Administrative Assistant

Job Title: Administrative Assistant

Departments: Mathematics & Statistics, Physics & Astronomy, & School of Natural Science and Mathematics (NSM)

Supervisor: Dean, School of NSM

Status: Non-exempt

FTE: 1.0 FTE

Job Summary:

This position provides administrative support for the chairs and faculty members of two departments and for the school dean, assures efficient operation of the office, represents the departments and school in a professional manner, and promotes cross-departmental cooperation, thereby advancing the mission of Calvin University.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (other duties may be assigned):

• Serve as receptionist and office manager.
  • Greet visitors, answer questions, and make referrals in a professional and courteous manner. Promote a welcoming atmosphere within the departments and school.
  • Maintain mailboxes, bulletin boards, and web pages.
  • Coordinate maintenance of office equipment.
  • Order supplies and manage departmental print and audio-visual resources.
  • Arrange facilities and equipment reservations.
  • Supervise student office assistants each semester by recruiting, interviewing, hiring, overseeing daily assignments, coordinating schedules, processing student payroll, and performing performance evaluations.

• Provide administrative assistance to department chairs.
  • Assist with new faculty recruitment, including advertising, correspondence, campus visit scheduling, travel and lodging, and financial arrangements.
  • Assist with gathering documents for faculty reappointments.
  • Coordinate the recruitment and hiring of qualified student assistants and graders.
  • Assist with departmental seminars and colloquia, including advertisement, correspondence, travel and lodging for external speakers, honoraria requests, and arranging refreshments.
  • Assist with departmental events (e.g. Pi Day, lectures, and receptions).
  • Attend department meetings, draft minutes, and contribute to discussion where relevant.
  • With the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, manage the application, awards, and donor follow-up processes for departmental student scholarships.
  • Assist with maintaining the departmental reading room and student lounge.
  • Assist with departmental student recruitment activities.
  • As requested, assist with other duties such as budget administration, course scheduling, or preparation of departmental reports, newsletters, and reviews.

• Provide administrative assistance to the dean.
  • Manage the dean’s calendar.
  • Coordinate school leadership meetings, including scheduling meetings, developing agendas, recording minutes, and disseminating and archiving information.
  • Maintain the School of NSM Sharepoint site and websites associated with the School of Natural Science and Mathematics.
  • Serve as a liaison with MarComm personnel, facilitating the communications projects of the departments and programs within the school.
  • Process invoices for payments.
  • Assist with budgets overseen by the dean.
  • Facilitate processes related to faculty recruitment.
  • Plan and organize events and activities as requested.
  • Collaborate with other schools, programs, departments, and offices at Calvin University.
  • Additional duties as assigned by the dean.
• Provide coordination of the School of NSM scholarships and Summer Research Program.
  • Coordinate School of NSM scholarship awards, including organizing applications, notifying students of awards, and keeping records of awardees.
  • Coordinate the Summer Research Program, including sending solicitations for faculty project proposals, providing a platform for student applications, organizing applications for the Research and Grants Committee, notifying students of awards, administering student payroll, keeping records of awardees and preparing end-of-summer reports.
  • Coordinate the School of NSM Summer Research Poster fair each fall, including gathering poster information from students, coordinating poster printing, assigning poster placement, advertising the event, preparing a program, and arranging refreshments.
  • Coordinate school-wide events, such as school meetings, strategic planning sessions, or other events, as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position may supervise one or more student office assistants.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

This position requires a high-school diploma or general education degree (GED); one to three years office experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong organization, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills required. Use of computers and Microsoft Office software required. Supervisory experience and experience in academic administration helpful.

Communication Skills

This position requires the ability to greet callers and visitors, answer factual questions about the university, and other activities requiring good listening skills and tact. May also be responsible for drafting correspondence, proofreading correspondence, for spelling, grammar, and content errors; training or instructing employees in the department; and/or other tasks requiring a significant level of communication skills. May handle some confidential information.

Decision Making/Judgment:

Most of the responsibilities of this position are performed in accordance with existing procedures and instructions. In addition, this position requires some independent judgment in setting priorities, organizing work, and implementing instructions.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work in this position is performed within routine office conditions, usually without exposure to hazardous or unpleasant conditions.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

FAITH and EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENT

1. Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts University affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.

2. A commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.

DIVERSITY COMMITMENT

Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communication across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, physical limitations, class, or religious perspectives.