Wesleyan University is a selective liberal arts institution in Middletown, Connecticut, home to approximately 3,000 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, and a faculty of distinguished scholars deeply committed to teaching, advising, and research.
The Office of Academic Affairs supports the work of the faculty and oversees the University curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion, faculty research and teaching, and the administration of all academic departments, programs, and the library.
The Faculty Affairs & Governance Specialist manages faculty employment transactions, onboarding, and immigration services across all appointment types, working in close partnership with the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel.
Working as part of the Academic Affairs team under the direction of the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel, the Faculty Affairs & Governance Specialist serves as a key resource for faculty, department chairs, administrators, and university partners on faculty employment, onboarding, and immigration matters, coordinating visa processing, employment records, and federal compliance in support of Academic Affairs leadership. The office supports approximately 380 continuing faculty and approximately 120 visiting faculty.
Together, the Faculty Affairs & Governance Specialist and the Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist provide comprehensive faculty affairs support across the entire faculty employment lifecycle. Each position maintains specialized expertise while serving as backup to the other to ensure continuity of service and consistent support for faculty, department chairs, and academic leadership. The Faculty Affairs & Governance Specialist serves as the primary administrative resource for faculty, department chairs, deans, and university committees regarding faculty appointment, review, governance, and leave processes, in coordination with the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel.
Responsibilities Include
Faculty Reviews, Leaves, and Career Progression
- Coordinate all processes related to faculty reappointment, tenure, promotion, and periodic reviews in conjunction with the Associate Provost and academic deans.
- Serve as the institutional coordinator for review timelines across all departments; maintain a master tracking system for all faculty due for review, renewal, tenure, or promotion.
- Process faculty appointment changes, renewals, and mid-year appointment modifications in coordination with the Associate Provost
- Notify department chairs each semester of upcoming review and promotion deadlines; provide process guidance and required materials in coordination with the Associate Provost
- Support the collection and tracking of required review materials; maintain confidential review files and documentation.
- Track faculty course loads and appointment data for 380 faculty across all appointment types.
- Facilitate sabbatical, parental, medical, and unpaid leave processes in coordination with the Associate Provost; maintain leave records and communicate deadlines and procedures to faculty and department chairs.
- Maintain faculty data that feeds institutional systems and publications.
Faculty Compensation Administration
- Coordinate additional pay, summer salary, and faculty overload payments in conjunction with the Associate Provost and Finance
- Process end of appointment actions in Workday for tenure-track, tenure, and continuing faculty.
- Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Benefits, and other university offices as needed on faculty compensation matters.
Faculty Governance Support
- Provide comprehensive administrative support for faculty governance committees including the Advisory Committee, Academic Council, Educational Policy Committee, Review and Appeals Board, Faculty Meetings, and for the faculty reappointment and promotion process including teaching evaluation report.
- Support the Academic Secretary in setting meeting agendas; prepare faculty personnel documentation, by-law documentation, and governance materials for committee meetings in coordination with the Associate Provost
- Coordinate faculty elections and committee appointments.
- Maintain faculty governance records; support the update and maintenance of the Faculty Handbook in coordination with faculty governance leadership and the Associate Provost
- Support the Campus Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees as assigned.
University and Academic Affairs Support
- Provide faculty information and institutional reporting support for commencement, the Binswanger Distinguished Teaching Award, faculty awards, publications, Board materials, and other Academic Affairs initiatives.
- Maintain confidential personnel files for tenure-track and tenured faculty, including MoUs and other pertinent documents.
- Coordinate faculty communications and university-wide correspondence.
- Serve as back-up support for faculty immigration and employment functions as needed.
- Participating in special projects within Academic Affairs
On Campus With Remote/Hybrid Potential
This position is an on-campus position with potential for remote or a hybrid (on campus and remote) schedule in the future. All positions may require on campus meetings.
Remote work is only considered for residents of MA, VT, NH, ME, CT, RI, or NY. (Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum 4 years of progressively responsible administrative experience in human resources, academic administration, or a comparable professional environment managing confidential employee information and complex administrative processes.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple recurring annual processes with competing deadlines while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret, and apply complex policies and procedures while exercising sound judgment in a confidential environment.
- Experience providing administrative or operational support to senior leaders, committees, or governing bodies requiring discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
- Experience maintaining and administering confidential records with a high degree of accuracy in a regulated or compliance-sensitive environment.
- Experience processing or coordinating compensation, payroll, or financial transactions in an HRIS or comparable system.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships while providing responsive, customer-focused service to faculty, academic departments, and administrative partners.
- Demonstrated ability to draft correspondence, prepare documentation, and communicate clearly in writing for senior audiences.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Experience with Workday HCM or comparable HRIS platform
- Demonstrated commitment to working within a diverse environment and interacting openly with individuals of diverse backgrounds
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education, academic administration, or a similarly complex institutional environment
- Familiarity with faculty or academic appointment cycles, review and promotion processes, or comparable multi-stage personnel review systems
- Experience supporting formal governance bodies including agenda preparation, documentation management, and election or appointment coordination.
- Experience with leave administration or comparable employee lifecycle processes
- Familiarity with shared governance structures or faculty handbook administration
- Experience with faculty compensation administration including additional pay and summer salary processing.
Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by July 26th when first review of applications will begin.
Compensation: $63,100-$74,400
Work Location: On Campus
All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.
Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.
Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.
Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html
Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.
Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.
