Thank you for your interest in the President’s Administrative Fellows Program. This program is an exciting opportunity for both professional and personal growth for recent Vassar graduates. Our goal is to expose recent graduates to a range of experiences and prepare graduates for future careers in higher education administration. Over the course of the year-long program, Administrative Fellows will report to a senior administrator at the College and work on central projects and programs that are poised to make Vassar a better institution for our students, faculty, administrators, alums, and community partners.
I hope you will consider staying at Vassar after graduation as part of the President’s Administrative Fellows program. In doing so, you will learn from administrators who will have your professional development at the forefront of their minds, as you work on projects together and continue to share your talents with the College.
Thanks,
President Bradley
Program Description
The President’s Administrative Fellows Program is a year-long program that exposes recent Vassar graduates to roles in higher education administration. At the end of the Fellowship, Administrative Fellows will have both a broad understanding of how institutions of higher education function and a deep understanding of the area in which they are placed. The Administrative Fellows Program will prepare students to take on leadership roles at Vassar, other institutions of higher education, and organizations in other sectors.
Administrative Fellows are full-time paid employees and are placed in a variety of offices across the College. Administrative Fellows are placed in offices that are overseen by individuals in senior leadership roles at Vassar. Over the course of their fellowship year, Administrative Fellows will engage in activities ranging from the management of administrative tasks to strategic program development and implementation. As part of the program, Administrative Fellows will be members of a cohort and will have exposure to a number of different professional development opportunities. These opportunities include lunchtime conversations with the President, Dean of the College, Secretary and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Vice President of Advancement, Vice President of Communications, and other individuals in leadership roles at the college; one-on-one alum mentoring between Administrative Fellows and alums whose current careers align with the Administrative Fellows’ placement or future career goals; and specialized professional development sessions focused on benefits and retirement, financial planning, and navigating career changes.
The Administrative Fellows Program is a unique opportunity for recent graduates to add to their Vassar experience and prepare for a meaningful career in higher education or other sectors in which a deep understanding of issues in higher education can be helpful. See below for more information on this year’s placements and information on how to apply.
Apply
If you are interested in applying to the President’s Administrative Fellows Program, please send us a cover letter and resume by Sunday, February 19th at 5:00 p.m. EST. If you are interested in being considered for more than one Administrative Fellow role, please note that in your cover letter and indicate how you would rank the roles in which you are interested.
If you have any questions about the Administrative Fellows Program overall, please contact Wesley Dixon.
If you have any questions about individual placements, please contact the supervisor of that particular placement.
Current Fellows
Naima Saini, Vassar College Libraries
Claire Zickl, Department of Athletics and Physical Education
Chase Engel, Office of Advancement
Melisa Torres, Career Development Office
Julian Aguilar, Office of the Vice President of Human Resources and Technology
Kevin Llaguno, Office of International Programs
2023–2024 Placements
Center for Career Education
Scope of Responsibilities/Job Description
The Center for Career Education (CCE) at Vassar College invites applications for a one-year position that serves as an integral member of the office team and supports the work of several functional areas. The primary responsibilities of the Administrative Fellow include advising, programming, and communications.
The Administrative Fellow will be trained to host daily drop-in hours and to conduct basic advising appointments with students for resume reviews, mock interviews, and more. They will also work closely on CCE programs focused on career education (eg, workshops) and alum engagement (eg, panels, Sophomore Career Connections, etc.). The Administrative Fellow will also play an active role in publicity, marketing, and communications for the Center for Career Education.
Key Advising Responsibilities:
Introduce students to career resources and services through daily drop-in and scheduled appointments
Provide students with resume and cover letter reviews, as well as basic information about job/internship searches, interview advice, etc.; recommend relevant resources and make referrals to career counselors as needed
Key Programming Responsibilities:
Represent the CCE through tabling, open houses, study breaks, and other events
Present workshops on topics such as resume writing, internship search, interview skills, etc.
Provide support for alum-connected programming, such as panels and signature events
Key Communications Responsibilities:
Compile and design the CCE’s weekly email newsletter
Develop and implement creative strategies to promote CCE events, services, and resources using a variety of media including email, e-newsletters, targeted marketing, social media, and print
Manage program-specific marketing timelines by working closely with CCE staff
Design print marketing and informational pieces such as posters, flyers, email blasts, programs, etc.
Update web content using the content management system (CMS)
The Administrative Fellow will also support office coverage, greeting students and other visitors in the main office and answering phones as needed.
Significant training is provided for all aspects of this position. Successful applicants have come from a variety of majors and with myriad skill sets. Past Administrative Fellows in Career Development have gone on to work in the fields of student affairs, career development, recruiting/HR, education, arts administration, and more, and have successfully matriculated into a variety of master’s and PhD programs.
