Office/Department: Student Leadership and Involvement, Student Life 
Position: University Program Board
Director: Dr. Jennifer Grossman Leopard 
Associate Director: Craig Lutz
Assistant Director: Jess Balac
Coordinator/Supervisor: Katie Corbit

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:

• Advisement/development of University Program Board
• Staff training: implementation
• Teambuilding: implementation
• Participation in departmental committees and projects
• Completing and reviewing performance evaluations with members
• Collaborative projects with various university departments
• Attendance at office, departmental and divisional meetings
• Manage change
• Communication within an organization
• Writing goals, learning outcomes, and action plans
• Contract process management
• Budget monitoring
• Use of technology
• Risk Management 

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)
• Career Development Theories: (Super, Holland)
• Identity Development Theories: (Racial, White, Minority, Sexual, Gender, Ability, Religious, Social Class, LGBT, Multiple)

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

• Program evaluation
• Executive board student learning assessment
• Research projects as deemed necessary (selection process, programming models, etc.)

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

• Weekly one-on-one 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:

• Co-advise the University Program Board with the University Program Board Coordinator
• Plan and facilitate bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with 6-7 assigned UPB executive board members
• Assist UPB executive board members in the coordination of major campus events, including but not limited to volunteer coordination, contract management, event implementation, and event evaluation
• Participate in the executive board selection and hiring process
• Provide the executive board and general membership with constructive feedback
• Assist in the continued development of UPB’s new member training program
• Attend UPB sponsored events (including nights and weekends), as necessary
• Clear, consistent communication with supervisor and other necessary parties
• Gain an understanding of policies and procedures in Student Life, JMU, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, as they relate to event planning and Student Life functions
• Attend conferences, workshops, and professional development meetings as deemed appropriate, including attendance at least one NACA conference (regional or national)
• Stay late/return early for academic breaks/vacations, as deemed necessary
• Frequent evening and weekend hours
• Create and maintain a schedule designed to meet assistantship requirements
• Support the mission of Student Leadership and Involvement, Student Life, Student Affairs, and JMU
• Perform designated tasks in a timely, organized and professional manner
• Participate in the planning of De-Stress Fest in the fall and spring semesters
• Other duties and/or special projects as assigned

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 Information

Katie Corbit
Coordinator, University Program Board
Student Leadership and Involvement  
The Union 320C corbitkm@jmu.edu