Graduate Assistant - Hourly

University of Mississippi•Lexington, MA

18h•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Mississippi is seeking dynamic and talented individuals to help us achieve our vision of being a flagship collegiate recreation program. We will be hiring in the following program areas: Aquatics, Facility Operations, Intramural Sports & Sport Clubs, Marketing, Membership Services, Student Development, and Outdoors. Positions are all nine-month appointments (August to May) with summer hourly employment available. All positions have a mandatory start date of August 3, 2026. The assistantship includes an out-of-state tuition waiver and health insurance benefits. The graduate assistantship tuition waiver will only cover the Fall and Spring semester tuition associated with "Graduate" enrollment status and graduate assistants would be responsible for any amount over that in addition to any summer/intersession tuition.

Requirements

Acceptance into the University of Mississippi Graduate School in pursuit of a Master’s degree in a related field.
Students pursuing online graduate degree programs will not be eligible for a graduate assistantship.
American Red Cross Lifeguard certification is required.
Demonstrated experience in campus recreation programming, scheduling, facility operations and management, customer service, leadership, and working on a team.
At least one year of involvement as an undergraduate student in marketing, campus recreation, sports marketing, or a related field is required.
Effective oral and written communication skills are required.
Demonstrated experience in customer service as well as knowledge and experience in training and supervision of employees.
High School (Required)

Nice To Haves

American Red Cross Lifeguarding Instructor (LGI) and/or American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) certifications, and experience in campus recreation aquatics programming is preferred.
Experience in officiating Flag Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Floor Hockey and Softball is preferred.
Experience in Sport Club participation/management/supervision and adaptive/inclusive programming is also preferred.
Experience with photography and/or videography, utilizing editing software, and project management/content design platforms (Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, Canva, Trello, CapCut, Cascade, etc.) is preferred.
Experience in membership services or facility management/operations, leadership and experience working in a team environment.
An outdoor education certification related to Wilderness First Aid, Climbing Wall, or Challenge Course is preferred but can be obtained during the appointment.
Previous experience in an outdoor recreation setting and technical skills in various disciplines such as backpacking, climbing, biking, paddling, high and low ropes course administration, climbing wall maintenance, belay training, and/or route setting is also preferred.
Prior experience serving as a student employee in an on-campus, collegiate recreation setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain a valid CPR/First Aid/AED certification.
Facilitate professional development experiences for student employees through the participation in the Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum.
Serve on one departmental committee and actively contribute to accomplishing set charges.
Assist the overall mission of the department by supporting departmental special events and completing other duties as assigned including evening and weekend work.
Assist in the management, administration, and supervision of the Aquatics program and Turner Center Natatorium.
Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of instructional programs and services.
Assist in the oversight of pool management, policy development, and the organization of risk management courses.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Lifeguards and Program Assistants.
Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Aquatics program.
Assist in the management, administration, maintenance, and supervision of the South Campus Recreation Center, the Thomas N. Turner Center, and the Blackburn-McMurray Outdoor Sports Complex.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Field Crew, Facility Attendants, Facility Managers, and Program Assistants.
Assist with the scheduling of Campus Recreation facility spaces, facilitating special events & the coordination of RV parking services for home football games.
Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of programs and services.
Assist in the management, administration, and supervision of the Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs program.
Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of all offered sports and activities.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Intramural Sport Officials, Sport Club Monitors, Supervisors, and Program Assistants.
Responsible for the oversight and development of multiple Sport Club organizations and their officers.
Assist in policy and procedure development, budget planning, league/tournament scheduling, and sport/event programming.
Provide on-site event coverage for both Intramural Sports activities and Sport Club competitions.
Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Intramural Sport & Sport Club programs.
Oversee the creation and distribution of digital and print marketing materials while collaborating with professional staff, graduate assistants, and student employees from various program areas to determine strategic program promotions.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Marketing Program Assistants and Marketing Representatives.
Assist with maintaining the department website, closed circuit television ads and manage social media sites while utilizing analytics and insights to evaluate effective strategies to reach our target audience.
Identify partnership needs for the department, as well as build, maintain, and evaluate advertising partner relationships.
Assist with coordinating and leading various outreach efforts such as special events, campus and community tours, presentations, and tabling events.
Assist in the management, supervision, scheduling as well as the day to day operation and administration of membership services.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Member Service Representatives.
Assist with Faculty/Staff and Community memberships, locker management, and the coordination of RV parking services for home football games.
Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Member Services program.
Membership Services Graduate Assistant will have the opportunity to gain experience within the facility operations component throughout their assistantship.
Assist in the management, administration, and supervision of the Outdoors program, including direct oversight for adventure trips, the rental office, climbing wall, and outdoor challenge course.
Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Outdoors Representatives, Supervisors, Route Setters, Challenge Course Facilitators, Trip Leaders, and Program Assistants.
Responsible for scheduling and supervision of facilities, including the Climbing Wall, Challenge Course (high and low ropes), Gear Rental Office, and South Campus Rail Trails.
Serve as the point of contact for internal and external inquiries related to group reservations, facility rentals, special events, and other requests.
Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of education programs and instructional clinics related to outdoor recreation, special events, and staff development.
Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Outdoors program.
Assist with leading departmental student staff development efforts such as the Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum, performance management processes including evaluations and accountability procedures, and the Student Employee Leadership Council.
Support the hiring and onboarding process of student employees including, but not limited to, enhancing recruitment initiatives, coordinating required trainings and certifications, leading orientation sessions, and sharing pertinent resources.
Oversee various processes related to the departmental use of WhenToWork and Workday for staff scheduling and time recording.
Assist with departmental engagement, recognition, and assessment as it relates to student employment including current staff and alumni.