Earlier this week, we posted a position announcement for a Graduate Assistantship at UMBC. This post recaps that position announcement and outlines next steps for semi-finalists.

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The original Announcement:

This graduate assistantship requires knowledge of computer concepts and programming languages.   The position requires design, trouble-shooting, and support for websites and databases.  Duties include database management.  The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) uses the Xcalibur Scribe Tracking System and Registry (TSR) as part of the national evaluation program, Survey Monkey, and software for webinars.  The position also requires extensive use of social media and includes website programming.  The GA in this position will have knowledge of webpage design using Hypertext Markup Languages (HTML), Cascade Style Sheets (CSS), Extensible Markup Language (XML), and Java; all are necessary for designing and maintaining the program’s website and blogs.

The GA will also have a sense of project management to assist with events and long-term projects.  The following media are used for PROMISE:  WordPress, Google sites, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot.    The GA in this position should have background in the following topics: online communities, database implementation (SQL-based interface), project management, decision technology, information management, emerging technologies, system design, system performance, usability, and system architecture.

This position will support several projects; the primary project will be the new Council of Graduate Schools Financial Literacy program: http://www.cgsnet.org/enhancing-student-financial-education, and will be responsible for implementing the “Go Live” project: http://www.cgsnet.org/project-summary-university-maryland-baltimore county.  The applicant should have basic knowledge about  credit rankings and scores, budgeting, and debt reduction. 

 

Roles: The GA will work with the PROMISE team for the multi-campus AGEP http://promiseagep.wordpress.com/, the Graduate Student Development unit in The Graduate School at UMBC, and UMBC’s campus-wide committee on financial literacy that includes a collaborative team of staff and students from Enrollment Management, the Graduate School, Financial Services, and The Office of Undergraduate Education.

This is a 20 hour/week assistantship. It includes tuition remission, and student health insurance for the GA. Assistantship stipend rates: http://www.umbc.edu/gradschool/funding/minimum_stipend_levels.html

 

To Apply:

Send a cover letter and CV to Dr. Renetta Tull at rtull@umbc.edu, with the subject “CGS GA Position.”

Additional criteria: The initial email must include links from websites that you have designed, and links to public social media sites that you manage, e.g., Linked In groups, Twitter, blogs. The links must be accompanied by a few sentences that describe your role, e.g., administrator, content provider, editor.

This opportunity is only open to graduate students at UMBC.

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NEW! UPDATE as of 11:50 PM, August 22, 2013

DEADLINE: 3:00 PM, Friday, August 23, 2013.

Due to the overwhelming response to this announcement, we will stop taking applications at 3:00 PM, Friday, August 23, 2013 so that we can take time to evaluate each applicant.  Applicants can begin to check their emails on Friday afternoon for notifications.  Interviews (for finalists only) will begin next week. Thank you for your interest!

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NEXT STEPS:

Semi-finalists, please see steps a, b, and c below, and complete them by Monday, August 26, at 9:00 AM. 

Finalists will be scheduled for interviews Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27-28.

a) Produce a short (3 minutes maximum) promotional video that advertises the Funding Seminar to undergraduate and graduate students on Saturday, September 7: http://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/jobs-fellowships-grad-school-funding-saturday-breakfast-lunch-seminar-sept-7-2013-umbc/.

b) Embed your video into the comment on the site, http://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/jobs-fellowships-grad-school-funding-saturday-breakfast-lunch-seminar-sept-7-2013-umbc/ and convince people to rate it.  Include 2-3 tips about managing a budget (provide sources) within the comment that houses your video. (Note: People who receive fellowships will have to manage a budget. Consider the example of a stipend of $15,000/year.)

c) Use social media or venues to encourage people to post information on fellowship opportunities in the comment section of the site,  http://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/jobs-fellowships-grad-school-funding-saturday-breakfast-lunch-seminar-sept-7-2013-umbc/.  Include sources for fellowships for international students. Find a way to ask people to give you credit for leading you to the site, e.g., #YourName. All Twitter and Facebook posts should also have the hashtag: #PROMISEagep and should steer people to follow @PROMISE_AGEP.

Related articles

• Jobs, Fellowships, & Grad School Funding! Saturday Breakfast & Lunch Seminar: Sept. 7, 2013 @ UMBC (promiseagep.wordpress.com)

• More Information about The UMBC PROMISE/CGS/Grad Student Development GA Position: Information for Semi-finalists