Location:
Office of the Vice Provost for Student Engagement, University of Pennsylvania
Modality:
Hybrid
Position Length:
Academic Year (Fall - Spring)
Work Hours and Commitment:
15-20 hours weekly with less than 20% of work performed in-person. Significant flexibility in working hours between 8am and 7pm, Monday through Friday.
Application Deadline:
Pay Rate:
$25.00/hr
Additional Compensation:
None
Federal Work Study Eligible
Overview
The University of Pennsylvania Division of Student Engagement is seeking current Penn graduate and professional students who are interested in serving as graduate assistants (GAs) for the Penn Veterans Upward Bound Program (UPENN VUB).
A crucial goal of UPENN VUB is to increase Veteran access to postsecondary education during a time of heightened need in the face of unprecedented interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, a core component of UPENN VUB programming will be intensive electronic programming held virtually to immerse participants in an academic, career, and postsecondary preparatory experience with synchronous and asynchronous content, including live instruction and peer cohorts mentored by Penn graduate and professional students.
We expect to choose UPENN VUB GAs for our program who:
- have a demonstrated interest in educational access and equity
- have prior teaching or tutoring experience
- have experience gathering qualitative or quantitative data through surveys, interviews, etc.
- have experience using social media platforms
- have the ability to provide rich, interactive, mission-aligned content
- can establish authentic relationships and work collaboratively with program and Veteran resource agency colleagues, and
- place participants’ interests and aspirations at the heart of the program experience.
Supervisor/Contact
Reginald Miles - Director, Veterans Upward Bound
rmiles7@upenn.edu
Required Duties
Specifically, the GAs will be responsible for one “pod” of approximately 25 participants with the primary charge of supporting them throughout their programming, transitioning them into their academic instruction and their enrichment activities, and ensuring the completion of in-person and virtual, synchronous and asynchronous, program assignments.
GAs will also be responsible for:
- reinforcing the instructors’ lessons by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups,
- exploring participant interests in topics of the day, college access, digital instruction, etc.
- mentoring of program participants,
- supporting quantitative and qualitative data collection to evaluate program components
- participating in events off campus (cultural excursions, college tours, etc.)
- Perform other duties as assigned
Preferred Qualification and Essential Skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Personal experience overcoming academic, cultural, financial, or other obstacles similar to those faced by low-income, first-generation and/or veteran students.
- Experience gathering qualitative or quantitative data through surveys, interviews, etc.
- Prior teaching or tutoring experience a plus.
- Prior military service a plus.
Skills Learned Through the Opportunity:
- Networking with postsecondary institutions and social service agencies
- The use of administrative functions of instructional tools
- Development of student-responsive programming
- The use of Experience Management Software such as Qualtrics
- Reporting of student data through Information Management Systems such as Student Access.
Application Instructions
We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. The GA position is open to all Penn GSE MSEd students. Please e-mail Dr. Reginald Miles (Director of Veterans Upward Bound) with your resume at rmiles7@upenn.edu for consideration.
Please include Veterans Upward Bound Graduate Assistant position in the subject line.