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NOTES• Forms must be downloaded from the UCT website: http://forms.uct.ac.za/forms.htm • This form serves as a template for the writing of position descriptions.
• A copy of this form is kept by the line manager and the position holder.
POSITION DETAILS Position title Administrative Assistant
Job title (HR Practitioner to provide)
Position grade (if known) 7 Date last graded (if known)
Academic faculty / PASS department Science Faculty
Academic department / PASS unit Academic Administration Division / section Postgraduate Section Date of compilation
ORGANOGRAM
(Adjust as necessary. Include line manager, line manager’s manager, all subordinates and colleagues. Include position grades)
PURPOSE The main purpose of this position is:
The main purpose of this position is to provide efficient and effective secretarial and administrative support to the Science Faculty Office and conduct daily administration of postgraduate and occasional study applications to the Faculty of Science. Excellent customer service is a key function of this position. The administrator must be familiar with the details of the University and Faculty activities to deal with queries or to direct queries to other offices within the University or to other administrative staff.
Faculty Manager PC12 Deputy Faculty Manager PC10 Senior Administrative Officer (Undergraduate) PC9 Administrative Officer PC8 Administrative Officer PC8 Administrative Assistant PC7 (this position) Senior Secretary/receptionist PC6
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CONTENT
Key performance areas
% of time spent
Inputs
(Responsibilities / activities / processes/ methods used)
Outputs (Expected results)
1 Student Admissions 40% • Receive the electronic postgraduate applicant status report (ASR) on a daily basis.
• Access ASR manually from Business Objects when needed.
• Sort ASR data by department.
• Send sorted ASR to departments weekly (and on request) and respond to admissions-related queries from departments.
• Receive departmental recommendations through the ASR and act on these by:
o accessing applicant documentation from Perceptive Content/Peoplesoft and preparing for consideration by the Deputy Dean (DD)/Deputy Faculty Manager (DFM);
o obtaining ECCTIS equivalence for foreign qualifications;
o processing admissions decisions on Peoplesoft; o processing email communications (ComGen) once an
applicant’s status is updated.
• Provide general administrative support for postgraduate admissions (respond to queries received via email, telephone and face-to-face). • Assist with processing postgraduate and occasional
student registrations.
• Liaise with Departments, Admissions Office, Fees Office and IAPO with issues arising from
postgraduate students’ admissions or registrations. • Respond to telephonic, electronic and in-person
enquiries from prospective applicants interested in PG/occasional courses offered by the Faculty. • Process SSA applications and liaise with IAPO to
ensure SSA students are able to register efficiently. • Ensure all admissions documents and
correspondence (electronic and paper copies) are filed and accessible by all Faculty staff.
• Assist with the processing of undergraduate admissions, where needed.
• Departments receive the ASR weekly.
• Applicant documents are submitted to the DD or DFM for consideration.
• Applications are updated on Peoplesoft accurately and timeously.
• Applicants receive the outcome of their applications via Peoplesoft ComGens timeously.
• Admissions queries are attended to promptly and professionally; accurate information is provided to applicants, parents, and all other stakeholders. • SSA applications are processed and student records
are prepared for registration.
• All admissions documents are filed accurately and within a reasonable timeframe.
2 Student Administration 20% • Capture registrations and change of curricula on PeopleSoft, as required.
• Under the guidance of the DFM coordinate SSA and occasional student registration (confirm dates, book venues etc.).
• Capture student information onto Peoplesoft. • Maintain the filing for all electronic- and paper-based
postgraduate applications in the Faculty, including archiving.
• Assist with the compilation, and iterative editing, of the postgraduate sections of the Dean’s Circular.
• Capture of Master’s and PhD candidatures on PeopleSoft including updating dissertation/thesis titles and supervisor details.
• Assist with updating student progression codes and result changes when required.
• Follow up on returning students who fail to reregister. • Assist with processing “administrative registrations”.
• Change of curricula requests are captured accurately and to meet deadlines.
