Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Clerk

🎯 Role Definition

The University Clerk is a detail-oriented administrative professional who supports the operational needs of an academic department or student services office. Responsibilities include managing student records and administrative transactions, processing forms and correspondence, maintaining filing and database systems, providing exceptional customer service to students/faculty/staff, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies (including privacy regulations such as FERPA). The University Clerk acts as the first point of contact for routine inquiries, coordinates scheduling and office resources, and prepares routine financial and operational reports for departmental leaders.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Assistant or Receptionist in higher education
Student Services Assistant or Registrar’s Office Support
Office Clerk or Data Entry Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Administrative Clerk / Lead Clerk
Departmental Administrative Coordinator or Office Manager
Registrar’s Office Technician or Records Supervisor
Administrative Supervisor or Academic Services Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Records Management Clerk
Financial Aid Assistant
Scheduling/Enrollment Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Maintain, update, and verify student academic records and departmental files by accurately entering data into the student information system (e.g., Banner, PeopleSoft), ensuring records are current, complete, and compliant with university retention policies.
Process admissions, registration, add/drop, withdrawal, graduation, and transcript requests; validate documentation, track processing status, and communicate outcomes to students and faculty.
Receive, review, and process a wide variety of departmental paperwork including enrollment forms, grade change requests, petitions, and academic exceptions; escalate complex or unusual cases to supervisory staff.
Serve as the primary front-line point of contact for students, parents, faculty, and staff in-person, by phone, email, and live chat — triage inquiries, provide information, and route more complex matters to appropriate offices.
Prepare, issue, and reconcile departmental invoices, receipts, petty cash requests, and expense reimbursements; maintain accurate financial logs and support periodic budget reconciliations.
Manage mail distribution, courier services, and supply inventories for the department; order office supplies, monitor stock levels, and maintain vendor relationships to ensure cost-effective purchases.
Coordinate scheduling for rooms, exams, advising appointments, and departmental events; maintain shared calendars and liaise with facilities and security for setup and access.
Create, format, and proofread official correspondence, departmental newsletters, academic notices, memos, certificates, and promotional materials to ensure professional presentation and accuracy.
Prepare regular and ad-hoc reports on enrollment trends, attendance, transaction volumes, and other key metrics using spreadsheets and reporting tools; present findings to managers to support decision-making.
Scan, index, and maintain digital and physical document archives according to records retention schedules; implement consistent filing taxonomy and ensure version control.
Administer confidential information with strict adherence to privacy regulations (e.g., FERPA) and university policies; manage access controls and disclosure documentation.
Reconcile and maintain accurate transaction ledgers for departmental accounts, grant accounts, and student fee collections; prepare documentation for internal and external audits.
Assist with the preparation and distribution of payroll documentation for hourly student workers and temporary staff, including timesheet verification and submission.
Execute routine HR and onboarding tasks for student assistants and casual hires: prepare position paperwork, coordinate training, and maintain personnel files and clearance records.
Monitor compliance deadlines for academic processes (e.g., grade submission, graduation application deadlines), proactively reminding faculty and students of required actions and escalating missed deadlines.
Support faculty by preparing course materials, copying/readying examinations, processing travel requests and reimbursements, and coordinating guest speaker arrangements.
Perform data quality checks, resolve discrepancies, and run validation scripts or queries as needed to ensure database integrity and prevent data drift.
Coordinate and support special projects such as degree audits, curriculum change filings, program accreditation documentation, and end-of-term processing.
Maintain and update departmental web pages and online resource guides with current forms, deadlines, and contact information to improve self-service for students and staff.
Provide training and documentation for new hires and student staff on office procedures, systems usage, and customer service expectations to maintain consistent service levels.
Track and reconcile student fee payments, deposits, and refunds; communicate payment status and deadlines and work with central finance offices to resolve discrepancies.
Support emergency and continuity procedures by maintaining up-to-date contact lists, access permissions, and backup copies of critical records for rapid recovery.

Secondary Functions

Assist with data collection for institutional reporting, accreditation, and compliance projects; gather files, extract records, and validate source data against reporting specifications.
Participate in process-improvement initiatives: document current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and propose streamlined administrative procedures to improve service delivery.
Coordinate with IT to report and prioritize technical issues affecting office productivity (e.g., access to student records systems, printer/fax problems) and test fixes or updates.
Support community and outreach events by coordinating registrations, compiling attendee lists, producing name badges, and preparing information packets.
Provide basic support for departmental data analyses using spreadsheets; prepare pivot tables, charts, and summary tables to assist supervisors in decision-making.
Assist the department in maintaining compliance with records retention and destruction schedules; prepare materials for secure disposal or archival transfer.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with student information systems and higher education platforms (examples: Banner, PeopleSoft, SIS) — accurate data entry and query/reporting capabilities.
Strong Microsoft Office skills: advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data validation), Word document preparation, Outlook calendar management.
Document and records management expertise: scanning, OCR, indexing, and electronic filing systems (e.g., SharePoint, OnBase).
Basic accounting and financial transaction processing: invoice entry, petty cash reconciliation, ledger updates, and departmental budget tracking.
Experience with CRM and ticketing systems used in student services (e.g., Slate, Salesforce, Ticketing platforms).
Familiarity with privacy and compliance frameworks relevant to higher education (FERPA awareness and operational controls).
Ability to generate reports from institutional databases and export/import CSV, XLSX files for analysis and archival.
Competence with office equipment: multi-function copiers, postage meters, fax machines, and secure shredding procedures.
Basic web content update skills (CMS or intranet editing) to maintain departmental webpages and forms.
Keyboarding and accurate high-volume data entry skills with a strong emphasis on error detection and correction.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in record-keeping and transactional work.
Strong verbal and written communication; ability to compose professional correspondence and explain policies to diverse audiences.
Customer-service orientation — patient, responsive, and able to manage high-volume front-desk interactions with empathy and discretion.
Time management and prioritization skills for handling competing deadlines and peak-period workloads (e.g., registration, graduation).
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to escalate issues appropriately and propose practical solutions.
Teamwork and collaboration — works effectively with faculty, staff, students, and central offices.
Confidentiality, integrity, and professional judgment when handling sensitive student or financial information.
Adaptability to changing institutional processes, software updates, and seasonal workload variation.
Initiative and willingness to take ownership of tasks while following established procedures.
Organizational skills for maintaining physical and electronic filing systems that support quick retrieval and audit readiness.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent (required).

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Office Management, Education, Public Administration, or a related field (preferred).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Office Management / Administrative Studies
Education / Higher Education Administration
Public Administration
Records Management / Information Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years of clerical or administrative experience, preferably in a higher education or public sector environment.

Preferred:

2–5 years of experience working in a university registrar, student services, academic department office, or similar setting with demonstrated proficiency in student information systems, financial transaction processing, and records management.