Leadership Positions

Student-Directed Program Directors

Student Program Directors manage ongoing volunteer programs with local community organizations and schools. Program Directors work with a student coordinator (Issue Area Coordinator) and Bennion Center staff partner to best serve the needs of community partners and other volunteers. It is strongly recommended that prospective Program Directors volunteer with or visit the community partner prior to applying for this position.

Program Directors are expected to serve 5-10 hours a week, depending on the program. Some programs may also require service during the summer months (see application for details).

In addition to the general duties of a Bennion Center student leader, Program Directors are expected to:

• Volunteer regularly within the respective program (see Volunteer Interest Form for a description of each program).
• Recruit, orient, train and retain volunteers as necessary for your program.
• Respond to prospective Volunteer Interest Forms (VIFs) within 24-48 hours.
• Maintain regular communication with your respective staff partner, community partner, and Issue Area Coordinator.
• Complete all required Community Partner Agreement meetings by the established deadlines.
• Maintain a VIF tracking spreadsheet (a database of all prospective, current and past volunteers, including contact information and university ID).
• Keep track of monthly hours served within your program by Bennion Center volunteers.
• Attend monthly meetings facilitated by your Issue Area Coordinator.
• Perform the duties required by the specific program (see specific program description for details).
• Be a Bennion Center Ambassador: build an in-depth understanding of the programs and opportunities at the Bennion Center
• Complete Motor Pool certification (or identify yourself as a non-driver)
• Complete Youth Protection requirements (applies to certain programs only)

Commitments

Weekly

• 1 Office Hour (Front Desk or Programming)
• Program Commitment (with Community Partner)

Monthly

• Issue Area Meeting
• Hours Logs/Reflections

Semester

• Attend Legacy of Lowell Saturday Service Project (Fall) & MLK Saturday Service Project (Spring)
• 1 Leadership Workshop (per semester)
• 2 hours tabling (per semester)

Year

• Student Leader Orientation (May 10 or Aug TBD)
• 3 Community Partner Agreement meetings per academic year.

Utah Reads Site Team Leader Position

Job Description

Under the oversight of the Utah Reads Coordinator, Utah Reads Site Team Leaders are responsible for ensuring the overall quality of the tutoring program at one elementary school or community agency. The Site Team Leader provides the on-going support necessary for tutors to fulfill the mission and objectives of the Utah Reads program. This includes working with site administration to ensure effective tutoring strategies are in place. Students applying for this position need to be qualified to receive work-study funding from the financial aid department. Preference given to students with experience with Utah Reads or Next Steps training.

If you have questions, please contact Asma Hassan, 801-585-9101, asma.hassan@utah.edu.

Site Team Leaders Needed at the following locations

• Liberty Elementary
• Riley Elementary
• Parkview Elementary
• Mountain View Elementary
• Glendale CLC
• Neighborhood House
• Mary Jackson Elementary

Alternative Breaks Student Positions

The Alternative Break program supports active citizenship by offering transformative justice- and travel-based volunteer experiences over university breaks where students engage with service, education, and dialogue in a team setting in order to address social and environmental issues. If you have participated in a U of U Alternative Break trip, you are eligible to apply for student Site Leader and E-Board positions!

AB Site Leader Position

Spend a year planning an immersive, justice-based community engagement experience for ten other students around an issue you’re passionate about.  Site Leaders are current U of U students that are paired with a Staff/Faculty Partner to support them through the process as they learn skills such as conflict resolution, community development theory, inclusion practices, and explore how justice relates to volunteerism both locally and nationally.

Time Commitment: 5-8 hours a week

What we look for in our Site Leaders:

• Positive, enthusiastic, and encouraging attitudes
• Mature, responsible, inclusive, passionate individuals
• Students whose commitments, class schedules, and work arrangements allow them to fully commit to the program and its requirements

 

Site Leader positions are available for all 2020-2021 Alternative Breaks experiences.

2020-2021 AB experiences tentatively* include:

 

Fall Experiences

• Housing Justice: Seattle, WA
• Identity & Environmental Exploration (First-Generation Experience): San Rafael Swell, UT
• Immigration: San Diego, CA
• Refugee & Human Rights (weekend): Salt Lake City, UT
• Urban Environmentalism: Portland, OR
• Wildlife Habitat Conservation: Lakeview, MT

 

Spring Experiences

• Animal Advocacy & Rehabilitation: Kanab, UT
• Coastal Ecosystem Restoration: Point Reyes, CA
• Community Health: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• Defeminizing Poverty: Denver, CO
• Environmental Stewardship (weekend): Moab, UT
• HIV & AIDS: Hollywood, CA
• Housing Justice: Seattle, WA
• Hunger & Food Justice: Seattle, WA
• Immigration: San Diego, CA
• Indigeneity: Colorado Plateau
• Marine Conservation: Santa Cruz, CA
• Queering Justice: San Francisco, CA
• Urban Environmentalism: Portland, OR

*students who are interested in proposing a new Alternative Breaks experience are encouraged to do so in coordination with J Swanger, Alternative Breaks Program Manager.

