Job Announcement: James Madison University Director of Prestigious Scholarships

James Madison University seeks a highly-organized, student focused individual for its Director of Prestigious Scholarships position within the JMU Honors College.  This individual will provide leadership for the university’s growing prestigious scholarship program and will help contribute to JMU’s vision of becoming the national model for the engaged university.  The Director will also provide additional advising and student engagement support for the Honors College. 

JMU is located in the heart of Virginia's scenic Shenandoah Valley, an area rich in culture and outdoor recreational opportunities. The mission of the university is to prepare students to become educated and enlightened citizens, and its vision is to become the national model for the engaged university. The university is a selective institution with a national reputation for its strong commitment to teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom. JMU enrolls over twenty thousand students, 18,400 of whom are undergraduates, and offers 71 undergraduate programs that span the fine and performing arts, humanities, mathematics, natural and applied sciences, social sciences, engineering, business, and numerous pre-professional areas of study. The JMU Honors College is described at http://www.jmu.edu/honors/.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

The position is a twelve-month, administrative and professional faculty appointment, salary commensurate with experience. Preferred start date is 1 July 2017. The Director will report to the Dean of the Honors College, and will be responsible for setting and monitoring the strategic and operational direction of the university-wide Prestigious Scholarship program.  With the other staff members of the Honors College, this position will also provide general support for the Honors College including honors advising, recruiting, orientations and programming.   

This position’s effort is dedicated to the following activities:

·         Serve as the university point-of-contact for specific scholarships; including the Rhodes, Fulbright, Boren, Goldwater, Truman, Marshall, Udall, Gilman, and NSF-GRFP scholarships. 

·         Recruit and assist undergraduate students and recent alumni in the identification of relevant national scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

·         Provide guidance and advising on academic plans, career/internship opportunities, international experiences, writing and presentation skills, and professional/career development to students from all majors and colleges who are preparing to apply for prestigious scholarships and fellowships.

·         Manage a scholarships and fellowships e-Portfolio system, student record database, website, social media messaging, and CRM data inputs and communications.  

·         Assist in developing programs to improve national scholarship awareness, preparation, and advising effectiveness.

·         Track scholarship applications and outcomes, collaborate in evaluating program effectiveness, and manage student-related data.

·         Assist in publicizing and celebrating student achievements through appropriate channels, such as annual recognition events in cooperation with University and Honors College staff.

·         Coordinate application, review, award, disbursement and reporting processes for Honors College-specific scholarships.

·         Assist the Honors College with advising, recruiting, admission and orientation processes as needed.

·         Participate in the Honors College’s teaching mission through the delivery of high-impact learning experiences as time and allocation of duties allows.

 Qualifications:

Required qualifications include: a Master’s degree (Ph.D. or other terminal degree preferred) and work experience related to the administration of Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships processes.  Candidates must demonstrate a strong understanding of scholarship, a commitment to high quality undergraduate education, experience in the recognition of high academic achievement, and evidence of academic advising and mentoring.  Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills are required, as is the ability to work with a wide range of constituencies; including scholarship and fellowship agencies, faculty groups, administrators, and students.   Demonstrated honors experience, previous experience with the National Association of Fellowships Advisors, and successful advising of one or more competitive fellowships is desired.