Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President & Provost

POSITION SUMMARY:

Date application must be received for priority consideration by: April 13, 2026
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: May 18, 2026
Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
Job Family Group: Administrative and Professional
Division/Department: Academic and Student Affairs/Provost's Office
Compensation Range (commensurate with experience): $4,833.33 - $5,000/monthly or $58,000 - $60,000/annually @ 1.0 FTE
FLSA Status: Exempt
Appointment Basis: 12-month
Time Type: Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration/Temporary: Renewable
This position must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver's License: No
This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
Lead Work/Supervisory Responsibilities: No
Work Location Type: On-campus
Work Hours: M-F (8:00a – 5:00p) Hours are subject to change with notice.
Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

• Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) a letter providing some detail of the applicant’s qualifications and interest in the position; and (2) current resume/CV. - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• For inquiries and additional information, please contact Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President (EVP) & Provost at Southern Oregon University (SOU) provides comprehensive administrative and operational support to the Executive Vice President (EVP) & Provost and the Associate Provost. This multifaceted role involves managing the daily operations of the Provost’s office, including complex scheduling, travel arrangements, and serving as a professional public relations point of contact for the Office of Academic Affairs. A critical component of the position involves overseeing the university’s curricular change process and serving as the Primary Manager for the academic catalog, which requires collaborating with various departments and committees to ensure accurate record-keeping and publication. Additionally, the Executive Assistant manages faculty-related processes, such as emeritus status and the administration of faculty development grants and awards, from the application stage through financial disbursement and reporting.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in an administrative support position.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a group environment.
• Ability to work with computer programs.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and ability to communicate professionally with university, community, and statewide staff.
• Ability to follow policies and procedures, recommend solutions to problems, and adapt to change.
• Must be able to manage frequent interruptions and changes in priorities.
• Experience with and ability to interact with a diverse population.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience working in higher education. 

• Experience using higher education institution data systems such as Workday and Coursedog.

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:

(25%) Executive Support and Public Relations

• Calendar and Office Management: Manage day-to-day office work and maintain complex appointment calendars for the Provost and Associate Provost.

• Diplomatic Communications: Serve as the professional point of contact for the Office of Academic Affairs, handling inquiries and complaints with tact, discretion, and a service-centered attitude.

• Event and Meeting Coordination: Plan and execute events, meetings, and retreats from inception to completion, including logistics for room reservations, catering, and transportation.

• Official Correspondence: Draft, proof, and distribute all-campus communications, official letters, and confidential documents on behalf of the Provost's Office.

• Faculty and Student Services: Oversee the emeritus faculty process, manage international faculty housing reservations, and send honors notifications to qualifying students.

• Committee Support: Provide administrative assistance to the Tuition Advisory Council and other university groups by scheduling, taking minutes, and distributing materials.

(20%) Curriculum Change Coordination

• Process Oversight: Manage the end-to-end curricular change process, coordinating schedules and distributing materials to ensure timely updates.

• Liaison Duties: Act as the primary liaison between academic departments, the Faculty Senate, the Board of Trustees, and the Statewide Provosts Council.

• Proposal Monitoring: Collect all curricular change proposals and monitor the approval process through both campus and state levels.

• Technical Guidance: Provide research on curricular history and guide departments and program chairs through the refinement of proposals.

• Curriculum Committee Support: Support the Curriculum Committee by managing agendas, scheduling meetings, and coordinating the review process.

• Archives and Reporting: Produce annual summaries of all curricular changes and maintain the university's permanent curricular archives.

(20%) Academic Catalog Administration

• Primary System Management: Serve as the Primary Manager for the academic catalog using the catalog management system.

• Access Control: Responsible for assigning and managing editing permissions for various contributors within the catalog system.

• Content Implementation: Enter approved changes into the catalog and oversee the final online publication process.

• Process Analysis: Evaluate current catalog change workflows to recommend and implement improvements and technical solutions.

• Vendor Relations: Act as the main point of contact and liaison with the contracted catalog management vendor.

(15%) Faculty Grants and Awards Management

• Grant Administration: Manage the process and disbursement for Carpenter Grants, Professional Development Grants, and various Distinguished Faculty Awards.

