Graduate Assistant, Student Athlete Development

Working Title: Graduate Assistant, Student Athlete Development

State Role

Title:

Graduate Assistant

Position Type: Graduate Assistant

Position Status: Part-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt:
Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Intercollegiate Athletics

Department: 300343 - S-A Leadership Program

Pay Rate: Stipend

Specify Range or Amount: $11,865

Is this a JMU only position? N/A

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? N/A

Beginning Review Date:

Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

The Student-Athlete Development (Dukes Lead) team at James Madison University is seeking candidates for one graduate assistant. This position is contracted for the 2026-27 academic year, with the ability to extend the contract through the 2027-28 academic year.

Student-Athlete Development is committed to the holistic growth and development of James Madison University student-athletes through career readiness, community service, human development and leadership enhancement.

The transformative experiences under Dukes Lead serve to equip, engage and empower student-athletes and teams to unleash their full potential.

Graduate assistantships include enrollment in a graduate program and involve 20 hours of work per week during the academic school year. Graduate assistants will begin work prior to the start of the school year, and the position continues through the end of the academic year.

In addition to the stipend, positions include a tuition waiver and a professional development stipend.

Individuals may apply for this graduate assistantship prior to academic admission; however, an individual must be accepted into a graduate program before an offer is made. Preference for this graduate assistantship is given to those admitted to the Sport and Recreation Leadership, Sport and Recreation Concentration. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

• Support programming for student-athletes in alignment with the office's core values of Equip, Engage, & Empower with a particular emphasis on career readiness, community service, human development, and leadership enhancement.
• Proactively connect and engage with campus departments, organizations, faculty, and staff to facilitate a positive working relationship, implement relevant programming, and create leadership opportunities for student-athletes.
• Provide personalized education to student-athletes in groups and one-on-one settings as it pertains to their career interests.
• Monitor and document community service requests, activities, and student-athlete engagement.
• Support student-athlete leaders in their facilitation of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This includes recruiting student-athlete leaders, providing strategic direction for the organization, and supporting event planning functions.
• Assist with JMU Student-Athlete Development storytelling, including, but not limited to, website communication, social media strategy, and marketing designs.
• Research industry tools, programming, and practices to best support student-athletes.
• Coordinate student-athlete nominations/applications for applicable scholarships, awards, and experiential learning opportunities.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of…