University Writing Center Graduate Assistant - Digital Specialist

Working Title: University Writing Center Graduate Assistant - Digital Specialist

State Role Title: Graduate Assistant Position Type: Graduate Assistant Position Status: Part-Time FLSA Status: Exempt Not Eligible for Overtime

College: Division of Student Academic Success Department: 100546 - Learning Centers Pay Band: Pay Rate: Other (Specify Range or Amount)

Is this a JMU only position: No Is this a grant-funded position: No Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position: No Beginning Review Date: 04/06/2026

About JMU Situated in the heart of Virginias beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science, and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student-faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information

The University Writing Center (UWC), one of the Learning Centers programs, is an academic support resource that assists JMU students, faculty, and staff on their writing through appointment-based consultations, course workshops, and online resources. The bulk of our work is the writing consultations that are conducted either online or in person in the Learning Centers space on the first floor of the Student Success Center, which employ a collaborative peer education model. Graduate Assistants work up to 20 hours per week with the following being the expected breakdown:

• 10 weekly hours of writing consultation
• 5 weekly hours of center administration/work on a self-directed project
• 5 weekly hours allotted for meetings and email correspondence

Duties and Responsibilities

UWC Graduate Assistants will work directly with JMU students, faculty, and staff as peer educators on the consulting schedule and they will, together with the UWC faculty, comprise the Leadership Team that oversees the centers daily operations and strategic planning. Graduate Assistants will decide upon specific projects with their UWC faculty supervisors. Their additional associated responsibilities might include:

• Conducting and/or presenting research for the UWC
• Mentoring undergraduate consultants
• Facilitating workshops in classrooms

The UWC is searching for a graduate assistant for the following specific role: The Graduate Assistant - Digital Specialist will work on initiatives to promote and support the writing centers digital projects, including support for the website, social media, digital literacy training, and other projects as they arise. This Graduate Assistant may help coordinate and plan social media campaigns, oversee undergraduate peer tutors work on digital projects, develop and promote digitally-oriented initiatives, and/or assist in the promotion of digital multimodal and AI-connected writing. This role is ideal for a graduate student interested in digital composition, instructional design, writing pedagogy, UX-informed resource creation, or technology-enhanced learning. This role will work closely with UWC faculty to define projects and responsibilities and will have additional opportunities.

Qualifications

The UWC is interested in a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. Candidates should:

• Have interest and/or experience in tutoring, teaching, and/or mentorship.
• Have interest in working with a collaborative, innovative, and enthusiastic team.
• Have outstanding interpersonal communication and writing skills.
• Be responsible, proactive, and have excellent problem-solving and task management skills.
• Have interest and/or experience with writing conventions in their discipline and across the curriculum.

The UWC is interested in a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. Candidates should also:

• Have interest and/or experience with digital literacy, technology-oriented projects, and ethical AI use.

Additional Posting Information

Applications will begin to be reviewed on April 6th. Position will remain open until filled, and applications submitted after the 6th may still be considered pending applicant pool. Interviews will be conducted in early April.

Conditions of Employment

Students may apply to a graduate assistantship prior to being accepted into a graduate program. However, to be eligible to receive an assistantship upon entry into a graduate program, the following criteria must be met:

• The student must be conditionally or unconditionally accepted into a graduate program. Students who are provisionally accepted will not be eligible until they achieve conditional or unconditional acceptance into their program.
• The student must have an official transcript on file indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or agency.
• After receiving an assistantship, the student must maintain at least a 3.0 graduate GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.

These are minimum criteria. Graduate program coordinators have the right to impose additional criteria if they see fit.

EEO Statement

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. We promote access, inclusion, and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents, and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity at 540-568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation

If you are a student with a disability and need assistance, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 540-568-6705 or disability-svcs.jmu.edu. You may also visit the Office of Disability Services located in the Student Success Center, Suite 1202, and they will be happy to assist you.