Chatham University
Program Assistant – MFA in Creative Writing

 

Founded in 1869, Chatham University is a fully coed institution with an enrollment of over 2,200 students and over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs in our areas of excellence:  sustainability; health & lab sciences; business & communication; and the arts & humanities. Chatham is the alma mater of environmental icon Rachel Carson (Class of '29), and is recognized as a leader in the field of sustainability, having been selected as one of the Top 50 Green Colleges by The Princeton Review; ranked in the top five nationally for sustainability achievements in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS); and mentioned in a 2012 Forbes article as one of the places "contributing to Pittsburgh's transformation into a destination for green living."

Building on these accomplishments, Chatham opened in 2014 the world's first fully sustainable campus in higher education, Eden Hall Campus.  Consistently ranked as a best college by U.S. News & World Report in the Regional Universities North category, Chatham consists of the School of Health Sciences; the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment; the School of Arts, Science and Business; and the College for Continuing & Professional Studies.

To help support the work of the University we have an immediate opening for a Program Assistant in our MFA Creative Writing Program.  The Program Assistant reports to the Program Director for Creative Writing.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree preferred, MFA in Creative Writing preferred
• Three years of related experience providing administrative support
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Excellent written, organizational and verbal communication skills
• Ability to interact and work well with faculty and students

Duties:

Coordinates and facilitates the operations and procedures within the program as follows:

• Maintaining faculty, student and alumni files with the highest level of confidentiality
• Managing program communication: answering phone, collecting and distributing mail, answering email inquiries and keeping up-to-date distribution lists
• Preparing program correspondence and documentation (schedules, student information, orientation materials, registration information, adjunct requests, thesis reader contracts, managing Director’s calendar, etc.)
• Communicating with faculty members, administrative staff and students as well as external contacts to facilitate program operations and procedures
• Monitoring program budgets including reimbursements and honoraria, and keeping track of fiscal year expenditures
• Ordering office supplies and preparing purchase orders as necessary
• Coordinating reservations for MFA program events including catering and room reservations as well as necessary travel arrangements for visiting scholars/writers
• Acting as liaison between MFA program and Information Technology to manage updates to the program’s website content
• Creating and administering electronic surveys developed by MFA faculty, tracking results, and compiling data requested by Program Director
• Assisting in the preparation of program reports
• Maintaining/updating the program’s student manuals and websites as directed
• Coordinating distributing the program’s newsletters
• Participate in required faculty, program, and university meetings
• Keep program director informed on the progress of all assignments
• Perform other duties as assigned by the program director

Deadline for applications is August 14, 2018.

Chatham University offers a competitive salary, an excellent benefits package, including tuition remission for qualified personnel, and a generous retirement plan.

Interested candidates should visit www.chatham.edu/careers and follow the instructions to complete the application process.  To ensure full consideration, please submit a cover letter addressing the qualifications of the position, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

 

Chatham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer