Secretary Level 3

Position Title:
Secretary Level 3

Location:
Big Rapids (Main Campus)

Department:

Academic Affairs

Advertised Salary:
$20.45 per hour; hourly rate pursuant to the FSU and CTA/MEA-NEA Agreement

Benefits:

Comprehensive benefits package (health care, vacation, etc.). Please see the following link for a list of benefits offered with this position.

Clerical Tech Association (CTA)

FLSA:
Non-Exempt

Temporary/Continuing: 
Continuing

Part-Time/Full-Time:
Full-Time

Union Group:
Clerical-Technical Association (MEA-NEA)

Term of Position:
12 Month

At Will/Just Cause:
Just Cause

Summary of Position:
Ferris State University is committed to transforming lives through education, innovation, and opportunity. In service of this mission, the Division of Academic Affairs is seeking a Secretary 3 to join our team. The work of this position supports teaching, learning, and academic excellence that promote student success and meaningful change across the university.

This position provides responsible, independent secretarial support to the Office of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) and the Academic Senate. As a key member of a welcoming, collaborative, and supportive office team, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to the university's core academic mission while building valuable professional experience.

Located in the Timme Center for Student Services, the VPAA office provides a unique perspective within Ferris State University. Working in close proximity to senior administrative leadership, the individual in this role gains broad experience in governance and institutional decision-making. This position offers professional growth, enabling the employee to develop skills for an executive-level environment, including communication, organization, confidentiality, coordination, and collaboration.

The work performed in this role directly supports faculty leadership and provides an opportunity to partner with dedicated faculty committed to positive change and continuous improvement across campus. Responsibilities include providing secretarial support to the VPAA office and staff; delivering clerical and logistical support to the Academic Senate; and helping coordinate meetings, committees, and services that advance the university's academic mission. This position reports to the Associate Provost of Assessment and Accreditation and plays an important role in ensuring the smooth and effective operation of Academic Affairs.

All candidates who meet the minimum requirements are encouraged to apply. Please include a current resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript as outlined in the application process.

The anticipated start date for this position is March 2026. This date is an estimate and may be adjusted as needed.

Position Type:
Staff

Required Education:

• Satisfactory completion of two years college or equivalent such as military technical training or business/technical schooling.

• The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be considered. Equivalency for education is two years of work experience equals one year of education.

Required Work Experience:

• Two years full-time work experience or equivalent in a professional setting (two years part-time is equivalent to one year full-time). Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office products, virtual meeting platforms (i.e. Zoom and/or Teams), and excellent communication skills.

Required Licenses and Certifications:

Physical Demands:

• Office Environment
• Bending
• Moving
• Reaching
• Sitting
• Twisting
• Repetitive movement

Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered:

• Preferred work experience to include bookkeeping, desktop publishing, website maintenance, managing multiple inboxes/calendars, recording meeting minutes, event planning, processing contracts, and working with entertainment/promotional companies and speakers.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Answer or refer inquiries from students, faculty, staff, and the general public regarding established policies and procedures.

• Coordinate activities with other departments.

• Coordinate meetings, conferences, workshops, and seminars by scheduling facilities, preparing agendas, arranging for services and equipment, and taking meeting minutes.

• Work with a variety of confidential documents and confidential issues.

• Establish and maintain physical and electronic filing and record-keeping systems.

• Independently answer routine correspondence. Draft non-routine correspondence for review and approval by the supervisor.

• Input, retrieve, download, and output information utilizing a computer to access various software programs and systems.

• Perform any/all duties as defined in the Secretary, Level 1, and Level 2 position descriptions.

• Assist with processing curriculum proposals and maintain curriculum proposal documents and software.

• Perform bookkeeping/record-keeping/calculations for departmental budget expenditures, encumbrances, balances, reconciliations, and deposits.

• Prepare and maintain information such as emails, letters, memos, certificates, reports, timekeeping sheets, etc., using various computer technologies such as Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, and proprietary software.

• Research information as background for incoming and outgoing communications.

• Provide back-up assistance for other clerical positions and perform routine office support duties.

• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with University policies and applicable laws.

• Maintain the confidentiality of designated information.

• Reports to immediate supervisor(s).

• Cultivates an environment of belonging that values, respects, supports, and celebrates individual similarities and differences, allowing students, faculty, and staff to thrive authentically.

• Support, promote, and develop university student enrollment and retention initiatives.

• Make travel arrangements, process requisitions, and pay invoices.

• Maintain inventory and order supplies as needed.

• Any other duties assigned within the position classification area.

Marginal Duties/Responsibilities:

Skills and Abilities:

• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Handle confidential materials.

• Work effectively as a member of a team and demonstrate practical interpersonal skills in working with others.

• Be tactful, professional, and courteous at all times.

• Communicate effectively with a variety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors in a variety of situations.

• Input, retrieve, download, merge and output information from software programs and systems.

• Interpret student/faculty/staff problems and direct them to the proper resource.

• Operate a variety of office machines and equipment, such as computer, facsimile, multi-line telephone, copier, and calculator, to include making minor adjustments (requires some mechanical aptitude).

• Perform basic mathematical operations with accuracy.

• Plan, organize, and make sound judgments and decisions.

• Use computer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, Adobe, and proprietary products.

• Utilize the rules of proper grammar, correct spelling and punctuation, and correct arrangement of information.

Required Documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Unofficial Transcript 1

Optional Documents:

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Unofficial Transcript 1 (REQUIRED): Applicants must attach a copy of unofficial transcript of two years of college completion. If you do not have a college transcript, please write a justification explaining how your work experience is equivalent to the required education and attach that justification in lieu of the transcript.

Transcript must include: Institution name, applicant name, date degree attained, degree awarded. Finalist will be required to submit an official transcript (if applicable).

Initial Application Review Date:

February 2, 2026

Open Until Position is Filled?:
Yes

Posting Close Date:

EEO Statement:
Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence.  Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at  The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University's Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement.

Click here to learn more about working at FSU and KCAD.

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