JD #:

JD00676

Pay Grade:

5

Title:

Administrative Assistant, Academic (II)

Unit/Project Description:

The Midwifery Education Program in Ontario is a collaborative venture shared by McMaster, Ryerson and Laurentian Universities. The McMaster Midwifery Education Program acts as the administrative lead on behalf of the consortium. The 4 year Program provides solid academic background and understanding of the principles of midwifery care as well as the opportunity to integrate this learning in the clinical setting providing the basis for excellence in clinical practice.  The Program works closely with practicing midwives and other maternity care providers to ensure a high quality clinical environment for students. The McMaster Midwifery Education Program also collaborates with the McMaster Midwifery Research Centre and aims to contribute to the development of midwifery practice and research nationally and internationally. Primarily, the administrative assistant will be responsible for providing administrative support for an academic program. The duties will include providing front desk and office support; managing office supplies and classroom equipment; providing support to faculty (i.e. curriculum related activities and other classroom support); providing support to program assistant dean and manager; and providing support for various engagement and recruitment activities. The administrative assistant will also provide support to the program manager in monitoring budgets and reconciling accounts, and completing financial forms such as expense reports, journal entries, and purchase orders, as well as entering and managing data on various spreadsheets. On occasion, the Administrative Assistant may be asked to provide administrative support to the research centre.     

Job Summary:

Responsible for providing administrative support for an academic program or department. Plans and coordinates a variety of academic program or department events. Performs the duties of the position in accordance with established policies, procedures, and calendar of events. Responsible for ensuring adherence to quality standards and procedures for short-term staff.

Purpose and Key Functions:

• Identify and analyze problems with the program and prepare recommendations for review and approval.
• Investigate questions and resolve problems concerning program, curricula, and admissions.
• Inform faculty of student eligibility for funding opportunities and discuss funding scenarios and scholarship options on a case by case basis.
• Advocate on behalf of students who require accommodations or non-standard arrangements with regards to funding and program requirements.
• Collect, analyze, assess, and summarize information relevant to the decision making process and develop recommendations for final approval and implementation.
• Identify external funding opportunities and identify candidates in the program who meet the criteria for these competitions.
• Plan and coordinate a variety of events and activities such as seminars, workshops, and conferences.
• Deliver a variety of academic program or department presentations.
• Review and process applications for internal and external scholarship competitions and program admission.
• Compile and distribute application and admission files for review by the Admissions Committee.
• Assess and summarize the qualifications of eligible applicants and ensure that all applications are complete.
• Provide updates to applicants about the status of their application.
• Coordinate and organize regularly recurring events such as registration, timetabling, room bookings, examinations, committee meetings, and course material requests.
• Monitor and review program registrations and liaise with other departments to process changes to student records and registration.
• Compile course information and update course calendar information.
• Apply standard mathematical skills such as calculations, formulas, and equations to perform routine calculations.
• Greet visitors, answer or redirect general inquiries in person, by telephone and via email and respond independently to inquiries that are specific in nature and require a thorough knowledge of established policies and procedures.
• Provide program and admissions information to potential applicants, students and faculty.
• Act as a liaison between students and the various individuals and offices within and external to the department.
• Inform faculty of established procedures for exam preparation and grade submissions. Ensure that proper procedures are followed and deadlines are adhered to.
• Ensure that there are no conflicts with student timetables and work with the appropriate office to resolve course conflicts.
• Monitor student course registration and provide electronic permissions to allow students to enrol in limited enrolment courses.
• Monitor budgets and reconcile accounts. Complete financial forms such as travel expense reports, electronic cheque requisitions, purchase orders and journal entries.
• Gather and compile the paperwork required to facilitate hiring and payment processes.
• Input financial and employee information required to process pay.
• Write a variety of documents such as correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes.
• Format, word process, edit, and proofread a variety of documents and materials.
• Gather and compile data and documentation for a variety of reports, memos, and program activities.
• Gather, assemble, and distribute documentation required for registration, course material, grade appeals, reinstatements, course overload and prerequisite permissions, and transfer credits.
• Collect, verify, and input data into a variety of spreadsheets and databases.
• Update and maintain information and content on websites and social networks.
• Coordinate the calendar of supervisor and resolve scheduling conflicts.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings including room bookings, agendas, catering and travel arrangements.
• Monitor and order office supplies.
• Source and obtain pricing information for office supplies and equipment.
• Set up and maintain filing systems, both electronic and hard copy.
• Classify, sort, and file correspondence, records, and other documents.
• Update and maintain confidential files and records. Handle sensitive material in accordance with established policies.
• Assemble, copy, collate, and disseminate a variety of documents and materials.
• Open and distribute incoming mail and faxes.
• Prepare outgoing mail, faxes, and courier shipments.
• Maintain the confidentiality of student files and documents.

