V625.01 Academic Administrative Assistant Guidelines
The Departmental Administrative Assistant facilitates the responsibilities of the department, under the direction of the Department Chair, serves as receptionist for the Department, and acts as a faculty resource in the completion of travel forms and other university processes. See the NDUS Broadband Job Classification for a detailed description of the types of duties performed by individuals in these positions (5000 Band).
While specific duties may vary from department to department, responsibilities identified in VCSU policy or campus practice include:
- Maintaining documentation of faculty absences
- Maintaining Incomplete paperwork until submitted to Registrar Supervising student workers for the Department
- Tracking departmental budgets
- Taking minutes at department meetings
- Assist/coordinate events planned by the Department
- Managing payroll/accounts payable items for the Department
Administrative Assistants (for any academic unit, to include departmental or program assistants) are not hired as professional educators or personal assistants, and therefore should not be asked to complete the following:
- Departmental activities that require professional educator's judgment, to include teaching classes (proctoring an exam or lab, or showing a movie is acceptable; presenting lesson materials is not)
- Paper grading of any kind
- Academic advising
- Preparation of course materials, either online or in hard copy, that requires expertise beyond clerical assistance
- Personal work for an individual or assistance in support of a private organization, including off-campus errands, copying, or other clerical assistance, and support of non-university funded research.
The Department Chair should be aware of the Administrative Assistant's workload and assist in task prioritization. Work requests that fall outside the purview of the Departmental Assistant should be reported to the Department Chair.
Sponsored by: Academic Policy & Affairs Council
Approved: Summer, 1989
Reviewed: Winter, 1996
Revised: December 2012, November 2021