Assistant Director of Graduate Student Success and Academic Operations

Department: Graduate College

Application Deadline: June 25, 2026

Salary: $48,400

About Arkansas Tech:

Founded in 1909, Arkansas Tech University is a comprehensive public institution with a rich history, maintaining regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and classification as a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) level III institution. ATU was ranked the No. 1 regional public university in Arkansas by U.S. News and World Report in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and CollegeNET recognizes ATU as the No. 1 institution in Arkansas on its Social Mobility Index. Since 2019, Arkansas Tech has been the host institution for the prestigious Arkansas Governor’s School. The 559-acre Russellville campus, located in the scenic Arkansas River Valley between the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, is just one hour from the capital city of Little Rock. Russellville features a charming blend of historic and modern architecture as well as the recreational opportunities provided by Lake Dardanelle and several state parks. Offering more than 100 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degree and certificate programs across five academic colleges and two campuses, Arkansas Tech strives to provide a solid educational foundation for life-long learning to a diverse community.

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director of Graduate Student Success and Academic Operations reports to the Dean of the Graduate College and provides leadership, coordination, and administrative support for graduate student success initiatives, academic operations, and graduate college processes. This is a full-time, 12-month position that supports graduate students, faculty, and academic programs through advising, scholarly review processes, communications, and operational management.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Graduate Student Success and Support:

Advise and support graduate students regarding academic progress, degree completion, and professional development.

Develop and coordinate graduate student success initiatives, workshops, programming, and research grant opportunities.

Supervise Graduate College graduate assistants.

Academic Operations and Administration:

Support daily operations, assessment activities, and administrative functions of the Graduate College.

Process and manage graduate academic records and workflows, including degree audits, candidacy applications, AB2M applications, course substitutions, waivers, and graduation requirements.

Maintain Degree Works updates, graduate faculty records, policies, forms, website content, and graduate catalog revisions.

Assist students and faculty with graduate procedures, policies, and academic processes.

Scholarly Review and Graduate Writing Support:

Serve as Graduate Reader for theses, dissertations, and other scholarly submissions to ensure compliance with university formatting and writing standards.

Coordinate graduate submission deadlines and maintain graduate writing manuals and related guidance materials.

Communications, Governance, and Institutional Service:

Coordinate Graduate College communications, publications, and marketing materials in collaboration with MARCOMM.

Serve as Secretary to the Graduate Council and represent the Graduate College on university committees as assigned.

Perform other duties related to graduate student success and graduate academic operations as assigned by the Dean of the Graduate College.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of graduate education policies, procedures, and emerging trends.

Strong interpersonal and customer service skills.

Effective public speaking and presentation skills.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail.

Ability to communicate effectively with students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Minimum Requirements:

Master's degree from an accredited institution.

Knowledge of graduate education practices and processes.

Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Demonstrated organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

Professional experience in higher education or university administration.

Experience working with graduate education processes and student support services.

Formal editing experience, including proficiency with APA, MLA, and Chicago writing styles.

Experience with Banner, Degree Works, and related student information systems.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel.

Work Location, Environment, and Physical Demands:

This position is based on the university campus and requires regular in-person interaction with students, faculty, and staff.

Some evening and weekend work may be required to support graduate student programming and university events.

What to Submit:

Resume.

Cover Letter.

5 References.

Official Transcripts.

To be considered for the position of Assistant Director of Graduate Student Success and Academic Operations, all applications must be received and processed through our applicant tracking system Cornerstone prior to the closing date on June 25, 2026, before 6:00 pm central time.

Please go to https://atu.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=1&c=atu to