Staff Specialist

Staff Specialist

This staff assistant provides support to the English Department's Director of Graduate Studies and is responsible for daily running of the Graduate Studies Office. Responsibilities include both administrative and financial work as well as recruitment and responsiveness to student needs.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative support to the Director of Graduate Studies. Meet with DGS and maintain communication about all events and matters involving graduate students and the graduate office. Anticipate potential problems, take steps to resolve them, and keep the Director apprised of their current status.
• Compose independently (by applying knowledge of departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations) letters and other written correspondence and reports, ensuring grammatical accuracy and conformance with general policies and procedures. Respond to email, phone, and in-person inquiries concerning graduate activities, events, policies, and procedures.
• Review letters, guidelines, and new directives, and inform the Director and Department Business Manager of changes and/or implications of changes on the office of graduate studies.
• Assist Director in preparing statistical reports on graduate students and/or the graduate studies program, funding proposals, and other planning and reporting documents. Gather and compile student data throughout the year using guidelines determined by the DGS Office and department faculty; prepare detailed annual Graduate Program Assessment Reports.
• Schedule meetings of the Director's Advisory Committee. Attend meetings and record minutes as needed. Provide information, and serve as resource person.
• Communicate information to students, respond to questions, and serve as a resource person for them. Maintain current email distribution list for ENGGRAD.
• Compile information and prepare reports for the Graduate Student Union.
• Serve as liaison for the Director to her/his various constituencies: graduate students, department and university faculty members and staff, university administrators, faculty and staff at other universities, and the general public.
• Keep the English Department Business Manager informed of all matters relating to the office of graduate studies.

Academic Management Responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate and current information on all graduate students, ensuring both confidentiality and accessibility for the DGS and DBM. Scan all paper documents and back up all electronic files as a safeguard. Track student progress in the program. Alert the DGS to any potential problems.
• Request graduate faculty status for all new regular rank, tenure-track English faculty.
• Coordinate registration for graduate students.
• Complete waiver requests for students who are away; handle late registration information.
• Answer students' questions concerning required number of course units, drop-adds, independent studies, tutorials, and available fellowships.

• Maintain placement file for students. Work with Faculty Placement Director to ensure he/she has the materials necessary to lead the workshop. Prepare annual spreadsheet of placement activities for the department (including statistics on departmental percentages).
• Complete and record all transactions dealing with student admission and withdrawal from the Ph.D. program, including leaves of absence. Ensure that the appropriate forms are filed with the Graduate School within the specified deadlines.
• Compile information for all M.A. exams, preliminary exams, chapter meetings, dissertation defenses, and foreign language exams. Ensure that the appropriate forms are completed and filed with the Graduate School within the specified deadlines.
• Coordinate arrangements for preliminary exams, chapter meetings, and dissertation defenses, including coordinating the schedules of all examiners and reserving rooms and equipment as needed.
• Ensure that graduate studies information for the Graduate School Bulletin is correct.
• Work with the International Office on student Visa matters.
• Procure books for teaching assistant library; distribute and recall books at the beginning and end of each semester.
• Oversee GEA-planned events. Purchase airfare and/or catering as needed. (Students will plan events but need help with making large purchases.) Submit pcard receipts; assist students with uploading and submitting receipts for reimbursement. Assist with tracking total expenditures for major events to ensure that students stay within budget.
• Maintain procedural handbook for graduate students, updating as needed to keep it current.
• Act as liaison with Graduate School and other university departments and programs concerning policies, procedures, grant proposals, award budget preparation, and student registration and finances.

Financial Management Responsibilities:

• Prepare, review for accuracy of student and financial data, and reconcile the Graduate Awards budget; prepare budget projections for the Director (based on knowledge of graduate students' status and participation in the program and taking into account special circumstances such as Leaves of Absence and outside or departmental fellowships); bring significant items, changes, errors, or omissions to the attention of the Director and the Department Business Manager; record budget allocation figures in the Graduate Student Funding System; ensure accuracy of all budget data and its conformity to departmental and university policies and procedures.
• Prepare master working budget which includes all elements of students' financial support (tuition, fees, stipends, and TA/teaching salary as well as additional jobs). Provide spreadsheets with accurate payroll (compensatory) and stipend (noncompensatory) information to the Business Manager and Financial Assistant prior to the beginning of each semester (fall, spring, summer); answer questions about student awards and assist the DBM in ensuring that all students are paid correctly.
• Oversee the process of DGS approval for additional student work (outside of TA/teaching). Ensure that students complete the form to request approval and that the DGS responds. Upload completed forms to the appropriate Box folder and enter the information on the tracking spreadsheet. Track all payment information so that additional payments can be identified.
• Track all expenditures and revenues on the DGS Discretionary account and Reiter Conference Travel account. Bring all significant deviations and outstanding commitments of funds to the attention of the DGS and DBM.
• Oversee student travel funding from application through reimbursement. Set up folders for students in Duke Box and upload completed travel fund applications. Assist students with completing forms and submitting receipts. Enter information on post-prelim students in the Grad School database. Prepare travel advance clearing and reimbursement forms for post-prelim students. Send information on pre-prelim students to Financial Assistant and Business Manager so they can prepare reports for pre-prelim students.
• Update Graduate School system, GSF, with all changes to student funding.
• Coordinate the departmental fellowship process. Supply tuition, fee, stipend, and salary information to the Business Manager. In consultation with the DGS or Dept BM, assign available fellowships. Prepare annual report for the Endowment Office.
• Maintain files of budget and financial information in the Graduate Studies office and provide information to the Business Manager.

Recruitment Responsibilities:

• Coordinate recruitment process from applications through admission. Help DGS meet deadlines and ensure compliance with that all university and departmental policies.
• Maintain applicant files, including website for collecting writing samples; ensure completeness of files; track missing materials; assist members of the Admissions Committee with the electronic files; prepare reports on recruitment efforts, including statistical analysis of recruitment pool. Schedule meetings for the Admissions Committee; prepare any materials necessary, including printed writing samples if needed.
• Coordinate arrangements for prospective graduate students, including appointments with faculty, meetings with current graduate students, flight arrangements, and hotel or other housing accommodations; coordinate departmental recruitment activities.
• Send admission materials to prospective applicants as requested.
• Respond to inquiries and be available to assist prospective students with plans for visiting campus.
• Generate report of recruitment expenses for the Graduate School.

Other Responsibilities:

• Maintain general office files for departmental correspondence, financial records, and student records.
• Maintain files and webpage of student forms. Update as forms change. Guide students as needed in completing and submitting their forms to various university offices.
• Ensure that the graduate studies section of the web page is current; edit or request revisions to keep the information accurate and in compliance with departmental policies.
• Work cooperatively with other departmental staff members to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the English Department.
• Assist with various departmental duties when necessary.

Anticipated Pay Range:

Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $19.80 to USD $30.63 Duke University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your pay check. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at