Occupational Therapy - Academic Department Assistant

Sacred Heart University • Bridgeport, CT

86d

About The Position

Provides administrative support to the Program Director and coordinates the department's administrative support services, meeting the needs of faculty, students, and other support personnel. Functions as administrative support to the Department Chair/Program Director, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, and the Occupational Therapy Program to assure compliance with demands of program operations, fieldwork coordination, ACOTE, SARA, program, and University requirements.

Requirements

• Possess 3-5 years of administrative experience, preferably in a fast-paced office environment.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication, including in-person, phone, and email interactions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced skills in Word and Excel.
• Eager and able to learn fieldwork management software; experienced with CastleBranch and other relevant platforms preferred.
• Highly organized with strong time management abilities and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated, capable of managing multiple priorities and tasks independently.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines, including projects requiring quick turnaround.
• Proactive and assertive, with a strong sense of initiative and follow-through.
• Maintains confidentiality, exercises sound judgment, and understands university protocols and operations.
• Committed to becoming an expert user of the Exxat fieldwork software platform.

Responsibilities

• Manage administrative functions as assigned by the Program Director.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records for students, admissions, accreditation, and program evaluation.
• In collaboration with faculty, assist with creating, revising, and distributing the student manual and other program materials.
• Support departmental planning and execution of orientations, pinning ceremony, and graduation events.
• Engage with university marketing to maintain and update OT program materials, website, and social media accounts.
• Develop and distribute promotional and recruitment materials to support program visibility and outreach.
• Facilitate alumni engagement and communication through surveys and newsletters.
• Support the program's admissions cycle by serving as a communications liaison between Program Director, the department admissions team, marketing, and prospective applicants.
• Coordinate all aspects of new OT Graduate Program student on-boarding, including registration, required forms, fieldwork documentation, assignments, health records and requirements, run reports, and upload as appropriate in Perceptive Content.
• Coordinate cohort trimester scheduling and registration, ensuring alignment with academic calendars, collaborating with admissions/semester coordinators, and resolving related issues promptly.
• Create, monitor, and update yearly cohort distribution lists.
• Support the Program Director and department faculty in creating reports and communications, such as the ACOTE annual report, department surveys, alumni engagement, etc.
• Monitor all student outcomes and successes and track NBCOT results, monitor students' academic success, and support the PPC Committee and its actions.
• Prepare and provide documentation for state licensure as requested by program graduates and NBCOT academic verification requests.
• Review, maintain, and ensure timely updates of all Memos of Understanding (MOU) and site contracts.
• Prepare new and revised MOUs/contracts for AFWC and Dean's review and obtain appropriate signatures.
• Maintain the site OT and CHP contract SharePoint database.
• Upload MOU/contracts in FW management software and regularly update contract files (software and paper as determined by AFWC).
• Establish and ensure maintenance of regular and timely MOU/contract updates as per ACOTE and University requirements. Run reports on FW software and complete appropriate analytics as requested.
• Support Fieldwork Coordinator with Level I and Level II FW (adding FW contacts, emails, site details into Exxat, monitoring midterms/finals and SharePoint site).
• Interview, hire, and supervise Fieldwork Graduate Assistant.
• Support Fieldwork Coordinator or graduate assistants' internet searches for state licensure and NBCOT sites to verify, print, and upload into Exxat, current fieldwork educator licenses and initial NBCOT certification. Immediately notify AFWC if licenses are not current or the NBCOT certification is not found.
• Log and upload all ACOTE and Program evaluations, paperwork related to students' performance, and assessment of Level I and Level II FW to assure ACOTE and program compliance in fieldwork.
• Assist the Fieldwork Coordinator to ensure all Level II evaluations are uploaded to Perceptive Content.
• Support the Fieldwork Coordinator to assure student compliance with fieldwork readiness, program and University requirements, including managing Castlebranch/Exxat accounts for criminal background checks, health forms, drug testing of all OT students, health insurance, CPR certification, titers and immunizations, and other requirements as indicated.
• Create a professional environment in which the MSOT program and FW objectives may be met, FERPA and HIPPA requirements are met, and collegiality with faculty, staff, and students is maintained.
• Run reports and analytics on fieldwork data as required for ACOTE reports and program evaluation.
• Familiarize self in specialized knowledge regarding ACOTE program requirements and fieldwork compliance.
• Coordinate and maintain faculty and adjunct files according to University and ACOTE requirements.
• Become a highly skilled user of Exxat FW and other software as needed for FW and compliance.
• Familiarize self with ACOTE's current standards.
• Familiarize self with Program's objectives and program evaluation plan/strategies regarding fieldwork.
• Familiarize self with SARA regulations.
• Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Educational Services