The office of New Student and Family Programs is seeking dedicated undergraduate leaders to serve as Orientation Leaders for the 2023 Orientation program. 

In this position, students are responsible for welcoming and supporting the incoming first-year students, transfer students and their families. The Orientation Team leads a variety of sessions and activities within the Orientation program and Welcome Week.

As an Orientation Leader, you have the opportunity to make an impact and impression on the incoming first-year and transfer students.

Roles and Responsibilities

Here is a list of specific roles and responsibilities of the Orientation Leader position:

• Orientation Training 
  • OLs are required to attend all training sessions. In-person weekly training sessions take place during the month of April. Additional training sessions are held virtually in the early months of summer 2023.   
• Drop-in Assistance Hours
  • Orientation Leaders help incoming students learn how to navigate Eagle Service during the registration process.
  • At various points in the summer, the OLs hold individual one-on-one meetings with each of their students to provide continued support and guidance. 
• Small Group Meetings  
  • Each OL is assigned a group of first-year students and is responsible for leading the small group meetings throughout the summer. These sessions cover essential information about AU as well as community building and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  
• Welcome Week
  • Orientation Leaders participate in various move-in and welcome events at the beginning of the academic year, including but not limited to move-in, Eagle Summits, and Convocation Administrative Responsibilities 
  • Orientation Leaders communicate via e-mail, text, and other social media outlets with their assigned group of incoming students. Attendance tracking and reporting is also a responsibility of this job.   
• Interest-based Working Groups
  • OLs have the opportunity to participate in interest and skill based working groups. As a group member, OLs help research, plan and facilitate orientation programs and events.
• Other duties as assigned.  
  • As this orientation program is evolving, other responsibilities of this position may be determined at a later point. There will also be the opportunity for OLs to work with transfer students and families of incoming students.   

Time Commitment/Compensation  

As a condition of employment, all Orientation Staff must be available for all required dates and programs. 

Orientation Leader Training

Orientation Leader training will begin in April, 2023. Please see applications for details regarding in-person and online training. 

Summer Orientation (Online) and Welcome Week (In-Person) Components

• Engagement with new students and families typically begins in late May through various platforms including Canvas and the Engage app.
• Live, online Orientation programming begins in June. OLs can expect to provide live on-demand assistance with a focus on helping students use Eagle Service for course registration and to complete their fall housing process. OLs assist with, and lead, live group sessions (webinar and zoom) to help introduce students to AU’s resources, culture and to each other. OLs have some flexibility in scheduling.
• OLs are required to work in-person shifts for key programs during Welcome Week, August 21 - 27 

OLs should anticipate working approximately 8 -10 hours per week from May - August. Included in this 8 -10 hours per week is engagement with the students, administrative tasks, and staff meetings/training.

You can expect to be offered additional, optional hours throughout the summer and Welcome Week to meet our scheduled needs.

Earn $16.10 per hour 

• Earnings are taxable. Wages earned may impact your financial aid; please check with your financial aid officer prior to applying for the position.

Required Qualifications  

To be an Orientation Leader, you must meet and follow the requirements below:  

• Must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at American University
• Always represent American University well, including any off-campus behaviors and social media presences 
• Must be in good judicial and academic standing with the university 
• Must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 
• Must be available for all trainings, all required online sessions, and select Welcome Week programs.
• Have access to reliable internet and a web camera for video conferencing 
• Have a desire to welcome new students and their family to campus, while serving as a resource 
• Work well with others and communicate effectively 
• Demonstrate patience, flexibility, strong organizational skills, and a willingness to learn 
• Possess a strong sense of responsibility to manage multiple tasks with little supervision 
• Display public relation skills and maturity of judgment 
• Must exhibit cultural competency and knowledge in topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Be prepared and willing to lead and facilitate conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion and other social issues
• Be willing to accept a challenge and step out of your comfort zone  

Application Process 

Orientation Leader Application - Fill out the application here!

All parts of the application must be completed and submitted by March 6 at 11:59 p.m. The online application is considered complete once you submit all the following documents with your application (found on the AU Student Jobs site):

• Online Orientation Leader Application
• Resume
• 2 Reference Forms - link to form included in the job application
• Complete schedule of availability for Spring 2023 (for training)

One of your references must be a faculty/staff/administrator from American University.