Graduate Assistant

James Madison University • Harrisonburg, VA

7d

About The Position

JMU’s Office of Creative Propulsion (OCP), part of the College of Visual and
Performing Arts (CVPA), invites applications for a 20-hour-per-week Graduate
Assistant who will act as a Researcher and Administrator, collaborating with OCP
faculty and staff and report to OCP’s Executive Director. CVPA serves
approximately 1,200 students via 111 faculty in three schools: Art, Design, and
Art History; Music; and Theatre and Dance.
CVPA’s ongoing work is animated by a belief that the arts—by themselves and/or
as contributions to multidisciplinary venues—are powerful tools for personal and
social meaning, inspiration, and change. Today’s industries are ripe with
possibilities for individuals who can leverage their artistic experiences and
training to re-imagine and disrupt traditional practices; stretch and break
artistic boundaries; work on multidisciplinary teams; synthesize data from the
world around them to identify problems and opportunities; and act boldly,
justly, and inclusively to create their own unique path. Through facilitating
integrative courses, multidisciplinary collaborations, community engagement, and
participatory arts experiences, Office of Creative Propulsion (OCP) supports
students and faculty in ideating, launching, and refining arts-based efforts
that promote more equitable and inclusive opportunities for meaningful arts
engagement. To learn more about CVPA, please visit www.jmu.edu/arts. To learn
more about OCP, please visit www.jmu.edu/ocp.
This position will begin working in Fall 2026 with a one-year contract (academic
year). This position is a 20 hour per week commitment. While most hours will be
between 9am-6pm, the role will include occasional evening and weekend
obligations. This is a one-year appointment, and preference will be given to
students who anticipate being eligible to continue the assistantship for one or
more additional years.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (see conditions of employment).
• Experience conducting human subjects research.
• Demonstrable commitment to promoting access, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Comfort with using Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel) products.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and listening skills.
• A friendly and professional demeanor.
• Motivation and curiosity, time-management skills, and ability to take initiative and be independently productive.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

• Fluency in languages other than English
• Experience conducting research studies
• Experience with community engagement praxis

Responsibilities

• Design, organization, and management of a regional Arts Asset Mapping Project
• Support design, organization and management of interdisciplinary arts events
• Support CVPA’s Marketing Director in writing press releases, stories, and other marketing duties as requested
• Meet with supervisor on a weekly basis to maintain ongoing communication and assess progress
• Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees