Definitions of Terms Used in Job Profiles

General Terms

Administrative

Duties related to program area/unit support, involving direction and control within the area/unit. Examples include conducting complex research, monitoring policy compliance, completing special projects, and acting as a liaison between offices.

Administrator

An individual assigned to a class in the Professional Management, Professions, or Administration group, or a faculty administrator.

Automotive

Related to automotive vehicles or machines.

Clerical

Office operations and communications duties, such as greeting visitors, answering calls, composing routine correspondence, and managing office supplies and mail.

Full-service postal facility

A postal facility offering pick-up, sorting, delivery, and stamp-related services.

Maintaining

Duties involving preserving, repairing, renewing, and controlling.

Managing

Guiding program area or work unit operation with authority for policy decisions, personnel policies, and budget administration.

Paraprofessional work

Supporting a profession with specialized work processes.

Partial-service postal facility

A postal facility providing some but not all services of a full-service facility.

Professional

Work requiring specific knowledge representing an occupational field, typically needing a degree in that field.

Professional accounting

Work applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Professional personnel functions

Activities in employment, training, classification, benefits, and labor/employee relations requiring advanced training and specialized education.

Secretarial

Personal assistant duties to a supervisor, including calendar management, travel arrangements, correspondence, and more.

Sophisticated

Refers to advanced and complex equipment requiring manufacturer-provided functional training.

Specialized

Describes equipment or materials with unique functions requiring specific knowledge in a particular environment.

Supervising

Duties planning and directing daily activities of at least two other employees, including hiring, transferring, promoting, and more.

Technical

Work in scientific or mechanical fields requiring specialized knowledge and practical skills, often involving specific equipment.

Information Technology Terms

“Addressing Intangibles of Organization Sensitivities”

Effective work with internal politics and diverse constituencies, demanding a high level of diplomacy.

Complex Technical Applications/Business Applications/Application Systems

Complexity determined by factors like personnel, development time, and units affected. Large-scale projects or new system development are considered complex.

Creativity

Creating original works, new systems, and applications not existing previously, such as network environment conversions.

Innovation

Developing derivative works, incremental changes, and new uses for existing systems, like upgrading servers for new software releases.

Major Technology Area or Discipline

Categories for IT personnel based on the nature of their work. Multiple titles within each discipline defined in job descriptions.

Applications

Creating and maintaining user-oriented applications, user interfaces, and interfaces between applications, with a focus on security.

Business

Aligning technology with business strategies, analyzing business needs, and communicating requirements between customers and IT.

Data

Designing and maintaining database systems, developing applications, and supporting query environments with a focus on security.

Network

Designing and maintaining system connections, configuring network devices, and troubleshooting network problems with network-level security implementation.

Research

Conducting research in IT-related areas and aligning technology with research strategies.

Support

Helping users utilize IT tools fully, including training IT personnel on techniques, technologies, and tools.

Systems

Focused on operating systems, file systems, and system utilities, including system security and access controls.

Moderately Complex IT Projects

Projects of moderate complexity involving personnel, development time, and affected units, often enhancing existing systems.

Non-Supervisory “Managerial and/or Administrative Responsibilities”

Involves strategic planning, budgeting, and participation in university-wide committees and projects.

“Output Produced or Result Accomplished Cannot be Standardized in Relation to a Given Period of Time”

Projects with unique challenges, making it difficult to predict the time or methods needed for completion.

“Perform Primary Design and Interface Responsibilities for Organization-Wide Systems”

Job responsibilities extending beyond the immediate unit, involving organization-wide systems.

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