Requirements:

2 year Community College diploma in Office Administration or related field of study.

Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

Assets:

Position requirements:

• Prior working experience related to an undergraduate clinical/medical education program.
• Experience providing front desk/secretarial services, which includes experience greeting visitors and answering general inquiries that are specific in nature and require a thorough knowledge of established policies and procedures.
• Experiene writing a variety of documents such as correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes.
• Experience responding to inquiries about the Program (general program policies and procedures, admissions, and curriculum) to students, faculty, staff and community partners.
• Experience providing administrative support to supervisors, community partners (i.e. midwifery education program consortium), and research centres.
• Experience entering staff time and absences on mosaic.
• Experience providing clerical support to faculty (i.e. editing/formatting exams and course material, printing course material/exams, booking exam sites, creating course shells and uploading course material on A2L, creating online exams on A2L, ordering teaching supplies etc.), supervisors, staff and community partners (i.e. midwifery education program consortium).
• Experience providing administrative support for program courses (i.e. managing course material (requesting course material, editing/formatting, uploading material on course shells, creating online exams on A2L, booking exam sites, printing exams, setting up course shells, collating and forwarding course and tutor evaluations to Assistant Dean, faculty etc.).
• Experience formatting, word processing, editing, and proofreading a variety of educational documents and materials.
• Experience setting up course shells on Avenue2Learn (Brightspace), which includes requesting course shells, formatting course shells, uploading course content, setting up discusison groups, setting up tutorial groups, and creating online exams.
• Experience managing exams processes, documentation, and ensuring accuracy (i.e. formatting/editing exam copies, creating online exams, printing paper exams, securing exam sites, mailing exam packages, reading scantron data, scheduling exam rooms etc.)
• Experience creating teaching sessional contracts.
• Working knowledge and experience providing support for multiple mini interviews including securing assessors, room bookings, room set up, catering and interview materials.
• Working knowledge and experience attending recruitment events (i.e OUF).
• Experience organizing and coordinating orientation week events.
• Proven experience monitoring budgets, reconciling accounts, processing payments, processing payroll and reporting time.
• Experience collecting, verifying, and updating various spreadsheets and databases (Mosaic/PeopleSoft, Avenue2Learn (A2L), MedSIS, MacBuy, MacDrive, MacFacts).
• Experience using iModules (i.e. creating online newsletters).
• Experience writing short stories, news items for program newsletters.
• Experience using social media (i.e. twitter, facebook).
• Experience using MacFacts (i.e. entring faculty/guest speaker time contributions)
• Experience making updates to websites (preferrably experienced in Sitefinity).
• Experience entering staff time and absences on mosaic. 
• Experience using Webex.
• Proficiency with database applications and extensive knowledge in Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications.
• Experience ordering supplies online.
• Working knowledge and understanding of the policies and procedures of the university, medical education and the midwifery program would be an asset.

Additional Information:

A flexible working schedule and occasional travel is a requirement of this position.

We thank all who apply; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.