Department of Chicana/o Studies
Graduate Assistant Pool for the Escritores Promotores (Writing Advocates)

POSITION

The Department of Chicana/o Studies (CHIC) at CSU Fullerton invites applications for its Graduate Assistant Pool for the Escritores Promotores (Writing Advocates).

This is an initiative of the Mellon Foundation’s support of the Latinx Lab for Storytelling and Social Justice. Graduate students will be peer mentors to undergraduates who will be enrolled in Chicana/o Studies Area F (Ethnic Studies requirement) courses. The graduate students will aid as “Escritores Promotores,” as guides or writing mentors to assist undergraduates with storytelling activities that emphasizes the importance of multiple modes of writing and expression. The activities will rely on humanities traditions of close reading, rhetoric, ethics, semiotics, critical thinking, and other relevant methods. Graduate students will conduct virtual and in person workshops linking Area F student outcomes with different modes of communication such as social media and podcasts. The graduate students will also hold office hours and in some cases provide guest lectures in Chicana/o Studies Area F courses. Co-PI Gradilla will guide and mentor the graduate students in preparation for the current academic job market. And, in turn, the graduate students will guide and mentor the undergraduates preparing them for the broad job market and industries. The outcome for graduate students serving as “escritores promotores” will be to prepare graduate students in this special pipeline program to be ready for the community college Ethnic Studies professoriate.

We welcome applications from current CSU Fullerton graduate students to assist CHIC faculty in the following activities:

• Attend course lectures
• Prepare for class sessions
• Hold office hours per week
• Assist student storytelling assignments
• Perform individual and/or group tutoring in designated CHIC Area F courses
• Provide research assistance related to the assignments
• Provide support for promotion of classes and department activities
• Meet with Dr. Gradilla for regular meetings
• Attend any necessary trainings
• And other duties to be determined

This is a pool of Graduate Assistants for the department to draw on as necessary.

APPOINTMENTS FROM THE POOL ARE TEMPORARY AND OFTEN MADE JUST PRIOR TO THE START OF THE ACADEMIC TERM. APPLICANTS MAY BE OFFERED EMPLOYMENT ON VERY SHORT NOTICE. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Candidates must be a currently enrolled Master of Arts graduate programs from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Candidates should demonstrate their ability to interact and work effectively with a wide and culturally diverse range of students, including first-generation college students
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher
• Completed upper division or graduate level coursework focusing on Chicanx Studies, Latinx Studies, Ethnic Studies (including group specific training) or American Studies
• Earn an average of 3.5 in courses in Ethnic Studies coursework.
• Excellent organizational skills (e.g. time management, communication, self-motivation, attention to detail)
• Excellent interpersonal skills (e.g. active listening, teamwork, patience, flexibility, responsibility)
• Excellent writing skills
• Must be able to work a total of 10 hours a week
• Position is in-person and remote, per approval
• Interested candidate must be available to attend mandatory in-person training. Dates/Time/Location: TBD

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Research Skills (e.g., compiling annotated bibliography)
• Interdisciplinary skills with knowledge of the humanities
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 or Google apps
• Familiarity with Public Scholarship fields (Public History, Digital Humanities)
• Comfortable with learning about educational software such as Adobe, Canva, etc.
• Knowledge of social media platforms

HOW TO APPLY

A complete online application must be submitted via CHRS in order to receive consideration. Please provide the following materials as it relates to your application requirements:

• Letter of interest or Cover Letter addressing the Minimum and if applicable the Preferred Qualifications
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Unofficial CSUF transcripts
• Biography (brief) addressing your commitment to storytelling, social justice and public scholarship as it relates to your research, advocacy or pedagogy

Applications will be reviewed as needed. Please direct all questions about the position to: Contact, Latinx Lab Grant Co-PI, Dr. Alexandro Jose Gradilla, agradilla@fullerton.edu  

COMPENSATION

All Graduate Assistant appointments are made under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the CSU system and the United Auto Workers.  Initial appointments are for one semester only.

Classification Range: $3,090 to $5,783 per month
Anticipated hiring range depending on qualifications, not to exceed $3,800

The full-time monthly base salaries indicated above are prorated to the time based assigned.

OUT-OF-STATE EMPLOYMENT POLICY

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and requires hiring employees to perform CSU related work within the State of California.

TITLE IX

Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator