Graduate Assistants (GA) support Scholarly Communications activities in the Library by assisting with administration of the Affordable Course Materials Initiative, including creating promotional and training materials, preparing Open Educational Resources for dissemination, and supporting related research. In consultation with the Scholarly Communications Librarian, GAs collaboratively develop projects which will meet students’ learning objectives and career goals as well as unit needs. Students who successfully complete projects in Scholarly Communications gain important transferable skills and exposure to professional software applications and data management strategies that help prepare them for further study or careers in a wide range of fields, including English, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Criminal Justice, and Education.

During the 2024-2025 academic year, the Scholarly Communications Graduate Assistant will support the development of two reports, one focusing on the cost of required course materials in general education courses and another on campus needs for research data management. The graduate assistant will conduct research and analysis, and collaborate with the Scholarly Communications Librarian to develop final reports.

The Scholarly Communications Graduate Assistantship spans the 2024-2025 academic year during the Fall and Spring semesters with the possibility of renewal for the 2025-2026 academic year. Graduate Assistants are expected to work 20 hours/week for a total of 280 hours/semester. The successful applicant will be awarded a $4,500/semester stipend and maintenance fee waiver (nine hours per semester) for the fall and spring semesters. Information about graduate assistantships, including compensation, eligibility, and requirements to remain eligible for is available for UTC students on the UTC Graduate School’s Opportunities of Assistantships and Internships page.

Duties and Qualifications

The individual filling this GA position may perform the following tasks:

Conduct research in support of the Affordable Course Materials Initiative and other Scholarly Communications services;
Collaborate on the creation of instructional materials related to scholarly communication topics such as publishing, open access, and copyright;
Format and copyediting Open Educational Resources (OER) for accessibility prior to publication;
Assist in the design and creation of assessment tools; and
Develop blog posts and other outreach initiatives.;

Required qualifications include:

Ability to work with a group and independently and produce high quality, thorough, and accurate work;
Strong organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills as well as demonstrated initiative and adaptability;
Working knowledge of office productivity suites, such as Microsoft Office and Google Drive;
Effective written and oral communication skills to professionally interact with faculty and staff in a positive manner;
Ability to prioritize and follow detailed written instructions within a multitask environment;
Ability to develop and execute project plans;
Ability to work 20 hours/week during Special Collections’ hours of operation.

Preferred qualifications:

Experience in communication, program planning, advocacy, or student government;
Knowledge of or interest in issues of access and equity in higher education;
Knowledge of or interest in Open Educational Resources / affordable course content;
Demonstrated web development skills and experience.

Application

Interested parties should apply by submitting a cover letter, resume, and application (download here) via UT Vault to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Scholarly Communications Librarian, Rachel Fleming, at Rachel-Fleming@utc.edu review of applications will begin Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

The cover letter should provide:

A description of the applicant’s relevant experience and expertise
What the applicant hopes to gain from the assistantship, including learning objectives and how the assistantship would meet the applicant’s career goals.
A description of how they would like to positively contribute to the project goals of advancing open and affordable course materials programs in the UT System

We encourage all applicants to think broadly about what they hope to accomplish in their practical experiences.