Graduate Instructional and Research Assistant

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The Workforce Education and Development (WFED) program in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems seeks currently enrolled Penn State graduate students to provide part-time, hourly instructional and research support to program faculty. These positions are funded through the program’s endowment funds. They are intended to give WFED graduate students paid, professionally relevant experience while advancing program priorities in teaching, research, and outreach.

Each assistant is assigned to one or more faculty-directed projects. Assignments vary by semester and may combine instructional support and research support in any proportion. The Professor-in-Charge of the WFED program coordinates assignments. The faculty member leading each project provides day-to-day direction, sets priorities and deadlines, and reviews all work products. Where the assignment supports a graduate course, that faculty member is the course’s Instructor of Record.

Instructional and program support may include

• Providing clerical, research, and technology support associated with course instruction: organizing course materials, updating documents and templates, checking links and accessibility, preparing checklists and schedules, maintaining the course site in Canvas to the instructor’s specifications, and tracking course project milestones (for example, the field-based project sequence in the M.P.S. in Organization Development and Change).
• Drafting contributions to learning activities, assignments, rubrics, and other assessment instruments, including activities that incorporate generative AI tools, for review and adoption by the Instructor of Record.
• Supporting program outreach and communication, including maintaining the Professional Development Network website (pdn.psu.edu) and preparing regular newsletters, event announcements, and web content.
• Coordinating logistics for program events, webinars, information sessions, and recruitment activities.
• Compiling course and program information for assessment reports, accreditation records, and handbook updates.

Research support may include

• Conducting literature searches in education, workforce, and social science databases and preparing annotated bibliographies, literature summaries, and reference lists.
• Supporting the preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, including formatting, reference checking, tables and figures, and submission logistics.
• Supporting grant proposals: compiling background materials and citations, formatting narratives and budgets to sponsor specifications, assembling appendices, and tracking requirements and deadlines.
• Organizing and preparing project materials for analysis under faculty direction, such as transcripts, coding files, survey data files, and documentation, and maintaining orderly project records.
• Providing editorial and administrative support for faculty-led journal special issues, such as tracking submissions and preparing correspondence templates.
• Conducting environmental scans, audience analyses, and comparable-program reviews to inform new certificate, outreach, and professional development offerings.
• Preparing summaries, briefs, and presentation slides for faculty review.

Scope and limits of the role. All work is performed under the direction of the supervising faculty member. For any assignment that supports a 500- or 800-level course, the assistant serves as a Graduate Student Instructional Assistant under Graduate Council policy GCAC-902, which limits the roles a graduate student may play in the instruction of a graduate course and requires active supervision by the Instructor of Record. Under that policy the assistant is not responsible for the instructional content of a course, the selection of student assignments, the planning of examinations, unsupervised or unreviewed grading, or the determination of final course grades. Grading is not a primary duty of this position; grading support for undergraduate courses is provided through the program’s separate Graduate Grading Assistant position. If an Instructor of Record assigns the marking of graduate course work for later review, or student contact such as office hours or discussion sections, the role-specific qualifications in GCAC-902 apply, including having previously passed the course or an equivalent with a grade of B or better. Assistants may not be assigned to a course in which they are enrolled. If an assignment involves direct instructional contact with students, the University’s English competency requirements for instructional personnel apply before that assignment begins.

Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled Penn State graduate students in good academic standing at the time of hire and must remain enrolled for the duration of the appointment. Master’s and doctoral students may apply. For assignments that support graduate courses, preference is given to advanced doctoral students who have completed the required coursework for their degree, consistent with GCAC-902.

Typically requires strong academic writing and editing skills in English; demonstrated ability to search scholarly databases (for example, ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and to manage references with a citation manager; proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; the ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines; attention to detail; and the ability to maintain confidentiality of research data, student records, and unpublished work. Before beginning duties, assistants complete the Office of the University Registrar’s FERPA tutorial and quiz. Assistants assigned to a graduate course also submit the Graduate Student Instructional Assistant Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form to the department head before the assignment begins. Assistants whose research tasks involve human subjects data complete CITI training as required by the project.

Additional experience considered a plus: graduate study in Workforce Education and Development, Organization Development and Change, Human Resource Development, Adult Education, Learning, Design, and Technology, or a related field; coursework or experience in qualitative or quantitative research methods; experience with Canvas or another learning management system; experience with WordPress or a similar web platform, email newsletter tools, or graphic design tools; and prior experience supporting research projects, grant proposals, or course development.

Hours and rate: Up to 15 hours per week at $25.00 per hour. Hours may vary from week to week with project deadlines, and work schedules are arranged with the supervising faculty member. International students should note that total on-campus employment may not exceed 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters, across all University positions.

To apply: Upload a résumé or curriculum vitae and a brief statement (no more than one page) describing relevant experience and the type of work of greatest interest (instructional support, research support, or both). Applicants may also upload one writing sample.

Questions about the position may be directed to Dr. Hyung Joon Yoon, Professor-in-Charge of the WFED program, at [email protected].

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Additional positions may be filled from this posting as program needs and funding allow.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

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