• Compliance Monitoring: Ensure all processes adhere to the APSOU Collective Bargaining Agreement and Faculty Senate procedures.

• Financial Analysis: Determine available funding based on revenue, carry-forward balances, and previous grant encumbrances.

• Committee Support: Provide the Faculty Development Committee with applicant eligibility data and spreadsheets for ranking and allocation.

• Disbursement and Logistics: Facilitate grant funding disbursements using university purchasing procedures and order ceremonial plaques for award winners.

• Reporting: Collect individual grant reports and draft annual reports for stakeholders like the Carpenter Foundation and APSOU.

(10%) Office Operations and Fiscal Compliance

• Organizational Maintenance: Ensure the Provost's Office is organized and maintain permanent Academic Affairs archives and filing systems.

• Procurement: Purchase and maintain office supplies and equipment using established university procurement procedures.

• Records Retention: Apply knowledge of statewide records retention guidelines to maintain and dispose of institutional records properly.

• Fiscal Coordination: Work with Business Services for invoice payments and journal vouchers while monitoring activity in university financial systems.

• Purchasing Card Custodian: Act as the custodian for the departmental purchasing card, ensuring all transactions follow strict regulations and restrictions.

• Mail and Office Flow: Review and distribute incoming mail and assist visitors with university processes for travel and reimbursements.

(5%) Digital Content Management

• Website Maintenance: Oversee the regular maintenance and updating of the Academic Affairs website.

• Content Accuracy: Ensure information is current by adding new updates and removing outdated materials.

• Strategic Alignment: Coordinate with the Provost to determine the priorities and focus of the website’s content.

• Resource Development: Update online resources to ensure they are accessible and useful for the university community.

• Filing Systems: Integrate the website management with broader office filing and information storage systems.

(5%) Institutional Support and Special Assignments

• Search Committee Assistance: Assist with national and regional searches for university positions, including administrative support for search committees.

• Direct Committee Service: Serve as a representative on search committees or other university groups as needed.

• External Relations: Work collaboratively with community organizations and other educational institutions on behalf of the Provost.

• Cross-Departmental Support: Coordinate with other Executive Assistants to provide additional support to university leadership during peak times.

• Adaptive Tasks: Perform other duties as assigned to support the evolving needs of the EVP & Provost.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
• Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
• Advanced Communication and Public Relations: Mastery of written and verbal communication skills to represent the Office of the Provost and professionally draft, proof, and send all-campus communications.
• Discretion and Confidentiality: Exceptional ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy while handling highly sensitive and confidential information and documents.
• Complex Administrative Support: Proficiency in managing daily office operations, including complex scheduling, travel logistics, meeting coordination, and processing reimbursements.
• Technical Systems Proficiency: Advanced skills in computer applications, databases, social media, and online systems, for example, specialized tools like the Coursedog catalog management system.
• Policy Interpretation and Problem Solving: Demonstrated capacity to interpret and apply complex policies and proactively develop strategies to resolve operational problems within a bureaucratic environment.
• Curricular and Catalog Management: Expertise in overseeing the university curricular change process, acting as the primary manager for the academic catalog, and maintaining historical archives.
• Faculty Grant and Award Administration: Ability to coordinate grants and distinguished awards following collective bargaining agreements, managing the process from application through financial disbursement and reporting.
• Organizational Excellence and Accuracy: Superior time management and attention to detail to prioritize multiple time-sensitive assignments with high productivity and minimal errors.
• Collaboration and Cultural Humility: Proven ability to foster teamwork and maintain effective relationships with a diverse population and individuals from various cultural backgrounds.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Demonstrated flexibility to manage frequent interruptions, shifting priorities, and heavy deadline pressure in a fast-paced office environment.
• Committee and Event Leadership: Skilled in planning and executing events and providing comprehensive administrative support (agendas, minutes, and follow-up) for various university councils and committees.

Physical Demands

• Normal office activities such as sitting/standing at a desk, using a computer, answering phones, and communicating in person both in writing and via phone with others.
• May move/transport up to 25 pounds

Special Conditions

• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
• This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.

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SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.

Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (www.ctsi.nsn.us) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/.  A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520.  For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.