Assistant Director, Office of Fellowships

Department: Academic Affairs

Classification: Professional Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of the Provost is the primary central administrative unit for the university’s academic programs. Its range of interests include curriculum, instructional personnel, assessment, accreditation, international initiatives, and oversight of the overall academic mission. Within the Office of the Provost, the Office of Undergraduate Education manages undergraduate academic programs that stretch across all colleges and schools at George Mason University. These include university-level curriculum approval, general education (Mason Core), University Studies programs, the Office of Academic Advising, and Mason Impact initiatives that support transformational learning for undergraduate students, including the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL), and Office of Fellowships. In all of our work, we seek to inspire undergraduate students to become engaged citizens and well-rounded scholars who are prepared to act in a diverse, global world, by creating and sustaining innovative programs that enhance our students’ academic experience and contribute to their academic success. We are dedicated to ensuring that students from all backgrounds have equal access to all of our programs.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Office of Fellowships Director, the Assistant Director supports the Director in executing the strategic goals of the Office, with a primary emphasis on recruiting George Mason students and alumni to apply for nationally competitive awards, and ensuring comprehensive support for applicants through the application process. The Assistant Director also oversees multiple areas within the Office of Fellowships, including institutional endorsement processes, Honors Societies, and program evaluation. The Assistant Director contributes to George Mason’s strategic goal of inclusive excellence, striving for representation of individuals from groups typically underrepresented in higher education.

Responsibilities:

Advises Individual Fellowship Applicants

• Executes Director’s plan for Fellowship advising through individual advising sessions and application workshops;
• Discusses applicant academic interests/goals, professional goals, and personal background to determine which awards applicant should apply to and discusses eligibility and selection criteria for specific awards with applicant; and
• Discusses application components with applicant, providing guidance on how to approach each element as appropriate to the award and creates a drafting schedule with applicant to ensure materials are completed on time. 

Recruits Fellowship Applicants 

• Ensures execution of Director’s recruitment strategy via in-person and virtual events for students;
• Supports Director in representing the Office of Fellowships and provides information about office services and/or specific fellowships to faculty and staff at the institutional level (Undergraduate/Graduate Council), the college level, and the department/program level;
• Guest lectures in student courses to present information about office services and/or specific fellowships to students; and
• Develops recruitment materials for university partners to distribute to students. 

Oversees Program Evaluation, Quality Control, and Improvement 

• Regularly evaluates data collection methods to ensure alignment with overarching strategic goals and to identify areas for improvement; and
• Evaluates data at least once per semester to quantify impact, identify areas of improvement in Office operations, and inform broader strategic planning in collaboration with Director. 

Supervises and Trains Writing Specialists 

• Recruits and hires graduate student Writing Specialists;
• Trains Writing Specialists in response to existing level of experience/knowledge; 
• Meets regularly with Writing Specialists to provide oversight and performance feedback; and
• Provides professional development via resources and activities. 

Leads relevant sponsor-required institutional evaluation and endorsement processes 

• Recruits and orients faculty and staff to serve on committees for awards that require institutional support;
• Provides support for and oversight of committee members; and
• Writes nomination letters on behalf of institution when required by sponsor. 

Oversees management of honor societies (Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa Mason chapters) 

• Ensures faculty officers of societies are aware of responsibilities;
• Serves as backup for financial duties associated with honor societies (e.g., reviewing annual finances, developing and submitting annual reports to national honor societies);
• Acts as liaison between faculty officers and various university offices (e.g., to facilitate data requests); and
• Plans and oversees induction ceremony procedures.

Supports Director in maintaining relationships with department partners across 3 campuses 

• Participates in virtual and in-person events with academic units, student support services, and student organizations to promote office services and specific awards; and
• Serves as a primary point of contact for partners in academic and administrative units across campus by responding to inquiries. 

Additional related tasks as assigned to support the mission of the Office of Fellowships

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Demonstrated professional experience working in a university setting with students of all disciplines, including STEM (typically 2-3 years);
• Knowledge in one or more of the following areas: fellowship advising, special awards/grants management, undergraduate research, graduate research, academic advising, career services;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to work with a culturally and ethnically diverse population of students, faculty, and staff; and
• Ability to manage fluctuating work to meet deadlines with accuracy.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with fellowships applications;
• Demonstrated experience with communication, program development, and administrative skills;
• Knowledge of nationally competitive awards (and their application processes) available to students of all disciplines, including STEM; and
• Ability to create partnerships among stakeholders in higher education.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Assistant Director, Office of Fellowships at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: December 19, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 20, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes