University College | Arts & Sciences

During the 1840s and 50s, waves of immigrants flooded into St. Louis, boosting the population of the young city. With these newcomers came a pressing need for education -- both industrial training and basic general courses -- conducted outside of normal working hours. So the first educational step of the young Washington University was to establish an evening program on October 22, 1854. Over the succeeding decades, the continuing education program underwent many changes. In 1908, for example, the College of Arts and Sciences began to offer Saturday classes. University College was founded officially in 1931 and has been serving the St. Louis region ever since.

My position at University College is Associate Dean, Director of the Summer School. As the Summer School Director, I work with faculty to develop summer courses and programs and produce the required publications. In addition I am happily busy with teaching and advising as Professor of Japanese in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures. I am also the Director of the East Asian Studies Program, which offers an MA degree and joint degrees with Business and Law.

I am largely responsible for two major categories of activities: undergraduate degree and certificate programs and courses; and noncredit programs, including professional development workshops and short courses, special lectures and symposia, and noncredit short courses in the humanities and social sciences. With the help of others in University College, I coordinate most undergraduate academic policies and procedures, especially during the academic year, and work with my counterparts in the College Office to develop clear guidelines for students moving between the day and evening divisions of Arts & Sciences.

I am responsible for collecting and preparing application files for prospective University College students. I assist with registration, student services, faculty and staff support when needed. I plan and direct the bulletin and course schedule mailings to students, prospective students and the community; working with computing facilities, student records and commercial mailers. Mailing new student PIN and I.D. numbers is my responsibility. Plus I coordinate the admission process for International Students in collaboration with OISS.

I am responsible for handling accounting transactions related to a variety of departmental activities. In addition, I reconcile student payments and batch student account transactions and I also assist with student refunds.

The main purpose of my job is to manage all University College and Summer School registration information and registration files, process faculty rosters and grade sheets. Majority of the responsibility is for all data entry on U. College student course registrations in the SIS system, including all on-line inquiries, and Jewish Hospital College of Nursing students. This would also include information on previous schools, transfer credits, grade changes, certificates, final honors, independent study titles and the Dean's List.