For more information, contact Stacy Bingham, Associate Dean of the College for Career Education.
Office of International Programs
Global engagement, including study abroad, is an important component of Vassar’s liberal arts education. In addition to providing students access to courses and learning experiences not otherwise available on campus, an immersive education abroad fosters transformative encounters with different cultures and groups.
To this end, the Office of International Programs (OIP) offers access to a diverse range of high-quality programs around the world. By facilitating meaningful student and faculty engagement in learning opportunities outside the United States, the OIP contributes to Vassar’s mission of nurturing intellectual curiosity, creativity, respectful discourse, and engaged citizenship from a global perspective.
Scope of Work
The Administrative Fellow will play a critical role in two priority areas for the OIP, both of which importantly underscore the values of inclusion. These priorities are:
advancing access and inclusion in study abroad participation, and
supporting institutional partnership development for the Global Collaborative for the Liberal Arts
While advancing the OIP’s work in these areas, the Fellow will gain experience in administering direct student services and programming, engaging in research projects, and supporting broad College initiatives.
Primary Responsibilities
A well-documented barrier to study abroad is lack of information. To this end, the Fellow will:
Introduce students to study abroad resources and services; act as a first point of contact for study abroad advising and other inquiries made to the office.
Compile and design the OIP’s two newsletters: one to sophomores that provides information for prospective study abroad participants, and the other for students who are currently abroad.
Represent the OIP at various events.
Assist with arrangements for visiting study abroad partners (scheduling information sessions and making recommendations for their itinerary).
Use creative strategies to develop and promote new programming that will improve the OIP’s reach, particularly to Vassar students historically underrepresented in study abroad.
Institutional study abroad processes ultimately impact who participates in study abroad. To this end, the Fellow will:
Collaborate with the OIP team to evaluate current processes and policies as they pertain to equity and inclusion (for example, the study abroad application form components and requirements).
Assist with internal and external research work to understand (a) barriers for participation in study abroad in the context of Vassar College and (b) promising models for inclusion in international education.
A liberal arts pedagogical approach promotes the values of inclusion among many other important learning outcomes that prepare engaged citizens to live a purposeful life. To this end, the Fellow will:
Support the Assistant Dean of International Programs and Global Partnerships with the work of the Global Collaborative for Liberal Arts initiative. This initiative aims to support institutions of higher education as they explore integrating liberal arts content and pedagogy into their degree programs, as a way to better fulfill the public goods promise of higher education globally. Specifically, the Fellow will assist with engaging relevant stakeholders (including students). They will present ideas for strengthening these global partnerships. Finally, they will support the administrative execution of related tasks.
Professional Development and Learning Goals
Through this work experience, the Administrative Fellow will have the opportunity to:
Exercise creative and critical thinking skills.
Enhance written and verbal communication skills.
Learn strategies for effective education abroad advising.
Develop numerous administrative competencies including management of publications and programming.
Practice basic research skills and learn how to design and implement 360 degree evaluations of processes and policies.
Learn how to exercise diplomacy in communications spanning a variety of stakeholders.
Gain an understanding about the many facets of the field of international education and associated career paths.
Be exposed to diverse perspectives and make connections with partners across the globe.
Additional information
The Fellow will report to the Assistant Dean of International Programs and Global Partnerships. They will also work closely with the Associate Director of Study abroad and the Office Specialist team members in the OIP.
Approximately 50% of hours will be worked at the OIP front office and 50% of time will be spent engaging in programming and work outside of the physical OIP office.
Office of Advancement
The Vassar Office of Advancement (OA) Fellow is responsible for planning and executing the College’s Digital Philanthropy program of roughly four student managers and 10-15 student callers. This is an integral role in the development of Vassar’s digital alum & parent outreach and engagement efforts. Additionally, the OA Fellow will collaborate with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving in Student Education & Young Alumni Engagement to develop, enhance, and build on student education and young alum engagement programs, such as the Student Philanthropy Council. The Office of Advancement Fellow will report to the Assistant Director of Annual Giving in Student Education & Young Alumni Engagement and oversee all aspects of a fresh and innovative Digital Philanthropy Program, Student Education Program, and Young Alum Engagement Program.
Position Summary and Responsibilities
The OA Fellow will learn key transferable skills in strategic leadership, management, and oversight of the student caller team through the management of a multi-channel/digital solicitation program that includes recruiting & interviewing students, managing technology platforms (calling software) developing scripts, training, and analyzing data. The OA Fellow will develop a strong working knowledge of advancement in the higher ed world. The OA Fellow will have a supportive role in Student Education and Young Alum Engagement.