AB Executive Board Positions

AB E-Board Specialist responsibilities are in addition to Site Leader responsibilities. Each Specialist also serves as a Site Leader with the AB Program.

Chair Elect

Development Specialist

Marketing Specialist

Recruitment Specialist

Reorientation Specialist

 

Chair Elect Position Overview (5-7 hrs per week in addition to SL duties)

The purpose of the Chair Elect role is to create cohesion across the AB leadership team (includes Site Leaders) and support the current AB Chair. This role requires completion of administrative tasks, strong peer mentorship, group training facilitation, and other duties as assigned.

*It is common practice for the Student Chair Elect to take on the AB Student Chair role the following year depending on a student’s graduation date. In other words, this role could be a two-year commitment with AB (but it does not have to be).

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Provides ongoing administrative support to student Chair and AB Admin Team
• Attendance at summer Break Away conference (1 week)
• Foster the development of the Executive Board and board members (AB Specialists)
• Provides support and recognition of individual Site Leader efforts
• Promote and cultivate a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Participates in weekly AB Admin staff meetings (1 hr a week)
• Bennion Center Student Board Representation (2-5 hrs a week)
• Attend Bennion Center events as available and necessary
• Coordinate attendance of Site Leaders at Bennion Center events in collaboration with the student board
• Serves as the key representative of the AB program and Bennion Center at all times
• Serves on selection committee for ASB participants
• Enters post trip assessments and community partner surveys post Fall and Spring Break trips
• Reports directly to Alternative Breaks Coordinator
• Create and implement creative marketing and recruitment strategies with Executive Board
• Part of Staff Partner interviews if time allows
• Co-facilitate Reorientation
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

Development Specialist (5-7 hrs per week in addition to SL duties)

The purpose of the Development Specialist role is to direct fundraising initiatives on behalf of the Alternative Breaks program to ensure the short-term financial accessibility for all potential AB participants as well as the long-term fiscal sustainability of the program. This role requires initiative, vision planning, creativity, and collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Explore programmatic options for on- and off-campus fundraising/development initiatives
• Involve the AB Leadership Team and participants in a minimum of one fundraising event per semester
• Host one or two AB Financial Information sessions for student participants alongside the Bennion Center Staff Advisor and the Student Chair
• Assist in the selection of ASB participants
• Enter Post-Trip Assessments and Community Partner Surveys upon the completion of AB trips
• Encourage Site Leaders to attend Legacy of Lowell, Saturday Service Projects, and other Bennion Center events
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

Marketing Specialist Position Overview (5-7 hrs per week in addition to SL duties)

The purpose of the Marketing Specialist role is to increase awareness and visibility of the AB program brand. This role requires development of recruitment materials and managing the AB program’s social media presence.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Assists in the management of all social media for the program (AB Facebook page, serve as/and liaison for BC sites/Twitter/pages)
• Manage and update the AB Bulletin Board outside of the Bennion Center
• Assists AB Staff Coordinator with website communications and updates
• Create emails, flyers, and marketing material for the program
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participate in weekly E-Board Meeting
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

Recruitment Specialist Position Overview (5-7 hrs per week in addition to SL duties)

The purpose of the Recruitment Specialist role is to provide ongoing invitations to participate or collaborate with the AB program and for the AB brand to be shared. This role requires organization of Site Leader tabling opportunities, classroom presentations, and utilizing university communications networks.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Coordinates with Chair, Executive Board, and Admin Team to carry out all recruitment initiatives, with delegation to the AB team, by submitting proposals, coordinating presentation opportunities for classrooms and student groups, organizing tabling supplies and opportunities, etc.
• Submit proposals and coordinate presentation opportunities for self, Executive Board, and Site Leaders
• Admin tracking of student VIF forms and student attendance at info sessions
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participates in weekly AB E-Board meetings
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

Reorientation Specialist Position Overview (5-7 hrs per week in addition to SL duties)

The purpose of the Reorientation Specialist role is to support the process of reorientation during pre-trip, on-trip, and post-trip transformation. This role requires collaboration and resource sharing between the AB team and community organizations to promote local active citizenship.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Get Site Leaders & Participants out to Legacy of Lowell, BC Events, and Saturday Service Projects
• Plan and coordinate Reorientation event with EBoard, Admin Team, guest speakers/presenters, and participants attending and create a post-reorientation newsletter
• Explore and share information about opportunities to keep AB community engaged in the local community, including creating a reorientation newsletter
• Assist Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for site leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participates in weekly AB E-Board meetings
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

Please contact J Swanger at j.swanger@utah.edu or (801) 587-9027 if you are interested in the Chair Elect or Specialist roles.