Graduate Assistant for Residential Colleges
This position has been filled for fall 2023; recruitment for the 2024-25 academic year will begin in spring 2024.
Position Description
Position Summary
The Graduate Assistant for Residential Colleges position is a part-time appointment that provides excellent professional development for graduate students considering faculty and/or administrative careers in academia. Working under the umbrella of Residential Services, a unit in the Division of Student Affairs, the GA learns about administrative aspects of undergraduate life and diverse models of student-faculty engagement, intellectual and cultural enrichment, student leadership, and academic support. Reporting to the Associate Director for Residential Colleges, the GA’s work within Residential and Academic Engagement complements other pedagogical training and provides experience outside of teaching that can be an asset on the job market in higher education and beyond.
The work commitment averages 10 hours per week during the academic year, including occasional evenings and weekends with advance notice. The overall time and percentage of time devoted to each area outlined below may vary at different points of the year. Specific duties and assignments are subject to change based on RAE’s needs.
Position Duties and Responsibilities
The GA’s work involves engagement with both students and faculty, as well as regular meetings with RAE staff. Types of duties in the GA’s portfolio may include but are not limited to:
- Assist with implementation of and information collection on designated off-campus excursions of residential groups to Chicago-area destinations (e.g. performance venues ranging from The Court, Goodman, Lookingglass or Writers Theatre or Broadway in Chicago), sporting events (Cubs, White Sox, Chicago Bulls or Chicago Fire games), neighborhood trips and tours (CBG, CAF), museums, Second City, NPR’s Wait, Wait news quiz show, etc.)
- Assist with planning and implementing training/experiential learning for student leaders (e.g. New Officers Conference, supplemental content check-ins)
- Support implementation of residential academic engagement on campus by helping to coordinate events with campus partners and RAE staff (e.g. Global Kitchen, LinkedIn workshops; Undergraduate Research; One Book; ASLA)
- Attend periodic meetings with RAE staff and campus partners for the purposes of planning programs
- Coordination with RAE and the 10 residential college boards for the annual Syllabus yearbook
- Review and management of residential college staff manual, websites, and SharePoint site
- Preparing appropriate documents for the university archives
- Data assessment, visualization, and entry
Compensation
The GA for Residential Colleges will receive an annual stipend of $10,000, allocated through monthly paychecks (September through June inclusively) and a limited meal plan when dining facilities are open.
Minimum Qualifications
- Enrolled full-time in a doctoral degree program at Northwestern University for the entire 2023-24 academic year with funding that constitutes a primary appointment with the university.
- Must be in residence at Northwestern for the entire academic year (early September through the end of mid-June, apart from university holidays), with absences of one week or more cleared well in advance.
- Facility with managing information in Microsoft Excel.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with residential programs such as residential colleges, theme houses, or living-learning communities.
Application Process
Access and complete our electronic Graduate Assistant application form through the TGS Interdisciplinary GAship Application Portal to apply. To complete your application, please have your dissertation adviser or Director of Graduate Studies enter their departmental electronic approval through the portal which certifies that the Graduate Assistant position is compatible with your academic responsibilities and plans. The preferred deadline for applications is May 19th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted until the position is filled.