How to Apply

Please submit your application through http://careers.umich.edu/:

A statement of interest (either in the form of a cover letter or short essay) for consideration for this position and must be attached as the first page of your resume. The letter should address your specific interest in and fit with this GSSA position. Please include your University Department/Program affiliation and year in graduate studies.

Job Summary

Rackham Graduate School Dean's Office works together with faculty, staff, and students from around the campus, with other university offices, and with other universities to develop initiatives, define policies, and uphold the mission of the university through graduate education.

Our Dean's Initiatives team is seeking a Graduate Student Staff Assistant (GSSA) for the Spring/Summer 2025 through the Spring 2026 term. The GSSA will support our faculty-facing initiative on mentoring, implemented through the work of the MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence) faculty committee. They will provide support for the overall coordination of the MORE Committee and report to the Dean's Office Program Officer. The GSSA will support the development and management of MORE programming, mentoring resources, workshop evaluation, and attendance data and conduct a literature review to provide research and scholarly articles on mentoring doctoral students.

Appointment Period: Spring/Summer 2025 (This position is for one term with renewal contingent upon completion of performance expectations and available funding through Spring 2026).

Estimated FTE: 50% (20 hours per week)

Compensation: This appointment provides tuition, required fees, stipend (at the GEO negotiated GSSA monthly rate), GradCare health insurance, and dental insurance (Option 1).

Number of applicants from last academic year: 34

Course Description

The GSSA will support our faculty-facing initiative on mentoring, implemented through the work of the MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence) faculty committee. They will provide support for the overall coordination of the MORE Committee and report to the Dean's Office Program Officer. The GSSA will support the development and management of MORE programming, mentoring resources, workshop evaluation, and attendance data and conduct a literature review to provide research and scholarly articles on mentoring doctoral students.

Responsibilities*

The list of responsibilities below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities:

Attend monthly MORE Committee meetings and spring/summer Retreat (typically in later May or early June)
Collaborate with the MORE Committee Chair, and Dean's Office Staff to implement the Committee's agenda and ongoing projects
Plan and implement MORE Committee programming for faculty in collaboration with the Dean's Office Program Officer
Support "Getting your mentoring relationship off to a good start" program design and implementation. This includes updating workshop materials and website, updating the workshop format to be suitable for online and in-person delivery, and supporting the day-off sessions virtually and in person.
Collate, manage, and analyze program and participant data. Prepare data figures, tables, charts, and reports. Manage template workshop slide presentations.
Support Dean's Office Staff in developing a new suite of mentoring online resources (videos, guides, handouts) on making mentoring plans a standard practice for use by graduate programs, faculty and graduate students.
In collaboration with the Dean's Office Program Officer and Rackham colleagues, coordinate the effort to update the Rackham mentoring guides for faculty and students.
Conduct ongoing academic literature research on graduate student mentoring on topics such as mentoring across difference, co-mentoring, mentoring networks, mentoring plans.
Compile campus resources related to mentoring and graduate student well-being.
Address questions or inquiries emailed to [email protected]

Required Qualifications*

Applicants must be current Rackham doctoral students who have reached candidacy. Students who are unsure if they are in a Rackham graduate program should check their graduate program listing in http://www.rackham.umich.edu/programs-of-study.

Doctoral candidacy level graduate student
Ability to handle multiple projects
Ability to collaborate effectively on a team
Familiarity and experience with survey design in Qualtrics, and data management and analysis in Google Spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work and communicate effectively and professionally with the University community as well as external community partners
Ability to work collaboratively and independently, as the task requires constituencies (faculty, graduate programs, staff, and students).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities.

NOTE: SOME FLEXIBILITY OF SCHEDULED WORK HOURS IS REQUIRED, INCLUDING EVENINGS OR WEEKENDS ON A PRIOR SCHEDULED BASIS.

Desired Qualifications*

Project management experience
Previous experience developing resource materials
Experience and familiarity with MORE resources

How You'll Grow

The GSSA position will strengthen professional competencies in the following areas:

Expertise in innovative graduate student mentoring practices
Understanding of mentoring scholarship
Program evaluation skills
Gain experience organizing and managing professional development programs in higher education setting
Best practices in graduate student success
Community-building in higher education environments
Student should be able to present a proposal/paper regarding their experience at a local/regional conference in their field.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Contact Information

Questions regarding this position may be emailed to [email protected]. Applicants may request the status of their application from the appointing unit.

Decision Making Process

Applications will be reviewed following the posting deadline and selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. References will be contacted for finalists.

Kristen Jensen (Dean's Office Program Officer) is leading this search.

Every effort will be made to have a hiring decision by March 3, 2025.

Selection Process

Every effort will be made to have a hiring decision by March 3, 2025.

GEO Contract Information

The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/

Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.

This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.

Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.