Location:
Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA),, Wellness at Penn
Modality:
Hybrid
Position Length:
Academic Year (Fall - Spring)
Work Hours and Commitment:
20 hours/week, hybrid, with occasional weekends and evenings required
Pay Rate:
$25.00/hr
Additional Compensation:
None
Overview
Job Description
The Graduate Assistant, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Initiatives will support the Head of DEIB across the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA) and Wellness at Penn. This role offers graduate students a comprehensive experience in DEIB work within higher education, athletics, and wellness. The selected candidate will gain hands-on experience in administrative support, program development, community engagement, educational programming, and event planning. This position is ideal for a graduate student passionate about fostering inclusive environments and eager to develop professional skills in DEIB initiatives. We seek a candidate with innovative ideas and approaches to DEIB initiatives that will enhance campus culture and create a more inclusive environment for students, staff, and the broader university community.
Assistantship Environment
- Autonomy on most projects
- Excellent access to a supervisor and other executive-level leaders in an open learning environment
- The work schedule determined by the graduate assistant, with structured deadlines provided by the supervisor
- Weekly check-in meeting with the supervisor, as needed
- Opportunity to work from home
Supervisor/Contact
Taunita V. Stephenson - Head of DEIB
Email: taustep6@upenn.edu
Supervisor/Contact
Jaclyn Recktenwald - Director, Wellbeing Initiatives
jamich@upenn.edu
Required Duties
Primary Responsibilities:
Administrative and Communication Support:
- Provide advanced administrative support to the Head of DEIB, including managing a complex calendar of meetings and events, creating communication templates, and ensuring timely follow-up on essential action items.
- Serve as a secondary point of contact for DEIB communications, managing correspondence and preparing presentations and reports for internal and external stakeholders.
Program Development, Implementation, and Community Engagement:
- Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive DEIB programs tailored to the unique needs of the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics and Wellness at Penn.
- Create inclusive, culturally relevant training materials, build and manage a process for staff and students to request DEIB training, and facilitate educational programming that fosters empathy, respect, global citizenship, and a deep understanding of social justice issues among students and staff.
- Coordinate outreach efforts and build partnerships with community partners, student organizations, faculty, and various campus centers to foster critical dialogues around identity, justice, intersectionality, and systems of privilege, power, and oppression.
- Plan, organize, and manage logistics for DEIB-focused events, including workshops, seminars, and celebratory activities that promote a diverse and inclusive campus culture.
- Collaborate with student and employee affinity groups and DEI Councils such as the Wellness at Penn Sunshine Committee, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Quaker Forward (QFC), and the DRIA Culture, Engagement, and Community Experience Committee (CECE) to advance DEIB goals.
- Assist in creating and developing a DEIB resource center and associated listserv to support ongoing communication and resource sharing across the university community.
- Research DEIB best practices, create reports and assist in policy review to inform strategic decisions and ensure alignment with DEIB standards.
- Facilitate forums and discussions with students, faculty, staff, and external partners to gather insights and feedback on DEIB initiatives.
Design and Content Development:
- Lead the design and development of the Quaker Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Intercollegiate Athletics Annual Report, ensuring it effectively communicates the department's progress and initiatives.
- Support efforts in developing and managing content for Wellness at Penn and Quaker Athletics platforms, ensuring that all materials align with DEIB principles and effectively engage the target audiences.
Preferred Qualification and Essential Skills
Preferred Skills & Requirements:
- Currently pursuing a graduate-level degree in a relevant field (e.g., Social Sciences, Public Administration, Human Resources, Higher Education, Health Sciences).
- Demonstrated interest in and commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Proven facilitation skills, with experience leading workshops and educational programming on DEIBJ topics.
- Ability to manage large-scale events from creation to evaluation.
- Experience in program development, community outreach, or civic engagement roles.
- Experience in higher education, athletics, sports, or healthcare settings is a plus.
- Creativity and experience in content development and management for digital platforms, as well as knowledge of tools such as Canva, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Forms, Gamma App, Padlet, and LinkedIn, are highly desirable.
- Flexibility with hours, including occasional evenings and weekends as needed.
Application Instructions
Currently accepting DRIA and Wellness @ Penn DEIB GA applications for the 2024-2025 academic year (open until filled). This GA position is open to all Penn GSE students.
Please apply by emailing your resume and a brief statement of why you are interested in the position to Taunita V. Stephenson at taustep6@upenn.edu. Interviews will be held remotely by appointment/inquiry.
This position will be directly supervised by Taunita.