| Job Description Summary: | Established in 1865, The George Washington University Law School is the oldest law school in Washington, DC. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. The law school is located on the GW campus in the downtown neighborhood familiarly known as Foggy Bottom. The Law School offers diverse academic opportunities in an atmosphere that fosters a strong sense of inclusion and community to a large, diverse, and highly motivated student body.
The Senior Student Affairs Program Associate plays a pivotal role in fostering a vibrant and engaged student community within the law school environment. This position involves advising various student organizations, coordinating events, and facilitating initiatives aimed at enhancing the academic, professional, and social experiences of law students.
This position reports to and collaborates closely with the Associate Dean of Students and other members of that office, staff, and faculty at the School and other University offices.
Responsibilities include:
Event Planning and Execution: - Assist in planning, coordinating, and executing student-focused activities and events that promote wellness, belonging, and engagement
- Handle logistics and provide project managerial support of major events including, but not limited to: First Year Student Full Time Orientation, First Year Student Part Time Orientation, Transfer Orientation, Footnotes Orientation, Academic Award Ceremony, Open Doors Scholars Programming, ongoing Footnotes Programming, etc.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive events calendar for the Dean of Students Office that aligns with the academic and social needs of law school students.
- Coordinate all aspects of event planning, including budgeting, venue selection, catering, audio-visual requirements, and other logistical coordination.
- Coordinate logistics for various events, including but not limited to panel discussions, networking sessions, workshops, social gatherings, and career fairs.
- Collaborate with faculty, staff, and appropriate departments in executing events.
- Act as a liaison between the law school and external vendors, ensuring seamless coordination and execution.
- Conduct post-event evaluations to assess the success of each event and gather feedback for continuous improvement.
- Develop marketing strategies to promote events effectively, utilizing various channels such as social media, email newsletters, and posters.
- Develop and manage event budgets, ensuring cost-effectiveness and adherence to financial guidelines.
- Oversee all on-site logistics during events, ensuring a smooth and professional experience for attendees.
Student Organizations:
- Develop and conduct training sessions for student organization leaders, focusing on leadership skills, event planning, and organizational management.
- Ensure student organization events follow University protocols
- Oversee all on-site logistics during particular events, ensuring a smooth and professional experience for attendees.
- Provide ongoing support and mentorship to help student leaders maximize the impact of their organizations
- Maintain the student organization website
- Oversee the updating and maintenance of the Student Organization Handbook
- Help integrate the Student Bar Association (SBA) and student organizations within the University framework – e.g. with systems like Engage.
- Ensure student organizations bylaws are in line with university policies
- Liaise with the Gavel Club and other aspects of the SBA
Individualized Student Support:
- Provide personalized support to first-generation law students, addressing their unique academic, professional, and personal needs via the Open Doors Scholars Program, Footnotes Programming, supporting the First-Gen Professionals student group and as other opportunities arise
- Offer guidance and counseling to students on navigating the law school environment, including academic resources, career development, extracurricular opportunities, and refer students to university resources as appropriate.
Administrative Support:
- Support the day-to-day operations of the Dean of Students Office
- Participate in weekly team meetings
- Assist with office-wide communications
- Provide support with exam administration
- Hire and oversee a student worker
The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position. |
| Preferred Qualifications: | - Flexibility is key in event planning, as schedules, circumstances, and requirements can change rapidly. Being able to adapt to these changes while still delivering successful events is essential.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Events rarely go exactly as planned, so the ability to think quickly on your feet, troubleshoot issues as they arise, and find creative solutions is crucial.
- Demonstrated ability to manage teams of volunteers or student workers involved in event planning and execution.
- Excellent writing skills, creative programming skills, and ability to assess results and impact.
- Demonstrated interest in student development. The ability to demonstrate sensitivity to a diverse student population as well as work with diverse constituencies and support an inclusive work environment.
- The ability to come up with creative event ideas, themes, and activities that engage and excite the student body is important. Being able to think outside the box and innovate can set successful events apart.
- Highly skilled in utilizing software operating systems similar to Microsoft Office and Google Suite Platform.
- Experience in budget management, including creating budgets, tracking expenses, and ensuring that events are cost-effective, is beneficial.
- Project management skills and the ability to work independently and with a variety of constituents, establish priorities, manage shifting priorities, and handle numerous time-sensitive projects with multiple deadlines.
- Ability to accomplish goals working through formal and informal channels, with diplomacy and tactfulness.
- Demonstrated problem-solving, critical analysis, initiative, judgment, and decision-making skills.
- Effective communication skills are necessary for liaising with various stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, vendors, and external partners. This includes both written and verbal communication skills.
- Prior experience in planning and executing events, whether it’s professional conferences, social gatherings, student activities, or campus-wide events, is highly desirable.
- A degree in a related field such as event management, hospitality management, communications, or marketing can be beneficial.
- A commitment to creating inclusive events that cater to a diverse student population and promote a sense of belonging for all attendees is increasingly important in today’s college environment.
- Building positive relationships with students, colleagues, vendors, and other stakeholders is important for successful event planning and fostering a sense of community on campus.
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
|