The OA Fellow will focus on managing a Digital Philanthropy program that includes increasing new alum, young alum, lapsed alum, and parent engagement measured by a wide variety of metrics including social media engagement, VassarNet onboarding, club membership, and donor engagement. The Fellow will also collaborate with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving in Student Education and Young Alumni Engagement in supporting our premier Generation Vassar Alumni Participation Challenge, Student Philanthropy Council program, and a campus-wide Student Education program.
Responsibilities:
Support and manage Vassar’s Digital Philanthropy Program.
Hire and supervise the student callers and student managers. Re-up managers and student callers.
Revise/create scripts for student callers within various digital channels.
Develop timing strategy for Digital Philanthropy program outreach (i.e. new alum, young alum, lapsed alum, pledge reminders, parents, value outreach)
Direct short- and long-range planning and implementation for Digital Philanthropy Program.
Analyze data as it comes in, track metrics.
Oversee 4–5 shifts weekly.
Ensure that the Vassar Fund is well-positioned to adapt and appeal to the habits and philanthropic preferences of recent graduates and students. This includes proactively sourcing next generation digital fundraising and payment tools i.e Venmo, caller program.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving to develop a meaningful student education program re: Vassar Fund.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving to develop high impact young alum challenges.
Coordinate the sharing of prospect and donor information with other development colleagues and collaborate to ensure upward movement of prospects through the pipeline for major gifts.
Design a series of management information reports that demonstrate key leverage points, outcomes and efficiency.
Manage the compilation and submission of regular department reports to the Director of Annual Giving.
Develop “visit and activity metrics” with Vassar Fund team members including measuring face to face conversations with current students.
Oversee a Digital Philanthropy Program budget.
Develop culminating high level presentations to the Advancement office and others.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
A minimum of a Vassar Bachelor’s degree is required.
Strong appreciation for Vassar’s values and key strategic initiatives along with the ability to effectively communicate with them for a diverse audience.
Ability to create and manage a Digital Philanthropy Program with goals, objectives, identified deliverables, and timelines.
Strong experience on social media.
Superb interpersonal communication skills with colleagues and alums.
Excellent data analysis and report generation skills.
A willingness to work 37.5 hours weekly beginning at 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Vassar Library Administrative Fellow
Position Description
The Vassar College Libraries seek an Administrative Fellow who is eager to explore an academic library from a new perspective: not as a student seeking sources for their research, but as a contributor to the programs and services that we provide to the campus community. This position is ideal for a recent Vassar graduate considering a career in libraries/archives, regardless of whether they have held a student job in the Vassar Libraries, or for others wishing to develop a stronger understanding of higher education administration.
The Administrative Fellow will be part of the Libraries’ Academic Engagement (AE) department. The AE librarians are liaisons to academic departments and programs, and provide research support, instruction, outreach, and collection development services to the Vassar community. The Administrative Fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to many AE programs, including co-teaching library and research skills workshops and assisting students and faculty with their research needs. The Administrative Fellow will pursue a variety of independent and collaborative projects, most of which will have a “public-facing” component (e.g., workshops, events, etc.). This is a great position for an individual who enjoys both independent work and collaboration, and who is comfortable interacting one-on-one and in groups of students, faculty, and other members of the Vassar community.
The Administrative Fellow will also meet with librarians, archivists, and staff throughout the Libraries and learn about our programs, services, departments, and goals. They are welcome to participate in all-staff meetings, working groups, and project groups; they will develop relationships and collaborations with colleagues throughout the Libraries, and potentially in other campus offices as well.
This role will have a special emphasis on programming and outreach, and the Fellow can expect to contribute to or lead projects including the following:
Establish a student advisory group for the Vassar Libraries to strengthen student engagement with library programs and services
Develop an email newsletter focusing on library resources and programs
Participate in planning and conducting orientation activities and other outreach events
Organize book displays on topics of interest to the Vassar community
In addition to these projects and responsibilities, the Administrative Fellow will have an opportunity to develop a project driven by their own evolving interests in libraries/archives, in consultation with their supervisor and library colleagues. Relevant training and support will be provided for all aspects of this position.
Qualifications
We are seeking candidates for this position who are interested in careers in libraries or archives, or who have a desire to explore how academic libraries/archives contribute to the intellectual, cultural, and social activities of a college community.
Familiarity with Vassar College Libraries’ resources and services, and with library research, are helpful but not required.
This position includes a variety of public-facing projects, including co-teaching workshops and participating in outreach events. Comfort with, and interest in, a mix of independent and collaborative work, and interacting one-on-one and with groups of students, faculty, and other members of the Vassar community, will be beneficial.
Vassar graduates from any major/department/program are encouraged to apply.
