Graduate Student Intern - Academic Affairs

 WHO WE ARE 

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Massachusetts. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to apprenticeship and entrepreneurship. Today, that legacy has evolved into an accredited college that delivers accessible tech and trade education to level the playing field for aspiring talent. 

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, Franklin Cummings Tech offers a unique mix of certificates and degrees that appeal to enterprising students from Eastern Massachusetts and respond to employer demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation, helping to spur incredible growth in the past four years. 

Franklin Cummings Tech educates more than 1,000 learners annually across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education enrollees, and 3) early college students. As evidence that our mission holds resonance, student enrollment is up and Fall 2027 applications have soared 16% year over year. 

We seek optimistic, data-informed, and dedicated colleagues who are eager to increase student success outcomes and boost total enrollment to 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission-driven work. 

Position Summary

The Graduate Student Intern provides project management and administrative support to Academic Affairs, working directly with the Senior Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness. The intern serves as the primary project manager on a variety of special projects, supports faculty engagement and governance activities, and gains hands-on experience in higher education administration. The role works closely with program leaders, faculty, committee chairs, and staff from across the college.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

The following duties are representative of the work performed in this position. Other duties may be assigned based on organizational needs.

Project Management

• Serve as the primary project manager on a variety of special projects, from scoping and timelines through delivery and reporting. Projects may include: revise and streamline the adjunct faculty onboarding process and evaluating recent initiatives by gathering data and feedback, summarizing outcomes, and recommending next steps.
• Manage grants by tracking deliverables, deadlines, budgets, and reporting requirements.

Faculty Engagement & Professional Development

• Faculty Activity Coordination: Assist in planning, organizing, and executing faculty meetings and workshops, department chairs meetings, and all-faculty retreats or gatherings.
• Communications & Logistics: Prepare meeting agendas, briefing materials, presentation slide decks, and post-event summaries.

Academic Administration & Special Projects

• Committee Support: Provide administrative support for academic standing and governance committees (e.g., Curriculum Committee, Academic Assessment Committee), tracking action items and documenting meeting outcomes.
• Assessment & Data Support: Assist in gathering, organizing, and summarizing academic program assessment data, syllabus alignment reviews, and accreditation preparation materials as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You Will Gain

Direct Mentorship: 1-on-1 supervision, guidance, and professional mentorship from Academic Affairs leadership.

Institutional Insight: Comprehensive exposure to academic governance, tech and trade education, and accreditation workflows.

Portfolio Development: Tangible, resume-building experience designing and evaluating academic initiatives, understanding higher education processes, and supporting academic policy processes.

Required Qualifications

• Enrollment: Currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). The Graduate Intern is recommended to enroll in S997 alongside the internship.
• Field Focus: Demonstrated interest in academic affairs, higher education administration, faculty development, curriculum design, or organizational leadership.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Communication: Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Detail & Organization: High attention to detail with strong organizational skills and ability to manage process documentation.
• Faculty & Stakeholder Relations: Ability to engage professionally, collaboratively, and respectfully with faculty, department chairs, and administrative leaders.
• Technology & Innovation: Curiosity about modern workplace tools, generative AI applications in higher education, and process optimization.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, track deadlines, and coordinate tasks across multiple stakeholders.
• Discretion: Ability to handle confidential student and personnel information appropriately.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education administration, community college, or other education settings.
• Familiarity with grant administration, accreditation, or program assessment.
• Experience with generative AI tools or workflow automation.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment, including a computer.
• Ability to attend occasional meetings or events outside normal working hours.
• Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work Environment

• Primarily an office setting on campus, with occasional attendance at meetings, workshops, and events.
• Schedule set in consultation with the supervisor; occasional evening or event-based availability may be needed.

Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications required. Responsibilities may change based on organizational needs.

Employee Expectations

All employees are expected to support the college’s student-centered mission, contribute to institutional growth and innovation, and collaborate across departments to improve student recruitment, retention, graduation, and career placement outcomes. 

Our college is an in-person institution. Campus presence is the default expectation for all employees. In-person presence remains the expectation and the standard for all staff. Flex arrangements are a discretionary privilege, not a right, and may be modified or discontinued if it is determined that flex arrangements are diminishing service quality, team cohesion, or responsiveness to students, external partners, and colleagues. The student experience and fidelity of institutional operations take priority over individual schedule preferences.