• SSA registration is planned in advance and student records are prepared for registration.
• Student information is captured accurately. • Filing and archiving completed accurately and
according to agreed timeframes.
• DC information is maintained accurately and in the required format.
• Candidature information is captured on Peoplesoft. • Promotion codes are captured accurately.
• Returning students who fail to register are contacted in good time and follow ups are made to ensure that as many students as possible reregister. Reasons obtained from students who do not plan to reregister are compiled for reporting purposes.
• Administrative registrations are processed and the fee reversed.
3 Year-End Processing and graduation 10% • Assist with compiling and checking lists for the FEC agenda.
• Assist with the recording of decisions at the FEC meetings. • Assist with graduation preparation and processing including
assisting at the graduation ceremonies (ushering,
marshalling, handing out medals/certificates or transcripts).
• The FEC documents are compiled accurately within strict deadlines.
• The FEC lists are accurate.
• Graduation ceremonies run smoothly with students receiving assistance where necessary.
4 General and Office Administration 10% • Photocopying, scanning.
• Filing (both paper and electronic) and managing documents.
• Leave substitution for colleagues within the Faculty Office. • Answering phone calls and taking messages for members
of staff.
• Under the guidance of the DFM assist with the RAC process – compile lists, manage documents, changing statuses on Peoplesoft, generating letters, maintaining an electronic filing system.
• Any other work assigned.
• Photocopying and filing completed as required according to agreed timelines
• Standing in for colleagues as agreed from time to time
• Messages are taken accurately and passed on to the relevant staff member on their return. • RAC lists are compiled with a high degree of
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5 Other tasks 10% • Peoplesoft projects – providing support for any projects or pilots. This may include set-up, data capturing or testing etc.
• Working with data: preparing and interpreting data which may include drawing graphs or lists, mostly using Excel. • Assist with editing the postgraduate handbook.
• Assist with administrative tasks that may arise from time to time, including requests from the Dean, Deputy Deans, FM, DFM and any other senior office staff.
• Projects receive support when required. • Data is presented according to the
requirements and according to the agreed timelines.
• The PG Handbook is updated regularly to reflect current information and deadlines.
6 Client/student liaison 10% • Co-ordinate liaison between the Faculty Office and other departments/offices within the University with regards to queries and follow-up.
• Respond to student/staff/visitor queries.
• Interact in a polite and professional manner with all clients (internal and external).
• Positive feedback from internal and external clients.
• Queries responded to politely, professionally and within the required timeframe.
• Ensure that all clients/students who interact with the Faculty Office via email, telephone or in person receive excellent help and
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum qualifications National Senior Certificate (NSC)
Minimum experience
(type and years) Two years of experience in academic administration.
Skills Computer literate: Intermediate level MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Peoplesoft.
Knowledge Knowledge of UCT’s academic administrative systems and processes. Professional registration
or license requirements Other requirements
(If the position requires the handling of cash or finances, other requirements must include ‘Honesty to handle cash or finances’.)
Competencies (Refer to
UCT Competency Framework )
Competence Level Competence Level Analytical thinking/problem solving 1 Building interpersonal relationships 1 Client/student service and support 1 Planning and organizing / work management 1
Quality commitment/ work standards 1 Teamwork / collaboration University
awareness 1
Professional knowledge or skill 1 Communication 1
SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY
Functions responsible for The main purpose of this position is to process postgraduate admissions and provide administrative support to applicants and students in the Science Faculty.
Amount and kind of supervision received
Works individually and as part of a team. Collaborate with colleagues in the Faculty Office, the Admissions Office, IAPO and academic departments. Reports to the Deputy Faculty Manager.
Amount and kind of
supervision exercised Supervision of temporary assistant/s when required.
Decisions which can be
made Routine processes for which specific approval is not required.
Decisions which must be
referred Admissions decisions and any decisions which require specific approval.
CONTACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Internal to UCT Admissions Office, Fees Office, IAPO, Academic departments and academic staff, administrative staff, students
