Instructional Support Specialist - Graduate

Position Details

Classification Information

Position Classification Title Temporary Employee FLSA Exempt Position Class (Extract From Banner or PA) 09999

Position Overview

Position Summary

Instructional Support Assistant (ISS)

• Course Length: 8 weeks (accelerated term).
• Modality: Fully online (Canvas).
• Course Levels: Graduate.
• Student Load (minimum): 30 students for graduate courses.
• Compensation: graduate course stipend $2300

Winston-Salem State University is seeking a qualified and detail-oriented Instructional Support Specialist (ISSs) to support faculty teaching large-enrollment graduate online courses. This is a fully remote position designed to provide instructional operations support in accelerated 8-week terms.

The ISS works closely with the Course Instructor of Record to ensure timely grading, consistent rubric application, accurate gradebook management, and effective student support. ISSs do not serve as primary instructors and do not deliver course content or lectures. Instead, they operate within faculty-established policies, rubrics, and course procedures to promote a high-quality learning experience for online students.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Assessment & Grading

• Apply instructor-approved rubrics to grade assignments, quizzes, projects, and exams in Canvas, ensuring calibrated, consistent assessment across large cohorts.
• Provide timely, constructive, rubric-anchored feedback (written comments or quick‑marks) within established turnaround windows (e.g., 72 hours for weekly items; 5 days for major projects). Log in to monitor the course at least once per 24 hours.
• Flag academic‑integrity concerns per policy; prepare documentation for faculty review.

LMS & Course Operations (Canvas)

• Maintain Canvas Gradebook accuracy, assignment settings, and visibility dates; assist with quiz banks and rubrics under faculty direction.
• Monitor activity dashboards, late/missing submissions, and analytics to identify at-risk students for instructor follow-up.
• Support basic troubleshooting and escalating LMS issues to central IT/Instructional Design as needed.

Student Communication (First‑Line Triage)

• Respond to routine, non-instructional inquiries (deadlines, access, formatting, submission issues), redirecting content questions to the instructor.
• Post periodic reminders (due dates, policy nudges) using faculty-approved announcements or templates.

Discussion Monitoring (as assigned)

• Enforce netiquette guidelines and confirm minimum participation requirements; escalate substantive content questions or concerns to the instructor.

Quality & Compliance

• Participate in rubric calibration sessions before and during the term; document edge cases for continuous improvement.
• Maintain FERPA and accessibility compliance in all grading and feedback practices, leveraging Canvas tools and templates.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in the discipline, in Education, or a closely related field
• Experience grading or supporting instruction in online courses and Canvas (or similar LMS).
• Proven ability to apply detailed rubrics consistently; strong written communication in feedback contexts.
• This is a 100% remote working position. Candidates must possess a personal computer and internet access sufficient to provide a stable connection to WSSU's Learning Management System (LMS). Must have workspace to allow privacy for handling confidential information such as grades.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in the discipline, in Education, or a closely related field.
• Experience with large online sections ( 50 students) and high‑volume grading workflows.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards, academic‑integrity practices, and online student support.

Key Competencies

• High attention to detail and consistency in rubric application.
• Time‑management and turnaround discipline in accelerated 8-week formats.
• Professional written communication; student-centered service orientation.
• Comfort with Canvas features (Gradebook, SpeedGrader, Rubrics, Assignments, Quizzes, Announcements) and basic analytics.

Time Commitment & Workload Guidance (8‑Week Term)

• Baseline: 10-15 hours/week per 30/45 students (varies by assessment volume and rubric depth).
• Scaling: Add approximately 1-2 hours/week per additional 10 students, especially in writing-intensive courses.
• Turnaround standards: Weekly grading within 72 hours; major projects within 5 calendar days (program-specific standards prevail).

Training & Onboarding

• Pre-term Canvas workflow orientation (templates, Gradebook conventions, feedback libraries).
• Rubric calibration session with faculty (sample grading, edge‑case alignment).
• Policy overview: academic integrity, FERPA, accessibility, extensions/late work.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to Course Instructor of Record operationally; administrative oversight by College of Business Graduate Coordinator, or Department Chair.

Performance Metrics

• Timeliness of grading and feedback against published SLAs.
• Consistency with rubrics (spot‑checks/calibration results).
• Accuracy of Gradebook and compliance with policies.
• Student‑service indicators (response times for triaged inquiries).

Primary Function of Organizational Unit

The MBA program delivers graduate level business education to students in an online format.

Position Information

Position Number NSS138 Working Position Title Instructional Support Specialist - Graduate Temporary Job Type Non Student Approved Competency Level Journey Building and Room No.

Online

Work Hours: From [time] to [time] on [days] of [week] Hours will vary Hours per week 10-15 Months per year 2 months Appointment Type Temporary Part-Time Appointment Type If Time Limited. Appointment Length.

DHR Assigned Fields

FTE 0.375

Requirements and Preferences

Position required to work during periods of adverse weather or other emergencies No Minimum Experience/Education

A Bachelor's degree in the discipline, in Education, or a closely related field, for graduate courses.

Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education

• Master's degree in the discipline, in Education, or a closely related field.
• Experience with large online sections ( 50 students) and high‑volume grading workflows.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards, academic‑integrity practices, and online student support.

Required License or Certification Valid US Driver's License No Commercial Driver's License Required No Physical Required No List any other medical/drug tests required

Posting Details

Posting Details

Posting Number TEMP00418P Number of Vacancies 2 Internal Posting Only No Position Type Temporary Time Limited Position Appointment Length Salary 2,300 Open Date 06/01/2026 Close Date 06/19/2026 Open Until Filled No Special Instructions Summary

Please Note: A criminal background check will be conducted on candidate finalist prior to the offer of employment. If no applicants apply who meet the required competency and T&E requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing an electronic application. The application must be completed in full detail (including work history) for your qualifications to be considered. Failure to complete the application completely may result in you not being considered for the vacant position. Your application for the position will not be complete until you receive an online confirmation number at the end of the process of applying for a position.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
• Public Job Posting
• Internal Job Posting
• Agency Referral
• Advertisement/Publication
• Personal Referral
• Website
• Other

Applicant Document

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

• Unofficial Transcripts
• References List