3.10 Administrative Team

Definition
The Administrative Team (AT) at the School of Design and Construction (SDC) is comprised of the Administrative Manager, Administrative Assistant, Fiscal Analyst and student worker(s). The AT serves in the best interest of the school, its programs, and the college. These interests are not mutually exclusive, and the AT should operate with this understanding.

Guiding Principles
The Administrative Team will:

  • Provide equal support to all programs, faculty, and the SDC
  • Be knowledgeable and familiar with faculty/staff/students and program/SDC needs
  • Foster a service-oriented environment
  • Respond to inquiries efficiently and in a timely manner
  • Preserve opportunities for face-to-face interaction
  • Maintain ability to respond to priority needs
  • Uphold clear lines of responsibility and supervision
  • Employ best practices
  • Endeavor to have a positive impact on faculty, staff and student morale

Position Responsibilities

Administrative Manager:

  • Provides leadership for the AT staff, activities, and duties
  • Budget management (including state, summer, accruals, grants, course fees, development funds, and TAs)
  • Purchasing oversight (policy compliance [BPPM, WAC and funding agencies], invoices, payments, and reconciliation)
  • Personnel and payroll administration (Workday, personnel files, work authorizations, etc.)
  • Scholarship oversight (committee, funding, award administration)
  • Office, facilities, and event coordination
  • Confidential support to director (annual reviews, intensive reviews, tenure & promotion, faculty searches)
  • Secondary support for Grant administration (support to faculty for preparation/submission)

Administrative Assistant:

  • Reception for front desk, phones, visitors, key inventory, building access, incoming/outgoing mail and packages
  • Grant administrator for faculty research endeavors
    • Review sponsor RFP to understand deadlines, regulations, allowed and restricted activities, etc.
    • Assist with budget creation
    • Review all documents for completeness and if they meet the sponsor regulations
    • Post-Award duties such as: assisting PI with spending reviews, report editing, project re-budget requests, award close out
  • Hourly employee/TA personnel management
  • Travel coordinator for faculty, faculty led student travel, SDC visitors etc., from spend authorization to expense report
  • Event coordinator (e.g. lectures, exhibits, receptions, meetings, commencement, advisory board)
  • Expensing Pcard/CTA transactions and monthly reconciliation of travel Pcard
  • Clerical/office support (e.g. message boards, manage conference and seminar room calendar requests, facility requests)

Fiscal Analyst:

  • Procurement for school, programs, and faculty research
  • Maintain tracking database for all fiscal activity
  • Expensing Pcard transactions and monthly reconciliation of procurement Pcards
  • Assisting faculty and external visitors with expense reimbursements (not related to travel)
  • Monthly account reconciliations (including state, summer, accruals, grants, course fees, development funds, etc.)
    • Data analysis to identify inconsistencies
    • Works with Administrative Manager to rectify problems
  • Assist in preparing budget projections and annual departmental budget.
  • Preparing and providing account balance reports to Administrative Manager for the appropriate dissemination:
    • each semester:
      • course fee revenue for faculty notifications of the allowable course spending limit
      • Fab Lab course fee revenue and initial budget projection for supplies/materials and student worker salary expenses
    • quarterly: financial status of gift accounts
    • annually: financial data as needed to report to the accreditation body
  • Secondary support for travel and event coordination

Student Worker(s):

  • Assistance with front desk reception, visitors, mail and packages
  • Assists SDC faculty and staff (e.g. copies, cleaning, storage, posting and/or maintaining media walls in SDC buildings, etc.)
  • Maintains studio first aid cabinets to the appropriate stocking levels
  • Graphic design for school and programs as appropriate
  • Secondary support for event coordination and assists with local event set up  

Administrative Team Structure
The AT works with the director and program heads regarding school and program support. Overall supervision of the AT is provided by the director. Annual reviews for Administrative Manager will be completed by the Director with input from others as essential. Annual reviews for the other AT staff will be completed by the Administrative Manager with input from others as essential.

Additional Resources

For additional reference please visit Human Resources Employee Handbooks.

Administrative Team Operations

The AT is committed to providing a full range of services during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) as follows:

  • Office Schedules & Callout Procedures
    • In the event an AT staff member needs to be gone during the business day, e-mail the Administrative Manager and sdc.admin@wsu.edu.
    • The Administrative Manager, IT Manager and Fab Lab Manager should inform the Director of their regular schedules. This includes communicating when sick, late, or out of the office. IT Manager and Fab Lab Manager will post hours and schedules outside their respective workspaces.
    • Annual Leave for all staff is scheduled with approval one’s supervisor (Director or Administrative Manager) and should be requested a minimum of one week in advance.
  • Communication Policies
  • Presenting a positive and optimistic attitude regarding the school, the individual programs, and the university is of utmost importance. Staff are often the first point of contact for our constituents, and the impression of the school begins at the first point of contact. We always want our school and programs to be represented with respect.
  • In the event that office operational hours need to be adjusted, notify the Director and VCEA Assistant to the Dean via e-mail. Also post signage on the door so that faculty, students, and the public are informed of the change.
  • In periods where response time may be impaired, a detailed out-of-office reply will be attached to e-mail. The following template may be adjusted depending on the circumstances:
    1. Thank you for your email. With the start of the semester/winter break/extended leave, etc.) the School of Design and Construction is currently experiencing a delayed response time to e-mails and voicemail messages. Our policy is to respond within two (2) business days. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
  • In normal operations response time for voice messages and e-mails will be within two (2) business days of receipt – even if it is a confirmation that the inquiry has been received and that more time is needed for a detailed response.
  • As stated above, staff is the first point of contact for the school’s constituents. It goes without saying, presenting a positive and helpful demeanor is most important.
  • Staff Meetings
    1. The AT will meet as needed to ensure consistent communication and coordination of responsibilities.

Team Processes
The AT has established procedures and timelines in conjunction with university regulations for the items identified below. It is critical that the AT work to meet university requirements and deadlines, follow the BPPM, and bring issues forward to supervisor(s) to find appropriate solutions. Coordination, adherence, and timely responses are a direct reflection on our school. In circumstances where deadlines and requirements cannot be met, the AT are expected to communicate directly to their immediate supervisor so that the issues can be resolved, and the information can be provided to the individuals and offices that will be affected.

  • Travel: defined by the Travel Guide and Checklist and Student Travel Guidelines policies
  • Course Fees: defined by the Course Fee Expenditure Guide policy
  • Purchases: defined by the Purchasing Guide and Checklist policy
  • Facilities Requests: defined by various WSU policies depending on need.
  • Grants and Contracts: defined by WSU policies
  • Other: AT staff will perform other duties as essential and as reasonable for the effective operation of the SDC.