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This position is available only to enrolled American University students.
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Department: Education & Support Programs
Time Type: Part time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Summary
The Center for Student Belonging (CSB) is one of the key units within the Student Engagement portfolio of the Division of Student Affairs. CSB fosters an inclusive, identity-conscious, and belonging driven campus environment where students can explore their identities, build connections, and develop leadership skills. Graduate Assistants are central to the Center's mission, helping to plan and implement programs, support students, and contribute to a campus culture that promotes belonging and community engagement.
Reporting to the Associate Director, the Graduate Assistant (GA) contributes to the design, coordination, and facilitation of leadership programs, cultural engagement initiatives, and community-building experiences that strengthen students' sense of belonging.
The GA collaborates closely with CSB staff, student leaders, and campus partners to plan and execute high-impact programs. Responsibilities include supporting leadership in curriculum design, managing program logistics, mentoring student leaders, and contributing to strategic initiatives that enhance engagement and retention.
Essential Functions
- Design and implement leadership development programs for students.
- Plan and facilitate workshops, training sessions, and retreats for student leaders and student organizations.
- Co-create curriculum that emphasizes inclusive leadership, identity development, and fostering a sense of belonging.
- Support planning and execution of CSB programs and events.
- Assist with logistics and coordination for Center programs such as cultural heritage events, student engagement initiatives, and community-building workshops.
- Collaborate with student leaders and CSB staff to ensure programs are inclusive, accessible, and aligned with CSB goals.
- Advise and mentor student leaders.
- Provide guidance on program design, event management, and leadership skills.
- Support student leaders in reflecting their growth, navigating challenges, and achieving their programmatic goals.
- Supervise and coordinate student staff involvement in programs.
- Oversee student staff assignments for workshops and events, including scheduling, training, and on-site support.
- Model effective leadership and provide feedback to student staff to develop their skills.
- Evaluate and improve programs through data and feedback.
- Collect participant feedback and other assessment data to determine program effectiveness.
- Collaborate with staff to implement improvements to programs, workshops, and leadership initiatives.
- Assist with marketing and communications for programs and initiatives.
- Develop promotional materials, social media content, and email campaigns to increase awareness and engagement in CSB programs.
- Ensure communications reflect CSB's mission and highlight student achievements.
- Manage resources and logistical needs for programs.
- Maintain inventory of materials, supplies, and equipment needed for workshops and events.
- Support efficient use of resources to enhance program delivery and student experience.
Competencies
- Advising and Supporting: Addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to providing advising and support to individuals and groups through direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance. Through developing advising and supporting strategies that take into account self-knowledge and the needs of others, we play critical roles in advancing the holistic wellness of ourselves, our students, and our colleagues.
- Social Justice and Inclusion: While there are many conceptions of social justice and inclusion in various contexts, for the purposes of this competency area, it is defined here as both a process and a goal which includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups while seeking to address and acknowledge issues of oppression, privilege, and power. This competency involves student affairs educators who have a sense of their own agency and social responsibility that includes others, their community, and the larger global context. Student affairs educators may incorporate social justice and inclusion competencies into their practice through seeking to meet the needs of all groups, equitably distributing resources, raising social consciousness, and repairing past and current harms on campus communities.
- Assessment, Evaluation, and Research: The Assessment, Evaluation, and Research competency area focuses on the ability to design, conduct, critique, and use various AER methodologies and the results obtained from them, to utilize AER processes and their results to inform practice, and to shape the political and ethical climate surrounding AER processes and uses in higher education.
- Leadership: The Leadership competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of a leader, with or without positional authority. Leadership involves both the individual role of a leader and the leadership process of individuals working together to envision, plan, and affect change in organizations and respond to broad-based constituencies and issues. This can include working with students, student affairs colleagues, faculty, and community members.
- Organizational and Human Resources: The Organizational and Human Resources competency area includes knowledge, skills, and aptitude used in the management of institutional human capital, financial, and physical resources. This competency area recognizes that student affairs professionals bring personal strengths and grow as managers through challenging themselves to build new skills in the selection, supervision, motivation, and formal evaluation of staff; resolution of conflict; management of the politics of organizational discourse; and the effective application of strategies and techniques associated with financial resources, facilities management, fundraising, technology, crisis management, risk management, and sustainable resources.
- Student Learning and Development: The Student Learning and Development competency area addresses the concepts and principles of student development and learning theory. This includes the ability to apply theory to improve and inform student affairs and teaching practice.
- Technology: The Technology competency area focuses on the use of digital tools, resources, and technologies for the advancement of student learning, development, and success as well as the improved performance of student affairs professionals. Included within this area are knowledge, skills, and dispositions that lead to the generation of digital literacy and digital citizenship within communities of students, student affairs professionals, faculty members, and colleges and universities.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
Salary Range
Required Education and Experience
- Enrollment in AU's School of Education graduate programs.
- Experience in student programming and/or leadership development.
Preferred Education and Experience
- Experience designing or leading large-scale student programs.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to adapt to a fast-paced and changing environment.
- Experience working effectively with diverse constituencies.
- Collaborative work style and team orientation.
Additional Eligibility Qualifications
- This position is primarily in-person, with occasional virtual support.
- Flexible scheduling with an expected part-time commitment of up to 20 hours/week.
- Evening availability and core day availability (Monday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday).
- Position requires collaboration with students, staff, and campus partners.
Other Details
- This position is available only to enrolled American University students.
- Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
- American University is an E-Verify employer.
- Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.
American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual's genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.
