About ASHE

The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) is a scholarly association based in the United States, dedicated to higher education as a field of study. There are nearly 2,000 members of the association, of whom about 40% are full-time graduate students undertaking master’s or doctoral degrees in a range of areas including education and other social sciences. About half of ASHE members are university faculty, mostly in academic programs that focus on some aspect of higher education, such as administration, leadership, or policy. ASHE members also include researchers working in non-university settings, including government, think-tanks, and advocacy organizations. Two to three percent of ASHE members are from outside the United States. Learn more at www.ashe.ws.

The annual conference provides opportunities for higher education scholars to present their research. Conference content is peer-reviewed. About half of the proposals are accepted each year. Authors are then invited to present their work as stand-alone papers, roundtable papers, or posters, or in self-designed paper and symposium sessions. An annual conference program committee is formed each year and other committees are appointed on an ad hoc basis. Learn more at www.ashe.ws/conference.

ASHE also engages in supporting members’ professional development by offering opportunities for ongoing learning. Activities include workshops at the annual conference, synchronous online webinars on research topics or methods, and asynchronous learning through social media and archived material. Some councils offer mentoring programs for early- or mid-career scholars, and periodically ASHE partners with a foundation to sponsor seminars or symposia related to specific topics or research methods. Learn more at www.ashe.ws/professionaldevelopment.

About the Role

The Coordinator of Conference and Events is the staff leader for the Association’s annual scholarly conference, pre-conferences, and professional development events. The Coordinator is responsible for developing, sustaining, and deepening relationships with members and volunteers; coordinating and ensuring seamless events logistics; and ultimately ensuring meaningful, inspiring, and relevant experiences for the Association’s nearly 2,000 members. The position will be one member of a team of three full-time staff members: the ASHE Executive Director who is responsible for operational strategy and oversight of the Association and an Administrative Assistant (with 50% of their time allocated to conference and event support).

Manage all logistical aspects of the annual conference and pre-conferences. 60% of total job.

• Lead and advance all logistical aspects of the annual conference, including (but not limited to) event registration, scheduling, on-site logistics, and aspects of planning for a meaningful, inspiring, and relevant annual conference.
• Serve as the main staff point of contact for event attendees, including before, during, and after the conference.
• Serve as the logistical liaison to all conference contracts and suppliers. This includes the Conference Portal System, hotel event planner, AV supplier, etc.
• Ensure accessibility of conference events, spaces, and programming.
• Identify potential new sources of revenue for the conference, including the procurement of returning and new exhibitors.
• Maintain the conference budget and ensure conference revenues and expenditures remain within established budget.
• Contribute to ongoing evaluation and assessment and work with the conference evaluation committee to have evaluations distributed, collected, and analyzed in a timely manner.
• Ensure policies match practice.

Manage all logistical aspects of professional development events. 20% of Total Job.

• Lead and advance all logistical aspects of professional development events, including (but not limited to) event registration, scheduling, logistics, and aspects of planning.
• Serve as the main staff point of contact for event attendees, including registration questions, on-site, and event follow-up.
• Maintain event budgets and ensure revenues and expenditures remain within established budget.
• Contribute to on-going evaluation and assessment and have evaluations distributed, collected, and analyzed in a timely manner.
• Ensure policies match practice.
• Ensure accessibility of events, spaces, and programming.

Train and support leadership volunteers. 10% of Total Job.

• Serve as primary liaison to conference and event leadership volunteers.
• Support the recruitment, training, retention, and stewardship of all volunteers.
• Meet with the leadership of these groups, manage their workloads and deadlines, and ensure coordination amongst some siloed groups. While the Association is primarily volunteer-driven, ensuring deadlines are met and outcomes are achieved are the responsibility of the Coordinator.

Professional and Diversity Development. 5% of Total job.

• Participate in ongoing professional development through ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership and other event management, project management, and/or association management organizations.
• Continually develop cultural awareness and participate in activities that expand their understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Team Support and Special Projects. 5% of Total job.

• Support the activities of other team members.
• Complete special projects as assigned.

Work Environment
This is a fully remote position within the United States. The Coordinator will be responsible for their own dedicated and safe workspace as required by association policies and insurance. The Coordinator will be provided with a laptop, monitor, printer, desk phone, and other equipment and software necessary.

Travel is required multiple times per year, including for conference planning meetings (typically June), the annual conference (November), and representation of the Association at other conferences and events (e.g. ACPA, AERA).

Salary and Benefits

• Beginning salary is $55,000 with annual cost of living pay increases as well as potential for annual merit pay increases
• Reimbursement of up to $100 in monthly work from home expenses
• Flexible work schedule (e.g., a four-day, 10-hour-per-day work week)
• Support for professional development opportunities related to the role. This typically includes the ASAE Annual Conference and annual membership.
• A listing of benefits can be found on our HR Platform, Justworks: https://secure.justworks.com/benefits/company_benefits_overviews/3e4a4697-0c1e-4e65-a4e1-f6c77909434d/show

Application Materials and Timeline

Application materials received by July 8 will receive priority consideration. Any applications received after the priority deadline may not be considered.

An application packet should be submitted at https://ashe.applytojob.com/apply/mqCQ6C0gjH/Coordinator-Conference-And-Events and include:

• A cover letter connecting your experiences to the responsibilities of the position and to ASHE as an organization
• A resume detailing event planning, higher education, and/or project management experience

First-round and finalists interviews are planned for the last three weeks of July.

The anticipated start date is September 1, 2022.

At this time, we are not hosting informational interviews.  Due to the number of anticipated applications, we unfortunately cannot respond to update requests.

Required Education

• Bachelor's Degree Required

Preferred Education

• Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Event Planning, Marketing, Public Relations, Hospitality, or other applicable field

Required Experience

• 1-2 years of professional experience in event planning
• An understanding of event planning best practices

Preferred Experience

• Experience planning a conference for higher education leaders (such as an association staff member or conference planning volunteer)
• An understanding of association management