Department Administrative Coordinator, Illustration (Rhode Island School of Design)

Job Summary

Rhode Island School of Design seeks a Department Administrative Coordinator to join its Illustration Department. The department offers students a broad-based curriculum aimed at bringing forth dynamic and evocative message-making. Illustration explores the poetic relationship between ideas and images to encourage the most eloquent and incisive pictorial solutions to visual communication problems.

The Department Administrative Coordinator employs the use of tactful communication and diplomacy to perform a variety of tasks to accomplish the department’s academic and administrative activities including support of the department head, department faculty, courses, including, but not limited to scheduling, coordinating, and organizing meetings, programs, events and studio, and meeting space; and maintaining files, records, and inventories and monitoring and tracking budgetary expenses and items. This role serves as a central point of contact between the department and internal and external constituents and answers a variety of questions regarding departmental activities, procedures, policies, and events.

This position provides support for students including daily resolution of issues and redirection to services and development activities and/or external engagement and supports the graduate program in its developmental stage and post-launch. The Administrative Coordinator is also responsible for department communications and promotion of events and gallery programming; and maintaining paper and electronic files, records, and inventories.

We seek a culturally competent candidate who will thrive in a campus environment that is committed to advancing the principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.

Essential Functions

• General Administration and Department Support: Receive visitors to the department and respond to phone, email, fax, and remote inquiries. Retrieve and sort mail. Deliver confidential and time-sensitive messages and documents. Accommodate all inquiries about the program and escalate as appropriate. Provide logistics and support for field trips, extra-curricular activities, and other departmental initiatives. Serve as contact and schedule and coordinate travel and/or remote arrangements for visiting artists, critics, lecturers, and special guests. Coordinate catering, event space, audio/visual needs, and registration when applicable. Organize calendars, schedule and attend meetings. Take notes and distribute to attendees afterward. Assist Senior Dept Coordinator in maintaining digital faculty files and utmost confidentiality in regard to faculty information. Facilitate the work of the department as one of the administrative liaisons with other areas of the College such as Academic Affairs, the Registrar’s Office, Media Resources, IT and RISD Global. Retrieve student program evaluations and schedules as needed by Department Head. Process faculty staffing, course proposal, revision and course cost forms and assist the Senior Coordinator to take action on follow-up tasks: scheduling, purchases, etc. Assist in documentation of damage to facilities and equipment. Submit requests to arrange repairs with the Facilities Department and/or engage external service providers in conjunction with Technician and Senior Department Coordinator. Monitor shared kitchen, Part-Time Faculty Office and conference room facilities, and order appropriate supplies related to their use. Hire and supervise student employees and approve work-study time cards.
  
  
• ​Budget Responsibility: Assist Senior Coordinator and Department Head to monitor, track and maintain departmental budgets. Advise department Senior Coordinator and Department Head as to areas of overspending and/or available funding. Submit and track purchase requisitions via RISD’s system of record (Workday) and reconcile travel and procurement card purchases as they occur and reassign to appropriate budget lines as needed. Create and process ad hoc payments, complete supplier invoice process, and monitor departmental expenses. Coordinate as necessary bulk purchases, supply orders, and other related department purchases. Attend budget meetings scheduled with the division and Academic Affairs. Coordinate as necessary, bulk purchases, supply orders, and other related department purchases.
  
  
• Student Support: With the Senior Department Coordinator, assist undergraduate students toward successful resolution of their concerns: provide administrative advice, support and guidance through various institutional processes. Act as key contact for resolution of graduate student issues. With a broad knowledge of institutional policies, processes and resources, resolve routine issues and for more complex academic issues or escalate as required to appropriate College resources, e.g. the Registrar’s Office, etc.. Develop and maintain knowledge of department’s degree requirements and act as liaison between student and Department Head and/or faculty advisor in order to facilitate resolution of student issues consistent with Department’s standards and objectives. Make notes in the School’s advising system. Process academic paperwork such as readmission forms, add/drops, grade changes, student Exception to Policy petitions. Act in compliance with FERPA and campus Title IX reporting. Maintain absolute confidentiality in regards to student information and records.
  
