This position typically reports to an Assistant Dean, Director, or Assistant Director in a central advising, undergraduate studies, or graduate studies office. The position serves as a liaison for the college with university administrative officers, faculty, staff and students regarding the interpretation and implementation of university and college policies and procedures relating to the enrollment management functions such as admissions, course scheduling, thesis/ dissertation procedures, tuition waivers, course cataloging, and academic petition procedures. The position collaborates with relevant university offices for acquisition, analysis, and dissemination of academic program statistics for the college. Duties require extensive knowledge of university and college policies and procedures. This position provides advice and counsel about academic policies and procedures as well as business systems (OASIS, FAST, GEMS, and DegreeWorks). This position may assign work to or supervise Academic Program Specialists, student or temporary (OPS) employees and may provide training to exempt and non-exempt staff on administrative procedures. This position differs from the Academic Program Specialist class by requiring the integration of processes and records across multiple departments. Sr. Academic Program Specialists are at the highest non-exempt level, serving as both functional experts and team leaders. The Sr. Academic Program Specialist class does not involve policy making, and the duties do not meet the criteria for an FLSA exemption.
Responsibilities
- The following list provides examples of the most typical duties for positions in this job class. Individual positions may not include all of the examples listed, nor does the list include all of the work that may be assigned to positions in this job class.
- Serves as liaison on behalf of the college with university administrative officers, faculty, staff and students regarding the interpretation and implementation of university and college policies and procedures relating to collecting and analyzing data pertaining to admissions, student records, class scheduling and other enrollment issues.
- Monitors funding and prepares reports on tuition waivers in the college.
- Monitors course permits. Prepares graduation reports for the college. Evaluates petitions and may oversee petition evaluation process. Contacts staff or students to resolve discrepancies.
- Supports the college recruitment and admissions processes. May be responsible for administration of a direct admission graduate program. Prepares correspondence and mailings to applicants and prospects, maintains applicant records, and organizes information for review by faculty.
- Extracts, analyzes and reports data from relational databases, developing appropriate reports and files to meet the information and communication requirements of the college for student and course data. Fulfills regular daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements from databases maintained.
- Ensures the integrity of student and course data through regular audits and tests.
- Develops queries and reports from enterprise-wide systems and/or proprietary and specialized data systems using SQL, MS Access, Crystal Reports, or other appropriate software.
- Supervises staff who create and update student and course record data for the college.
- Resolves problems encountered in verifying, interpreting, and evaluating academic degree audits, transcripts an catalog.
- Cooperates and resolves problems encountered with the Offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Registrar in maintaining and updating student records between theses offices, and the registration of new and former students.
- Trains advisors and administrative staff in the use of the Student Information System Admissions module and USF procedures and standards for admissions and records processes.
Qualifications
This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with 5 years of administrative experience. At least one year of experience must involve administrative or program support duties in an academic department or college. Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the general administrative experience. This educational substitution does not apply to required year of experience in an academic program.
Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.
Company
Working at USF
With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.
About USF
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
Compliance and Federal Notices
This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.