Description

INTRODUCTION:

The Department of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater seeks a Department Assistant. 

JOB DUTIES:

Manage the Special Education Department office and facilities; provide administrative and program support to the chair and faculty of the Department in the administrative, instructional, and professional activities of the department; provide assistance to students, and supervise and mentor student workers. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45am- 4:30pm. These hours include a 45-minute lunch. This is an on-campus position.

35%    A. Serve as Office Manager for the Department of Special Education

1. Hire, schedule and train students to ensure the clerical support necessary to maintain the Special Education Department.
2. Enter students’ hours worked to the payroll system and provide Human Resources & Diversity with appropriate documentation.
3. Establish priorities and oversee the support team to insure the materials/projects brought in by faculty are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
4. Maintain student employee schedule to coordinate office/phone coverage as well as distribute office work to employees and verify that this is conducted in an accurate and timely manner.
5. Process the mail for pick-up by banding into the different types required by the mailroom, and oversee that the addressing for the various types of mail follows the required format.
6. Make classroom assignments for the instructors for future semesters.
7. Maintain correspondence with other University offices in order to maintain courses taught by them here on campus, and courses taught off campus by our staff.
8. Enter timetable (schedule of classes) on data base each semester, making revisions as needed. Submit final proof to the Dean’s Office.
9. Oversee maintenance of department records, including confidential faculty personnel files, applications for positions, advisee folders, class lists, final grades, class offerings, etc.
10. Monitor faculty office hours to effectively transfer telephone calls and relay messages.
11. Advise chair and faculty on proper use of standard university forms, such as travel expense reports; purchase requisitions/ procedures for supplies, books, and equipment.
12. Advise where services are located and explain the proper procedure to be followed.
13. Coordinate posting of announcements of department, college and university meetings, professional meetings, calls for papers, graduate school advertisements, etc.
14. Create and maintain a listing of departmental personnel with their teaching schedule and office hours.
15. Provide general information to students concerning all Special Education programs. 
16. Assist students with registration problems and with filling out forms for late add/late drop requests, major/ minor changes, course changes, etc. Refer students to a Department Assistant or an advisor as appropriate.
17. Sign off on advising obligation forms for students newly admitted to the professional education program and assign appropriate advisors.
18. Look up advisors and their contact information and office hours for students as requested.
19. To the extent possible, keep advisor/advisee information current online and in the department’s advising binder. At least once a year, request undergraduate advisee lists from the Registrars for all Special Education advisors and use these to check and update advisor/advisee records.  

25%          B. Provide administrative support to the department chair and faculty

1. Draft correspondence, memoranda, graphs, and charts on behalf of Department Chair.
2. Compile information for use in writing departmental Audits and Reviews and Annual Reports.
3. Support the hiring process for faculty/staff positions making sure the proper processes are followed, such as TER, room scheduling, collecting evaluations, and other duties as needed.
4. Facilitate the preparation and dissemination of information to interested candidates. Ensure travel expense reports are available for each candidate’s interview.
5. Keep proper files secure and confidential. Forward to Human Resources & Diversity once the search is completed.
6. Maintain database of information regarding faculty teaching assignments, location, title, tenure status, etc.
7. Serve as contact person to ensure online course evaluations are distributed correctly.  Receive and store online evaluation results.
8. Prepare and maintain records for various committees.
9. Proctor make-up exams.
10. Maintain files of potential adjunct faculty.
11. Develop and maintain a computer rotation schedule, to ensure the most up-to-date equipment is available.
12. Other tasks as directed by Department Chair

20%          C. Management of the Departmental Budget and Related Financial Records.

1. Maintain and reconcile the department’s budget (service and supplies, student help {regular and work study}). (WISER)
2. Maintain and reconcile various grants, (service and supplies and student help).(WISER)
3. Prepare budget summaries, project remaining expenses and make cost projections based on researching past budgets/cost and department and grant needs.
4. Research departmental needs, contact various vendors, secure cost estimates, and purchase consumable supplies.
5. Establish and monitor usage policies for consumable and non-consumable goods, long distance report slips, travel/interview expenses reports, textboo requisitions, work orders etc. Monitor forms and reports for documentation and accuracy before distribution.
6. Research needs for the usage for the department copier. Secure maintenance contract and signatures. Monitor usages of supplies needed. Serve as contract for malfunctions and with maintenance vendors.

15%          D. Assistance to students.

1. Respond in person and writing to students seeking information on the various majors/ minors offered by the department. Advise on requirements and procedures to follow.
2. Update and revise course schedule as needed and provide current rotation of course offerings to student.

5%            E. Management of department facilities.

1. Monitor and coordinate the scheduling for classes in Winther, rooms 2005, 2014, 2015.
2. Make arrangements for space assignments in the department allocations of office space.
3. Establish and maintain accurate department key inventory records for the faculty/staff of the department. Request/ return key as necessary.
4. Perform programmatic tasks requiring considerable initiative, judgment, and discretion.
5. Provide related tasks as needed.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

 Required Minimums

• H.S. Diploma
• Skilled in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required.

• Ability to work independently, self-motivate, and take initiative under a variety of complex rules and regulations.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion under a variety of complex rules and regulations.
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituents: faculty, administration, staff, students, families, and alumni.
• Skilled in WINS; and in the use of electronic mail (Outlook).
• Ability to learn and use other software, such as Web Now, as required performing position duties.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to train, supervise, and support/mentor student employees.