Central Office
a. General Description
The Central Office of the Offices of the Dean of Student Life is located on the third floor of the
YMCA Building, space it shares with the Department of Residence Life. The Central Office
consists of the Director, Associate Director, two Assistant Directors, Assistant to the
Director, Accounting Assistant III, Accounting Assistant II, Administrative Secretary, and
three student workers (30 hours per week combined total).
b. Coordination Activities
The Central Office coordinates several functions and activities for the
department, division, and the university. Listed below are these activities with a brief
explanation.
- Accounting - responsible for processing all department vouchers, purchase orders,
travel, payroll, and personnel matters.
- Inventory - maintain inventory of all department property valued over $2,000,
computers, keys, and hazardous chemicals.
- Strategic Planning Process - coordinate department strategic plan updates,
revisions and new initiatives
- Budget - prepare department budget requests and monitor approved budget.
- Critical Incident Response - serve as primary contact for critical incidents and
coordinate division response to critical incidents involving students.
- Student Death Notification - serve as central university contact for student
deaths. Notify appropriate university officials and respond to needs of deceased’s
family and significant others.
- Student Absence Notification - serve as central university contact for students who
need to miss class for an extended period of time due to illness, death in the family or
other university authorized reason for absence. The student’s instructors are faxed
notification of the reason for the absence and the length of time the student expects to
miss class.
- Freedom of Expression Administration - the director and in his absence, other
Central Office staff, approve use of university facilities for purposes of expressing an
opinion such as proselytizing, political campaign, protest, etc.
c. Collaborative Efforts
- Silver Taps - coordinate with the Traditions Council and the Ross Volunteers a
ceremony honoring students who have passed away during the preceding month, know as Silver
Taps.
- Sexual Harassment Resource - serve as the primary resource for students with a
sexual harassment complaint. Work closely with the Dean of Faculties and the Employee
Relations Manager in addressing sexual harassment. Provide training on the
University’s procedures for reporting and investigating sexual harassment.
- Teaching Assistant Training - participate in teaching assistant orientation program
and present session on TAMU Student Rules in relation to the TA role.
- Emotionally/Psychologically Disturbed Students - contact students who exhibit
potentially life threatening behavior and arrange for them to see
psychologist/psychiatrist in the Student Counseling Service. Based on recommendation from
psychologist/psychiatrist, determine if student is able to handle the rigors of the
academic environment at A&M.
d. Resources
Personnel
- Director of Student Life - oversee Offices of the Dean of Student Life and provide
leadership to department staff. Prepare and monitor department budget. Supervise Associate
Director, Assistant Directors, Assistant to the Director, and Accounting Assistant III.
Coordinate Critical Incident Response Team. Chair Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations
Committee
- Associate Director of Student Life - act in place of the director in his absence.
Supervise Alcohol and Drug Education Programs, Gender Issues Education Services, Services
for Students with Disabilities, and Student Life Orientation. Serve as liaison to off
campus organizations such as Mothers’ Clubs and Campus Ministers. Coordinate Silver
Taps. Assist with coordination of Critical Incident Response Team.
- Assistant Director of Student Life - supervise Adult and Graduate Student Services,
Off Campus Student Services, Student Judicial Services, Student Legal Services, Student
Mediation Services, and department computing services. Serve on Graduate Operations
Committee. Assist with coordination of Critical Incident Response Team.
- Assistant Director of Student Life - supervise Greek Life area, central office
administrative secretary, and central office graduate assistant with responsibility for
department publications, staff development and training and other projects. Assist with
coordination of Critical Incident Response Team.
- Assistant to the Director - assist the Director coordinate Student Rules process,
prepare department strategic plan, develop and update publications, coordinate and
administer department outcomes assessment projects. Coordinate search procedures for
department vacancies and associate staff development activities.
- Accounting Assistant III - prepare vouchers, purchase orders, payment for
purchases, process payroll and provide orientation on payroll, benefits, personal leave,
and other relevant accounting procedures for new department employees. Train department
staff on university accounting procedures. Supervise Accounting Assistant II.
- Accounting Assistant II - prepare travel vouchers, handle reimbursement of staff
for travel and other authorized activities. Assist Accounting Assistant III in processing
vouchers purchase orders and payments.
- Administrative Secretary - respond to questions about the department and university
services. Process student absence notifications and student death notifications. Maintain
records regarding response to critical incidents and students exhibiting life-threatening
behavior. Schedule meetings. Supervise office student assistants. Assist in coordination
of Silver Taps. Provide clerical support to associate and assistant directors.
- Office Student Assistants - answer phones, sort mail, type memos, letters and
documents, assist administrative secretary.
- Mail Runner - distribute mail among department offices and Vice President for
Student Affairs Office. Sort outgoing mail.
e. Primary Obstacles
- Office Space and Location. To enter the Director’s office you must walk through the
accounting office. Due to the various locations of Student Life offices, the department
does not have significant recognition among students, faculty and staff. They know the
service they are seeking and its location, but often do not associate the service or
location with the department. This issue is further complicated by the Student Life
Central Office sharing a floor with Department of Residence Life offices in a building
where Residence Life offices are the focal point.
- Associate Staff. The Central Office does not have sufficient associate staff to handle
the demands of the office. The director, associate director, and assistant directors
frequently do their own typing, copying, and filing because it will not get done in a
timely manner otherwise. Current associate staff members fill their days with answering
the phones, scheduling meetings, handling student absence notifications, and other
projects.
- Accounting. Current staff is stretched to the limit in attempting to meet the demands of
processing payroll, vouchers, travel, and purchases. We are unable to conduct fiscal
forecasting because we cannot get ahead. The current university accounting system is not
user friendly and does not provide information needed by management to make important
budgetary decisions.
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