The Co-Lab Student Assistant
Job Description
Across all three years, the student will develop:
- Strong communication skills across formats, including public speaking, writing, and digital media
- Experience working collaboratively with faculty, peers, and community partners
- Project management skills, including planning, organization, and evaluation
- A deeper understanding of the public humanities as a practice rooted in dialogue, storytelling, and community engagement
- Insight into how the arts and humanities can support civic discourse, cultural understanding, and social impact
- Preparation for post-graduate pathways in public humanities, arts administration, nonprofit work, and community-based careers
Year 1
Responsibility/Function
The goal of the first year will be to understand the Co-Lab's mission, exposure to different ways of doing the public humanities, and logistical support with Co-Lab programming and operations throughout the year.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with event planning and logistics (setup, materials, speaker coordination)
- Support communications (social media, email outreach, event promotion, poster design)
- Research trends in public humanities & arts programming in the region
- Attend and help facilitate Co-Lab events
Year 2
Responsibility/Function
In the second year, the student will take on more active coordination roles and begin contributing ideas to programming.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate aspects of event planning (timelines, outreach, day-of logistics)
- Manage portions of Co-Lab communications (social media scheduling, content creation)
- Support outreach to campus and community partners
- Brainstorm new programming ideas that reflect regional trends and campus-wide needs
Year 3
Responsibility/Function
In the third year, the student will take on more responsibilities within the Co-Lab, with opportunities to shape programming.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the planning and execution of a Co-Lab event or initiative
- Manage portions of Co-Lab communications (social media scheduling, content creation)
- Serve as a point of contact for select partners or projects
- Contribute to assessment, reflection, and future planning
*Students are prohibited from driving during work-study employment with the limited exception of authorized work-study driver positions.