
Student Affairs Assistantship Experiences
- Admissions
- Campus Recreation
- Career Services
- Dean of Students Office
- Educational Access and TRIO programs
- Graduate Studies
- Greek Affairs
- Nebraska Unions
- NU Start
- OASIS (Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services)
- Student Involvement
- Student Support Services (SSS)
- Supplemental Instruction (UTAC)
- Undergraduate Studies (UCARE)
- University Health Center
- University Housing
- Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Admissions:
Graduate assistants in the Office of Admissions have several options available, depending on the semester and on the available opportunities. A summer graduate assistant may be assigned to the Honors Colloquium (a high ability student recruitment event), the telemarketing effort in which the graduate assistant would help with scripting, planning and training of the telemarketers as well as researching the effectiveness, application processing and individual interviews, or recruitment at high school fairs and visits.
Campus Recreation:
The Office of Campus Recreation provides graduate assistantship opportunities in the following areas: Facilities Management, Youth Activities, Fitness and Wellness Services, Instructional Programming, Intramural Sports, Marketing/Promotions and Special Events, Outdoor Recreation, Sport Clubs, Aquatics, and Member Services. The graduate assistant will receive a concentrated experience in one or more of the areas listed above.
Career Services:
While working in Career Services, Graduate Assistants will obtain a variety of experiences including counseling/advising students, giving presentations, producing events, marketing and advertising, utilizing advanced software systems, and working with employers. These assistantships provide varying degrees of emphasis on career counseling and career assessments, part-time employment, as well as internships and cooperative education.
Graduate assistants are treated as professional staff and are expected to contribute to staff meetings and professional development workshops.
Dean of Students Office:
This graduate assistantship will include an in-depth experience in adjudicating disciplinary cases as they apply to students and the Student Code of Conduct. The graduate assistant works with all areas of the campus community, including faculty, staff, administrators, and students to enforce the Student Code of Conduct. A graduate assistant will have the opportunity to work directly with students in both an advising and educational capacity. The graduate assistant will also have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty, University Housing, Athletics, Greek Affairs, and Campus Police. Other opportunities involve training the University Judicial Board, making presentations to student groups and classes, and assessing student learning.
Educational Access and TRIO programs:
The graduate assistant will have the opportunity to work in one of the four administrative units: Minority Assistance Program, Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, or Student Opportunities and Services.
Graduate Studies:
The Office of Graduate Studies strives to develop excellent graduate students. Through the activities of recruitment, admissions, and academic and professional development we support and provide resources for students, faculty, and staff.
We value professional development and are offering a graduate student the opportunity to learn about the administration and activities of the Office of Graduate Studies, essentially the dean's office. With a specific focus on recruitment, the graduate assistant will learn more about all of UNL's degree programs, student and faculty research, and be a part of a cutting-edge team leading the nation in this emerging issue in graduate education.
Responsibilities fall into three main categories, Customer Relationship Management software-Talisma, Campus Visits, Communication and Events. Specific duties are listed below:
- Supervise a team of undergraduate students who work with CRM system, Talisma, entering prospective student contact information
- Manage and prepare work for student workers, (e.g. preparing lists from McNair, California Forum for Diversity to match field properties in Talisma)
- Coordinating assignments and schedules to meet work-flow deadlines
- Maintain the integrity of the data once it is entered
- Correspond and answer prospective student questions with regard to campus visits
- Arrange campus visits for prospective graduate students and provide campus tours
- Regularly communicate and interact with university faculty and staff
- Research topics and write articles for prospective student newsletters
- Create, review, edit, and evaluate electronic and printed recruitment pieces
- Assist and coordinate special events (Annual Recruitment Workshop, Gallup Summer Leadership Institute, etc.)
- Help develop and organize new projects and initiatives
- Attend bi-monthly recruitment staff meetings and monthly all staff meetings
Greek Affairs:
The Office of Greek Affairs provides assistantship opportunities in supervising the activities of fraternities and sororities. They will assist with major projects of Greek Affairs such as educational programs, semester grade reports, Greek Week, and membership recruitment. The graduate assistant will also advise the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association executive teams, co-advise the Order of Omega and Greek Ambassadors, and assist in judicial matters concerning fraternities and sororities. They will be asked to represent Greek Affairs on various university-wide committees as needed.
Nebraska Unions:
The Nebraska Unions provide assistantship opportunities in one or more of the following areas: Union operations/building management, staff training and development, and/or business and finance. All assistantships will include exposure to overall Union operations and activities, but graduate assistants may choose specialization in one or more of the areas indicated. Graduate assistants will be included in Nebraska Union management team activities, Union Board meetings, and will interact with all departments regardless of the specialization(s) chosen. Graduate assistants are expected to acquire an overall picture of the college union and relate their area of specialization to the overall role of the Union. Those wishing a more general Union experience may choose a graduate assistantship that includes the elements listed. Assistantships will be designed to fit the needs and experiences of the students.
