Off-Campus Life Graduate Assistant for Community Building

Working Title: Off-Campus Life Graduate Assistant for Community Building

State Role Title: Graduate Assistant

Position Type: Graduate Assistant

Position Status: Part-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Student Life and Involvement

Department: 100155 - Off-Campus Life

Pay Rate: Stipend

Specify Range or Amount: 10,001

Is this a JMU only position? N/A

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? N/A

Beginning Review Date: 04/21/2025

About JMU:

Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

General Information:

Off-Campus Life (OCL) is here to assist students in gaining necessary knowledge and skills to make informed decisions within the off-campus community, to provide support and resources to off-campus students allowing them to maintain an academic focus, and to inspire and empower students to be responsible citizens who create safe, values-oriented communities. OCL is a part of the Office of Student Life, whose mission is to provide all students with experiences for self-discovery, belonging, and authentic engagement with each other, their communities, and beyond.

The role of the Community Building GA will include developing and implementing programming that focuses on community building for our commuter student population, working collaboratively within Student Life and the division of Student Affairs to build a Good Neighbors program, and helping to bring together a community/campus coalition that will inform and provide direction in these efforts.

A Graduate Assistant in the office of Off-Campus Life is expected to work 20 hours a week. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be necessary due to the nature of our programming. The majority of the weekly hours will take place in the office, but some work in the greater Harrisonburg community is possible.

All GA’s in Student Life are expected to attend departmental staff meetings and sponsored professional development opportunities as schedule permits.

The Student Life Department at James Madison University is committed to fostering belonging through the personal growth and development of an engaged citizenry by providing welcoming experiences and spaces. We embrace self-discovery, belonging, and authentic engagement with each other and our communities. We value inclusion, innovation, and a focus on students.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Programmatic oversite and resource development for Commuter/Off-Campus Students, including:

- Commuter Student appreciation events (Commuter Student Breakfast/mobile appreciation pop-ups)
- Roommate mixers and promotion of virtual roommate matching resources
- Helping to establish and promote a Good Neighbors program
- Assisting in building a campus/community committee to help inform and provide direction to Off-Campus Life’s efforts in student outreach and education
- Maintaining up-to-date resource list specific to the needs of commuter students at JMU

Specific expectations of graduates assigned to this site include:
 
- Uphold the mission and vision of the Off-Campus Life, the department of Student Life, and Student Affairs 
- Arrive in mid-August for training; assist in August training sessions for undergraduate student employees 
- Attending professional development opportunities and staff meetings, as academic schedule permits
- Establish and maintain regular office hours; maintain appropriate availability for meetings, questions, etc. from students and community members
- At times, be available for irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
- Complete assigned projects in a timely and organized manner 
- Maintain effective and appropriate communication with staff and stakeholders
- Strive to create and maintain an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students

Qualifications:

- Ability to commit to a year-long assistantship
- Able to begin working August 10th
- Comfortable with public speaking and workshop/meeting facilitation
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Able and willing to work independently on projects
- Able and willing to attend appropriate trainings to access JMU systems (Cascade/Question Pro)
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple duties and assignments
- Commitment to the mission and vision of the office and of Student Affairs

Additional Posting Information:

Stipend amount will most likely adjust upwards if/when state budgets are updated and approved.

Conditions of Employment:  

Students may apply to a graduate assistantship prior to being accepted into a graduate program. However, to be eligible to receive an assistantship upon entry into a graduate program, the following criteria must be met:

The student must be conditionally or unconditionally accepted into a graduate program. Students who are provisionally accepted will not be eligible until they achieve conditional or unconditional acceptance into their program.

The students must have an official transcript on file indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or agency

After receiving an assistantship, the student must maintain at least a 3.0 graduate GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.

These are minimum criteria. Graduate program coordinators have the right to impose additional criteria if they see fit.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are a student with a disability and need assistance please contact the Office of Disability Services at (540) 568-6705 or disability-svcs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the Office of Disability Services, located in the Student Success Center, Suite 1202 and they will be happy to assist you.