POST NO:

POST TITLE:School Administrator

GRADE:5

FACULTY:Arts, Design and Media

AJOB DESCRIPTION

1Purpose of the Post

The School Administrator is responsible for:

  • overseeing the planning, negotiating and delivering of an effective support service for staff and students within the School. Ensuring that administrative staff in the School manage their individual workloads by giving advice/direction as and when necessary.
  • the development and implementation of new working practices that are required as a result of new Faculty/School structures and/or new developments in teaching and learning.

2Main Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder has responsibility for:

a)The day-to-day supervision of administrative staff, including work delegation, performance, absence management and annual appraisal, in collaboration with the Director of Faculty Administration and Head of School.

b)Overseeing the School’s reception and enquiry services and ensuring that all enquiries from students, staff and visitors regarding all aspects of the student study programmes are responded to in a timely and effective manner.

c)Managing the support to the range of meetings within the School, such as School meetings, Boards of Studies, and examination boards, including the production of agendas, minutes and associated papers.

d)The allocation of staff to help in cross-faculty activities as and when required, for example, the support of enrolment, examination boards, and award ceremonies.

e)Liaising with other administrative departments within the Faculty regarding the organisation of admissions, enrolment and assessment processes.

f)Ensuring that all documentation for students including student handbooks, council tax exemption certificates and student status letters are produced complying with new university standard formats, observing data protection and confidentiality requirements.

g)Using the student record system to ensure that all students in the School are registered on modules at the start of the academic year, and their marks are input in good time for examination boards to take place.

h)Ensuring that assessment material sent to External Examiners is dispatched securely in line with Faculty procedures.

i)Liaison with the Faculty Office regarding External Examiners’ appointments, and responsibility for booking hotels for External Examiners, when necessary.

j)Ensuring that documents are produced for the review and approval of programmes and annual monitoring.

k)Ensuring that the general day-to-day running of the School office takes place smoothly, ie. distributing post, organising print orders, faxing, photocopying and administering the return of assessment feedback sheets and student assignments.

l)Liaison with all School staff to ensure the efficient management of administration for programmes through negotiating deadlines and prioritising tasks concerning:

  • The collation, completion and recording of student references;
  • The collation, recording and distribution of student assessment feedback sheets;
  • The preparation and distribution of module evaluation questionnaires in order to produce summaries of collated responses, highlighting key issues where apparent;
  • The co-ordination of School activities including local open days, interview days, workshops and training events.
  • Forward planning administrative support for other School activities.

m)Undertaking specific duties that are required to support the Head of School as required, including management of the Head’s diary and schedule.

n)Overseeing the maintenance of finance records and monitoring of budgets and expenditure in collaboration with the Head of School and the Faculty’s Finance Department.

o)Overseeing the management of VT contracts, involving dealing with the Faculty’s Finance Department to ensure that all documentation, payments, and records are accurate.

p)Liaison with the Faculty’s Finance Department in relation to booking conferences/travel and accommodation for staff and processing invoices for payment in connection with these.

q)To undertake other duties commensurate with the grading of the post as may be required from time to time

3Supervisory Responsibility

The post holder supervises a team of administrative staff and the School reception.

4Supervision Received

The post holder reports to the Director of Faculty Administration (and in her absence, the Deputy Directors of Faculty Administration) but will liaise on a day-to-day basis with the Head of School.

5Contacts

Prospective students and the general public. Staff and students in the Faculty, particularly the Executive Dean, the Director and Deputy Directors of Faculty Administration and Programme Directors. Academic Registry and central administrative departments. Representatives from external organisations such as Local Education Authorities, other Higher Education Institutions, schools, Colleges of Further Education, and UCAS.

BREQUIREMENTS OF THE POST HOLDER

6Qualifications and Work Experience

Essential:

  • Educated to at least HND standard, with excellent IT skills.
  • Experience of organising a substantial workload in a busy office environment, preferably within an HE or FE environment.

7Skills / abilities, personality / disposition

Essential:

  • An excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office software and University IT systems.
  • Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to plan and monitor the work of a team,work to deadlines, present data in a user-friendly manner, communicate at all levels and operate independently and as a member of a team.
  • An adaptable and flexible approach to service provision, and the ability to work under pressure from time to time.
  • Must be self-motivated and have a diplomatic and measured approach to confidential information, problem-solving and dealing with people
  • Good interpersonal skills and a pleasant, helpful manner.

8Other requirements

The post holder will need a flexible approach to working hours at times of peak activity. The post holder will also be willing and able to develop their role, as required, and undertake the appropriate training.

The post holder may be expected to travel to the other campuses as and when required by the demands of the role.

NB. / 1. /

The University reserves the right to vary the duties and responsibilities of staff. The above duties may be altered to suit the future needs of the service.

2. / Staff are liable to serve at any of the University’s places of employment as may be required.

Executive Dean......

Date:......

LMH/10 08

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