Disability Services Graduate Assistant - Marketing and Communication

Working Title: Disability Services Graduate Assistant - Marketing and Communication

State Role Title: Graduate Assistant

Position Type: Graduate Assistant

Position Status: Part-Time

FLSA Status: N/A

College/Division: Accessibility and Belonging

Department: 100170 - Office of Disability Services

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? No

Beginning Review Date: 05/02/2025

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:

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic candidate for the Marketing and Communications Graduate Assistantship. This role supports the unit’s marketing efforts by managing and creating content for social media, maintaining the ODS website, and advertising events. As a member of the ODS team, the chosen candidate will assist in enhancing accessibility and fostering a sense of belonging for people with disabilities through marketing and communications efforts.

The Marketing and Communications Graduate Assistant will work approximately 20 hours per week, Monday-Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The assistantship provides 18 hours of tuition support for the school year (9 hours per semester) and a stipend of $10,001 for the 2025/2026 school year.

Duties and Responsibilities:

- Develop knowledge of departmental programs and processes.
- Serve as the primary assistant and designer for materials and publications.
- Support management, creation, and publishing of content for departmental website and social media accounts.
- Ensure content is in alignment with the current WCAG accessibility standards.
- Monitor social media pages and report on any trends/hot topics.
- Collaborate in outreach and event planning with Student Access Advocate, Interns, and/or other ODS student staff.
- Represent the department by assisting with staffing tables at resource fairs and other events.
- Promote disability advocacy and consideration of intersectionality in content creation.
- Other duties, as assigned by full-time staff.

Qualifications:

- Must be a full-time graduate student at JMU for the 2025/2026 academic year.
- Experience with the use of social media, including LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and listening skills.
- Strong time management skills.
- Willingness to implement feedback.
- Ability to learn new software programs.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
- Experience with Adobe Creative Suite preferred.

Additional Posting Information:

Applicants should provide a resume, cover letter, and their graduate program acceptance letter. Applicants are encouraged to include a portfolio showcasing their social media and digital content creation skills.

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.