NU Start:
This assistantship is available only in the summer due to the timing of the program. The graduate assistant will support the program through administrative support of registration, program planning, and enforcement of policies and procedures of the university as a live-in graduate assistant during the program period of three weeks. The graduate assistant is directly responsible for activity execution and day-to-day efforts of undergraduate student staff. Position is available approximately May 15-August 15.
OASIS (Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services):
Graduate assistants in this office will have the opportunity to participate with the staff in supporting the needs of racial minority and low income students in an environment that accepts and celebrates cultural and individual differences.
Student Involvement:
There are three full-year positions available:
- Activities Administration: Coordinate the operations, activities, and staffing of the East Campus Student Involvement resource area. Supervise three student staff members. Work with all assistant directors to present programs and services to East Campus. Create an overall advertising and marketing plan for Student Involvement. Work with leadership, student organizations, volunteer services, women's center programming, student activities, and minority student programming.
- Service-Learning: Work with a federally funded grant program that serves higher education in the state of Nebraska. Creative work includes marketing, promotion, statewide events, grant writing, etc.
- Activities Programming: Serve as one of the advisers to the University Program Council and advise students and their committees in event production and implementation. Work with leadership development and other student growth opportunities.
- Campus NightLife: This assistantship involves event planning and coordination as well as assessment and evaluation. The graduate assistant serves as a co-adviser to the Campus NightLife student advisory board and supervises the promotion and implementation of events.
- Leadership Development: As a teaching assistant for the Emerging Leader Class, the graduate assistant will assist in updating curriculum, recruiting new members, and will serve as liaison between lead instructors and teaching assistants. Assist in the planning, preparation, implementation, and evaluation of LeaderShape. Also, assist in designing and updating curriculum for the Chancellor's Leadership Class.
- Student Organizations: The graduate assistant will provide assistance to Student Involvement with the development and implementation of Event Planning and Registration consultations and other services for student organizations. Other responsibilities will include review of contracts, attending weekly oversight committee meetings, and organization of the yearly Student Impact Awards.
Student Support Services (SSS):
Student Support Services provides tutoring and a variety of other services to students who are low-income, first-generation, or have disabilities. The graduate assistant in this position coordinates tutee/tutor matches. This graduate assistant also interviews and trains all tutor applicants, organizes the weekly tutor time sheets, and coordinates the staffing of the Mathematics Lab. The graduate assistant is responsible for the public relations and advertisement of the SSS program.
Supplemental Instruction (UTAC) Supervisor:
The Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Corps (UTAC) is a program designed to assist UNL undergraduates with an academic orientation and support mechanism. The UTAC supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day running of the UTAC Program. Duties include attending training in early August, evaluating credentials of UTAC applicants, training new leaders in supplemental instruction techniques, meeting with leaders to discuss concerns, recruiting new professors and courses for the UTAC program, providing statistical analysis of grades for UTAC attendees vs. grades of non-attendees in all UTAC-supported courses.
Undergraduate Studies-Undergraduate Creative and Research Experiences (UCARE):
UCARE, Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences, funded by the Pepsi Endowment and Program of Excellence funds, supports opportunities for undergraduates to work alongside faculty members and directly participate in the campus's research or creative activities. The graduate assistant helps with all aspects of the UCARE program: assisting with UCARE events, program assessment, campus presentations on UCARE to student groups, UCARE application procedures, and communicating with participating students and faculty.
University Health Center:
Students interested in health education and administration can participate in graduate assistantships in the university's fully accredited comprehensive health care facility. Graduate assistants will get an overview of all UHC areas and can tailor their experiences within departments. Attendance at staff meetings is at the student's discretion. Basic administrative principles are emphasized and health center staff members will try to illustrate how various aspects of a college health operation are common to many Student Affairs departments. Assistantships are available in health education, promotion, and health center administration.
University Housing:
The Division of University Housing makes available one assistantship position during the summer, and two during the academic year. Graduate assistants may elect to emphasize one or more of six functional areas of interest and participation within the division: general administration, residential education (student life), food services, maintenance/operations, business services, and conference services. Graduate assistants should be aware that these departments are interactive and that all Housing graduate assistants will be expected to acquire a minimum knowledge of all departments, irrespective of the area of major emphasis. Both "live-in" and "live-off" assistantships may be available, although "live-in" positions are generally reserved for those selecting residential education or conference services as the area of emphasis. "Live-in" assignments carry single room and board as part of the remuneration package.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs:
This office serves as the central administrative unit for the Division of Student Affairs. Assistantships in the office include involvement in setting policy for the division and the implementation of goals and objectives throughout the division. Graduate assistants are assigned research projects and committee work and are invited to participate in a wide range of activities within the division and in other university settings. The assistantship provides an opportunity to learn first-hand how objectives are set and achieved in student affairs operations, and to view how student affairs work affects and is affected by the larger university community.

