Director: Dr. Jennifer Grossman Leopard 
Associate Director: Craig Lutz
Assistant Director: Jess Balac
Coordinator/Supervisor: Lizzy Natiello

Mission Statement: We foster belonging through the personal growth and development of an engaged citizenry by providing inclusive experiences and spaces. 

Functional areas included in this department: Student Leadership and Involvement, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Off-Campus Life, Facilities and Event Management.

Students who participate in this experience will gain understanding of student affairs as a profession and the influence student affairs has on contemporary higher education through the following tasks and activities:

• Student Life program development and implementation
• Establishing program goals and evaluation methods
• Budget planning and maintenance
• Marketing and Dissemination
• Task Management

Program assessment discussions and activities

• Collaborative projects between Student Life and other departments
• Participation in departmental committees and projects
• Attendance at office, departmental and divisional meetings
• Student development theory to practice
• Managing change
• Communication within an organization
• Use of technology

Students who participate in this experience will be exposed to the purposeful application of the following student development, career development, counseling and/or organizational theories:

• Psychosocial Developmental Theories: (Chickering, Erikson)
• Cognitive Developmental Theories: (Perry, Kolhberg, Belenky, Gilligan)
• Typology: (Jung, Myers-Briggs)
• Counseling Theories: (Reality Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy)

Students assigned to this site will be able to participate in the following assessment and/or evaluation projects:

• Program/event surveying/evaluation
• Research projects as deemed necessary (program ideas, marketing, etc.)

Students who participate in this experience will be evaluated and provided on-going feedback in the following ways:

• Weekly one on one consultation meetings with direct supervisor
• Written performance evaluation each December and April As requested by student or as deemed necessary 

Specific expectations of students assigned to this site include:

• Develop and implement social programming for students, including:
  • Trivia
  • Tea Time
  • Crafternoon
  • De Stress Fest
  • Weeks of Welcome events
  • Assist with signature annual events: Homecoming week programming, All Together One
  • Ceremony, Student Organization Awards & Recognition Ceremony
  • Seasonal programming
  • Creation of new programs
  • Partner with the SLI Leadership Development Team to assist in planning Explore Madison week.
• Other duties within reason of the assistantship, including:
  • Stay late/return early for academic breaks/vacations, as deemed necessary
  • Attend sponsored events (including nights and weekends)
  • Create and maintain a schedule designed to meet assistantship requirements
  • Perform designated tasks in a timely, organized and professional manner
  • Communicate consistently and honestly with supervisor
  • Maintain a positive attitude about job responsibilities
  • Work to be an effective team member
  • Request assistance and support when approaching new situations
  • Support the mission of Student Leadership and Involvement, Student Life, Student Affairs and JMU
  • Plan and facilitate one-on-one meetings with designated staff members
  • Gain an understanding of policies and procedures
  • Attend conferences, workshops, and professional development meetings as deemed appropriate

Student Life highly values our Graduate Assistants and is invested in their professional development. Our department seeks to provide an experience for students that resources them well and sets them up for success in their role. As a result, this assistantship requires the accepted student to begin their placement with our office beginning July 28, 2025 in order to appropriately train and onboard them before the beginning of fall semester.  Students will be compensated as wage employees until the normal graduate school contract is assumed on August 9, 2025.

Contact Person  
Lizzy Natiello
Coordinator, Campus Programming
Student Leadership and Involvement  The Union, 320D 
natielea@jmu.edu