Administrative Support Spec

The Administrative Support Specialist is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administrative operations of the Agricultural Education program within the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics & Agriscience Education.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is ranked #1 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) at NC A&T is the largest college of Agriculture among HBCUs and top producer of African Americans with degrees in Agriculture and the second national supplier of minority admits in Veterinary Medicine. CAES has a rich history of innovation and application of cutting-edge technology across its four academic departments: Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education; Department of Animal Sciences; Department of Family and Consumer Sciences; and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design. Within these departments, students are offered many opportunities for classroom learning, research, and fieldwork. In addition, the college's research and experiential learning are strengthened by non-academic units, including the University farm and the center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies at the North Carolina Research campus. Through its Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension Programs, CAES conducts research on issues of national importance and provides research-based extension training and services to citizens, communities, and industry partners across the state of North Carolina.

The Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education's faculty consists of core faculty, affiliated graduate faculty members, research associates, and part-time instructors. The Department offers two undergraduate degrees, a B.S. in Agricultural and Environmental Systems (Agribusiness and Food Industry Management) and a B.S. in Agricultural Education with two concentration areas in Agricultural Professional Service and Secondary Education. The BS in Agricultural Education has been nationally recognized as 2nd in the nation for affordable online programs by AffordableSchools.net in 21-22 and is one of the earliest integrators of educational technologies. The Department also offers a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Systems (Agribusiness and Food Industry Management) and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Education with two concentration areas in Professional Licensure and Professional Service. The Department is also uniquely positioned to facilitate research and outreach programming through its international agricultural education and outreach programming, which has sent several faculty, students, and staff abroad to countries such as Canada, Belize, China, and Africa through USDA sponsored projects. The Department also houses an International Trade Center and an Applied Survey Laboratory, which facilitate research and outreach activities for small businesses and small farm operations throughout the state of North Carolina and qualitative and quantitative research analyses, respectively. Ultimately, we seek applicants to contribute to the fulfillment of the Department's vision, which is to uphold the land-grant mission by preparing North Carolinians and the greater global community with an education in agribusiness, applied economics, and agricultural education, a capacity to conduct and/or interpret interdisciplinary research involving agricultural and social sciences, and an ability to engage, build, and strengthen farming/rural and urban communities.

Work Hours 8 AM - 5 PM Monday-Friday Is this position eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, consistent with university and state policies.

Key Responsibilities and Related Competencies

Required Competency Verbal Communication Duties

• The position requires the interpretation of university academic policies as included in the undergraduate and graduate bulletins. Additionally, the position must be aware of established student affairs policies. Moreover, the position must be cognizant of university budgeting and travel procedures, and laws concerning FERPA.

• On a daily basis the position will encounter a variety of student issues concerning curricula, student/faculty conflicts, and student personnel and academic issues which requires the interpretation of specific policies in addressing the issues.

• The position requires interaction with students, families, and other external personnel and must be able to interpret specific university policies in the absence of the department head, program coordinators, or other faculty.

• The position will be responsible for managing programmatic/departmental academic budgets and must use their critical judgment when interpreting university fiscal policy, in order to complete specific task.

• The position handles documents such as Academic Plans of Actions, Academic Transcripts, Counseling Referrals, FER•PA Forms, correspondence to students, faculty, and external stakeholders from the Department Head, program coordinator and faculty personnel files.

• The position manages confidential payroll documents for faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students, which require timely processing.

• The position manages confidential academic grant accounts, and evaluation reports that must be submitted to various department, private entities, and state and governmental agencies.

Required Competency Written Communication Duties

• The position assist the program coordinator/department head in compiling and writing quarterly, monthly, and annual reports with respect to various departmental evaluation metrics and reporting functions.

• Research for data to compile the aforementioned reports is a critical function of this position.

• The position collects data such as GPA, Hours Earned, Academic Persistence, Student Accommodations, Student Internships/Co

• Ops, and other data from a variety of offices such as Institutional Research, Registrar, Admissions, and the Counseling Services.

• The most complex products created are reports for CAPE and NC Department of Public Instruction, programmatic/departmental annual reports, academic budget reports, enrollment Reports, student performance reports/retention reports, and other manuscripts. These products are used to communicate the overall status of the program's operations in terms of faculty, staff, and student issues.

