Secretary 2

Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) is a constituent unit of the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR), Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.  As one of the State of Connecticut institutions of higher learning, this university offers undergraduate and graduate programs that weave together liberal arts and professional education and instill a desire for life-long learning. 

We are recruiting for a full-time Secretary 2 to support the Western Connecticut State University's Department of Music, located on the Westside Campus at 43 Lake Avenue Extension in Danbury, CT.  The Department of Music is an active, vibrant academic department housed in the School of Visual and Performing Arts.  Work hours will be Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

The incumbent will be responsible for the full range of secretarial support duties for the Department Chairperson & Associate Chairperson, as well as a wide variety of functional coverage and back-up support as needed to faculty and staff.   They will serve as a welcoming professional and student-centered first point of contact for students, faculty and staff. 

The incumbent will be responsible for the full range of secretarial support duties for the department Chairperson & Associate Chairperson. Duties include, but are not limited to: 

• Calendar management, front desk reception and telephone support to the Chairperson, along with providing support to the 13 full-time and 38 part-time faculty along with the Musical Arts Assistant.  
• Generate, process, maintain, and file honorariums, timesheets, faculty workload forms, purchase requisitions, budget accounts, and office supplies; 
• Initiate contact with prospective students/parents in person, phone and/or email; 
• Set up auditions via phone calls and letters, as well as cull data from on-line forms. 
• Communicate with and retrieve data from the Admissions Office for each prospect; 
• Setup, update, distribute Prospective Student Status Reports to faculty; 
• Generate audition confirmation calls and emails; update student files; 
• Interact with area schools, places of worship, and community arts’ organizations; troubleshoot daily problems, messages, cancellations for full-time/part-time faculty; 
• Maintain, copy, and file all internal department forms.

WCSU offers a comprehensive benefits package. Additional information on benefits can be found at www.wcsu.edu/hr/benefits/.

To comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.   Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.  NOTE:  You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.

At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 

Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience most closely meet the preferred requirements of the position.  Applicants invited to interview may be required to submit additional documentation, which may include: a resume, performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

Should you have questions pertaining to any phase of this recruitment, please contact the hiring agency's human resources office: Hrpositions@wcsu.edu.

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period.  It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to das.shrm@ct.gov.

In a state agency this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of secretarial support functions requiring an understanding of organizational policies and procedures.

Incumbents perform a variety of secretarial duties as illustrated in the following areas:

1. TYPING: Using a personal computer or other electronic equipment, formats and types a full range of correspondence, reports, bills, drafts, etc. from rough draft, transcription, dictated notes, etc. Proofreads for content; edits using knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling.

2. FILING: Designs office filing systems; organizes and maintains files (including confidential files); maintains, updates and reviews reference materials and manuals.

3. CORRESPONDENCE: Composes complex letters and/or memoranda, etc. (e.g. explaining department practices/policies) for own or supervisor's signature.

4. REPORT WRITING: Compiles information from a variety of sources and prepares narrative or statistical reports, exercising judgment in the selection of items to be included.

5. INTERPERSONAL: Greets and directs visitors; answers phones and screens incoming calls; provides advice to callers regarding policy and procedures (e.g. citing a regulation to solve a specific problem); coordinates with others both within and outside of the organization on a variety of non-routine matters.

6. PROCESSING: Screens letters, memos, reports and other materials to determine action required; may make recommendations to the supervisor.

7. PERSONAL SECRETARY: Arranges and coordinates meetings (including space and equipment); researches, assembles and coordinates meeting materials (e.g. charts, graphs, reports); writes minutes of meetings, lectures, conferences, etc. from rough draft; takes notes using shorthand, speedwriting or machine transcription; prepares expense accounts; makes travel arrangements.

8. OFFICE MANAGEMENT: Maintains an inventory of supplies and equipment; orders supplies when necessary; completes, processes and maintains paperwork for purchasing (e.g. orders, requisitions, invoices, etc.); maintains time and attendance records; assists in preparing and monitoring the office budget (e.g. compiles figures, reviews statistical reports, verifies expense items); designs and initiates new forms and procedures to facilitate workflow; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of office systems and procedures; considerable knowledge of proper grammar, punctuation and spelling; knowledge of business communications; knowledge of department's/unit's policies and procedures; some knowledge of business math; interpersonal skills; ability to schedule and prioritize office workflow; ability to operate office equipment which includes personal computers other electronic equipment; ability to operate office suite software; ability to take notes (shorthand, speedwriting or other method acceptable to the supervisor).

Three (3) years' experience above the routine clerk level in office support or secretarial work.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been as a Secretary 1 or its equivalent.

College training in the secretarial sciences may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of two (2) years.

Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate in their application materials:

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.