Working Title: Graduate Assistant - Sport & Recreation Leadership (Harrisonburg City Parks & Rec, Aquatics Programs)

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Graduate Assistant

Position Status: Part-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Business

Department: 100624 - Hospitality, Sport and Rec Management

Pay Rate: Stipend

Specify Range or Amount: 9,816 (24/25 rate)

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: 4/7/2025

About JMU:

Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

General Information:

The Sport and Recreation Leadership master’s degree program invites applications for a 20 hour/week graduate assistantship working with Harrisonburg City Parks & Recreation.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants for this position MUST apply to the JMU Sport and Recreation Leadership master’s degree program BEFORE applying for this GA position. If you only apply to for this GA position without applying to the Sport and Recreation Leadership master’s degree program, your GA application will NOT be considered. If you have any questions about this requirement, contact Ben Carr at carrbh@jmu.edu.

Harrisonburg City Parks & Recreation is partnering with the James Madison University Sport and Recreation Leadership Master’s degree program to offer this graduate assistant position with Aquatics Programs. It is a unique experience where students will work with Harrisonburg City Parks & Recreation to gain professional experience in programming, administration, event planning, and community outreach in a parks and recreation program.
Graduate assistantships include enrollment in the Sport and Recreation graduate program (Sport & Recreation concentration, preferred) and involve 20 hours of work per week at Harrisonburg City Parks & Recreation 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. The position includes a stipend and a tuition waiver.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Duties include, but are not limited to:
Serve as a primary assistant to the Aquatics Manager relating to aquatic programs, competition, recreation, and training. Additionally, the Graduate Assistant will assist in:
· Organizing, leading, and monitoring a variety of youth and adult programs.
· Assists with the creation, implementation, and administration of the Sadie Swims swim lesson program
· Providing excellent customer service
· Registering participants for youth and adult programs
· Ensuring the proper setup of special events, meets, and programs
· Creation and management of marketing materials and social media content.
· Supervising a large aquatics facility of 500,000+ gallons and an anticipated user load of 100,000 guests per year.

Additional Tasks/Functions:
• Monitoring aquatic facility usage and enforcing department rules at the facility site.
• Planning and facilitating special events.
• Opening/Closing aquatic facility.
• Facility Supervision
• Instructing swimming lessons
• Managing the inventory of aquatics equipment and medical supplies.
• Representing the City of Harrisonburg in public and professional settings
• Assisting in the planning and implementation of the annual aquatics division budget, totaling more than $900,000

Qualifications:

• Must be accepted into the Sport and Recreation Leadership graduate program (Sport & Recreation concentration, preferred) at James Madison University.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Degree in Recreation or Sport Management, preferred.
• Skilled in organizing recreational sports programming
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team.

Additional Posting Information:

Graduate Assistants will be eligible to receive
· American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification
· American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor Certification
· American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Certification
· American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer

Stipend: $9,816 (24/25 rate)
Tuition: Full-tuition waiver
Start Date: 8/10/2025 Ending Date: 5/9/2026

Conditions of Employment:  

Students may apply to a graduate assistantship prior to being accepted into a graduate program. However, to be eligible to receive an assistantship upon entry into a graduate program, the following criteria must be met:

The student must be conditionally or unconditionally accepted into a graduate program. Students who are provisionally accepted will not be eligible until they achieve conditional or unconditional acceptance into their program.

The students must have an official transcript on file indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or agency

After receiving an assistantship, the student must maintain at least a 3.0 graduate GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.

These are minimum criteria. Graduate program coordinators have the right to impose additional criteria if they see fit.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are a student with a disability and need assistance please contact the Office of Disability Services at (540) 568-6705 or disability-svcs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the Office of Disability Services, located in the Student Success Center, Suite 1202 and they will be happy to assist you.