We’re Hiring: Student Positions Available!
Check out these open positions on our team for the 2025–2026 Academic Year:
Federal Work-Study Positions
Graduate Assistant Positions
Office Assistant
Available Openings: 3
To apply, visit the work study portal. Select “Advanced Search.” Under “Employers,” select “University Life” from the drop-down menu to find this listing.
Job Description
The Office Assistant role will assist with administrative tasks and support events, enhancing the office's ability to engage with students and promote community initiatives.
University Life is a central division that works with Columbia’s 17 schools and colleges and serves as a student life hub. We are committed to promoting a vibrant campus culture where students can thrive in all dimensions of their lives. We focus on connecting students to the broader University and the surrounding community, and to opportunities beyond their schools.
Responsibilities Include
- Events and Meetings: Staff major events hosted by University Life, assist in planning and executing events, prepare and create materials for meetings and events.
- Promotion: Help design, revise, and update materials, including event graphics, emails, documents, and videos, as well as post flyers around campus
- General Office Support: Maintain office organization, support filing projects, reception support, supply inventory.
- Data Entry: Input and organize event and meeting data into various systems
- Projects: Support staff on various projects around key focus areas such as Well-being, Inclusion and Belonging, Community Citizenship, Sexual Respect, etc.
Job Requirements
- Candidate must be eligible for federal work-study
- In addition to working hours during the traditional workday (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), Office Assistants must also be available at least twice a week (Monday–Friday) between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m. to work evening programming. Evening events will not happen every week, but a flexible schedule is ideal.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaborate effectively on a team
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to quickly changing priorities, working with a variety of projects.
- Strong communication skills and commitment to the position.
- Knowledge and experience working on issues related to sexual respect, inclusion & belonging, and well-being.
- Candidate must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with the University and agree to a disciplinary check.
Time Commitment
10 hours per week.
Compensation
$17.00/hour
Additional Information
- This role works on location in Kent Hall, on the Morningside campus.
- To be considered for this position, interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and availability for the fall semester. Materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Graduate Assistant for Strategic Student Engagement
Apply to this position via the Columbia Careers website.
University Life was created to develop and enhance the student experience at Columbia. Working in collaboration with students, faculty, and staff, University Life strengthens resources, policies, and conversations, and builds community outside of the classroom. Our efforts all connect to core values for the Columbia community:
- Inclusion and belonging
- Health and well-being
- Sexual respect
- Community citizenship
University Life is a central division focused on enhancing the student experience across Columbia’s 17 schools and colleges. We serve as a student life hub for the University and are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive campus culture where students can thrive in all dimensions of their lives. In University Life, we focus on connecting students to each other, to the broader University and surrounding community, and to opportunities beyond their schools.
We work to educate students about Columbia’s values and policies, as well as share essential and timely information with students from the University. Through our programs, services, and partnerships, we support students’ educational enrichment during their time at Columbia.
The Graduate Assistant (GA) will report to the Senior Program Manager for Strategic Student Engagement and support University-wide, student-focused programs that promote inclusion and belonging efforts, including the Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement.
GAs will be paid $26/hour for approximately 20 hours per week throughout the academic year. The Assistantship will run from August 2025 through May 2026, with the possibility to start earlier and/or extend to the summer and the following year.
Responsibilities
- Inclusion and Belonging: Assist with the planning and execution of events that strengthen connections among graduate students and foster a supportive campus culture through the Graduate Initiative. Additional opportunities to plan your own programs or support other Student Life programming will be available as capacity permits.
- Student Outreach & Engagement - Support the Senior Program Manager and Project Coordinator for Strategic Student Engagement with outreach to graduate student organizations and affinity groups to help ensure diverse perspectives are represented in engagement initiatives.
- Event Support- Staff small- and large-scale events such as Grad Hangouts, Community Connections, and Welcome Week programs; assist with event set-up, breakdown, supply transport, and support full-time staff at signature University Life events.
- Data Management - Assist with basic data management such as student list management, creating simple data reports, cleaning up data from surveys, etc.
