Undergraduate Academic Affairs

May 12, 2023

Outstanding opportunity for assistant director of the Mary Gates Endowment

UAA Human Resources

Title: assistant director – Mary Gates Endowment
Department/Program: EXPD
Location: Seattle campus
Full time/Part time: Full time
Salary/Hourly: Salary
Service period: 12 month
Posting date: May 11, 2023
Priority application date: June 22, 2023
UWHires Req. number: 221960
Salary range: $6,000-6,650

Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) shapes, advances, and stewards a world-class undergraduate academic experience for students at the University of Washington. Staff, faculty and students in UAA deepen and enrich the learning experience for all undergraduates, recognizing and supporting the unique learning path of each individual student and the commitment of each academic program to excellence in learning and teaching.

The mission of the Mary Gates Endowment for Students is to support University of Washington undergraduates in becoming independent learners and community leaders. We value exploration, community investment, opportunity, and impact. By providing financial flexibility and guidance, we encourage students to pursue their research, leadership and innovative projects, while making a positive impact on society. Our vision is to create a community of Mary Gates Scholars, students and alumni who are engaged citizens and leaders. We hope to inspire others to give back by mentoring and providing guidance to others, and by supporting efforts to increase the number of learning opportunities available to undergraduate students.

We’re seeking an assistant director who is community-minded and wants to make a difference in the lives of University of Washington undergraduates.

The assistant director primarily counsels and advises scholarship applicants and recipients; plans, coordinates and manages the program and scholarship application processes for the Mary Gates Endowment for Students; and conducts assessment and advancement activities related to the Endowment. This position develops programs and opportunities that enhance the value of being named a Mary Gates Scholar. This role will also counsel and advise students on how to get involved in leadership and undergraduate research, and lead workshops, information sessions and related events in collaboration with the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards. The assistant director contributes to the work of the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity and works in collaboration with the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards and the Undergraduate Research Program.

Duties and responsibilities

Advising students (50%)

  • Independently advise hundreds of student applicants on eligibility requirements, policies and application procedures for Mary Gates Scholarships.
  • Advise students on getting started in developing leadership activities and projects, and on getting involved in undergraduate research. Coach students to develop and articulate their ideas in order to improve their chances for success in scholarship application processes.
  • Provide feedback to students to improve future scholarship and fellowship applications.
  • Design and lead workshops and information sessions to educate students, faculty, staff and members of the community about the purpose, eligibility requirements and application process for Mary Gates and other scholarships.
  • Write and disseminate communications materials and online information to publicize and market the scholarships that attract approximately 700 student applicants and as many faculty and community mentors annually.
  • Design and lead scholarship orientation sessions for funded scholars to establish expectations and requirements of the awards and to build community.
  • Refer students to other programs and offices which may be of interest to them in planning and fulfilling their academic and personal goals.
  • Connect current Mary Gates Scholars with scholar alumni for professional development and career planning purposes.

Oversight and management (40%)

  • Direct and manage all aspects of the application and review processes.
  • Establish the scholarship applications in the EXPO online system. Manage data and record keeping. Monitor and move the application and review processes forward according to quarterly timelines.
  • Respond to ongoing inquiries about the process and review criteria from academic departments, faculty mentors, reviewers and applicants. Notify applicants of results.
  • Recruit and train faculty and staff review committee members. Assign reviewers to applications as needed.
  • Lead review committees selecting Mary Gates scholarship award recipients and related awards.
  • Oversee approval and disbursement of all scholarships. Work with the Dean’s Office to create annual budget allocations for scholarships and discretionary funds. Track all expenditures.
  • Develop policies and advance initiatives that maintain the integrity of the Mary Gates Endowment and increase transparency for students and reviewers. Initiate review process improvement for Mary Gates scholarships.
  • Create and refine new processes and tools to increase access to scholarships and advising resources.
  • Oversee partner agreements and planning. Review application materials from partner programs to ensure high-quality scholarship recipients.
  • Participate in planning for required events that involve Mary Gates Scholars, such as the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership. Support students to present at these events.
  • Develop and lead annual scholarship reception to honor the Mary Gates Scholars awarded during the academic year and to build community among Mary Gates Scholars and alumni.
  • Develop initiatives to enhance the community of Mary Gates Scholars, including improved communication with alumni and other leaders. Create and organize activities, events and special opportunities for scholarship award recipients, including opportunities to share their work and learn from each other. Select and prepare students for participation in high profile events as speakers or presenters or to be featured in university media.
  • Design program initiatives and outline strategies to assess program impact. Review and analyze data for program improvement.
  • Support faculty, graduate student, postdoctoral, and community-based mentors of Mary Gates Scholars to provide high quality student experiences for scholars.
  • Support the collection of campus wide data on undergraduate participation in research, and University-sponsored public service and internships via the EXPO online data collection tool.
  • Supervise MGE student staff and interns.

Initiative, planning and collaboration (10%)

  • Represent the Mary Gates Endowment for Students and the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards with internal and external audiences through workshops, events, in written format, and at regional and/or national conferences.
  • Identify and develop collaborative projects with the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards, and the Undergraduate Research Program in areas of shared interest to benefit student learning. Initiate and direct new programs and services for students to improve their research and leadership skills, abilities and experiences.
  • Collaborate with UAA and UW colleagues to advance new projects related to undergraduate experiential learning, leadership and research.
  • Serve as a review committee member for other scholarship programs. Provide guidance and insight to other scholarship programs interested in improving their policies and procedures.
  • Serve on UAA or UW committees relevant to the work of the Mary Gates Endowment for Students as needed.

Requirements and qualifications

  • Master’s degree in any academic field
  • Equivalent experience may substitute for degree requirements
  • Three years of program development, student counseling/development, teaching, student services or related experience in a higher education environment

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired

  • Strong problem solving, project management and organizational skills
  • Ability to take initiative and work with minimal supervision
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in student programming
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and database systems
  • Five or more years of program development, student counseling/development, teaching, student services or related experience in a higher education environment
  • Direct professional experience with undergraduate research or leadership programs
  • Demonstrated understanding and experience with website maintenance
  • Extensive experience managing a relational database

Additional application assessment question:

Diversity statement – Describe a recent successful experience you have had in creating a new program, initiative, or policy to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in your work or community.

How to apply

Please visit the Mary Gates Endowment for Students website to learn more about their programs. Interested applicants should apply to requisition #221960 on the UW employment site. The application priority date is June 22, 2023.