Department of Athletics and Physical Education
Position Overview & Scope of Work:
The Department of Athletics & Physical Education is seeking a one-year, post-baccalaureate fellowship focused on student-athlete welfare and athletics regulatory compliance for Vassar’s 29 varsity teams and 550 student-athletes. The Administrative Fellow for Compliance and Student-Athlete Welfare is an entry-level administrative position that will report to the Deputy Director of Athletics & Director of Student-Athlete Welfare. The selected candidate will assist with the implementation of a comprehensive student-athlete welfare strategic plan and contribute to the operations of the department. The successful candidate will assist with the administration of programming towards the holistic development of student-athletes and oversight of NCAA rules compliance, student-athlete welfare, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
This position provides an opportunity to create and manage education and leadership programs, campus events, and sustained learning experiences that transform the Vassar student-athlete experience. The administrative fellow will interact with cross-campus colleagues on a daily basis and positively impact the collegiate experience for more than 20% of the student body.
Position responsibilities:
Assist with the implementation of the department’s comprehensive student-athlete welfare plan including, but not limited to:
Development and logistics of RISE, the department’s student-athlete development program
Market and promote student-athlete welfare initiatives and events via social media, email and messaging
Collaborate with key campus stakeholders, external facilitators, student-athlete working groups; and represent the department on campus committees
Implement a four-year curriculum plan for department inclusion initiatives
Implement and co-facilitate support, advocacy and violence prevention programming
Serve as the co-advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
Assist with coordination of pre-season and intersession housing, meals and orientation scheduling for student-athletes
Assist with the management and oversight of all aspects of NCAA, Liberty League, and other applicable governing body rules compliance
Assist with the maintenance of accurate student-athlete data, and preparation of all NCAA, conference and college reports
Required skills and experience:
A minimum of a Vassar bachelor’s degree required
Strong appreciation for the value and role of intercollegiate athletics in the Vassar higher education experience
Excellent communicator
Experience with social media and marketing platforms
Proven ability to work collaboratively with department, campus personnel and external partners
Weekend, holiday, early morning and/or late evening hours are required
Learning Outcomes:
The successful candidate will learn leadership and team building skills by working collaboratively with campus partners, current students and external facilitators.
This experience will provide professional networking opportunities.
This experience will assist the candidate with the pathway to pursue a career in higher education including student affairs or collegiate athletics.
The position will enhance the candidate’s facilitation skills, event planning, social media and marketing skills, and understanding of regulatory compliance.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Administrative Fellows Program overall, please contact Wesley Dixon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: If I am selected as an Administrative Fellow, when would I start my Fellowship? Answer: Administrative Fellows will begin during the summer after they graduate from Vassar. The official start date will likely be on or around Monday July 10th, 2023.
Question: How will my alum mentor be chosen? Answer: If selected as an Administrative Fellow, you will work collaboratively with the Program Director and your supervisor to determine what qualities are most important to you in a mentor. Your supervisor and the Program Director will work with the Center for Career Education and the Office of Advancement to find a suitable mentor for you based on your personal and professional interests.
Question: Is the Administrative Fellows role a paid position? Answer: Yes, the Administrative Fellows role is a full-time, year-long, paid position.
Question: Is housing included as a part of the Administrative Fellows Program? Answer: No, housing is not provided as a part of the Administrative Fellows Program. If you are selected as an Administrative Fellow, we encourage you to work with the Program Director and the Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources to explore affordable housing options in or around Poughkeepsie.
Past Administrative Fellows
2022–2023
Daniella Torres-Skendi, Grants Office
Eric Feeney, Campus Activities
Kayla Gonzalez, Center for Career Education
Clay Antonatos, The Environmental Cooperative, the Preserve, and Office of Sustainability
Majella Sheehan, Office of the Vice President of Technology and Human Resources
2021–2022
Sefa February, Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center/Transitions
Megan Reyes, Office of Community Engaged Learning
Gillian Redstone, Office of Advancement
Yu Ge Zhang, Career Development Office
Vanessa Vazquez, Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve, Environmental Cooperative, and Office of Sustainability
2020–2021
Damian Zapien, Office of Communications
Kate Titowsky, Office of Advancement
Ivanna Guerra, Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center/Transitions
Loizos Karaiskos, Career Development Office
2019–2020
Tamar Ballard, Dean of the College
Lily Berman, Career Development Office
Rori-An Chuck, Office of Alumnae Affairs and Development
Samantha Hoher, Office of Health Education and Promotion
Brian Hong, Office of Communications
Elaina Peterkin, Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center
Ezra Weissman, Office of the President
2018–2019
Udbhav Agarwal, International Services
Juleen Graham, Career Development Office
Alquan Higgs, Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center