- Research- Research current trends and best practices in student engagement, inclusion, belonging, and diversity from peer institutions and national organizations, and analyze data to identify opportunities for enhancing student programs.
- Marketing & Media - Create promotional flyers and materials, event descriptions, registration links working closely with the University Life Communications team
- Administrative Responsibilities: Support daily operations of Student Life and University Life teams by managing inventory, preparing materials, updating spreadsheets, responding to emails, and handling logistics.
Minimum Qualifications
- Applicants must be currently enrolled graduate students in the New York area.
- Candidates must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with their institution and agree to a disciplinary check.
- GAs may also be called upon to support other projects across the office as needed. We are looking for candidates that are flexible, creative, and have the ability to work both independently and in groups.
- Ideal candidates will have experience/interest in, and/or be studying higher education or related fields (interest in student affairs, and event planning a plus).
- Must be available to work in-person at the office on the Morningside campus
Preferred Qualifications
- Basic knowledge of Google Sheets/Excel.
- Experience with student/client-facing email and phone communications.
- Experience using Canva (or other basic graphic design skills) is a plus.
- Experience using Qualtrics or other data collection tools is a plus.
Graduate Assistant for Student Life
Apply to this position via the Columbia Careers website.
University Life was created to develop and enhance the student experience at Columbia. Working in collaboration with students, faculty, and staff, University Life strengthens resources, policies, and conversations, and builds community outside of the classroom. Our efforts all connect to core values for the Columbia community:
- Inclusion and belonging
- Health and well-being
- Sexual respect
- Community citizenship
University Life is a central division focused on enhancing the student experience across Columbia’s 17 schools and colleges. We serve as a student life hub for the University and are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive campus culture where students can thrive in all dimensions of their lives. In University Life, we focus on connecting students to each other, to the broader University and surrounding community, and to opportunities beyond their schools.
We work to educate students about Columbia’s values and policies, as well as share essential and timely information with students from the University. Through our programs, services, and partnerships, we support students’ educational enrichment during their time at Columbia.
The Graduate Assistant (GA) will support student life initiatives by assisting with events, student outreach, and office operations. Working closely with the Associate Director for Student Life and the broader University Life team, the GA will help foster an engaging, inclusive, and welcoming campus environment.
Graduate assistants will be paid $26/hour for approximately 20 hours per week throughout the academic year. The Assistantship will run from August 2025 through May 2026, with the possibility of starting earlier and/or extending into the summer and the following year.
Responsibilities
- Orientation & Welcome Week - Assist with school orientations, resource fairs, and University Life’s Welcome Week events. Plan and lead GA-run programs during the first two weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Student Events & Activities - Support the planning, logistics, and staffing of small and large-scale events such as study breaks, engagement programming, and signature University Life events. Includes helping with event set-up, breakdown, and transporting supplies.
- Student Engagement & Office Support - Welcome students in the office (Kent 202), help maintain a clean and organized workspace, and ensure event supplies are put away post-event.
- Marketing & Media - Design event materials and flyers, draft event descriptions, and collaborate with the Communications team to promote events and initiatives effectively.
- Data Collection & Reporting - Track attendance and collect feedback at events. Create reports to showcase impact and help inform future programming.
- Administrative Work - Assist with various office tasks that support the daily operations of the Student Life and University Life teams, including managing inventory, preparing meeting materials, updating spreadsheets or tracking documents, responding to emails, and supporting other behind-the-scenes logistics.
- Special Projects - As assigned and based on office needs.
Minimum Qualifications
- Candidates must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with their institution and agree to a disciplinary check.
- Ideal candidates will have experience and interest in student affairs and student development, and are ready to join a fast-paced office environment
- Applicants must be currently enrolled graduate students in the New York area.
- Graduate assistants will also work on many other projects on a rolling basis, and we are looking for candidates who are flexible, creative, and have the ability to work both independently and in groups.
- This is an in-person assistantship; candidates must be available to work in-person at our office on the Morningside campus.