Staff Positions

iCAN Program Specialist (or Coordinator) and Academic Adviser
Department of Computer Science
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Apply Here!

The Department of Computer Science (CS) at The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for the position of iCAN Program Specialist and Academic Adviser (or iCAN Program Coordinator and Academic Adviser) to support the administrative functions and advising operations of the department's iCAN (Interdisciplinary Computing Accelerator for Non-Specialists) program, which makes advanced Computer Science (CS) degrees accessible to students who did not study CS as undergraduates by offering a series of bridge courses.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Major Duties and Responsibilities (Specialist):

• Academic Advising:
  • Advise applicants and potential applicants in matters pertaining to admissibility and application procedures.
  • Communicate with admitted iCAN students to facilitate the admission process.
  • Work with graduate academic advisers and other staff in advising iCAN students on curriculum, registration, and the fulfillment of degree requirements.
  • Implement processes to ensure timely communication of university announcements and information to iCAN students.
  • Provide advising to iCAN students throughout their participation in the program. This includes regularly scheduled advising appointments to determine if milestones are being met to complete the program as well as advising on an as needed basis for program enrollees.
  • In coordination with campus career center(s) and other pertinent departments, support career development opportunities for iCAN students by helping them identify appropriate internships and experiential learning opportunities.
  • Facilitate the transition of iCAN students to the MS or PhD programs in computer science. Maintain communication with program graduates to ensure they are making acceptable progress through their MS or PhD programs.

• Program Administration:
  • Maintain a familiarity with departmental and university admissions policy requirements and procedures and ensure graduate program policies are in compliance with those of the University.
  • Assist with processing of applications to the program, curriculum approval, class scheduling, and instructor scheduling.
  • Assist with on-campus and online recruiting and orientation activities that broaden participation in computing, expanding access to underrepresented groups in computing education. Support Director in iCAN outreach efforts.
  • Communicate with on-campus and external partners on the daily operations of the iCAN program.
  • Develop/compile/maintain statistics pertinent to the iCAN program.
  • Liaise with student organizations across campus for programmatic needs and retention efforts.

• Assist with the growth and development of collaborative relationships with external agencies, including corporations, government, and foundations. Support the Director and the fundraising team in securing funds to support student academic and career development.
• Assume additional appropriate related duties to further the mission of the department.

Major Duties and Responsibilities (Coordinator):

• Advising:
  • Coordinate advising activities for applicants and potential applicants to the iCAN Program in matters pertaining to admissibility and application procedures.
  • Communicate with admitted iCAN students to facilitate the admission process.
  • Facilitate communication with graduate academic advisers and other staff in advising iCAN students on curriculum, registration, and the fulfillment of degree requirements.
  • Implement processes to ensure timely communication of university announcements and information to iCAN students.
  • Provide advising to iCAN students throughout their participation in the program. This includes regularly scheduled advising appointments to determine if milestones are being met to complete the program as well as advising on an as needed basis for program enrollees.
  • In coordination with campus career center(s) and other pertinent departments as needed, oversee career development opportunities for iCAN students by seeking out career opportunities, making and maintaining connections with relevant employers, and helping students identify appropriate internships and experiential learning opportunities.
  • Facilitate the transition of iCAN students to the MS or PhD programs in computer science. Maintain communication with program graduates to ensure they are making acceptable progress through their MS or PhD programs.
• Program Administration:
  
  • Advise the Director of iCAN Programs to support effective decision making, guidance on university policy, and recommending policy and action plans to support the iCAN program and CS department's academic mission.
  • Coordinate processing of applications to the program, curriculum approval, class scheduling, and instructor scheduling.
  • Assume responsibility for implementing on-campus and online recruiting and orientation activities that broaden participation in computing, expanding access to underrepresented groups in computing education. Manage and oversee faculty and student participation in iCAN outreach efforts. Work with Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) with publicizing the iCAN program in Chicago.
  • Communicate with on-campus and external partners on the daily operations of the iCAN program.
  • Fulfill graduate program data requests for policy discussions, proposals, and initiatives. Develop/compile/maintain statistics pertinent to the iCAN program.
  • Liaise with student organizations across campus for programmatic needs and retention efforts.
• Manage the growth and development of collaborative relationships with external agencies, including corporations, government, and foundations. Work with the Director and the fundraising team to secure funds to support student academic and career development.
• Supervise iCAN staff. Provide guidance and training, manage performance goals and objectives, manage daily workflows, approve leave requests, conduct probationary and annual performance evaluations, etc.
• Assume additional appropriate related duties to further the mission of the department.

Required Qualifications (Specialist):

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least two years of experience providing student academic support in a higher education setting.
• Experience working independently, and as part of a team, while meeting multiple deadlines. 

Preferred Qualifications (Specialist):

• Master's degree in Higher Education or related field.
• Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience working with multiple teams, including external partners and vendors.
• Experience in event planning. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Specialist):

• Ability to travel occasionally between the Urbana and Chicago iCAN locations as well as attend out-of-town events for recruiting and/or industry needs.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage diverse activities.
• Must be highly organized and be able to work under multiple deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to use technical tools to communicate with students and manage a large volume of student records. 

Required Qualifications (Coordinator):

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three or more years of experience providing student academic support in a higher education setting.
• Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience working with multiple teams, including external partners and vendors.
• Experience working independently, and as part of a team, while meeting multiple deadlines. 

Preferred Qualifications (Coordinator):

• Master's degree in Higher Education or related field.
• Experience in event planning. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Coordinator):

• Ability to travel occasionally between the Urbana and Chicago iCAN locations as well as attend out-of-town events for recruiting and/or industry needs.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage diverse activities.
• Must be highly organized and be able to work under multiple deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to use technical tools to communicate with students and manage a large volume of student records.

Appointment Information:

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible academic professional position appointed on a 12-month service basis.  The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date.  Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date.  Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

To apply for this position, please create your candidate profile at http://jobs.illinois.edu and upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references as a single pdf file by April 12, 2021.  Full consideration will be given to complete applications received by the closing date.  For further information regarding application procedures, contact Denise Corray (decorray@illinois.edu). 

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.  The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants.