Role of a Secretary

The objectives of this learning module include:

• • Describe the original meaning of the word "secretary"

  • Identify the levels of secretaries

  • Provide examples of the categories of major duties and responsibilities on a Secretary Position Description

  • Provide possible examples of tasks in each category

  • Identify the reporting relationships for secretary position

The presentation on the Secretary’s Position Description starts out by noting that the duties of a modern secretary include the handling of confidential information. At the Department of Education, each employee is expected to read and sign the Acknowledgement of General Confidentiality Expectations each year. Included in the Expectations is this sentence: 

I understand the confidential nature of private information regarding our students, faculty, staff, and other members of the HiDOE community and understand that it is my responsibility to respect and protect the confidentiality of this information. 

In processing personnel transactions, such as recruitment, hiring new employees, and submitting updates to personnel forms for staff, the secretary has knowledge of confidential information related to current employees and prospective employees. During discussions with his/her supervisor, a secretary may also obtain other knowledge about matters that should remain confidential until the supervisor is ready to share the information with the rest of the staff. 

The expectation of confidentiality includes personnel information and other matters. A secretary who values his/her professional character maintains confidentiality about all matters. 

If you would like to refresh your memory about the Acknowledgement of General Confidentiality Expectations, which you should have signed within the past year, click on the documents folder to the upper right.