Position Summary
The Executive Secretary is responsible for key, high-level administrative processes to assist the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life, Chief of Staff, and Executive Assistant to the Dean; takes the lead on projects under the supervision of those individuals; and works collaboratively with faculty and staff to facilitate and complete various projects.
Duties and Responsibilities
Assist Associate Deans and Chief of Staff
- Maintain schedules for the associate deans and Chief of Staff, including scheduling meetings and anticipating and troubleshooting conflicts.
- Prepare reports; create charts and graphs using existing databases and Excel.
- Perform some clerical duties, such as formatting and sending correspondence; sharing email messages with part-time faculty; adding campus events to the appropriate calendar(s); arranging associate deans and Chief of Staff travel; processing and submitting associate deans’ and Chief of Staff expenses; and copying and scanning.
Lead Projects and Policy Implementation/Evaluation
- Serve as a key contact for part-time faculty, and coordinate projects related to part-time faculty such as updating online profiles; preparing the annual part-time budget; and coordinating part-time faculty evaluations by full-time faculty.
- Create forms tailored to new policies. Create, revise and automate other forms regularly submitted by faculty to administrative offices.
- Coordinate posting, collection, and dissemination of student class evaluations.
- Assist the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs with review of grade submissions.
- Plan small events such as annual part-time faculty orientation or an advisory group luncheon.
- Manage faculty recruitment logistics, from initial job talks through post-offer visits
Assist in Operation of Dean’s Suite
- Recruit, schedule and supervise student employees in the Dean’s Suite.
- Respond to space requests in Dean’s Suite conference rooms, secure University space for Dean’s Suite needs.
- Support the day-to-day operations of the Dean’s suite.
- Monitor and order office supplies.
- Sort mail daily and flag important items for attention.
- Strong familiarity with role of Dean’s Executive Assistant; assist with meetings and projects and serve as back-up when necessary.
Maintain Records
- Maintain part-time faculty records and interface with part-time faculty.
- Maintain current faculty hiring charts.
- Assist Dean’s Executive Assistant with updating and maintaining the Dean’s Suite record keeping and retention (digital and physical files).
Technology and Data Coordination
- Assist the Chief of Staff in collecting and monitoring of data for accreditation and other external reporting.
- Analyze supply of courses by type and analyze part-time faculty profiles.
Michigan State University College of Law is a diverse and inclusive learning community with roots dating to 1891 when it opened as Detroit College of Law in Detroit, Michigan. It moved to its current East Lansing location in 1995 and remained a private institution until 2020 when it became a fully integrated college of Michigan State University.
Today, MSU Law has more than 600 students, 55 faculty members, 66 staff members, five librarians, and a world-wide network of over 12,000 alumni. MSU Law operates seven legal clinics overseen by nationally recognized faculty that provide students an opportunity to work on actual legal cases. Additionally, it offers some of nation’s leading law programs in new and emerging legal education, including Intellectual Property and Trial Advocacy, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, the Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children, Conservation Law Center, and Animal Legal and Historical Web Center.
MSU College of Law, operating under the principles of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, is poised to become the state’s preeminent law school, preparing a diverse community of lawyer-leaders to serve diverse communities in Michigan and beyond. It is committed to providing a legal education that is taught by leading scholars in their fields, includes best-in-class experiential opportunities, and helps students graduate without excessive debt.
Minimum Requirements
Knowledge normally acquired through a high school education; bachelor's degree and/or advanced degree preferred with course work in word processing, typing, shorthand, and grammar; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in maintaining account ledgers, word processing, editing, composing correspondence, taking dictation, spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, and/or presentation software; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Desired Qualifications
- Ability to see overall goals and big picture as well as focus on details and data.
- Excellent reading comprehension skills.
- Judgment and ingenuity in interpreting and applying policies.
- Ability to work well with a diverse group of people; outstanding interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to foster a cooperative work environment.
- Strong technology skills, including proficiency in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the desire to learn and further develop technology knowledge relating to file sharing software and social media platforms, for example.
- Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality regarding records and information.
- Self-Starter and ability to multi-task.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Experience with law faculty or legal settings.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Application Materials
Application materials must include:
- Cover Letter
- Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume
- At least three professional references with one preferably being a recent, former, or current supervisor.
Special Instructions
Applicants may be asked to submit a professional writing sample when invited for an interview.
Work Hours
STANDARD 8-5
Website
www.law.msu.edu
Remote Work Statement
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
Bidding eligibility ends March 25, 2025 at 11:55 P.M.
