Service Learning Assistants (SLAs) are paid student leaders who help coordinate and support service learning courses at KPU. SLAs typically support new Work-Integrated Learning initiatives in collaboration with faculty, students, and community partners. This program is adapted from the Service Learning Assistants program at Tulane University.
Working with faculty, students and/or community partners for planning, presentations, orientations, reflections and logistics, SLAs typically work 30-50 hours a term. Faculty members are able to nominate student – these students have often completed the course that they will be hired on to assist. It’s important to check the schedule for the student and to ensure that they will still be enrolled during the term they will be working.
Eligibility
The program is open to all KPU undergraduate students. Students must submit a complete application, demonstrate experience in service learning or community service; and commit to participate in required orientation and ongoing training. Students are expected to be available the month prior to Spring classes for training and to learn about their placements. Students must be nominated prior to submitting an application form (students can self-nominate). Nominated students, if chosen, will be asked to submit a full application.
- Must be enrolled, or intend to be enrolled, as a student at KPU in the Spring term
- Must be in good academic standing for the term prior to selection
- Must maintain at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0
Deadline
Deadline for Spring 2025 applications is Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 2 pm.
The deadlines going forward are approximately 10-12 weeks prior to the start of each term.
For the Summer 2025 term, the first day of classes is May 5, 2025, and the deadline is February 11, 2025
Semester dates are available here: https://www.kpu.ca/registrar/academic-schedule
Principal Duties
- Ongoing problem-solving, mentoring and logistical support for student peers
- Assisting with end-of-term wrap up, including communication with community partners
- Assisting with special projects and programs (liaising with community and partnerships)
- Collecting and documenting relevant service learning course documents
- Chronicling special events, ongoing projects, student success and partner communication
- Assisting with student placements and / or scheduling
- Develop and maintain files on issues related to the current project
- Do library and online research as required (e.g. review current literature, statistics, legal research, academic journals, surveys, online databases, etc.)
- Assist with photocopying, typing, filing, and overall organization of these materials
- Leading orientations as needed
- Participating in monthly or bi-monthly leadership development with other SLAs
- Communicate with faculty, peers, relevant internal and external partners as directed by faculty
- Research, collate, and assist in planning relevant events
- Prepare summary reports including headings and information which can be subsequently used to draft briefing notes or craft power point presentations
*students are assisting faculty in their roles or duties, but only faculty members can be involved in course, class and assignment preparation, marking and other assessment of student work, and scheduled office hours.
Requirements
- Ability to follow directions with minimal supervision
- Ability to demonstrate professionalism and email etiquette
- Awareness of needs around student and partner confidentiality
- Demonstrated strong attention to detail and quality deliverables
- Ability to use MS Office tools, including databases
- Comfort with technology, familiarity with online collaborative tools and platforms
- Ability to work on a variety of initiatives, flexible and adaptable
- Good interpersonal, organization, research and written skills
- A professional and positive attitude
- Preference, in some cases, may go to students who have already completed a service learning course (e.g. worked with community partners)
- Preference, in some cases, may go to students who speak additional languages
- Preference, in some cases, may go to students who have familiarity with Canva or similar poster-making platforms
Nomination
Candidates must be nominated using a nomination from by faculty member, staff, community partner, or peer, or through a self-nomination. If selected from nomination process, candidates will be asked to submit an application form.
Application Form
Candidates must be first be nominated. Chosen candidates will be asked to submit a full application.
Reporting
SLAs will report to Larissa Petrillo who will oversee the pilot program and process paperwork. Feel free to email any questions about the SLA program, or experiential learning.
Funding
This pilot program is generously funded through the Teaching & Learning Innovation Fund
This program is generously funded through a grant from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training (the Ministry) via Phase 2 of the Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (the Initiative). In its pilot year, this program was seeded through funding from KPU's Teaching & Learning Innovation Fund (TLIF).