African American Cultural Center, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Graduate Assistant Position Description
Project ROCS is a voluntary, retention initiative that targets entering African American and Hispanic freshmen and minority scholars. The project is designed to help increase the students’ chance of college success by offering a comprehensive array of academic, cultural, social, and personal support services during their first year at IUP.
The graduate student coordinator advises a caseload of students and assists the director with planning, implementing, achieving, and evaluating program objectives and services.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Assists with identifying and enrolling project participants.
- Conducts needs assessments and academic and personal development advising of caseload participants.
- Maintains biweekly contact and/or meetings with caseload participants.
- Obtains and maintains appropriate educational and academic data on caseload participants.
- Complete and maintain individual contact sheets for each caseload student.
- Establishes and maintains files for caseload participants.
- Maintain awareness of other campus support services available to students, making necessary referrals as needed.
- Conduct formal and informal evaluation of project and caseload participants.
- Conducts, develops, and/or secures presenters for mini-courses or seminars on college survival skills, career development, financial aid, or other personal development workshops.
- Completes and submits appropriate reports, including bi-weekly contact and bi-semester caseload reports.
- Supervises and oversees activities of the project’s peer outreach assistants (peer mentors).
- Assists with establishing and maintaining formal and informal relationships with faculty members of the program, participating in formal and informal gatherings between project participants and faculty.
- Assists with various administrative functions as needed, including but not limited to securing and overseeing project tutors, establishing and maintaining a databank of course syllabi and sample exams, assisting participants with studying, obtaining academic and other data deemed necessary to assist project participants (e.g., high school and college grades, mid-term reports, standardized and placement tests, etc.), preparing publicity materials, and report writing as needed.
- Attends, participates in, and assists with the programs and services of the African American Cultural Center (AACC) as needed.
- Attends and participates in ongoing project and AACC staff meetings and training, which may include individual meetings with the project director, monthly in-service programs, and bi-semester retreats.
- Maintains confidentiality of students’ records and files.
- Meets bi-weekly with the project director.
- Completes other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Be enrolled as a graduate student at IUP.
- Be sensitive to issues of diversity, cultural differences, and different learning styles.
- Demonstrate a strong desire and interest in helping others reach their full potential.
- Possess good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Be available to work twenty hours per week, beginning Summer I (June 9, 2006, for Summer 2006).
- Be flexible and willing to learn.
For further information, please contact Dr. Carolyn Princes, 724-357-2455 or cdprince@iup.edu.
