, and forms. Working knowledge of MS Office software (Word, Excel, Access) and ability to work in Windows.

Required

Knowledge of resource centers and student services, with the skill to encourage students to reach out for appropriate resources. Ability to explain requirements and programs while offering guidance on future course scheduling appropriate to the student.

Required

Knowledge of department course curriculum and content. Acquainted with faculty members and their areas of interest and expertise. Knowledge of departmental requirements, rules and policies as well as those governing the College of Letters and Science.

Preferred

Ability to use database and spreadsheet software to create and report on instructional information and course scheduling. Demonstrated project management skills to monitor small and large projects in a cross-functional environment.

Preferred

Skill in dealing with students who may be in stressful emotional states, and ability to work with heavy student traffic with frequent interruptions.

Required

Skill in employing fundamental counseling techniques to assist students in the pursuit of academic goals through conveying accurate knowledge of departmental and university requirements, procedures and policies.

Required

Demonstrated computing skills sufficient to create and maintain databases to streamline procedures for 1) tracking admission applicant files, 2) TA and fellowship record keeping, 3) individual student degree progress, 4) placement candidates and mailings, and 5) annual statistical reports to faculty

Required

Ability to effectively use OASIS online Student Information Systems for admissions, enrollment and student funding: fellowships, tuitions, remissions. Including detailed knowledge of the functions, services and policies of Registrar's, Graduate Division, and the College of Letters and Science.

Preferred

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

COVID and Flu Vaccinations: The position is subject to providing evidence of inoculation.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

Bunche Hall

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

Communication skills

X

Numerical Skills

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.