Position Function:
The Departmental Coordinator serves as a central administrative staff member responsible for supporting operational, communication, and student engagement functions within the Department of Kinesiology. This role is essential to maintaining the efficiency and visibility of the department and ensuring continuity in processes that directly impact student access, faculty workload management, and campus collaboration. As the department transitions its academic advising roles to a centralized university unit, the duties previously housed within the Academic Advisor and Academic Coordinator roles that are unrelated to direct advising must be reassigned to maintain operational integrity.
Salary Grade: 13
Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.
Department Profile:
Kinesiology is an integrative discipline that focuses on the various components and processes of human movement related to physical activity and sport. It incorporates scientific, humanistic and professional research methodologies and concerns so as to better understand physical activity and its relationship to human well-being, health and culture. Scientific areas include anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, biomechanics, psychology, and epidemiology. Humanistic areas include history, philosophy and sociology. Kinesiology also includes professional fields such as Clinical Exercise Physiology, Physical Education and Coaching, Athletic Training and Sport Administration.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Scheduling and Academic Operations
• Monitor course enrollment patterns, waitlists, and demand trends across all kinesiology concentrations.
• Collaborate with the Department Head to inform semester course offerings, seat capacities, and classroom assignments.
• Manage departmental inputs and updates in the CourseLeaf CLSS system for each term.
• Review and process override requests each semester, resolving registration issues and coordinating with faculty and university offices as needed.
• Serve as the primary point of contact regarding the acceptance of transfer courses, including student athletes in the transfer portal.
• Act as the department liaison to athletic academic advising, ensuring coordination on enrollment and course access for athletes.
• Monitor departmental students for minimum GPA and communicate recommended concentration changes as needed.
• Assist students seeking major changes.
• Coordinate course access and communication with non-majors from programs such as Interdisciplinary Studies and Data Science, providing guidance and processing requests as appropriate.
2. Faculty Advising Assignment Coordination
• Oversee the distribution of junior and senior student advisees to departmental faculty, ensuring each student is assigned to an advisor whose background aligns with the student’s concentration and intended career path.
• Coordinate the annual assignment of upper-level students across faculty members, accounting for the department’s internal diversity of faculty expertise within each concentration.
• Maintain records of advisor assignments and assist with onboarding faculty into the advising structure to ensure continuity and clarity in mentorship roles.
3. Student Engagement and Event Support
• Oversee the Kinesiology Student Ambassador program, including application processes, training, scheduling, and event participation.
• Support departmental events such as open houses, orientations, and outreach activities by handling logistics, communications, and on-site coordination.
• Serve as a key contact for student-facing initiatives related to departmental culture, leadership, and involvement opportunities.
• Coordinate campus visits and departmental tours for prospective and transfer students, including scheduling, communications, and coordination with faculty or ambassadors as needed.
4. Communication and Digital Presence
• Maintain and update the department’s website to ensure accuracy and alignment with university branding and academic changes.
• Manage departmental social media accounts to promote events, highlight student and faculty achievements, and strengthen the department’s public profile.
• Coordinate internal communications, announcements, and newsletter content for students and faculty.
5. General Staff Responsibilities
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology or a related field.
• Experience advising in a collegiate setting
• Experience with social media and Website management
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
1. Ability to communicate and relate to students and university personnel.
2. Knowledge of word processing and spread sheet programs.
3. Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills required.
4. Knowledge and experience with social media
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
1.Work in normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
2.No or very limited exposure to physical risk.
3.No or very limited physical effort required.
Instructions for Applying:
Apply online at jobs.msstate.edu. Submit a resume, cover letter, and the complete contact information for at least 3 references.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.
