Assistant Director of Course Management (4551U) - #77750

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Departmental Overview

The Department of Economics at UC Berkeley is one of the largest teaching and research departments, consistently ranked among the top five worldwide. It employs 16 staff members and approximately 45 ladder-rank faculty, with a total academic membership of around 70, including joint appointments, lecturers, visiting faculty, and emeriti. The department's student services operation is one of the largest at Berkeley, serving 1,500 undergraduate majors, awarding 700 degrees annually, and supporting 140 PhD students. Each year, the department receives 800 PhD applications, employs 200 academic student-workers, offers 150 courses with 40,000 student credit hours, hosts 100 visiting concurrent enrollment students, and manages over $8M in teaching and fellowship funds.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Student Services, the Assistant Director of Course Planning & Management is responsible for planning, directing, budgeting, and evaluating the entire range of course planning and curriculum support services. Key functional areas include curriculum planning and evaluation, enrollment and scheduling management, and instructor and student employee hiring and oversight, and in general with graduate level advising. This includes strategizing and implementing a wide range of process improvements and instructional delivery methods to address multiple needs and constraints faced by a large curriculum with growing course sizes and supporting sections, including the development and implementation of flexible methodologies as needed (e.g. remote to online). The Assistant Director also supervises a full-time curriculum and enrollment coordinator staff position, a Head Graduate Student Instructor, oversees lecturer and student instructor planning and orientation, in addition to indirect oversight of 100+ Academic Student Employees (ASE) each semester. The Assistant Director is also central to the planning and oversight of two key revenue programs for the department: summer sessions and concurrent enrollment. This position both manages while developing programs and services, regularly reviews and formulates policy and process improvements as needed, provides supervision and leadership on the entire range of course and curriculum planning, and functions with a high-degree of autonomy. All efforts by the Assistant Director requires the ability to strategically plan and to understand how the department's curriculum functions and fits together with the overall mission and educational objectives of the academic programs. This position also communicates clearly verbally and in writing at the highest levels, while working closely with the director of student services, the Vice Chairs, and departmental leadership and committees. The Assistant Director is central to all high-level decision making within the realm of course planning and support services.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 05/08/2025.

Responsibilities

Supervision of Instructor/Student-Instructor (ASE) Administration:

• Directs the recruitment and orientation of student instructors by staff and the Head GSI.
• Evaluates and supervises in conjunction with faculty qualified student instructors, including undergraduate (UGSI), graduate GSIs, Head GSIs, and tutors.
• Leads long-range strategic planning for the training of student course staff members and developing programs and processes to support recruitment, appointment, preparation, and retention.
• Directs the distribution of ASE assignment letters for the fall, spring semesters and summer session.
• Oversees the assignment of GSIs to several hundred discussion sections for the academic year and for summer session, matching GSIs with the appropriate faculty instructors.
• Responsible for hiring, training, and supervising the head GSI, along with multiple course specific lead GSIs.
• In total, student employees exceed 200+ each academic year.
• Assists instructors and student instructors with course-related logistics and administration, such as exam administration and processing, coordinating course staff activities, scheduling, and coordinator training and review sessions.
• Trains and provides guidance to graduate and undergraduate students who teach, advice, and coach students.
• Provides guidance to academic advisers on pedagogic issues affecting students in the departments.
• Provides guidance and recommendations to instructors on issues related to course technology, which includes bCourses, egrades, and Grade Scope.
• Monitors DSP accommodations in general, potential make-up exam arrangements-when warranted-and student athlete engagement.
• Establishes and maintains partnerships with campus departments and units on outreach, orientation, academic strategy, and enrichment workshops, community building events, and activities.
• Designs, develops, implements, and delivers multi-format course support programs and student teacher training for a broad academic discipline to enhance the learning and teaching process for students.
• May work with departments to develop study groups tied to specific department courses or series of courses.
• Trains and provides guidance to graduate students, staff, and student interns who teach, advice, and coach students.
• May provide guidance to Academic Student Advisers on pedagogic issues affecting students in their departments.
• May apply advanced knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations to determine the nature and extent of student academic support program services applied to student athletes

