Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs

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Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The mission of the Graduate Academic Affairs Office is to support inclusive excellence and innovation in graduate education and research training and to address the academic and professional development needs of graduate certificate, master's degree, and doctoral students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). The office is responsible for establishing and sustaining a data-informed, evidence-based approach to graduate education and enrollment planning for the college in the context of rapidly evolving regional, national, and international landscapes for graduate education. The office integrates and updates catalog adjustments in communication systems, supervises graduate curriculum development and academic program reviews for the college, and it is responsible for developing college-level academic policies and procedures and managing graduate student appeal and grievance processes. In partnership with university-level offices as well as local academic units within the college, it processes all academic actions from inquiry through degree conferral and coordinates CHSS graduate student recruitment, orientation, retention, advising, and both "Future Faculty" and broader career pathways programming. It also manages CHSS's competitive awards for graduate students. In partnership with the college's research support services team as well as faculty, it works to secure external funding to support graduate education and research training and to provide professional development opportunities for faculty related to graduate education and graduate mentoring.

About the Position:

The Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs is responsible for all aspects of graduate academic affairs for the dean's office and manages the support staff and graduate assistants relating to these activities. Serving as CHSS's principal graduate academic policy liaison, the Assistant Dean works closely with the Graduate Division and Associate Dean to manage and implement academic and policy actions and serves as a proxy when needed on university committees.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Program Management

• Manages the college level review and renders the decisions regarding all student- or program-requested academic actions and advises graduate program directors, program coordinators, graduate faculty, and students on university and college policies and procedures;
• Ensures full use of Patriot Connect advising system across program units; and
• Directs policy-oriented projects for the Graduate Academic Affairs team, including working with the Associate Dean to facilitate actions between the Graduate Council and align policies as needed within the college.

Academic Planning

• Conducts college-level review, renders decisions for student and program academic actions, and implements actions using the designated academic systems for advising and communication; and
• Ensures academic integrity of the degree process from matriculation to conferral and advises the Associate Dean, graduate program directors/coordinators, graduate faculty, and students on university and college policies and procedures.

Communication

• Communicates adjustments to degree requirements and matriculation progress to appropriate university and department units and continuously reviews, monitors, and updates policies and regulations to ensure fair and consistent treatment of students.

Management and Leadership

• Supervises and coordinates Graduate Success Fellows with Graduate Division. Facilitates interactions with partners of CHSS Graduate Academic Affairs, including Office of the Provost, Office of the Registrar, the Graduate Division, Office of the Registrar, and Fenwick Library;
• Coordinates with the admissions and enrollment team on transition campaigns and to provide positive student experience from inquiry through degree conferral;
• Communicates adjustments to degree requirements and matriculation progress to appropriate university and department units; and
• Advises non-degree graduate students within CHSS and track student success metrics.

Academic Standards

• Implements data-informed decision by fully leveraging Patriot Connect to manage college processes that ensure effective business practices;
• Serves as Banner Liaison for CHSS;
• Manages office academic communications and supervises staff to ensure routine semester deadlines are met;
• Ensures that adjustments to degree requirements and matriculation progress are communicated to university and department units, students, and graduate advisers;
• Serves as provisional/conditional contact reviewer with Office of Graduate Admissions and college liaison for any termination exceptions requested by students;
• Ensures accuracy of the doctoral student portion of the college degree celebration and university commencement programs and maintains the graduate portion of CHSS website; and
• Represents CHSS on Graduate Advising/Graduate Academic Affairs Committee.

Program Management Support

• Advises programs with annual assessment practices and student success initiatives and works directly with and advises the CHSS Associate Dean on appeals and requests for exception;
• Stands in as a proxy vote on academic committees when necessary;
• Supports programs with annual assessment practices and student success initiatives; and
• Ensures that all office business is communicated effectively to all constituents in a timely fashion using Patriot Connect and other designated academic systems for advising and communication.

Academic Affairs Communication and Leadership

• Directs the Graduate Academic Affairs team on projects that support graduate academic processes;
• Communicates key policy shifts to program directors and coordinators;
• Manages the scheduling of program directors/coordinators meetings throughout the year to communicate policy changes and procedures;
• Coordinates with Graduate Stakeholders to use scheduled meetings as an ongoing training opportunity for graduate directors/coordinators;
• Collaborates with the admissions and enrollment team on student enrollment and transition campaigns; and
• Consults with the Associate Dean as needed on matters of policy exception, appeals, and student success.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field;
• Experience directing and composing reports supportive of program growth and goals;
• Experience developing plans and materials to support recruitment efforts;
• Experience mentoring others to work as a team and to utilize a growth mindset;
• Experience in making independent decisions related to graduate admission policy and process;
• Experience in providing independent advice to constituents regarding the appropriate interpretation and implementation of policies, regulations, processes, and procedures;
• Experience in identifying potential obstacles to the effective support of graduate education;
• Experience with Microsoft Office and web maintenance;
• Knowledge of and experience with implementation of graduate academic policy issues.
• Executive Support and Organizational Alignment:
  
  
  
  • Ability to interpret complex policies and make independent judgments concerning resolution of policy questions;
  • Ability to multi-task multiple competing assignments while meeting deadlines and maintaining high quality standards;
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality;
  • Ability to meet deadlines calmly under pressure;
  
  
  
  
• Communication and Leadership:
  
  
  
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills;
  • Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders throughout the college and university;
  
  
  
  
• Program Management and Academic Planning:
  
  
  
  • Ability to manage and maintain academic information in systems like Salesforce/Patriot;
  
  
  
  
• Connect and other electronic reporting/recording systems;
• Knowledge of best practices in mentorship; and
• Ability to mentor colleagues and provide professional training to graduate program coordinators, graduate assistants, and staff as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Significant experience in graduate student academic affairs and student success. Previous experience in higher education student academic affairs highly desirable;
• Knowledge of and experience with graduate academic policy best practices and advising systems;
• Experience in making independent decisions related to policy implementation and regulations;
• Experience in providing independent advice to stakeholders regarding the appropriate interpretation and implementation of policies and regulations;
• Knowledge of and experience with emerging strategies in support of graduate education best practices for student success, retention, and research productivity;
• Leadership and Academic Planning:
  
  
  
  • Knowledge of national and international trends in graduate academic policy, assessment, curriculum, and student success; and
  • Knowledge of best practices in graduate student wellness, FERPA regulations, and the ability to handle confidential information and sensitive situations appropriately.
  
  
  
  

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with CV for review.

Posting Open Date: August 19, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: September 2, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes