ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT JOB DESCRIPTION
 Nonexempt

Job Title   : ACADEMIC UNIT ASSISTANT (1181)
Completion Date  : 09/22/1998
Policy Group   : Nonexempt-Clerical/Maintenance/Technical

PRIMARY IMPACT:

Takes a leadership role in the provision of complex administrative, technical or production services, or crime prevention.

DUTIES:*

1. Confer with and assist Department Chair in all administrative and instructional matters to include development/completion of department plan and budget process; determine teaching loads for faculty contracts; develop/enter class schedules; coordinate classroom assignments; review tenure and promotional eligibility packets; determine overload/release time assignments; develop/provide department policy for adjunct faculty; explain numerous policies and procedures to faculty and students; coordinate and manage calendar of events and meetings; coordinate and prepare all travel arrangements, leave, and payroll documents; coordinate substitute teaching assignments; compose correspondence concerning administrative/instructional matters.

2. Explain hiring process to adjunct applicants to include tenure/promotion guidelines and procedures and grievance procedures.  Conduct preliminary employment interviews with prospective adjunct faculty to determine who interviews with the Department Chair.  Provide orientation and guidance for adjuncts.

3. Act as liaison between Department Chair, faculty, and students.  Assign faculty advisors to students; conduct department orientation for all majors; explain to students complex degree plans, transferability, 2+2 programs, dual credit, Distance Education, Telecourse and Internet instruction, orientation, and testing procedures.  Coordinate with faculty and community agencies to find student practicums.  Assist in resolving classroom and student schedule conflicts; provide drop slips/drop systematically and explain drop procedure; administer make-up exams; review transcripts/test scores to determine if students have met course prerequisites; recommend resolutions for student/faculty grievances.

4. Manage the departmental budget.  Monitor and confer with Chair concerning expense activities; log, research, and assess expenditures; determine spending trends; verify account summaries; communicate funds available; process budget transfers; compile budgetary reports.

5. Manage Department Web Home Page; handle all revisions and updates.

6. Greet/direct visitors; respond to incoming calls and route calls appropriately.

7. Supervise lower level clerical employees; train, assign/review work, motivate, and evaluate the employee.

8. Maintain complex database and software programs.  Manage/maintain department inventory of supplies and equipment; handle records management system for department; order all department textbooks.

9. Manage department registration; monitor enrollment activities; increase/decrease enrollment maximums; cancel low enrollment sections; notify students; explain other options and class change procedures; reassign faculty as needed.

* Any one position may not include all of the duties listed, nor do the examples necessarily include all of the duties performed.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

Extensive knowledge of department, college, and District policies, guidelines, and procedures;  district purchasing procedures and policies; various computer software packages, mainframe databases, and Internet; business English and math; transcript/test scores for prerequisite status.

Excellent organizational, interpersonal communication, problem-solving, research, analytical, and human relations skills.

Ability to interpret, evaluate, and assess various specialized/problematic situations; adapt quickly; concentrate on detailed projects during numerous interruptions; meet deadlines; make decisions for positive results; work independently and efficiently; work effectively with faculty, students, co-workers, administrators, and the general public; compose and accurately edit documents; type 50 wpm.

JOB EMPOWERMENT

Once given general assignments, the employee determines priorities and defines what should be done and how to do it.  The employee has the ability to change his/her own, or a subordinate's procedures or approaches as appropriate for getting the job done.  Review of the employee's work results is after the fact, usually occurring at the end of a week or longer.

LEADERSHIP OF PEOPLE

Work flow management of a unit including training and contribution to performance appraisal (but not the full complement of management duties).

VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

(+)  Explaining information related to day-to-day or recurring issues.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS

(+)  Composing letters, memos, or reports of a routine or recurring nature.

PROBLEM ANALYSIS

(+)  The employee typically has to deal with problems or situations similar to ones previously encountered and make choices from a limited set of alternatives.  However, after awhile, the answers tend to follow a pattern.

MINIMUM AND PREFERRED EDUCATION

Minimum: A formal training program after high school of approximately one year in duration.

Preferred: An Associate's degree (two-year program or two to three years of college) or equivalent formal training.

Specifically, the position requires one year of formal training or 30 hours of related college course work.  An Associate's degree in Office Systems Technology preferred.

MINIMUM AND PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Minimum: Three to four years.

Preferred: Five to eight years.

Specifically, the position requires three years of related secretarial experience.  Advanced secretarial experience in an academic or occupational/technical education department highly preferred.

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Note:  "(+)" indicates that an "intermediate" definition was selected for this factor.  The statement applies to the lower level.
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