Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The University Assistant provides day-to-day administrative and academic support to faculty, department heads, and students. This role blends office coordination, student-facing customer service, course and event logistics, records management, and basic research or grant administration. The University Assistant is responsible for maintaining accurate academic records, coordinating class schedules and classroom assignments, supporting onboarding of student workers, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies and reporting standards. Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and familiarity with learning management systems (LMS) and university administrative systems (Banner, PeopleSoft, Workday) are essential.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Assistant (higher education)
Student Services Coordinator or Academic Clerk
Office Coordinator or Receptionist in academic settings

Advancement To:

Senior Administrative Officer / Academic Administrator
Department Manager or Program Coordinator
Research Administrator or Grants Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

Student Affairs Specialist
Registrar’s Office Assistant
Event & Conferences Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide comprehensive administrative support to faculty and department leadership, including calendar management, travel arrangements, meeting coordination, and preparation of agendas and minutes for committees and academic councils.
Manage course logistics each term by coordinating course scheduling, classroom assignments, waitlist management, room bookings, and communicating schedule changes to faculty and students through email and the LMS.
Maintain and update student records and databases (e.g., Banner, PeopleSoft, CRM systems) ensuring accuracy of enrollments, grades, transcripts requests, and FERPA-compliant record handling.
Administer the department’s Learning Management System (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle) by creating course shells, enrolling students, publishing course materials, coordinating grade uploads, and troubleshooting basic instructor/student issues.
Support grading and assessment processes by collecting and verifying assignment submissions, entering grades, preparing grade reports, and coordinating regrade or grade change requests with faculty and the registrar.
Serve as primary front-line customer service for students, faculty, staff, and external partners by answering telephone and email inquiries, triaging requests, and providing timely, professional responses and referrals.
Coordinate recruitment and onboarding of student assistants and temporary staff, including job postings, scheduling interviews, training on departmental procedures, and preparing work schedules and timesheet approvals.
Assist with faculty and research grant administration: prepare budget spreadsheets, track expenditures, reconcile petty cash or p-card transactions, collect approval signatures, and submit routine internal reports to finance or sponsored programs offices.
Prepare, proofread, and format a range of departmental documents — memos, academic program materials, newsletters, faculty CVs, meeting minutes, and grant paperwork — ensuring consistent branding and institutional compliance.
Plan and execute department events such as orientations, guest lectures, seminars, open houses, and graduation-related activities including vendor coordination, room setup, catering orders, and attendee registration.
Monitor and order office and lab supplies, maintain inventory logs, coordinate equipment repairs or maintenance, and manage procurement requests in accordance with university purchasing policies.
Maintain confidential personnel and academic files, process employment paperwork for student employees and hourly staff, and support HR onboarding items such as background checks and I-9 documentation.
Facilitate communication between faculty, staff, students, and central university offices (registrar, admissions, bursar, IT, facilities) to resolve scheduling conflicts, enrollment issues, and operational requests.
Compile, analyze, and present operational metrics and ad-hoc reports (enrollment trends, course demand, budget spend) using Excel, Google Sheets, or institutional reporting tools to inform departmental planning.
Support accreditation, curricular review, and program assessment activities by collecting syllabi, assessment artifacts, and coordinating submission deadlines with faculty and institutional assessment offices.
Coordinate travel and expense reimbursements for faculty and departmental visitors, prepare travel authorization forms, and ensure compliance with institutional travel and reimbursement policies.
Assist faculty with classroom technology and media requests, liaise with IT for AV setups, remote lecture capture scheduling, and troubleshoot common instructional technology issues.
Manage social media updates and website content for the department, draft announcements, event pages, and update faculty profiles in coordination with marketing/communications teams.
Oversee mail distribution, petty cash reconciliation, and departmental billing processes; liaise with central finance and procurement offices to resolve invoicing or payment issues.
Support research activities as needed: assist with literature searches, bibliographic management (EndNote/Zotero), ordering lab materials, coordinating research participant scheduling, and maintaining lab safety documentation.
Enforce and promote department compliance with institutional policies on confidentiality, records retention, accessibility, and equal opportunity; coordinate accommodations requests with disability services when applicable.
Train and mentor new administrative staff and student workers on department workflows, software systems, customer service expectations, and privacy/confidentiality best practices.
Coordinate classroom accessibility and special arrangements for exams, accommodations, and make-up assessments in collaboration with disability services and faculty.
Act as backup for departmental financial and administrative functions during staff absences, ensuring continuity of operations and timely completion of critical tasks.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for enrollment, course utilization, and student success initiatives; produce clear reports and dashboards for departmental stakeholders.
Contribute to continuous improvement projects for departmental processes, including digital forms, automated workflows, and knowledge base documentation.
Collaborate with IT and instructional designers to pilot new educational technologies and support migration projects (e.g., LMS upgrades, Zoom integrations).
Participate in departmental meetings and committees representing administrative perspectives; prepare briefing notes and follow up on action items.
Provide event support for external visitors and donors including logistics, hospitality arrangements, and follow-up correspondence.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient with university administrative systems such as Banner, PeopleSoft, Workday, or equivalent student information systems (SIS).
Strong experience with Learning Management Systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle) — course setup, enrollments, gradebook administration.
Advanced Excel skills: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation, conditional formatting, and basic macros for reporting.
Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive) and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Experience with CRM and ticketing systems for student service management (e.g., Slate, Salesforce for Education, ServiceNow).
Basic budget tracking, expense reconciliation, purchase order processing, and familiarity with university procurement policies.
Competence with record-keeping systems, document management, and ensuring FERPA-compliant handling of student information.
Experience producing reports and dashboards using reporting tools, spreadsheets, or institutional IR systems.
Ability to use scheduling and event platforms (e.g., EMS, 25Live, Eventbrite) and coordinate multi-room bookings.
Familiarity with bibliographic databases and reference management tools (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, EndNote, Zotero) for research support.
Basic graphic or web content skills using CMS (e.g., WordPress) or content editing tools for departmental websites and newsletters.

Soft Skills

Exceptional verbal and written communication tailored to students, faculty, and external partners.
High level of organization, ability to prioritize competing tasks, and strong time-management skills.
Attention to detail and accuracy when handling records, grades, and financial transactions.
Strong customer service orientation and ability to manage difficult conversations professionally.
Discretion and integrity in handling confidential academic and personnel information.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to anticipate needs and propose practical solutions.
Team player who collaborates across departments and contributes to a positive workplace culture.
Adaptability to changing academic cycles, peak periods (registration, exams), and shifting priorities.
Initiative to learn new systems, lead process improvements, and mentor junior staff.
Cultural competence and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusive practices in student interactions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree or relevant certificate strongly preferred.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, Communications, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Higher Education Administration
Business Administration
Communication or English
Library & Information Science
Social Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years of administrative or student services experience in higher education, or 2–4 years equivalent experience in an academic or professional office environment.

Preferred:

2+ years supporting faculty, managing LMS/course administration, or working in a registrar/admissions/finance function within a university.
Demonstrated experience with student-facing services, event coordination, and basic grant or budget administration.