Graduate Assistant for Residence Education (Live-in)

Greetings from Norfolk, Virginia! Old Dominion University (ODU) invites applications for Graduate Assistants with Housing & Residence Life (HRL). Old Dominion University is Virginia’s forward-focused, public doctoral research university enrolling over 24,000 students: 18,965 undergraduates and 5,501 graduates. The Doctoral Counseling program was recently judged best in the nation by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). ODU is located in Norfolk, the second largest city in Virginia. ODU has ten residence halls and three apartment complexes. Three of the residence halls came on line in 2009. Together, these residential facilities house more than 4,600 students. Job Description: Reporting to the Residence Hall Director, the Graduate Assistant is responsible for the front desk supervision and assists in the administration of a comprehensive residential living and learning environment to promote personal, academic, and social growth of residents and staff. The ultimate responsibility charged to live-in staff is to meet the unique needs of our students in a responsible and reasonable manner. The GA assists with the development of staff recruitment, selection, training and evaluation; professional development opportunities for staff; acts as a university pre-hearing/hearing officer adjudicating housing policy violations, assists in managing an area programming budget as well as coordinating active programming for residential students; and participates in an on-call duty rotation. Positions may also include support of a smooth transition for first year students to Old Dominion, to enhance student success and satisfaction with their residential experience, retain students, and foster a sense of connection and pride to the University community. Qualifications: Graduate Assistants must be enrolled in a specific degree program as a full-time student; defined as a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester (fall/spring). Graduate Assistants are required to maintain their program requirements, which may fall above the HRL requirement. International Graduate Assistants are also required to maintain a minimum of nine (9) credit hours per semester. Excellent interpersonal, social, and counseling skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills, computer skills and a demonstrated record of experience in residence life/housing. Length of Assistantship: This is a ten (10) month live-in position that will begin on August 3, 2012 and will end on May 17, 2013. Please note the demands of the live-in position vary depending on the time of year. Typically, Graduate Assistants work an average of twenty (20) hours per week.

Preferred Academic Majors: Higher Education, Student Personnel, Counseling, or a related field. Preference is given to these majors because Graduate Assistant experience is considered training and development for those individuals who intend to enter the field of student affairs and higher education after graduation. Academic and Professional Knowledge and Skills to be Derived from this Experience: Graduate Assistants in Housing and Residence Life will: Gain supervisory experience. Gain experience coordinating staff training initiatives. Gain knowledge on how to address student disciplinary issues. Gain experience developing and assessing programs that focus on student needs. Develop conflict mediation skills. Be trained in crisis management. Enhance their communication and analytical skills. Enhance their programming and event planning skills. Learn how to work in a highly collaborative environment. Have opportunities to pursue experiential opportunities that will enhance the classroom experience. Remuneration for Assistantship: This is a ten (10) month live-in position. The demands of the live-in position vary depending on the time of year, with additional responsibilities during residence life staff fall and spring training, residence hall opening and closing, as well as on-call rotation. Typically you can expect to work an average of twenty (20) hours per week. Living and working in a residential environment is designed to prepare Graduate Assistants to develop as professionals in the field. The GA compensation package includes: 1. Annual stipend of $10,000 to be paid bi-monthly (September – May) 2. A furnished residence hall apartment, suite, or room due to live-in and on-call duty responsibilities 3. A full meal plan which is available while classes are in session 4. Faculty/Staff parking decals (available for purchase by GA) Application Process: All interested candidates should submit an application, cover letter, resume and three professional references to Erin Houlihan (ehouliha@odu.edu). For information about the Masters in Higher Education Program please visit the following link: http://education.odu.edu/education/academics/gdegrees.shtml - or - http://admissions.odu.edu/graduate.php?page=programinfo&prog=higher_education1 Graduate Program Director, Higher Education Dr. Dennis Gregory (757) 683-3702 dgregory@odu.edu 120 Education Building