Course and Curriculum Planning and Evaluation:

• In conjunction with leadership, takes lead role on planning the curriculum for the department and the creation of the supporting Temporary Academic Staffing (TAS) budget to the college for annual approval.
• Oversees course planning and budgeting during the academic year and for summer sessions.
• Directs and supervises the input and scheduling of courses within Campus systems.
• Course planning includes the ongoing design of ASE services in support of large, section-based courses, the development of evaluative tools and methodologies to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of ASE programs and services.
• Reviews, analyzes, and reports on course (instructor) evaluations, and works closely with the Vice Chair and others to identify curriculum needs and instructional concerns.
• Collaborates with faculty to adjust courses as needed to meet ever evolving technological approaches to teaching, including in response to various resource (e.g. classroom) constraints.
• Develops and maintain strategic partnerships with campus offices.
• Maintains an in-depth understanding of the Economics curriculum in general and as it relates to concurrent enrollment.
• Provides and makes recommendations for the improvement of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, including the international visiting concurrent enrollment programs.
• Provide students and faculty with specialized information and explanations regarding Department, College and University policies and procedures relevant to course enrollment, grading policies and disputes, and academic requirements.
• Consulting with department leadership, directs the Courses of Instruction (COCI) proposals for the department.
• Utilizing specialized expertise, applies program responsibility for a broad academic discipline or student category to develop and present programs to student-employees to enhance their learning.

Supervision of Enrollment and Scheduling:

• Directs and supervises a staff member who coordinates scheduling and enrollment management.
• Closely monitors enrollment management of undergraduate and graduate courses and student-initiated courses (e.g. independent study, field study, honors program).
• Supervises the maintenance of all graduate and undergraduate grade records and course reports and the scheduling of De-Cal courses each semester within the SIS system.
• Devises strategies and solutions to resolve complex student enrollment issues or challenges.

Graduate Academic Advising:

• Advices graduate students and Ph.D. candidates on academic and administrative degree requirements through exercising judgment in the interpretation and enforcement of policies and procedures of the Department and Graduate Division.
• Leads and administers the Graduate Economics Student Exchange Program (GESEP).
• In conjunction with the Director of Student Services and Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services, plans and implements high visibility student events, such as graduate recruitment, spring visit day, start-of-year welcome orientation, and works with departmental staff on the commencement ceremony.

Professional Development:

• Maintain professional development and update working knowledge of student affairs administration through attendance and participation at campus and other training sessions, seminars, conferences, and events and active membership in campus and professional organizations, and networking with peers.
• The Department of Economics provides $1,500 per year toward professional development activities.

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge of, or can quickly learn, UC campus and College procedures, processes and policies relative to curriculum planning and related support services (e.g., ASE Hiring, lecturer planning, budgeting and tracking of courses, enrollment management, concurrent enrollment, summer sessions).
• Knowledge of academic curriculum and learning needs.
• Knowledge in designing and implementing learning and pedagogical models.
• Knowledge of how learning skills issues apply to a research institution.
• Knowledge on methodologies to enhance student success.
• Leadership experience within a complex student services unit.
• Skills in monitoring/assessing staff and/or student employees.
• Knowledge of strategy development and implementation, data gathering and analysis approaches, and communication strategies.
• Background in strategic planning, assessment and project management.
• Abilities in problem identification, reasoning, ability to develop original ideas to solve problems, using persuasion and leadership.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing conditions.
• Knowledge of, or can quickly learn, general UC campus and College procedures, processes and policies.
• Successful experience advising faculty and students.
• Knowledge of, or can quickly learn, University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences.
• Excellent computer skills, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (and web-based tools).
• Knowledge of and/or can quickly learn common University-specific computer application programs.
• Strong verbal and writing skills.
• Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with and understand individuals from varied academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.

Education/Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 100% full-time (40 hrs a week) exempt career position, which is paid monthly at an annual rate and is eligible for UC Benefits.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $110,000.00 - $120,000.00.

How to Apply

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This position is eligible for up to 40% remote work. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

SB 791 and AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.