2008 Woodie Awards
UConn Aims To Foster Off-Campus Unity
Brittany Dorn
Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: News
Students who are living off-campus next year and interested in acting as leaders in their new communities - and getting paid to do so - can apply for a brand-new position offered through Off-Campus Student Services.
The new position - off-campus community leader - is meant to foster community within off-campus residences, according to Jim Hintz, director of Off-Campus Student Services.
"What I've found is, a lot of times, off-campus students don't know their neighbors," said Hintz.
There are eight positions to fill and as of Thursday, no applications had been turned in. The final deadline for submitting an application is April 14. The office is hoping to hire students living in Carriage, Celeron, Clubhouse and Hunting Lodge Apartments and individual houses on Hunting Lodge Road, according to the Web site.
Students who live in other off-campus apartments and are interested in becoming leaders are strongly encouraged to apply and make a case for their apartment complex.
Hired students will be expected to communicate university-disseminated information to their neighbors, answer general questions about off-campus living and build a sense of community. They will not enforce rules or address behavioral issues.
Hired students must clock in two hours a week at the Off-Campus Student Services Office and will also be expected to spend time getting to know the residents in their area. Hintz said hired students will act as a "friend on the inside," an informed peer to which off-campus students can turn.
The eight hired students will each be paid $1,200 a semester and will also be provided $250 per semester to use towards events or programs in their area. The money can go toward cookouts, sport-centered events (such as a Super Bowl party) or any other idea students propose.
The hired students will report to Off-Campus Student Services, not their landlords, when it comes to fulfilling their roles.
Hintz said he hoped students would communicate with their landlords regarding planned events. In some cases, landlords might want to contribute money to support events.
"I'm hoping landlords see [the new positions] as a positive attribute," he said.
He said that ideally students will be hired by the end of this year and start in the fall, but that the timetable is flexible since the initiative is brand-new.
Dean of Students Lee Williams said she was pleased with the program.
"If there is one blind spot UConn has had related to student life, it's the experience of off-campus students," she said. "Jim and his office have really helped us understand the off-campus student experience, and I think this program will increase that understanding and our relationship with off-campus students, as well as landlords, tenfold."
Contact Brittany Dorn at Brittany.Dorn@UConn.edu.
The new position - off-campus community leader - is meant to foster community within off-campus residences, according to Jim Hintz, director of Off-Campus Student Services.
"What I've found is, a lot of times, off-campus students don't know their neighbors," said Hintz.
There are eight positions to fill and as of Thursday, no applications had been turned in. The final deadline for submitting an application is April 14. The office is hoping to hire students living in Carriage, Celeron, Clubhouse and Hunting Lodge Apartments and individual houses on Hunting Lodge Road, according to the Web site.
Students who live in other off-campus apartments and are interested in becoming leaders are strongly encouraged to apply and make a case for their apartment complex.
Hired students will be expected to communicate university-disseminated information to their neighbors, answer general questions about off-campus living and build a sense of community. They will not enforce rules or address behavioral issues.
Hired students must clock in two hours a week at the Off-Campus Student Services Office and will also be expected to spend time getting to know the residents in their area. Hintz said hired students will act as a "friend on the inside," an informed peer to which off-campus students can turn.
The eight hired students will each be paid $1,200 a semester and will also be provided $250 per semester to use towards events or programs in their area. The money can go toward cookouts, sport-centered events (such as a Super Bowl party) or any other idea students propose.
The hired students will report to Off-Campus Student Services, not their landlords, when it comes to fulfilling their roles.
Hintz said he hoped students would communicate with their landlords regarding planned events. In some cases, landlords might want to contribute money to support events.
"I'm hoping landlords see [the new positions] as a positive attribute," he said.
He said that ideally students will be hired by the end of this year and start in the fall, but that the timetable is flexible since the initiative is brand-new.
Dean of Students Lee Williams said she was pleased with the program.
"If there is one blind spot UConn has had related to student life, it's the experience of off-campus students," she said. "Jim and his office have really helped us understand the off-campus student experience, and I think this program will increase that understanding and our relationship with off-campus students, as well as landlords, tenfold."
Contact Brittany Dorn at Brittany.Dorn@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Tyler
posted 4/07/08 @ 12:59 PM EST
WOW. that sounds amazing. Basically getting paid $1200 a semster for 2 hours a week. And you even get money to throw a party. Is there a catch?
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