The Program Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Admissions is part of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University and is a key individual contributor jointly responsible for supporting day-to-day administrative support activities related to the Visitor Experience Strategy & Management function of the office, and to other programmatic areas as assigned. This position has operational coordination, administrative support, and project management responsibilities. Reporting directly to the Associate Director, the Program Coordinator serves as a primary point of contact regarding the various ways the public can visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University. The position has direct administrative contact with campus partners, visiting families and guests, and with external institutions and organizations on select issues. Significant public interaction is a requirement of the position. The Program Coordinator will function as a trusted support, liaison and representative in professional and organizational matters to the Visitor Experience Strategy & Management (VESAM) and Operations Teams, and all OUA. The position oversees part of OUA’s student staff, the execution of seasonal visits, occasionally provides support including handling walk-in and phone interactions, maintaining office calendar assignments and other visitor experience arrangements. The Program Coordinator must use independent judgment, initiative, and a large dose of professionalism to handle day-to-day office situations related to all campus visitors and to myriad OUA program teams.
About the Work Unit:
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University is a critical unit within University Enrollment Affairs that contributes greatly to the entire Vanderbilt community. Its mission is to recruit, select, and enroll a diverse cohort of degree-seeking first-year and transfer students who are intellectually curious, academically talented, and socially engaged. The Office consists of a team that includes the Director, an experienced group of admissions officers, and a well-seasoned support staff engaged in marketing Vanderbilt globally. To accomplish this, members of the OUA team travel both domestically and abroad to conduct high school visits, attend college fairs, and participate in speaking engagements. The Office communicates systematically with hundreds of thousands of prospective students through traditional printed publications, the web, and other social media channels, and serves as the first point of contact for members of the public interested in VU. Job responsibilities listed herein are intended to be a thorough representation of the duties, responsibilities, expectations, and qualifications for this specific role at the time of hire but should not be considered all-encompassing as actual responsibilities may evolve to include additional duties as assigned based on organizational and operational needs.
OUA fully supports the concepts of access and belonging and is committed to the belief that equity and social justice must be accorded to all. At OUA, our organizational culture is grounded in a commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and collaboration. We believe that fostering a supportive and vibrant workplace is essential to our mission of attracting and enrolling students who will thrive at Vanderbilt. Our culture emphasizes respect, open communication, and continuous professional development, ensuring that every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute to our collective success. As a member of OUA, you are joining a dynamic team that is dedicated to making a positive impact both within the university and in the broader community. The Office also believes that a part of its responsibility is to contribute to a diverse university community where students, staff, and faculty of differing backgrounds, viewpoints, and life experiences learn about and from each other in classroom settings as well as throughout the entire campus. It strives to ensure that the composition of the OUA staff reflects its commitment to these values.
At Vanderbilt we want everyone in our community to know they belong. The broad and diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of our Vanderbilt community members enrich the educational experience and provide important avenues for growth and development for every member of our community. We endeavor to create an environment in which all members of our dynamic and varied campus community can engage in dialogue, learning, innovation, and discovery, preparing leaders to engage with the world and its complexities.
Key Functions and Expected Performance:
- Serve as member of the Visitor Experience, Strategy, and Management Team (VESAM). This team is responsible for the direct management of the visitor experience of over 45,000 annual visitors to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This position will serve on the VESAM Daily Operations Team, responsible for the management of daily visitors to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
- Assist with on-campus programmatic planning and execution of access-related events. This includes but not limited to: events planned by the Metro Nashville Public Schools / Nashville Vanderbilt Scholars team and the Outreach & Community Engagement Team.
- Assist with management of on-campus spaces. This position will be an expert in Vanderbilt’s on-campus space reservation management system, EMS, and will commonly utilize it to book various space needs.
- Serve as lead of Vanderbilt’s ZeeMee team. This position will oversee Vanderbilt’s efforts in the mobile app, ZeeMee. This position will be overseeing a team of 5 staff assigned to help manage questions and inquiries directed in ZeeMee. This position will work alongside the Program Manager to ensure Vanderbilt Admissions Ambassadors are appropriately contributing to ZeeMee. This position will provide strategic direction for Vanderbilt’s engagement in ZeeMee, working alongside the Associate Directors for Visitor Experience and Communications. This position will regularly communicate with ZeeMee’s corporate office and should be able to communicate the needs of the office to the vendor.
- Serve as backup to the On-Call Officer and Daily Presenter backup. This role will be student- and guest- facing and will be expected to be in the office most days regardless of hybrid status of the office. Remain up to date on current presentations and university priorities to be able to serve in these roles as needed.
- Serve as lead for HOD Capstone involvement. This role will coordinate with any interested HOD Capstone student and serve as their daily supervisor and advisor during their time with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This role will be working alongside the Student Intern Coordination team on other student internship projects.
- Serve as team member on the Connections team, assisting with staff engagement, development, and belonging.
- Serve as operational lead for Annual Women’s Club Luncheon.
- Serve on signature programming teams, as needed.
- Provide secondary support to the Program Manager(s) with management of the Tour Guides and Dore for a Day student organization.
- Provide secondary support to the Program Manager(s) with management of paid Vanderbilt Admissions Ambassadors/Summer Vanderbilt Admissions Ambassadors.
- Provide regular support to reception space. This position should make themselves available to supporting reception during high-volume visits and call times. When needed, this position will help staff the reception desk.
Other duties as assigned.
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Education and Certifications:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.
Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and a satisfactory driving record. Vanderbilt University engages a third party to provide continuous up-to-date notifications regarding negative changes to a motor vehicle record.
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Experience and Skills:
- At least 2 years of directly comparable experience is necessary.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community is necessary.
- Records maintenance skills are preferred.
- Ability to use independent judgment and to manage and impart confidential information is necessary.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills are necessary.
- Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures is preferred.
- Ability to analyze and solve problems is preferred.
- Conflict resolution and/or mediation skills are preferred.
- Word processing and/or data entry skills are preferred.
- Skills in the use of database management, word processing, spreadsheet, and/or presentation software are preferred.
- Organizing and coordinating skills are preferred.
- Experience with Slate CRM is preferred.
