Communications Assistant / Communications Coordinator
Position Title: Communications Assistant / Communications Coordinator
Department: Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department
Supervisor: Krista Quesenberry (English) and Bille Wickre (Art & Art History)
Position Duration: Feb. 8, 2021 to May 5, 2021
Date Created: November 25, 2020
The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Department provides academic and extracurricular opportunities for students to examine gender as a social construction and as a lived reality. With several interdisciplinary majors and minors, the department teaches students to examine how gender shapes and is shaped by history, culture, nationality, systems of representation, and institutions of knowledge, as well as how to engage in productive discussions of minority experiences, feminist theory, and activism. Studying WGSS prepares students for careers and/or graduate school in fields as varied as law, public policy, teaching, research, and medicine. The Department draws on the expertise of faculty members from across the College, while working closely with the Anna Howard Shaw Women’s Center and affiliates in the Green Dot and LSAA programs (for prevention of and response to power-based interpersonal violence).
The WGSS Department is seeking one or more Communications Assistant(s) to work either part-time (4 to 10 hours per week) or full-time (2o hours per week) on meeting the department’s outreach and publicity goals during the Spring 2021 semester. Depending on skills and interests, the Communications Assistant(s) may take on responsibilities that include producing stories and profiles for the WGSS website, contributing to publicity of on-campus events, and creating new WGSS outreach platforms, like an email newsletter or social media accounts. Possibilities for advancement to a Communications Coordinator role include ongoing employment and increased opportunities to develop and implement a long-term vision for raising the profile of the WGSS Department within the Albion College community.
The WGSS Department invites applicants who are committed to its mission and values, including establishing and maintaining an environment free of sexism, racism, intimidation, and other forms of discrimination or bias. Successful applicants will have a background in WGSS (a declared major/minor in WGSS is preferred but not required), along with creative potential and the ability to see multiple projects through to completion with limited supervision from faculty advisors. This position is equally accessible to virtual and on-campus students.
REQUIRED EXPECTATIONS & SKILLS:
● Background in WGSS knowledge, coursework, and/or activism
● Reliability with email communication, meeting attendance, and deadlines
● Strong writing skills, especially clarity, conciseness, voice (personality), and editing
● Project management, including breaking down big ideas into concrete tasks that can be completed incrementally
● Creative and critical thinking skills
PREFERRED EXPECTATIONS & SKILLS:
● Declared or intended WGSS major or minor, with some coursework completed
● Proactive and collaborative approach to resolving potential challenges
● Experience with ANY (not necessarily all) of the following:
- Writing for websites and social media
-Writing, editing, and/or design of newsletters (print or email)
-News and/or features writing
-Interviewing, including making “cold calls” to interviewees
-Graphic design (e.g. flyers, brochures, postcards, mailers, posters)
-Photography and/or illustration
-Videography (shooting, editing, and/or livestreaming)
-Logo design and brand management
-Social media management
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT (ENTRY-LEVEL) DUTIES:
● Attend weekly meetings with the faculty advisors or WGSS committee (composed of faculty and students)
● Create short features for the WGSS website and/or social media, which may involve:
-Digital and library research, for example regarding local and global feminist milestones, history, or news
-Interviews with and/or profiles of WGSS students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni
-Photographs, short video segments, or other multimedia content
● Set and meet deadlines in collaboration with faculty advisors, then report progress to the WGSS committee
● Record activities to ensure consistency among student efforts from semester to semester
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR (UPPER-LEVEL) ADDITIONAL DUTIES:
● Expand the WGSS Department’s outreach with new platforms, publications, or multimedia projects
● Produce a handbook or other documentation of publicity practices and expectations
● Contribute to and implement a long-term plan for outreach and growth of the WGSS Department
JOB-SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will be able to:
● Engage productively with students, faculty, staff, and alumni as a representative of the WGSS Department
● Plan, research, create, edit, and distribute publicity content for a real-world audience
● Employ project-management skills to meet goals and fulfill expectations
● Compose text and/or multimedia content using an interdisciplinary, intersectional, anti-racist, equity-based lens
● Explain the purpose and value of the WGSS Department at Albion College
CAREER READINESS AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS:
Within the framework of the NACE Career Readiness Competencies, students will be able to:
● Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving by considering available resources and producing content that will reach audiences and highlight the WGSS Department’s strengths over time; managing projects and media platforms; and troubleshooting independently when challenges arise.
● Demonstrate oral/written communication skills by writing, revising, and editing outreach materials.
● Demonstrate teamwork/collaboration by working closely with students, faculty, and staff from the WGSS Department, the WGSS Committee, Student Development, and other units across campus.
● Demonstrate digital technology skills by using MS Office or Google Suite tools, social media platforms, and other software as necessary to produce and distribute outreach materials.
● Demonstrate leadership by representing a student viewpoint and student interests, both in creating publicity materials and in communicating with Albion’s WGSS community.
● Demonstrate professionalism/work ethic by meeting regularly with the WGSS Committee and faculty advisors; setting and meeting deadlines; and producing professional-quality outreach materials.
● Demonstrate career management by increasing responsibilities in the position over multiple semesters of employment; and practicing transferrable professional and communications skills.
● Demonstrate global/intercultural fluency by ensuring that outreach efforts are culturally sensitive, inclusive, and responsible; as well as engaging respectfully with members of the Albion Community who represent a wide variety of backgrounds and demographics.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT:
● Communications Assistant(s) and Coordinator(s) will meet weekly with either the faculty advisors or the WGSS Committee for consistent feedback, review of drafts, and other support.
● Twice per semester, at least one faculty advisor will complete a written performance evaluation, which will be shared with the Communications Assistant(s) and Coordinator(s) during a face-to-face meeting. Each student-employee will be given a chance to respond (in conversation and/or in writing), as well as to request further training, if necessary.
● Opportunities to continue or advance in the position will be evaluated on a semester basis.
TRAINING
The Communications Assistant position is a learn-on-the-job opportunity with no formal training period. From the position start date, the Communications Assistant(s) will attend meetings and work collaboratively with WGSS faculty, staff, and students to set goals, determine technology needs, and become comfortable with the demands and expectations of the position. The Communications Assistant(s) will be expected to take some initiative and ownership over learning necessary skills independently, while seeking out the guidance and support of the faculty advisors. In the advanced position, Communications Coordinator(s) may be asked to produce training materials and/or provide training for new student-employees.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
● Please submit your application via Google Forms, here: https://forms.gle/nq9xvWtGGu6qpFp37.
● If you have any questions about the position or application, please contact Krista Quesenberry at kquesenberry@albion.edu.
Please note, once you are offered a position you must first go to the Albion College Career and Internship Center website
https://www.albion.edu/academics/career-and-internship-center/student-employment/forms to print off the necessary forms for employment.
Student employees must complete tax forms (W-4 Withholding Allowance Certificates) and proof of work eligibility (I-9) before beginning work as an Albion College Student Employee.
Completed forms must be delivered in person (bringing the required documentation) to the Human Resources Office which is located in 225 Ferguson. All forms should be completed in ink, not pencil and students should use their permanent address on all forms unless the permanent address is an international address.