Administrative Manager and Assistant to The Avpa

Overview:
**Term: 1 year**

The Administrative Manager and Assistant to the AVPA (AMAA) reports to the Associate Vice-President, Academic (AVPA) and provides executive assistant-level support to that role and serves as liaison between the AVPA and senior academic and administrative leaders on campus. The AMAA is also responsible for developing, establishing, maintaining and overseeing effective administrative processes for the AVPA Office and the various offices housed within the AVPA (Quality Assurance, Academic Integrity, Teaching Assessment Processes), and for the ongoing programs (e.g., the Academic Leadership Program, the Undergraduate Communications Requirement Group) and the various and changing strategic projects run out of the AVPA Office. The AMAA provides secretarial and administrative support to some of the academic governance bodies chaired by the AVPA (Alternative Credentials Approval Committee, Undergraduate Operations), and in collaboration with QA Office staff ensure the smooth operation of the University’s various academic quality assurance processes. The role requires a wide range of skills, the ability to assess unexpected situations that may require the AVPA’s immediate attention and modify the AVPA’s schedule as required, a high degree of professional courtesy and competence when dealing with students, faculty members and staff on behalf of the AVPA, and absolute discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with sensitive issues or records.

**Responsibilities**:
Executive Support to the AVPA
- With mínimal direction or supervision, maintains the schedule of the AVPA; the AMAA must be fully aware of the AVPA’s schedule and priorities, including travel commitments, and strategically plan the AVPA’s schedule to maximize the AVPA’s use of time
- Must be prepared to assess unexpected situations that may require the AVPA;’s immediate attention and make rapid changes to arrangements, and to alert the AVPA to potential scheduling conflicts and priorities
- Manages travel arrangements including accommodation, transportation, conference registration, and meeting schedules for the AVPA; prepares and processes travel and expense claims
- Ensures business continuity in the absence of the AVPA
- The AMAA is a frontline position that serves as the liaison between the AVPA (and the AVPA Office) and those in leadership roles of many sorts across campus, including senior administration (President’s Office, VPAP Office, Deans Offices), academic support units, and student groups. As such, the AMAA exemplifies professional courtesy, absolute discretion, and utmost confidentiality when dealing with confidential records or discussions

Responsible for the Financial Administration of the AVPA Office and the Units and Special Projects Operating Within It, and Liaises with the Financial Officers of other Units within the AVPA Portfolio
- Manages the non-salary budgets of the AVPA Office and the units (Quality Assurance, Academic Integrity, Teaching Assessment Processes) and programs (Academic Leadership, LITE Grants, etc.) housed in it
- Manges the budgets of the various strategic initiatives administered by the AVPA Office at any time, and liaises with the Vice-President, Academic and Provost’s Office as appropriate in establishing such budgets
- Exercises signing authority on all expense accounts in the AVPA office
- Liaises with the financial officers of academic support units outside the AVPA Office but within the AVPA portfolio (Centre for Online Learning, Centre for Teaching Excellence, Writing and Communication Centre) on all relevant financial matters
- Working with the AVPA, forecasts budgets for all AVPA units and provides recommendations about mid-year adjustments when requested by the University

Ensures the Smooth Functioning of the Site Visit Portion of the Academic Quality Assurance Program
- Meet regularly with QA staff to devise and maintain a feasible schedule for site visits, and to discuss complications as they arise and agree on solutions

Arranged and managed logistics for site visits, including:

- Sending invitations to perspective reviewers and managing responses
- Maintaining the feasibility of the schedule of site visits by adjusting according to availability of reviewers in ways that do not generate scheduling conflicts
- Along with the QA staff, meeting with Chairs/Directors and relevant administrative staff to review the crafting of the site visit agenda and answering questions about the site visit process
- Liaising with relevant offices, arranging meeting times for site visitors with senior leadership (VPAP, AVPA, AVPGSPA, Deans). Conducting preliminary review of the completed agenda provided by the program before forwarding to the QA Director for final review. Providing the finalized agenda to reviewers, the program, the VPAP, Vice-President, AVPA, and AVPGSPA
- Acting as first point of contact for site visitors on logístical matters