Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant


Benedictine University is an inclusive academic community, inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition and Benedictine values. We seek employees who will contribute to the advancement of our mission by helping students shape lives of meaning and purpose as engaged citizens who care for the Earth, welcome people of diverse faiths and cultures, and promote the common good.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Department: Nutrition Department
Reports to: Department Chair (Nutrition)
Status: Full-time, benefit eligible - On Campus

Position Summary: Full-time benefit eligible Administrative Assistant responsible for the coordination of functions for the Nutrition Department. Some key responsibilities are coordination of daily office operations, purchasing processes, data tabulation and preliminary statistical analysis of data for program assessment, web page development, and administrative support. Works independently.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

1. Coordination of Department Functions:

Responsible for the coordination of all Nutrition Department functions, including: organization and execution of daily department operations and administrative support for department faculty, which includes but is not limited to support in preparing for the beginning of each academic term as well as assistance throughout the year.

Facilitate print orders; Processing and directing mail/deliveries; Oversee annual mailings (e.g., preceptor certificates, awards, surveys); Assist with book orders (e.g., adjuncts). Assist in updating and posting program handbooks annually; Review syllabi at the start of the term for omissions/errors and work with Dept Chair and/or faculty member to resolve/update; Archive syllabi;

Assist adjunct faculty with D2L and PeopleSoft gradebooks; Enroll faculty into program specific D2L resource sites; Use queries to generate and distribute reports from PeopleSoft as needed for advising, program review, and accreditation; Generating data to assist dept with forecasting course needs;

Retrieve documentation for prospective MS ND/Dietetic Interns from the DICAS system, share with DI Director and Dept team for interviews; Request and track receipt of items from 'matched' incoming Dietetic Interns (e.g., original final transcript, vaccination records, background check, etc.) per DI Director; Assist DPD Director in requesting and tracking requirements for NUTR 4372 course (e.g., vaccination, background check, etc.).

Assist with course scheduling as directed by the Department Chair, and follow up on updates/changes as needed; Assist in following up on catalog changes (and other) submitted by the Department Chair;

Participate in Nutrition Department, college, and Advisory Board meetings, including maintaining record of meeting minutes; Represent the departments at various events and meetings as requested;  

Assist in the recruitment (e.g., forms, interviews) and hiring processes (e.g., forms, keys, rooms, equipment) for department members, including student workers, as directed by the Dept Chair and Dean's Administrative Assistant; Supervise student workers; Archive CV and CPE from faculty and DI Director on annual basis, and document as request on ACEND forms for accreditation;

Assist/coordinate services and catering with departmental functions/seminars/meetings/special events when required (e.g., awards banquet, CPE events, Advisory Board meetings, on-site Accreditation visits, student sessions, etc.);  

2. Assist Students:

Be knowledgeable about all dept programs; Greeting and managing requests of office suite walk-ins; Respond to emails and phone calls from students and prospective students;

Assist walk-in students in completion of forms (e.g., change of major, DPD major application), as needed; facilitate department test proctoring (e.g., pre/post-test with Visual Veggies);

Enroll students into program specific D2L resource sites, and post updates to D2L site; Assist the Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics (e.g., posting minutes to D2L, email announcements); Post communications from Dietetic Interns; Assist department in generation (from PeopleSoft) and distribution of PINs to qualified students as needed to register for courses, and assist in follow-up with these students on completion of any missing course pre-req;

3. Assist in Procurement:

Coordinating and maintaining Nutrition Department operating budgets, while keeping accurate and organized records for all payment requisitions, check requests, purchase orders and office expenditures; Procure items for the department as needed/requested, and follow up as needed;

4. Assist with Program Review and Accreditation Efforts:

Oversee distribution, collection, and tabulation of surveys for accreditation purposes; Creating tracking mechanisms (e.g., Excel, SPSS statistical program) for ease of use for data gathering and tracking purposes for assessment and accreditation purposes; Manage the collection of data at the beginning of each term (e.g., syllabus) and end of each term (e.g., IDEA student course evaluation system, supplemental surveys, grade records); Oversee assembly and mailing of exit packets to graduating seniors, as well as tabulation of data; Assist with the coordination, updating, and entering the data that gets tracked for both graduate and undergraduate nutrition programs; Responsible for compiling data as directed for assessment and accreditation to generate reports, statistics, timelines, tables, graphs, correspondences, project logs, and other related department data; Assist in alumni data gathering and reporting processes; Assist with creation of dietetics program Verification Statements for graduating students;

Organize data on a Share drive for all department access; Assist in organization of data and materials for on-site accreditation visits;  

5. Assist with external affiliations:

Assist with the creation, compilation, organization, tracking, and documentation efforts of affiliation agreements for all programs in the department, site correspondence, and site rotation evaluations; Initiate and track process for updating affiliation agreements as needed.

Assist in partnership efforts, including letters to potential internship partners and tracking efforts;

Assist in 2+2 program efforts (e.g., tracking contracts) as needed;

6. Assist with Recruitment Efforts:

Maintain/update the undergraduate and graduate nutrition programs web pages as needed and/or as directed by the Department Chair, DPD Director, MS program Director, and/or Dietetic Internship Director;

Facilitate development and update of Dietetic programs Director contact lists annually; Assist in recruitment efforts, including emails/letters to DPD Directors and students; Assist in development and posting of social media messages to promote the programs; Assist in adding faculty and student 'news' section to our department website;

Assist in securing booths for recruitment purposes (e.g., annual Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Food and Nutrition Conference (FNCE), IL AND spring assembly).

Other Functions:

1. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:



Education: Bachelor’s degree required

Experience: 3-5 years of relevant work experience

Specific Skills: Must possess strong analytical and organizational skills, make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments, with the ability to prioritize, multitask, and meet deadlines a must. Strong professional verbal and written communications skills are required. Applied knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite required. Ability to use statistical analysis program and interpret results for program assessment support purposes preferred. Use of Learning Management Systems and experience assisting with web page development preferred. Candidate will be personable, and flexible enough to be able to interact with many different types of personalities, and be able to work within a group or independently.  

Specific Knowledge, Licenses, Certifications: N/A

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds.

Use of computer screen, phone and customer service.
May require bending, or sitting for long periods of time. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Travel (If applicable): N/A

Supervisory Responsibility (if applicable): Supervision of student workers

Working Conditions: Normal office environment

Benedictine University does not discriminate in its admissions or educational policies, programs or activities; scholarship and loan programs; athletic and other University administered programs or employment practices on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The laws applicable to Benedictine University include constitutional and statutory protections of the University's rights as a religiously sponsored institution. This policy of equal employment opportunity applies to all employment and personnel practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promotion, training and compensation.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Benedictine University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.