POSITION SUMMARY
The Federal Work Study Office Clerk / Administrative Assistant provides direct administrative and clerical support to the VP - Director of Business and Finance. In addition to general office support, this position serves as an administrative coordination resource for email and calendar organization, meeting scheduling, call coordination, action-item tracking, meeting recap preparation, document organization, and follow-up activities. The student employee will work in a professional environment supporting College leadership, faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, vendors, and visitors.
Because the role may involve access to sensitive and non-public information, sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and responsible use of College systems are essential requirements of the position.
PRIMARY ADMINISTRATIVE & EXECUTIVE SUPPORT RESPONSIBILITIES - Email and correspondence coordination. Assist with delegated organization of the VP/Director’s email, including monitoring designated messages, flagging priority items, organizing follow-up needs, routing requests appropriately, and preparing draft responses. Messages may be sent on behalf of the VP/Director only when specifically authorized.
- Calendar and call coordination. Maintain and coordinate the VP/Director’s calendar as assigned; schedule and reschedule internal and external calls and meetings; confirm attendees; reserve rooms; create Zoom/Teams links; and ensure meeting details are complete.
- Action-item management. Maintain a current action-item and follow-up tracker for the VP/Director, including owners, due dates, status, and required next steps. Provide reminders and follow up with responsible parties when requested.
- Meeting preparation and recaps. Prepare agendas, materials, attendee lists, and meeting files. Attend designated meetings when requested, capture notes, and draft concise meeting recaps identifying key topics, decisions, action items, responsible parties, and expected follow-up dates. Recaps should be distributed only after review or authorization by the VP/Director.
- Follow-up coordination. Assist in communicating routine reminders, information requests, scheduling needs, and status follow-ups to College departments and external contacts on behalf of the VP/Director.
- Document and file management. Maintain organized electronic and physical files, naming conventions, meeting folders, reference materials, and version control so information can be located quickly and accurately.
- Administrative workflow support. Assist with document routing, signature/approval packets, receipt and expense-document organization, contact lists, recurring deadlines, special projects, and other administrative coordination as assigned.
- Priority management. Help identify time-sensitive requests, deadlines, unanswered items, and scheduling conflicts so the VP/Director can address the highest-priority matters efficiently.
GENERAL OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT SUPPORT - Provide front desk and reception support for the Business and Finance office and greet faculty, staff, students, trustees, vendors, alumni, and visitors professionally.
- Answer, screen, and route routine calls or requests and coordinate scheduling when appropriate.
- Make copies, scan documents, prepare print jobs, create labels, files, packets, and other office materials as needed.
- Sort, distribute, and deliver mail and packages to executives and office personnel.
- Assist with meeting-room preparation, materials, supplies, and basic hospitality support for designated meetings and events.
- Maintain inventory of office supplies and notify the supervisor when replenishment is needed.
- Organize and maintain office files, records, and supply storage areas.
- Operate standard office equipment, including copiers, printers, scanners, and multi-function devices.
- Perform other administrative, clerical, or event-support duties as assigned.
CONFIDENTIALITY, DISCRETION, & INFORMATION SECURITY
This position may be exposed to confidential, privileged, sensitive, or otherwise non-public information. Examples may include College financial information and budgets; payroll or compensation information; vendor, banking, purchasing, and contract information; personnel or employment matters; student information; Board of Trustees and presidential communications; legal or strategic matters; personally identifiable information; and other records not intended for general distribution. - Need-to-know access. Access information only when it is necessary to perform assigned duties and only within the level of access authorized by the VP/Director and Bennett College.
- No unauthorized disclosure or use. Do not discuss, forward, copy, photograph, screenshot, download, distribute, post, retain, or otherwise disclose sensitive information to unauthorized individuals. Information obtained through the role may never be used for personal benefit or to benefit another person.
- Use approved systems. Use Bennett College-approved accounts, storage locations, devices, and communication methods for College information unless the VP/Director or an appropriate College authority specifically approves an alternative.
- Protect credentials and workspaces. Do not share passwords or login credentials. Lock workstations when unattended, secure paper files, and protect documents from viewing or removal by unauthorized persons.
- Report concerns immediately. Immediately notify the VP/Director of any misdirected message, accidental disclosure, suspicious request, lost document/device, or other potential confidentiality or information-security concern.
- Continuing obligation. Confidentiality obligations continue during and after the student’s assignment ends. College information, records, and copies must remain with Bennett College and may not be retained for personal use.
- Accountability. Any unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, or abuse of confidential information or College systems will be addressed in accordance with Bennett College’s current policies, Federal Work Study requirements, and applicable disciplinary standards.
Before receiving delegated access to email, calendar, files, or other systems, the student employee must complete any confidentiality, privacy, information-security, and acceptable-use acknowledgements or training required by Bennett College for the assignment.
ROLE BOUNDARIES AND INTERNAL CONTROLS - The student employee provides administrative support and does not independently approve payments, purchasing decisions, vendor changes, payroll or personnel actions, contracts, budget changes, or other financial or institutional commitments unless formal authority is specifically granted by Bennett College.
- Access to the VP/Director’s email, calendar, files, shared drives, or other systems will be limited to the level necessary for assigned duties and may be changed or removed at any time based on business needs, College policy, or supervisory direction.
- The student employee should elevate questions involving judgment, sensitive content, conflicts, unusual requests, or unclear authority to the VP/Director before taking action.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Must be eligible for Federal Work Study and in good academic standing.
- Professional, dependable, punctual, trustworthy, and able to maintain strict confidentiality.
- Demonstrated judgment, discretion, maturity, and understanding of professional office decorum.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear professional emails, meeting notes, and follow-up summaries.
- Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; comfort with Outlook email/calendar functions is strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other virtual meeting platforms.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment, including copiers, printers, scanners, and multi-function devices.
- Ability to follow instructions, ask questions when authority is unclear, and work both independently and collaboratively in a professional office environment.
- Ability to adhere to Bennett College dress, conduct, technology, confidentiality, and workplace expectations.
WORK SCHEDULE
- Work schedules will be arranged around the student's class schedule and Federal Work Study award.
- The VP - Director of Business and Finance is on-site Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The student assistant will work scheduled shifts during these hours to support the administrative and daily operational needs of the office.
- Students are not expected to be available for the entire workday and will be assigned hours that accommodate both academic commitments and office needs.
- Occasional additional hours may be available for special events, Board of Trustees meetings, commencement-related activities, presidential programs, and other institutional events, with advance notice whenever possible.
COMPENSATION Hourly rate based on Federal Work Study guidelines and Bennett College policies.
CONFIDENTIALITY & ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
By accepting this assignment, the student employee acknowledges that the role may provide access to sensitive or confidential College information and agrees to use such information only for authorized Bennett College duties; safeguard records, communications, systems, and credentials; avoid unauthorized disclosure, distribution, or personal use; and follow all applicable supervisory directions and College policies. The student employee understands that unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, or abuse of confidential information or College systems will be handled in accordance with Bennett College’s current policies and applicable disciplinary standards.
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