Working Title: Graduate Assistant, Student Athlete Development

State Role Title: Graduate Assistant

Position Type: Graduate Assistant

Position Status: Part-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Intercollegiate Athletics

Department: 300343 - S-A Leadership Program

Pay Rate: Stipend

Specify Range or Amount: $11,865

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: 

About JMU:

Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Student-Athlete Development (Dukes Lead) team at James Madison University is seeking candidates for one graduate assistant. This position is contracted for the 2026-27 academic year, with the ability to extend the contract through the 2027-28 academic year.
Student-Athlete Development is committed to the holistic growth and development of James Madison University student-athletes through career readiness, community service, human development and leadership enhancement. The transformative experiences under Dukes Lead serve to equip, engage and empower student-athletes and teams to unleash their full potential.
Graduate assistantships include enrollment in a graduate program and involve 20 hours of work per week 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.
In addition to the stipend, positions include a tuition waiver and a professional development stipend.

Individuals may apply for this graduate assistantship prior to academic admission; however, an individual must be accepted into a graduate program before an offer is made. Preference for this graduate assistantship is given to those admitted to the Sport and Recreation Leadership, Sport and Recreation Concentration. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Graduate Assistant for Student-Athlete Development will play a key role in program delivery, operations, and supporting the evolving needs of JMU student-athletes.
• Support programming for student-athletes in alignment with the office’s core values of Equip, Engage, & Empower with a particular emphasis on career readiness, community service, human development, and leadership enhancement.
• Proactively connect and engage with campus departments, organizations, faculty, and staff to facilitate a positive working relationship, implement relevant programming, and create leadership opportunities for student-athletes.
• Provide personalized education to student-athletes in groups and one-on-one settings as it pertains to their career interests.
• Monitor and document community service requests, activities, and student-athlete engagement.
• Support student-athlete leaders in their facilitation of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This includes recruiting student-athlete leaders, providing strategic direction for the organization, and supporting event planning functions.
• Assist with JMU Student-Athlete Development storytelling, including, but not limited to, website communication, social media strategy, and marketing designs.
• Research industry tools, programming, and practices to best support student-athletes.
• Coordinate student-athlete nominations/applications for applicable scholarships, awards, and experiential learning opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Highly organized with attention to detail; excellent computer skills; ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and meet established deadlines; excellent oral and written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Enrollment or acceptance into a James Madison University two-year graduate program.
o Preference will be given to those with formal acceptance into the Sport and Recreation Leadership graduate program, Sport and Recreation Concentration.
o Candidates pursuing graduate degrees in adult education/human resource development, counselor education, educational leadership, psychology, sport and recreation leadership, or related fields are encouraged to apply.
• Strong interest in working in intercollegiate athletics
• Knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations

Additional Posting Information:

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.