Graduate Assistantships

CAM Creative Community Graduate Assistantships (2)

CAM Creative Community Graduate Assistantships Application Form

Overview

 

In a unique collaborative effort with Residence Life (RL), the College of Arts and Media (CAM) shares two Graduate Assistants with Residence Life to facilitate and oversee programming for the fine arts Creative Community (CC) at Belvin-Buchanan Hall, a Living community for majors in CAM that was established in the Fall of 2015.  The bottom floor of Belvin Hall underwent significant renovation that included multiple new creative studios and rehearsal and performance/display spaces. The space includes a shared office for the two CC graduate assistants.

 

One of the two Graduate Assistants (GA) serving the Creative Community will be a first-year CAM graduate student, and will be provided, free of charge, the additional benefit of a private, single occupancy room in Belvin for the fall and spring semesters. A second GA will be a graduate student in their second year of study, and will also be provided, free of charge, a private apartment with a kitchen in Belvin. To provide continuity, it is intended that the first-year CC GA plan for a two-year experience (pending renewal), and would, in their second year, become the “second-year” GA for CC, providing experienced guidance to the CC and the new first-year GA. Additionally, if renewed, the first-year GA may be allowed to move into the apartment at the conclusion of the spring semester of their first year (June 1).

 

The award of both GA positions will be competitive. Information and criteria for the award and application information is noted below.

 

Position

 

Graduate Assistants can be expected to contribute 20 hours of work per week. To complete the requirements of this position, typically ten hours per week will be devoted to the Creative Community in Belvin Hall. The remaining position requirements (i.e. 10 hours per week) for the remaining half of the assistantship are designated by the student’s department in coordination with the College of Arts and Media.

 

This GA position is intended to provide practical arts experience. The two GAs coordinate and program arts and media events such as recitals, lectures, and exhibits that are presented in Belvin Hall. The GAs are expected to schedule meetings and work closely with faculty/students from all CAM departments and Residence Life staff to help oversee all activities and music practice rooms, dance studios, and digital and recording equipment located in the lower level of Belvin Hall.  

 

The ideal candidate should have strong organizational and communication skills, possess the ability to work with others, and exemplify the philosophies of CAM and RL.

 

Expectations

 

For the Creative Community component of the assistantship, the Graduate Assistants for the  Creative Community will be expected to 1) schedule and provide agendas and minutes of weekly meetings with Residence Life staff, 2) assist with the scheduling of rooms and spaces in Belvin Hall, program  performances and events, and 3) help supervise desk support provided by undergraduate student employees. For the departmental component of the assistantship, GAs will also be expected to perform duties as assigned by the department of their master’s program.

 

The Graduate Assistants (2) for the Creative Community will be expected to:

 

  • Serve as a liaisons between CAM, its departments, and Residence Life (RL)
  • Assist with establishment of day-to-day procedures related to the Creative Community spaces
  • Lead collaborative efforts with CAM departments scheduling programming/events for residents
  • Lead in establishment and enforcement of policies for the use and care of CC creative studios
  • Attend and contribute to weekly CC student council meetings with CC residents as needed
  • Collaborate with CAM departments and RL to facilitate programming and events for residents
  • Consult with Residence Hall Director in overseeing scheduling/reservation of creative studios
  • Supervise undergraduate student employees assigned to the CC ground floor reception desk
  • Report to his/her departmental graduate coordinator, Assistant Director of Resident Hall Staff and Academic Initiatives, and CAM Associate Dean

 

Eligibility Criteria

 

For best consideration, interested prospective graduate students in CAM should forward application by March 15, so applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate the application process at least three months prior to this graduate assistantship application timeline. Applicants should have a minimum undergraduate/graduate GPA of 3.3, and must be accepted in one of CAM's academic programs to be eligible to receive a graduate position. Interviews (Face-to-face or phone/video) may be held as early as April. Applicants should be prepared to provide:

 

Selection

 

The CAM Graduate Committee and Residence Life staff will review applications, interview candidates, and forward their recommendations to the Dean. Selected applicants may be notified as early as May 1 (tentative). Continuity is most desirable in these positions, and recipients in their first year of graduate school would, pending a satisfactory review/evaluation, ideally be renewed as the  “second year” CC Graduate Assistant. The “second-year” GA must be a full-time graduate student, maintain a 3.3 GPA, and show reasonable academic progress.

 

Collaborative Liaison and Leader for CAM and Residence Life

 

The  Creative Community represents a unique collaboration between Residence Life and the College of Arts and Media, and presents unique opportunities for two CAM graduate assistants and others, especially the CAM students who live there. The majority of the Creative Community aspect of both GAs is supervised by Residence Life, primarily from the Assistant Director of Staff and Community Life, in coordination with the Associate Dean in the college, and with faculty and staff from the GA’s department. CC GAs, working for and with Residence Life and CAM, would become knowledgeable and incorporate the philosophies and procedures of both RL and CAM, serving as a liaison and leader in both programming for CC residents and use of the creative studios on the ground floor of Belvin.