• Other sensitive documents include those related to human resource issues for departmental faculty and staff, and the careful ensuring of all university guidelines be followed and interpreted properly.

• Sensitive documents also include budgetary forms that must be accurately compiled to ensure fiscal compliance with all budgetary functions.

• Sensitive materials include correspondence to the Office of Counseling regarding confidential student issues, the Office of Veterans Affairs and Disability Support Services, and other related reports.

• Writing and distributing email, correspondence memos, letters, faxes, and forms.

Required Competency Office Technology Duties

• The position requires the utilization of the Microsoft Office 365 to compile data and reports.

• It requires the utilization of Banner Finance and Banner Student to access and input data.

• Data specifically from Excel Spreadsheets and other data packages must be linked into Banner Finance and Banner Student for processing.

• The specific tasks that require integration can concern student scheduling, academic records, budget figures, and a variety of other task.

• The position reports directly to the Agricultural Education Coordinator and serves as a member of the administrative staff for the department.

Required Competency Work Coordination Duties

• The documents managed by this position include annual reports, Grade Appeal, Change of Major, Change of Grade, Consortium Forms, Title III budget reports, Enrollment Reports, Student Performance Reports/Retention Reports, and other reports.

• Departmental budget forms for grant accounts, faculty, student, and staff travel are managed by the position.

• The position will have oversight of all student workers employed within the academic program.

• This position will be expected to develop office management procedures that lead to the efficient operation of all program business function in order to serve both internal and external stakeholders.

• The changes in procedures and process that the position will impact should be changed to produce the high quality office work environment, that facilitates effective customer service to visitors, students, and others when needed.

Required Competency Problem Solving Duties

• Many unprecedented issues for this position will many times center around issues of communication with internal and especially external stakeholders, that might not necessarily directly involve this position but eventually will require intervention in absence of the program coordinator.

• Specific unprecedented issues primarily will come in the area of student service and providing them with answers to resolve problems that may affect their specific status at the university.

• Recommendations for many issues encountered by this position could be referral to other university offices, intervening on the stakeholders' behalf with other campus units, and identify resources to solve the issue when pertinent.

• Issues that this position will be called upon to resolve without guidance will include issues with students such as scheduling, student/faculty communication, and issues with financial aid.

• Other issues will include staff conflicts within the department and finding proper resolution to the specific issues.

• Resolving issues with academic budgets and other fiscal matters with respect to the programmatic operations.

Required Competency Program Knowledge/Records Administration Duties

• The position demonstrates knowledge of federal and state funding program policies and procedures.

• The position must have an in-depth working knowledge of AggieMart, Chrome River, Banner Finance and Banner Student in order to properly assist both internal and external stakeholders.

• The position must also have an in-depth knowledge of academic and university business policies in order to properly assist the program coordinator/department head, faculty, staff, and students on a daily basis.

• Information analysis with respect to programmatic/departmental budget expenditures is imperative in order to ensure that university policies are followed.

• Information analysis with respect to academic policies is imperative in order to ensure that university policies are followed and students are properly serviced.

• Information analysis with respect to human resources is imperative in order to ensure that university policies are followed and employee issues are properly addressed.

Required Competency Information/Records Administration Duties

• The position collects data from institutional research, academic affairs, and other university offices to compile monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports from the department and for other entities.

• The position collects information regarding programmatic/departmental accounting in order to report on fiscal management issues.

• The position collects data such as GPA, Hours Earned, Academic Persistence, Student Accommodations, Student Internships/Co

• Ops, and other data from a variety of offices such as Institutional Research, Registrar, Admissions, and the Counseling Services.

• Key data elements include student academic metrics such as GPA, hours earned, hours transferred, financial aid funding, etc..

• Programmatic/departmental budgetary expenditure data is collected with respect to encumbered funds, account balances, and budget revisions

Required Competency Budgeting Duties

• The position is expected to manage all academic budgets within the program, maintain accurate balances, and advise the program coordinator/department head on fiscal matters related to all resources; assist faculty in the management of grant budgets by ordering equipment and supplies, processing employment forms, processing travel requests, and other duties as assigned.