Senior Associate, Academic Affairs

Summary

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. APLU seeks a Senior Associate, Academic Affairs to provide logistical and administrative support to the Office of Academic Affairs, including APLU’s Council on Academic Affairs, a forum for discussion among university provosts or senior vice presidents around issues and trends in higher education and the public mission. Successful candidates will have strong meeting coordination, event planning, and administrative support skills, a facility with Excel and data, and possess a keen attention to detail. This full-time position is based in Washington, DC. The incumbent must be eligible to work in the United States, reside in DC, MD, or VA, and pass standard background checks. They are eligible for a hybrid work schedule. For more information, consult www.aplu.org.

Background

APLU is a membership organization that fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities. The association’s membership consists of nearly 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations spanning across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico. Annually, member campuses enroll 5.3 million undergraduates and 1.4 million graduate students, award 1.4 million degrees, employ 1.3 million faculty and staff, and conduct $61 billion in university-based research.

The Office of Academic Affairs plays a central role in APLU’s initiatives to improve student success and graduation, enhance digital learning, spur institutional transformation, increase the use of data-informed decision making, and advance research on student success and education at member institutions. It also assists APLU’s governmental affairs staff in their advocacy for federal policies that help strengthen the work of public universities and support their faculty and students. The office coordinates the activities of the Council of Academic Affairs consisting of the Senior Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs (Provosts) of our member institutions and its related Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Council on Student Affairs, and the Commission on Information, Measurement and Analysis. The office houses the Department of Data and Policy Analysis, the Office of Digital Transformation for Student Success, Office of STEM Education, and the Center for Public University Transformation.

Responsibilities

• Independently provide logistical, administrative, and programmatic support for the Office of Academic Affairs and/or related projects as needed.
• Independently provide administrative and logistical planning for Council on Academic Affairs (CAA) and related committees’, conferences, meetings, and events, including sessions at the APLU Annual Meeting, annual summer meeting of the Council on Academic Affairs and Annual Faculty Affairs Retreat, and several smaller project meetings each year, including supporting the development of meeting budgets and collaborating with vendors.
• Independently maintain accurate records within APLU’s knowledge management platforms and customer relationship management systems (CRM). Carry out communication with members through APLU’s email marketing system.
• Draft documents, reports, and communications as requested.
• Update webpages as necessary.
• Coordinate with finance staff by distributing project invoices, receiving and processing reimbursement requests from meeting attendees, and maintaining contact information. Prepare expense reports, reconciliations, and coordinate invoices/reimbursements.
• Schedule meetings including setting up appropriate online connections, communicating meeting agendas, and preparing meeting minutes when necessary.
• Provide support for the Senior Vice President, which could include scheduling and planning.
• Participate as an integral member of the Academic Affairs team and APLU, and contribute to an inclusive, welcoming, and collegial workplace.
• Provide other administrative and logistical support as needed to support the goals and objectives of the Office and APLU.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional administrative support experience plus three or more years’ experience working at a college/university, a higher education association, or an organization involved in postsecondary educational issues. Experience and/or coursework in the area of academic affairs, is a plus.
• Experience planning and coordinating events, including workshops, webinars, and conferences.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills. Ability to take direction and communicate with multiple team members, keep track of activities and priorities on multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to identify potential issues and bring them to the attention of the appropriate team members as they arise.
• Ability to maintain poise, professionalism, focus, consistency, and accuracy under pressure.
• Experience with Office365 is preferred, including Microsoft Teams, Planner, and SharePoint and experience managing virtual meetings, especially via Zoom. Experience using WordPress and Adobe Cloud Press Suite, a customer relations management (CRM) system, and/or a database is a plus. A willingness and ability to learn new technologies.
• Experience using a customer relations management system and databases is a plus. Comfort using and learning new technologies.
• Commitment to the work of APLU and the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Ability to travel domestically two or more times a year, especially during the summer months and November.