Working Title: Graduate Assistant - Sport & Recreation Leadership (Rockingham County Parks and Recreation)

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:

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: 03/05/2025

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 Rockingham County Parks and Recreation. The primary focus of this position will be to assist in the planning and implementation of a wide variety of recreational opportunities for the residents of Rockingham County. The ability to organize activities and events and communicate effectively with coworkers as well as patrons will be essential. Diverse activities will be offered to a wide range of ages, interests, and ability levels and will require a solid work ethic as well as a willingness to promote positive interactions with the general public.


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.

Rockingham County Parks and Recreation is partnering with the James Madison University Sport and Recreation Leadership Master’s degree program to offer this graduate assistant position. This is a unique experience where students will work with Rockingham County Parks and Recreation to gain professional experience in parks and recreation and attend classes at James Madison University.
Graduate assistantships include enrollment in the Sport and Recreation graduate program (Sport & Recreation concentration, preferred) and involve 20 hours of work per week at Rockingham County Parks and 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:
• Coordinate athletic events; schedule facilities, maintain records and files, prepare reports.
• Establish, organize, and coordinate all athletic programs including athletic leagues, fitness, and special events.
• Aid with development of the seasonal activities guide that is distributed to the public.
• Evaluate leisure needs of citizens and develop and implement athletic/recreational programs to meet the needs.
• Set-up facilities and prepare league schedules.
• Prepare correspondence and materials to promote leagues, provide information, and produce league schedules.
• Manage the seasonal day-to-day operations of the County’s athletic/recreational programs.
• Provide the general public with information on current and future programs, registration fees, and issue receipts.
• Ensure the readiness of athletic fields gymnasiums and other facilities.
• Assist with the scheduling of facility use and equipment loan.
• Assist in implementation of programming and daily functioning of the Rockingham Recreation Center and Rockingham Park at the Crossroads.

Qualifications:

● Must be accepted into the Sport and Recreation Leadership graduate program (Sport & Recreation concentration, preferred) at James Madison University
● Bachelor’s degree required

Additional Posting Information:

Stipend: $9,816 (current year)
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.