Faculty Senate Administration Assistant

Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Faculty Senate Administrative Assistant will provide administrative support to the Faculty Senate and related officers and committees. The Faculty Senate Administrative Assistant attends all Faculty Senate and Executive Committee meetings and prepares minutes for approval. This position also schedules meetings of the Faculty Senate and its committees, maintains an archive of all records, designs and maintains the Faculty Senate web page, and generally works with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker to maintain effective communication with faculty, staff, and administration.

This is a part-time, 30 hours per week position.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal Faculty Senate Administrative Assistant has strong written and editing skills. Ideal candidates have the ability to manage multiple projects at once, interfacing with different offices across campus, including the Registrar’s Office, President’s Office, Provost’s Office, and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. The Administrative Assistant should also have basic budgeting capabilities.

Workplace Requirements:
This position requires occasional movement around campus for meetings. Light physical work may be required to load and set up catered meals.

Workplace Location:
This position will begin exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person in the Faculty Senate office for thirty (30) hours per week. The position may adjust to a hybrid role after a six-month probationary period. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $20.43 to $25.43 per hour
*Non-Exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Associate’s degree

  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

• 3+ years of related administrative experience

  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

Skills:

• Advanced computer skills and demonstrated experience with office software and email applications

• Proven success in following through and completing projects

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills

•  Ability to prioritize and multitask

• Ability to take initiative and ownership of projects

• Ability to routinely and independently exercise sound judgment in making decisions

Preferences:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Administrative support experience in a university or academic setting; experience in event planning and coordination

• Knowledge of the Rice community and/or similar academic environments

• Knowledge of or ability to learn HTML or a CMS (Content Management System) in order to post items on the website

Essential Functions:

• Schedules Senate meetings, plenary faculty meetings, and other events; coordinates meeting arrangements and materials

• Oversees all meeting and event logistics, including location, technology, and catering

• Coordinates the Senate and Promotion and Tenure Committee election processes, from proposing initial calendars to administering elections

• Works with the Office of the Provost to administer the nominations and selections for the Faculty Service and Leadership Awards

• Designs, maintains, and updates the Faculty Senate web page

• Drafts correspondence to various audiences for both internal and external purposes

• Prepares documents and presentations for Senate and Committee meetings

• Assists the Deputy Speaker in collecting faculty preferences for service and populating University Committees

• Drafts detailed meeting minutes for approval

• Preserves detailed records for historical and archival purposes, working with the Woodson Research Center

• Maintains a tracking system for Senate issues and topics for updates, follow-up, and reporting

• Distributes correspondence on behalf of the Faculty Senate

• Maintains and updates multiple email distribution listservs

• Performs other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University 

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.