Position: Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) Graduate Project Assistant
Commitment: 33.33% Position (13 hours per week)
Period: January 1, 2019 – August 31, 2019
Please Note: In order to qualify for this position, you must be a U.S. citizen per the requirements of our funding agency.
The Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) seeks a graduate student with strong organizational and communication skills to assist with the coordination of the CESSI summer language program. CESSI is a U.S. Department of State Title VIII-supported program that provides intensive language instruction in Kazakh, Tajik, Uyghur, and Uzbek. The program takes place during the eight-week summer session (June 17 – August 9, 2019). The PA will work under the supervision of the CESSI Program Coordinator, Kelly Iacobazzi.
Specifically, the CESSI PA will have the following responsibilities:
- Develop and update promotional materials; maintain CESSI program website and Facebook page
- Assist with coordinating the application and selection process for the CESSI program and Title VIII fellowship competition
- Communicate with accepted students on fellowship and scholarship responsibilities, program policies and costs, textbook requirements, etc.
- Work with International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) to provide visa support for any international instructors; book travel for international instructors
- Track instructor expenses and help process reimbursement requests; order supplies for instructors
- Provide logistical support for co-curricular events during summer program, such as lecture series, cultural celebrations, film screenings, and workshops
- Assist CREECA Events Coordinator in making travel arrangements for guest speakers
- Assist CESSI Program Coordinator in preparation of quarterly and final reports, including data gathering
All applicants must be current graduate students in good standing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with excellent organizational and communication skills and experience with coordinating logistics. They should have strong time-management skills and should be able to handle multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously by working independently and with the CESSI Program Coordinator. The PA should have experience with word processing and data management, using Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, or other comparable programs. Experience with managing social media and websites (WordPress) is also a plus. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in Eurasian language and/or area studies.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter (detailing the applicant’s background and qualifications), a current resume or CV, and names and contact information of two professional references to Kelly Iacobazzi (iacobazzi@wisc.edu). Please put “CESSI Project Assistant” in the subject line.
Review of applications will begin on November 7, 2018.
The position dates are January 1 – August 31, 2019, with the possibility of renewal with satisfactory job performance and continued funding for this project.
Compensation: Base rate (full-time, annual rate) is $44,854. This is a 33.33%-time graduate assistantship paid at the annual rate. The position offers tuition remission and other benefits standard for graduate project assistants. Monthly salary is approximately $1,245.