  
• Department Head/Faculty Support: Assist Department Head and faculty in support of their work, including collecting and archiving syllabi and participating in organization of self-study and school-wide accreditation. Assist in maintaining Department Head’s calendar and schedule meetings and advising appointments as needed. Assist and provide support for faculty for course-related needs. Act as a resource to new/Department Head in their acclimation to DH role with respect to department policy and procedures and institutional methods to accomplish administrative work.
  
  
• Student Support: With the Senior Department Coordinator, assist undergraduate students toward successful resolution of their concerns: provide administrative advice, support, and guidance through various institutional processes. Act as key contact for resolution of graduate student issues. With a broad knowledge of institutional policies, processes and resources, resolve routine issues and for more complex academic issues or escalate as required to appropriate College resources, e.g. the Registrar’s Office, etc. Develop and maintain knowledge of department’s degree requirements and act as liaison between student and Department Head and/or faculty advisor in order to facilitate resolution of student issues consistent with Department’s standards and objectives. Make notes in the School’s advising system. Process academic paperwork such as readmission forms, add/drops, grade changes, student Exception to Policy petitions. Act in compliance with FERPA and campus Title IX reporting. Maintain absolute confidentiality in regard to student information and records.
  
  
• Department Head /Faculty Support: Assist Department Head and faculty in support of their work. Collecting and archive syllabi and participate in organization of materials for periodic department external review and school-wide accreditation. Assist in maintaining Department Head’s calendar and schedule meetings and advising appointments as needed. Assist and provide support for faculty for course-related needs. Support dissemination of materials including remote or physical course materials as needed. Act as a resource to new/Department Head in their orientation to DH role with respect to department policy and procedures.
  
  
• Communications and Gallery Administrative Duties: Schedule events and initiatives, as directed by Department Head and Graduate Program Director. Coordinate, with the Technician, logistics for annual internship exhibition, undergraduate and graduate gallery exhibitions, and department-sponsored/curated shows. Coordinate, create, disseminate and update intra-department wide digital & poster communications throughout the campus and beyond in a timely manner. Coordinate travel, accommodations and shipment of artwork for department-sponsored/curated shows. Schedule and provide support for non-department-sponsored events in gallery space. Schedule all display cases and “Paper Gallery”. Manage, update and/or maintain content on department’s online and social media presence. Document department-sponsored events through photos and text. Collect artwork from faculty for annual illustrated department course listing catalog and produce updated version each year.
  
  
• Student Internship and Extra-Curricular Program and Development: Provide administrative and logistical support for internships which may include verifying eligibility of students, for the faculty coordinator. Assist faculty coordinator in the collection, editing, documentation and submission of student work for competition entries and department archive. Oversee shipping of entries to events. Organize department trips to competition events as directed by Department Head. Provide administrative and logistical support to department-supported student initiatives, community and professional organization outreach.
  
  

Additional Functions

• Perform related duties as assigned by Department Head and Dean
  
  
• Supervise work-study students, as needed including processing of work-study time cards.
  
  

Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Experience and knowledge of PC and/or Apple computer/s used in office administration required as is experience and knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation shareware.
  
  
• Must be proficient with Google Apps (Drive, Docs, Gmail, and calendar), and be comfortable editing digital images and presentations.
  
  
• Must be able to work in and support a diverse and culturally inclusive environment.
  
  
• Ability to adapt to new software is also required, including developing proficiency with various Enterprise Resource Planning, space, and student systems (i.e. Colleague, Workday, 25Live) for accessing student transcripts, student information, and registration.
  
  
• Proven problem solver with resourceful approach; demonstrated initiative, excellent interpersonal skills; attention to detail; basic math skills; strong oral and written communication skills; ability to multi-task; and work in a fast-paced environment.
  
  
• Associates degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
  
  
• Three to five years administrative support experience required with experience working in an academic environment preferred.
  
  

Union:

Yes, Academic Support Association (NEARI)

Work Schedule:

30 hours/week; 12 months/year

Employment Status:

Full-Time; Regular

Grade:

05/CT-ASA

Documents Needed to Apply:

Resume (required)

Cover Letter (required)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please upload all required documents.

The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.

RISD recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its learning community and integral to an art and design education. We welcome candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. RISD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

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Administrative Support Services