Job Description

Position Duties

Summary
Performs administrative and instruction support duties in support of one or more categorical, special-funded academic, and/or standalone programs that contains elements such as instruction support, outreach, registration for courses, and targeted services to student and community groups. Participates in the work of the program manager and provides support for specific elements and day-to-day routines.

Distinguishing Career Features
The Program Assistant is a paraprofessional position that supports specially funded standalone programs such as, but not limited to, those authorized by federal and state agencies, local groups, and industry partnerships. This position requires a demonstrated ability to implement and support various components of one or more programs, including, but not limited to facilitating, outreach and promotion of services, operations for maintaining instructional environments, registration for non-credit courses and services, record keeping of funds, and preparation of specialized reports.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs outreach and recruitment to targeted students and groups. Prepares written program communications that include class descriptions and brochures.
• Contacts students and groups to initiate communications on the College's behalf to facilitate learning about curriculum, majors, certificates, programs, and services.
• Monitors courses offered by one or more programs. Verifies enrollment, corresponds with students for payment of fees, reviews course completions, and designs, prepares, and issues certificates that authenticate student progress and completion.
• Maintains records of attendance and inputs positive attendance.
• Performs outreach and recruitment to targeted students and groups. Prepares written program communications that include class descriptions and brochures.
• Provides support to the admissions and registration process. Prepares qualifying student rosters for use by counselors, admissions, and financial aid. May participate in student registration.
• Establishes and maintains contact with schools, community and social services organizations, businesses and other agencies that are sources of students and/or referral for specially targeted programs.
• Prepares program materials such as brochures, flyers, booklets, and announcements using desktop publishing and incorporating text with graphics and photographic images.
• Maintains budget records and files. Prepares and inputs accounting forms such as purchase orders, warehouse requests, budget and staffing requests. Receives and processes accounts payable, receives periodic printouts of financial activity and prepares summary reports. Assists in the budget development process by gathering and compiling required information.
• Receives walk-in guests and telephone inquiries from a variety of individuals. Initiates and receives telephone calls, provides information and resolves matters as appropriate, or routes calls as necessary.
• Coordinates and schedules meetings as directed. Prepares schedules and informs participants, confirming dates and times. Makes travel arrangements as directed.
• Attends internal and external meetings as assigned to represent the program, sometimes in place of the department head. Compiles meeting recollections and may facilitate the meetings.
• Performs in-service training for customers. For example, assists students and career network customers who are developing job search skills. In that regard, designs and implements workshops for topics ranging from job search skills, resume writing, positive work behaviors, job retention, to problem-solving.
• Maintains budget records and files. Prepares and inputs accounting forms such as purchase orders, warehouse requests, budget and staffing requests.
• Receives and processes accounts payable, receives periodic printouts of financial activity and prepares summary reports.
• Assists in the budget development process by gathering and compiling required information.
• Prepares periodic reports outlining program compliance and financial and statistical performance. Uses spreadsheets and other office productivity software for tables, illustrations, and background information.
• Inputs student and financial information onto relational databases as required. Updates information and maintains data files. Accesses relational databases for business and education support to extract information and reports supporting research and special requests.
• May receive, handle, and store confidential or sensitive information pertaining to the College, its students, or staff. Maintains confidentiality as required.
• Maintains currency of knowledge and skills related to the duties and responsibilities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills
Requires a working knowledge of educational programs and related service development concepts including communications to targeted customers, acceptance of applications and registrations, and evaluation of program outcomes. Requires working knowledge of the office practices, procedures and equipment that facilitate customer traffic, acceptance of registrations, communications, and performance reporting. Requires working knowledge of the objectives, policies, and procedures associated with the assigned programs. Requires a working knowledge of those activities associated with financial record keeping, budget, and statistical record keeping. Requires a working knowledge of personal computer based software programs that support this level of work, including but not limited to word processing, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, and data entry onto custom data bases. Requires skill in English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, proofreading, and editing to prepare professional correspondence and reports. Requires sufficient mathematics skill to add, subtract, divide, multiple, and compute statistics. Must be skilled in using and troubleshooting various standard office machines, including personal computers with word processing, database, desktop publishing, and spreadsheet applications. Requires sufficient human relations skill to conduct meetings, in-service training, and employ sensitivity to students with special interest or needs.

Abilities
Requires the ability to independently perform all of the duties of the position efficiently and effectively. Must be able to perform office and secretarial work with speed and accuracy. Must be able to learn, interpret, explain and apply knowledge of College and department organization, operations, programs, functions and special department terminology to relieve an administrator or program director of a variety of administrative detail. Requires the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work in order to meet schedules and timelines. Requires the ability to communicate with faculty, students, staff, and the public using patience and courtesy, and in a manner that reflects positively on the department. Requires the ability to work cooperatively and productively with others.

Physical Abilities
Requires sufficient ambulatory ability to reach light-weight work materials. Requires sufficient hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity to keyboard at an advanced rate (about 60 w.p.m.); to record proceedings verbatim at a rate of 60 w.p.m., sufficient visual acuity to recognize words letters and numbers. Requires sufficient auditory ability to carry on conversations with individuals and small groups, both in person and on the phone.

Working Conditions
Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Qualification

Education and Experience
The position requires an Associate’s Degree in and 1 year of experience in an administrative or program support capacity.

Licenses and Certificates
Requires a valid driver's license.

Working Conditions
Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Supplemental Information

*It is the candidate's responsibility to make sure that all required materials have been received. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.*