Academic Coordinator - School of Journalism

Academic Coordinator I – School of Journalism Position Overview

The School of Journalism is recruiting a Director of Special Academic Programs (Academic Coordinator I). The role will coordinate the School’s summer undergraduate minor, oversee the undergraduate program overall, support the California Newsroom Fellowship program, and manage other special academic programs.

Open date:
January 6, 2026
Final date:
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time)

Salary range: $64,228 – $122,272 (UC academic salary scales). 100% full‑time.
Anticipated start:
March 1, 2026
Position duration:
August 30, 2027

50% of the position will be dedicated to managing the Undergraduate Minor. The Academic Coordinator will work with the Undergraduate Advisor and Journalism Staff to manage the undergraduate minor program over Summer 2026 and Summer 2027.

• Oversee day‑to‑day management of the minor, including student enrollment, scholarship arrangements, and information dissemination.
• Serve as the primary liaison for curriculum planning, working with the executive and curriculum committees to ensure core and elective course availability.
• Lead program promotion, managing communications and maintaining the website.
• Lead orientation and training for summer lecturers and assist them with academic matters such as curriculum planning, LMS training, classroom incidents, grade resolution and appeals, and DSP exam proctoring.
• Coordinate hiring, class coordination, and reporting for Summer Sessions, collaborating closely with the Undergraduate Advisor, Journalism staff, AP Analyst, and Student Services team to meet hiring deadlines for instructors and Academic Student Employees (ASE) and assist instructors with final grade submissions and offboarding.
• Drive significant expansion of enrollment for the minor, exploring establishment of the minor as a system‑wide offering, developing a professional pipeline including pre‑college courses for high school students, working to establish a 4+1 BA/MJ degree to facilitate access to graduate‑level Journalism education, and exploring expansion into a full undergraduate major.
• Act as a crucial thought partner to continuously update the curriculum to reflect new technologies and political realities within the rapidly evolving journalism industry.
• Help maintain and increase engagement with the teaching faculty, including Berkeley Senate professors and journalists from top newsrooms.

25% of the position will be dedicated to supporting the California News Fellowship program. Responsibilities include managing admissions and selection, reviewing applications, participating in cohort selection, reviewing the annual operations handbook, acting as a system overseer for the fellowship, and partnering with the undergraduate minor program for joint projects and shared training opportunities.

25% of the position will be dedicated to managing the School’s other special academic programs, including the Business Journalism Certificate Program and the Masters of Journalism/Masters Public Health. The Academic Coordinator will take ownership of these programs and manage coordination across the curriculum.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application):

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent international degree.

Preferred qualifications:

• Professional background in journalism profession or journalism‑adjacent fields.
• Demonstrated administrative experience, preferably in higher education settings.
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgement and make difficult decisions, including addressing instructor performance issues in a fair and professional manner.
• Capacity to engage in conflict resolution and problem solving, particularly in situations involving classroom challenges and student concerns.
• Strong organization and program management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to present confidently to students, faculty, or other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership, with a track record of accountability, integrity, and collaborative decision‑making.
• Proficiency with technology systems used in academic program delivery,…