Desk Assistant (Student)

American University; Washington; On-site; USD 25,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

American University in Washington, DC seeks a part-time Desk Assistant within Housing & Residence Life. The DA helps ensure safety, assists residents, and welcomes guests, supervised by Residential Operations staff.

The role requires full-time enrollment as AU student (12–17 credits), GPA 2.50+, attendance at staff trainings in August and January, and a commitment of about 12 hours weekly including some weekend shifts and breaks.

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled full-time as an American University student (minimum 12 credits, max 17 per semester).
• Cumulative GPA at or above 2.50.
• Must be in good conduct standing with the university.
• Attend Desk Assistant information sessions and training.
• Commit to minimum 12 hours per week, including weekends.

Responsibilities

• Staff the residence hall front desk 7:00 AM–11:00 PM daily.
• Submit HR/payroll paperwork via WorkDay and bi-weekly timesheets on time.
• Provide courteous assistance to residents, families, faculty, staff, and guests.
• Enforce university policies and safety procedures; respond to incidents.
• Assist in operations, communication, and relationship-building with staff.

Education

Full-time enrollment as undergraduate or graduate student at American University

GPA 2.50 minimum

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, andContribute to Your University Community.

This position isavailable only to enrolled American University students.

Most student positions at American University are eligible touse Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWSfunds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWSfunds, please contact American University's Office of FinancialAid.

Department

Residence Life Training Leadership Programs

Time Type

Part time

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

Job Description

Summary

The Desk Assistant (DA) is a part-time student staff member ofHousing & Residence Life and a member of the University’sDivision of Student Affairs. The Desk Assistant fulfills a vitalrole in the residence hall system by helping ensure the safety ofthe halls, assisting residents with concerns, and welcoming guestsand visitors.

The DA is supervised by a Residential Operations Coordinator withthe support from the Assistant Director for Residential Operationsand Finance and is expected to work closely with other staffmembers (other DAs, Desk Coordinators, Resident Assistants,Community Directors, Facilities Management staff, etc.) within thebuilding, as well as across campus.

This position staffs the residence hall front desks from 7:00 AM -11:00 PM daily.

Essential Functions

1.) Administration

• Turn in completed HR and payroll forms to the ResidentialOperations Coordinator or Assistant Director for ResidentialOperations and Finance. Also, submit appropriate HR paperwork viaWorkDay.
• Be timely and professional in all written and verbalcommunications with Housing & Residence Life staff and AUcommunity members.
• Compile accurate and timely reports for supervisor as requested(shift logs, digital systems management).
• Complete and submit bi-weekly online timesheets on time.
• Treat information concerning staff and/or students with theutmost confidentiality.

2.) Community Facilitation and Customer Service

• Contribute towards the safe living environment for theresidents.
• Answer questions from students, families, faculty, staff,prospective students, and alumni in person and over the phone.
• Follow proper protocol to check in and out guests ofresidents.
• Treat the concerns of all customers with attentiveness andseriousness.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the University’s facilities,services, and resources.
• Ensure that the desk is clean, all binders and logs are inappropriate locations, and all supplies are stocked.

3.) Role Modeling and Policy Compliance

• Monitor and enforce access to the residence hall.
• Be well versed in, personally abide by, and help enforceUniversity policies including the Housing Agreement. DAs must alsoabide by all regulations in federal and local jurisdictions.
• Confront, document, and follow through on violations ofpublished University and Housing & Residence Life policies,regulations, and procedures in an accurate and timely manner.
• Abide by policies and procedures aligned in the protocol manualregarding building evacuations.
• Understand that all actions of a DA (including those engagedoutside of the residence hall) are observed by residents, otherDAs, and staff members. DAs must hold themselves to a higherstandard in all actions.
• Follow outlined emergency response protocol at the desk.

4.) Facilities/Operations

• Assist in the opening, closing, and staffing of the residencehall desks at break times.
• Assist residents with checking in and out of their housingassignments using the StarRez housing assignment managementsoftware system.
• Follow lockout protocol to assist residents with regainingaccess to their rooms when locked out.
• Check out administrative keys to groups that have residencehall space reservations.
• Follow proper key distribution procedures to maintain accuracyand security. DAs must not create or issue keys to anyone,including themselves, without following proper documentationprocedures.

5.) Communication

• Maintain positive relationships with fellow Desk Assistants,Desk Coordinators, Resident Assistants, Community Directors, HRLstaff, and Facilities Management.
• Attend DA meetings to schedule desk shifts and receiveadditional training.
• Maintain ongoing communication with Residential OperationsCoordinators, fellow Desk Assistants, and Housing & ResidenceLife office by checking phone messages and e-mail messagesdaily.
• Attend all scheduled shifts on time. Follow propercommunication protocols when seeking emergency shift coverage.
• Follow proper communication protocols when communicating withon-call staff and emergency personnel.

6.) Other duties as assigned

• The nature of the DA position does not allow for all duties tobe explicitly described. There will be times when hall staff arerequested to assist in an emergency or other unforeseencircumstances. These situations will be presented as thoroughly aspossible at the time of need.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Part-time.
• 12 hours per week.

Salary Range

• $18.40 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

• Full-time enrollment as an undergraduate or graduate student atAmerican University (minimum 12 credits and a maximum of 17 persemester).
• If a Desk Assistant wishes to drop below the minimum credithours, they must receive written permission from the Director ofResidence Life to retain the DA position.
• Cumulative GPA at, or above, 2.50 and term GPA at, or above,2.50 (GPAs must be maintained from the date of application untilthe date of separation).
• Must be in good conduct standing with the university.
• Participate in the Desk Assistant interview process.
• Desk Assistants are expected to work a minimum of 12 hours perweek, including 3 hours on Saturdays or Sundays.
• Desk Assistants are required to work during one break(Thanksgiving Break, Winter Early Arrival, Spring Break).
• Desk Assistants are required to work during Finals and hallclosing periods.
• All Desk Assistants must attend and fully participate in stafftraining in August and January prior to the start of the academicsemester.
• All Desk Assistants are expected to work during the opening ofresidence halls.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• This is a 10-month position from August through May.
• Staff are required to be present and participate in all DAtraining and residence hall opening and closing dates. All datesare subject to change.
• Applicants are required to attend one Desk Assistantinformation session.
• This position has “nontraditional” business hours making itlikely staff will work evening and early morning hours.

Other Details

• This position is available only to enrolled AmericanUniversity students.
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover orcontain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties orresponsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any timewith or without notice.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.
• Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment andbenefits.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email [e-mail].

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.