Academic Team Positions

Academic Team - Class Advisors

First-Year, Multi-Level, Complex Leadership, and Global Class Advisors (CAs) have varying roles, but every CA will work directly with the professor to shape and implement curriculum, engage with students/peers, and contribute to the larger student staff conversations. The most significant role of the CA is to create relationships - with students, other CAs, and the instructors. Being a CA is about listening to each and every student, putting students’ needs over yours, collaborating with other CAs, providing feedback and grading assignments, and most of all, ensuring that your students and you are having fun and learning from each other! All CAs, regardless of course assignment will have opportunities to work with Dr. Shepherd Macklin as the Academic Director and the student staff Assistant Academic Director for feedback, coaching, teaching observations, and general professional development.

Candidates for all PLC academic positions must:

  • Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding for the importance of all leadership approaches and theories covered in PRLC courses and learned outside of the PLC classroom
  • Possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills
  • Use their critical thinking skills in support of their mentoring role in assisting students
  • Be able to facilitate students to work well with individuals from different cultural contexts and backgrounds
  • Be supportive and effective in all efforts towards students

Leadership Skill Development for the CA will focus on:

  • Providing each CA with the opportunity to critically examine one's strengths and weaknesses in motivating others to accomplish a defined goal
  • Facilitating team bonding to maximize team performance
  • Estimating and understanding the performance and efficacy of members within a working group and be able to use that assessment to inform peer/student feedback
  • Understanding own performance and efficacy within a working group and be able to use that knowlede to positively influence peers'/others' behavior and work
  • Giving and receiving feedback constructively and professionally

Additionally, CAs will also have the opportunity to:

  • Understand multiple leadership theories and apply them to enhance leadership effectiveness
  • Appreciate the importance of moral courage and ethical leadership
  • Sharpen your ability to think strategically about leadership challenges
  • Build analytic and critical thinking skills to support decision-making
  • Adapt your leadership practices to differences among individuals, cultures and situations
Academic Advisor

The Academic Team Advisor (AA) role is reserved for returning academic team members who have served at least one year-long stint as a Class Advisor (CA). This person works closely with and in between the CA teams and the course professors. Having instruction experience, the AA helps new CA staff members learn course material and instruction methodologies. The AA also works with the faculty and staff to draw through lines between academic and experiential curricula. The AA can supplement the advisory and instructional work of CA teams and/or be a support to the CA members behind the scenes. This role requires thorough and advanced knowledge of the academic trajectory and curricula in the PLC program. Composure, maturity, integrity, and cooperation are paramount for candidates for this role. The AA has planning and managerial tasks in addition to education and instruction. This position is reserved for upperclassmen and preference is given to seniors and fifth-year seniors. This role is more of a managerial role and occupies 5-8 hours of active work/week. The position oversees 10 different students and mentors them in their individual roles. Alongside mentorship of the team, the position will also serve as a mentor to the First Years in the program. They will pilot of yearlong leadership project that will allow them to reflect on their individual leadership journey. This role will allow the candidate to grow in their presentation, delegation, and interpersonal skills, as well as their time management skills. 

(Pay Rate = $5000/academic year; reports to Dr. Shepherd Macklin)

First Year CAs will attend Monday and Wednesday lectures, lead recitations of about 7-9 students, plan lesson plans for Thursday recitations, provide feedback on the course, have one-on-ones, provide feedback on paper rough drafts, grade weekly reflections, and class presentations, take attendance and participation in lecture, participate in weekly meetings with the other First-Year CAs and Dr. Shepherd Macklin, prepare and deliver at least one guest lecture per semester, and create a balance between being a role model/teacher and a friend for the first years.

($4000/year scholarship; report to Dr. Shepherd Macklin)

Candidates for this position must be strong writers interested in learning how to build strong teams (recitation sections) of individuals, each of whom is working independently and yet is also working as a team to provide individual feedback.  Students will be trained to provide supplemental instruction in the field of writing. Multi CAs will attend lecture twice a week and lead a recitation section once a week with approximately 8-10 students. You will work extensively with the professor to learn about the lens' that will focus each week's writing assignment as well as how to provide constructive feedback in a constant iterative process throughout the semester.

($2000/semester scholarship; report to Dr. Shepherd Macklin)

Global Issues in Leadership CAs report directly to the course professor and have the responsibility for, working with the professor to draft and implement a course syllabus, coordinating speakers, grading participation in class, and needed grading outside of class time. CAs must attend every scheduled lecture (3 hours/week) and act as advisors for students in the course, assisting with class activities, assignment mentoring, and acting as a liaison between the professor and the students. Global CAs will meet at least once a week with the professor and with students on an individual basis periodically, as needed.

($1500/semester scholarship; reports to Dr. Coker)

The 21st Century Leadership CA will work closely with Dr. Shepherd Macklin, teach about key issues surrounding the 2015 published United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, provide feedback on the course, provide feedback on presentation rough drafts, grade class presentations, take attendance and participation in class, participate in class discussions and offer feedback with Dr. Shepherd Macklin, and create a balance between being a role model/teacher and a friend for your peers.

($1500/semester scholarship; report to Dr. Shepherd Macklin)

Work closely with Dr. Thieman Dino in developing and implementing leadership curriculum and pedagogy while providing tailored feedback to deepen student engagement with difficult texts and the iterative writing process. CAs meet with Dr. Thieman Dino weekly to prepare for lectures and discuss course strategy. ENLP CAs are available to students for help interpreting texts, selecting topics, and honing ideas. A successful ENLP CA has strong writing and speaking skills, and is able to give constructive feedback and participate in class discussions. You will also serve as a role model and share your experience and work in the class with students.

($1500/semester scholarship; report to Dr. Thieman Dino)