Executive Assistant for Student Success

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found here.

Position Purpose:

The Executive Assistant for Student Success supports learning by providing executive level administrative support to the Senior Vice President for Student Success.

Core Competencies:

• Represents Aurora University in the most positive manner with prospective, former and current students, clients, suppliers and the community we serve. Interacts effectively with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students and other customers of our service, learns and uses operating practices of the department and Aurora University.
• Upholds the Mission Statement: At Aurora University, our singular goal is to empower students to achieve lasting personal and professional success. We do this by being an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes o build meaningful and purposeful lives.
• Handles all information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of university business.
• Supports learning through performance of essential job functions and performing other duties and functions as necessary or as assigned, including voluntary participation in university committees, activities and events.

Essential Job Functions:

Administration

• Provides direct and confidential support to the Sr. Vice President for Student Success (SVPSS) and their teams including, but not limited to: scheduling meetings, managing appointments, writing and sending correspondence, creating agendas and other meeting materials, recording meeting minutes for the Student Success Director’s Meetings, and others as requested.
• Prepare materials for meetings, including agendas, presentations, reports, and minutes.
• Coordinate with the President’s Office on matters relating with the Board where appropriate.
• Help prioritize tasks and provide reminders for upcoming deadlines or meetings.
• Organize and coordinate special events or meeting related to student success.
• Coordinates travel and candidate visits for the SVPSS.
• Ensure timely completion of tasks and follow-ups on behalf of the SVPSS with various stakeholders.
• Confidentially handle sensitive information related to students, staff, or institutional policies with discretion.
• Assist in creating and compiling reports, presentations, and briefings for the SVPSS and other stakeholders.

• Monitor and track departmental budget expenditures and prepare financial reports.
• Manage the SVPSS’s expense reports, ensuring accurate documentation and submission.
• Prepares all expense budget requests and budget reconciliation for the department.
• Monitors budgets for the SVPSS.

• Track and ensure follow-up on decisions or action items arising from meetings.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the SVPSS’s office, including supplies, equipment, and office maintenance.
• Build and maintain relationships with various stakeholders, including university administrators, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
• Assist the Executive Director of WCFA with travel planning related to the Revive
• Retreat and Spring Break social impact trips.

Essential Job Requirements:

Education: Associate's Degree with 5 years of relevant experience required. Bachelor’s Degree with 3 years of relevant experience preferred
Experience: Office administration work experience is required. Higher Education experience preferred.

Skills:

• Goal-oriented.
• Excellent communication and organization skills, customer-service orientation and professional manner.
• Computer knowledge essential
• Expertise in Microsoft Excel required
• Ability to interact with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students and to develop strong working relationships with colleagues, staff, administrators, students and the general public.
• Flexibility with an evolving workstation

• Valid driver’s license.
• Some evening and Saturday hours required.

• Ability to move about at those locations.
• Ability to move about campus.
• Ability to interact via telephone, in person and via electronic media.

The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Aurora University offers competitive, flexible benefits to eligible employees.

• Health Insurance
  Choice of HMO or PPO offered through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
• Dental and Vision Insurance
  Choice of two dental plans and vision insurance offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Life Insurance and AD&D
  1.5 times annual salary, dependent on age. Additional life insurance also may be purchased for self, spouse, and children.
• Long Term Disability
  60% of salary, taxable and nontaxable options.
• TIAA Retirement Account
  The University offers a 403b retirement plan, administered by TIAA. Matching contributions offered first day of employment to eligible employees, at the discretion of the University and Board of Directors.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
  FSAs are available for medical costs and dependent care costs.
• Paid Time Off
  Vacation, personal, and sick leave are provided to eligible employees.
• Holidays
  The university observes nine major holidays where the university is closed.
• Tuition Assistance
  Tuition assistance for AU undergraduate courses is available to eligible employees and eligible family members beginning the term following one (1) year of regular, full-time employment. Tuition assistance for graduate programs paid at 60% for employee following Senior Leadership approval.
• Tuition Exchange Consortiums
  AU is a member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) and the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP) enabling full-time employees and eligible family members to be eligible for tuition assistance at more than 600 universities nationwide. Eligibility for the CIC-TEP and TE programs is one (1) year of regular, full-time employment as of 8/31.