August 28, 2023
The Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center is accepting applications for a Graduate Staff Assistant (GSA): Community Engaged Learning position for the appointment period of October 1, 2023 – June 15, 2024.
Title/Pay Classification: Graduate Staff Assistant 50% FTE
Application open: August 18, 2023
Application closes: September 1, 2023
Notifications to applicants by: September 15, 2023
FTE: 50% FTE – September 18 2023 – June 15, 2024
Supervisor: Kathryn Pursch Cornforth (Director of Community Engagement)
Salary: Compensation and benefits will reflect the negotiated labor contract and salary schedule that govern academic student employees and are subject to union shop provisions.
Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) shapes, advances, and stewards a world-class undergraduate academic experience for students at the University of Washington. Staff, faculty and students in UAA deepen and enrich the learning experience for all undergraduates, recognizing and supporting the unique learning path of each individual student and the commitment of each academic program to excellence in learning and teaching.
Program Description:
Within UAA, the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center unit provides students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to thriving communities. Building authentic community and campus partnerships drive our work. CELE programs are centered around the areas of community-engaged learning, democratic engagement, leadership education, pK-12 student success and place-based initiatives.
CELE has an outstanding opportunity for a Graduate Staff Assistant to contribute to community-engaged learning at the UW through partnership development and student engagement. This position will work primarily with our community-engaged courses program and will support students community-based service opportunities with academic coursework. The GSA will also contribute to the institutionalization of community-engagement at the UW Seattle through research, writing, and faculty outreach.
Position Description:
CELE Center Community Engaged courses combines service in the community with structured preparation and reflection opportunities, and address concerns that are identified and articulated by the community. Students benefit from this work through relationship development, personal and professional growth, a sense of belonging in the community, and by contributing to necessary social change. We select community and school partners through a framework that recognizes historical and institutional racism and its impact on access to resources and education.
Under the supervision of the Director of Community Engagment and/or Program Managers, the Graduate Staff Assistant(s) will have some combination of the responsibilities below:
- Work with CELE Center staff and community-based organizations to develop meaningful community-based learning opportunities for University of Washington students.
- Present community-engaged learning background, instructions, and orientation information to students in community-engaged courses.
- Advise and enroll students in community-engaged learning opportunities.
- Support the onboarding process (required orientations and background check processes) for undergraduates working in Seattle Public Schools through their community-engaged course.
- Support students in navigating challenges at their site; provide tactical problem-solving assistance as needed.
- Create opportunities for community partners to engage in meaningful conversations with each other and the CELE Center regarding the community-engaged learning program, partnering with the University of Washington, and their role(s) as co-educators of students.
- Work with campus and community partners to build a network of professionals committed to student leadership development and career-connected learning.
- Implement additional critical engagement and reflection activities for students (such as workshops, one-day service opportunities, and opportunities to present their community-based work).
- Administer quarterly evaluation processes; work as a member of the team to curate quarterly and/or annual reports based on these evaluations.
- Support efforts to build and strengthen tri-campus community engagement infrastructure and capacity building.
Qualifications:
- Full-time graduate student at the University of Washington.
- Willingness to actively engage in addressing issues of structural inequity, power, and privilege in community-based experiences and student leadership development programming.
- Ideal candidates will have professional and/or lived experience with community-based organizations, BIPOC communities, or social justice movements.
- Previous experience and/or deep interest in community-based organization and school engagement, leadership development, or career-connected learning for undergraduate populations.
- Ability to advise and support undergraduate students in navigating on and off-campus support systems.
- Highly motivated and self-directed in solving issues as they arise.
- Able to work collaboratively with other student staff members and CELE Center career staff.
- Commitment to creating equitable community-campus partnerships.
- Adept in interpersonal skills across a wide range of campus and community stakeholders.
- Creative problem-solving skills, flexibility, ability to balance a variety of time-sensitive duties while maintaining attention to detail.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent interpersonal communication skills.
Work Hours and Location: 220 hours per academic quarter (prorated for Autumn Quarter based on mutually agreed upon start date, if start date is after 9/18); quarterly schedule negotiated with supervisor, majority of hours will be completed during weekday business hours from CELE office in Mary Gates Hall.
Duration: Autumn Quarter 2023, Winter Quarter 2024, and Spring Quarter 2024
Compensation: Compensation and benefits will reflect the negotiated labor contract and salary schedule that govern academic student employees and is subject to union shop provisions.
Employee Non-Discrimination Statement
Diversity is a core value at University of Washington and in the CELE Center. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for team members and our partners. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying to this position, please submit a resume and cover letter as attachments (PDF or DOCX) to engage@uw.edu.
In your resume, please include the names and contact information for three (3) professional references.
In your cover letter, please address these questions:
- Why are you applying for this position?
- Tell us about your experience developing and maintaining working partnerships with diverse communities – particularly in the context of your professional, volunteer, or civic work. Please also address efforts you have made or been involved with to foster diversity competence and understanding.
Application Timeline
Application open: August 18
Applications closes: September 1
Interviews: September 11-12-13
Notifications to applicants: September 14
Candidate response required: September 18
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or dso@u.washington.edu.
KATHRYN PURSCH CORNFORTH (she/her)
Director of Community Engagement
Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE)
Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity
physical address: Mary Gates Hall Suite 171
mailing address: Mary Gates Hall, Box 352803, Seattle, WA 98195-2803
206.616.0784
purschk@uw.edu
cele.uw.edu