Graduate Community Building and Program Development Assistant (Student)

American University; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 26,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

The Center for Student Belonging (CSB) at American University seeks a part-time Graduate Assistant to support programs that promote belonging, leadership, and inclusive student development within the LGBTQIA+ and Disability+ communities. You will assist in planning, implementing, and evaluating workshops and events throughout the academic year.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the GA will help design surveys via Qualtrics, collect data, and summarize findings for reports and dashboards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Enrollment in AU School of Education graduate programs.
• Experience in student programming and leadership development.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement programs that promote belonging and student development.
• Support workshops, dialogues, and learning activities for participants.
• Assist in assessing learning outcomes and collecting feedback.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Enrollment in AU School of Education graduate programs

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community. This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Most student positions at American University are eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWS funds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWS funds, please contact American University's Office of Financial Aid. Important guidance for current American University employees: American University current employees, including those employed in student positions, must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into your employee Workday account and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings. Applying outside of your employee Workday account may cause delays in a hire process.

Department: Education & Support for LGBTQIA+ Time Type: Part time FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Job Description

Summary: The Center for Student Belonging (CSB) is one of the key units within the Student Engagement portfolio of the Division of Student Affairs. CSB fosters an inclusive, identity-conscious, and belonging driven campus environment where students can explore their identities, build connections, and develop leadership skills. Graduate Assistants are central to the Center’s mission, helping to plan and implement programs, support students, and contribute to a campus culture that promotes belonging and community engagement. The Community Building and Program Development Graduate Assistant (GA) advances the CSB’s mission to support students’ academic success, personal growth, and overall well-being through intentional learning experiences. Reporting to the Assistant Director, the GA helps design, implement, and assess initiatives and programs that promote students’ intellectual, social, and emotional development with a specific focus on the LGBTQIA+ and Disability+ communities. In this part‑time role, the GA collaborates with CSB staff, faculty and staff partners, and students to support workshops, reflection‑based learning activities, skill‑building programs, and wellness‑focused initiatives. The GA contributes to programming, facilitates student learning sessions, and helps develop resources that empower students to navigate challenges, build resilience, and thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Through this work, the GA strengthens the Center’s commitment to holistic, equity‑minded, student‑centered development across the academic year.

Essential Functions

• Facilitate holistic student development programs.
• Plan and implement workshops, dialogues, interactive programs and activities that support personal growth, leadership skills, and student identity exploration.
• Support large scale center events (e.g., Connection Socials, National Coming Out Day, Women's History Month).
• Provide direct support and mentorship to students. Meet with students individually and/or in small groups to provide guidance on navigating academic, social, and leadership challenges.
• Support students in reflecting on experiences, setting goals, and developing skills for success.
• Collaborate with student leaders to enhance engagement.
• Partner with student organizations and peer programs to design initiatives that promote belonging and community connection.
• Coordinate program logistics and on‑site support. Assist in the planning and execution of Center events and initiatives, ensuring seamless operation and an inclusive environment.
• Support CSB and Student Engagement programs by staffing daytime, late night and weekend programs as needed.
• Supervise and support student assistants or volunteers contributing to programs.
• Conduct assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes. Create surveys via Qualtrics; Gather qualitative and quantitative data from participants to assess impact on student development and engagement.
• Summarize findings in reports, presentations, or visual dashboards to inform program improvement.
• Support communications and visibility for learning initiatives. Develop content for newsletters, social media, and other communications to highlight programs.
• Collaborate with staff to increase awareness and participation in CSB programs.
• Maintain resources and materials for learning programs. Organize and track supplies, equipment, and instructional materials to ensure readiness for all workshops and events.

Competencies

Social Justice and Inclusion: While there are many conceptions of social justice and inclusion in various contexts, for the purposes of this competency area, it is defined here as both a process and a goal which includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups while seeking to address and acknowledge issues of oppression, privilege, and power. This competency involves student affairs educators who have a sense of their own agency and social responsibility that includes others, their community, and the larger global context. Student affairs educators may incorporate social justice and inclusion competencies into their practice through seeking to meet the needs of all groups, equitably distributing resources, raising social consciousness, and repairing past and current harms on campus communities.

Advising and Supporting: Addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to providing advising and support to individuals and groups through direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance. Through developing advising and supporting strategies that take into account self‑knowledge and the needs of others, we play critical roles in advancing the holistic wellness of ourselves, our students, and our colleagues.

Assessment, Evaluation, and Research: The Assessment, Evaluation, and Research competency area focuses on the ability to design, conduct, critique, and use various AER methodologies and the results obtained from them, to utilize AER processes and their results to inform practice, and to shape the political and ethical climate surrounding AER processes and uses in higher education.

Leadership: The Leadership competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of a leader, with or without positional authority. Leadership involves both the individual role of a leader and the leadership process of individuals working together to envision, plan, and affect change in organizations and respond to broad‑based constituencies and issues. This can include working with students, student affairs colleagues, faculty, and community members.

Organizational and Human Resources: The Organizational and Human Resources competency area includes knowledge, skills, and aptitude used in the management of institutional human capital, financial, and physical resources. This competency area recognizes that student affairs professionals bring personal strengths and grow as managers through challenging themselves to build new skills in the selection, supervision, motivation and formal evaluation of staff; resolution of conflict; management of the politics of organizational discourse; and the effective application of strategies and techniques associated with financial resources, facilities management, fundraising, technology, crisis management, risk management, and sustainable resources.

Student Learning and Development: The Student Learning and Development competency area addresses the concepts and principles of student development and learning theory. This includes the ability to apply theory to improve and inform student affairs and teaching practice.

Technology: The Technology competency area focuses on the use of digital tools, resources, and technologies for the advancement of student learning, development, and success as well as the improved performance of student affairs professionals. Included within this area are knowledge, skills, and dispositions that lead to the generation of digital literacy and digital citizenship within communities of students, student affairs professionals, faculty members, and colleges and universities.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work

Part‑time. 20 hours per week.

Salary Range: $18.95 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree. Enrollment in AU’s School of Education graduate programs. Experience in student programming and/or leadership development.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience designing or leading large‑scale student programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to a fast‑paced and changing environment.
• Experience working effectively with diverse constituencies.
• Collaborative work style and team orientation.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• This position is primarily in‑person, with occasional virtual support.
• Flexible scheduling with an expected part‑time commitment of up to 20 hours/week.
• Evening availability and core day availability (Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday).
• Position requires collaboration with students, staff, and campus partners.

Other Details

This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

American University is an E-Verify employer. Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.

Current American University Employees American University current employees (including those employed in student positions) must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

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.

American University is a student centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally‑renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.