Graduate Teaching Assistant – AU Online Student Support Specialist

Posted on March 27th, 2024 by Travis Dix

Reporting to the Student Readiness Coach & Support Services Coordinator the AU Online Student Support Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) will be the teaching assistant for IDS 104 and maintain effective and close working relationships with student services, enrollment, accounting, and financial aid teams. This position also collects and analyzes data related to student attendance and academic performance.  The GTA position advises currently enrolled students on topics such as Averett student resources, Canvas, tutoring options, and PC Self-service. 

The GTA will offer support to students through the provision of preceptorials for Averett Online’s undergraduate introductory course IDS 104 Introduction to Adult Learning. They enhance the learning experience of Averett Online students by complementing the activities of the course instructor. They will provide vision, leadership, and excellent customer service and responsiveness.

Qualifications

  • Must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree 
  • Excellent interpersonal, writing, and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability and desire to work with a diverse group of individuals with varying abilities, backgrounds, interests, and beliefs.
  • Exceptional customer service orientation, with ability to build and develop collaborative relationships
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
  • Ability to implement innovative ideas to proactively solve problems, prioritize workload, work on cross-functional teams and use specialized computer applications like Student Information Systems and Customer Relationship Management systems.
  • Knowledge of factors that affect student retention and persistence.
  • Excellent leadership and or organizational skills including project management and the ability to track details and manage timelines.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Facilitate a discussion section or tutorial for IDS104; help assess discussion posts; act as course web-master; hold weekly office hours. 
  • Provide tutoring in areas of expertise to Averett Online undergraduate students via video conferences or in-person
  • Support faculty efforts by engaging with students to solve course issues, provide academic support, and clarify assignments when faculty is not immediately accessible.
  • Equip students with required skill sets, facilitate learning discussions, and help students understand material required for course assignments.
  • Provide encouragement for student success; exhibit and help students develop a growth mindset.
  • Deliver student support in a variety of ways to support diverse learners, first generation learners, learners with special learning needs, and under-prepared learners.

Secondary Responsibilities

  • Aid students with course registration: Position supports outreach to currently enrolled students for course registration; ensuring students understand their registration and evaluation. This position also explains to students how to read and track their official evaluation from the registrar’s office 
  • Stay current on student resources and documents. 
  • Maintain Target X system of action and report out weekly relating to student readiness paperwork and other action items as required.
  • On a weekly basis, collect and analyze data related to student attendance and academic performance.  

Physical & Mental Demands/Work Environment

The duties of this position require performance of the following activities and work in the described environment, with or without reasonable accommodations.                                                                                    

  • Must be able to work independently yet interact with others as part of a team
  • Visual and hearing acuity required to perform assigned work, including meetings and interactions with students and other employees
  • Work is performed while sitting, standing, and walking.
  • Ability to lift, carry, or move items of up to 25 pounds, occasionally up to 30 pounds, such as such as a box of printer paper or office supplies.
  • Some work uses fine manual dexterity to use equipment involving levers, buttons, keyboards, and switches and frequently handling small items and paperwork.
  • Must be able to change tasks frequently, work an irregular work schedule (including some evenings and weekends), perform multiple tasks simultaneously, work under time pressure, and work in a noisy or distracting environment.
  • On occasion, will need to perform tedious and exacting tasks.
  • Will need to use office equipment such as telephones, printers, copiers, scanners, cameras, scissors, staplers, and computers. Will use software including Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF software, Canvas, Zoom, PC Self-Service, Target X, and other campus software
  • Comparing, synthesizing, computer, compiling, copying, and analyzing information
  • The position will require occasional travel, depending on University needs, including within the region, Virginia, and to main campus to attend, in-person, several meetings and special events during the academic year, including opening kick-off and graduation(s). 

Submit Letter of Interest, Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV), and 3 Professional References via email to the attention of Selection Committee: [email protected]  

Or via postal mail: GTA Selection Committee, c/o Chris Ellis, Executive Director of Student Services for Averett Online c/o Averett University, 420 West Main Street, Danville, VA 24541

No phone calls please. 

Review of candidates will begin immediately; applications will be accepted until the position is filled. 

Please note:

  • Background checks are required for all positions. 
  • An applicant must have an unrestricted right to work in the U.S. 
  • Averett University’s policies, programs and activities, including hiring practices, comply with federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression and veteran status. Inquiries related to the University’s compliance with Title IX should be directed to Averett’s Title IX Coordinator at [email protected]. Additional contact information, reporting options, and the University’s Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy can be found at https://www.averett.edu/about-us/title-ix/. Inquiries may be made externally to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights: https://www.ed.gov/ocr. 
  • Averett University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, published in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, can be found at https://www.averett.edu/wp-content/uploads/9.30.21-ASR-for-2020.pdf. 
  • Averett University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of National Service. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.