Prospective Student Employee FAQs
With thousands of meetings and events serviced annually, Student Engagement relies on a diverse team of work study and non-work study students to support its year-round operations, including day and night shifts. Student Engagement oversees Schine Student Center on North Campus along with Goldstein Student Center and Skybarn on South Campus.
There are two units within Student Engagement that employ a large number of students: Events and Technical Services and Operations.
Please note: Federal Work Study is required to apply for any of the Operations positions. Students with or without Federal Work Study can apply for any of the Event and Technical Services positions.
What is Event and Technical Services (ETS)?
The Event & Technical Services (ETS) unit of Student Engagement provides technical support to events in the Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Underground, Panasci Lounge, Skybarn, and various other venues on campus. ETS also provides support for outdoor events and concerts, including Juice Jam, and activities on the Quad. If you have been to an event in any of our previously listed venues, then you have no doubt seen our employees in action!
As an employee of ETS, you will be assisting with the set-up and breakdown of events. This includes everything from furniture in the venue to assisting with concert load-ins. Employees often work in teams, so there is a great sense of community among our student employees. Opportunities include assisting in the operation of lights or sound for an event, as well as assisting backstage during an event. ETS duties also include ushering and taking tickets at the door. The weekly hours are flexible, and you have the freedom to sign up for the shifts that work best with your schedule. The majority of shifts are in the evenings and on the weekends, and hours fluctuate around the schedule of events.
Do I need to know how to run lights or sound?
Through on the job training, personalized training sessions, and student mentoring, we train our student employees to be able to operate all the equipment that we use. Therefore, no previous experience is necessary. While we do actively recruit students that have previous production experience, many of our best employees have no previous experience and come from a variety of majors not associated with theatrical or production experience.
What shifts are available with ETS?
We do not schedule our employees, as our work schedule varies depending on the amount of events in a given week and the times of those events. Instead, our employees sign up on their own for shifts they would like to work for a particular week. Employees can sign up for these shift via our online scheduling web site. Each week the ETS supervisors post shifts on the website for the following week. Employees are then encouraged to sign up for these shifts as soon as possible, though the shifts stay open until they have been completely filled.
How many hours do I work a week in ETS?
Because the amount of work varies, your hours will vary as well. The average weekly hours worked by a student are between 10-15. Our flexible working schedule allows you to work a light week if you have pressing academic concerns, or likewise work more hours if you have a lighter week. In addition to this, employees are asked to work at least one shift a week and to keep in constant communication with the ETS professional staff if they are not able to fulfill this expectation.
When do ETS shifts usually take place?
Since our hours are based around events, and most events take place during nights and weekends, the bulk of our work hours are during these times. Also, shifts can range from as little as one hour to upwards of 10 or 12 hours. For example, if there is an event that starts at 7:30p and runs till 9:30p, employees are required to come in prior to the event to help set up the venue or sound check the artist. After the show, employees are required to break down all appropriate equipment and possibly stay through to help break down the venue. Events with a rehearsal the day of the event make for long shifts as well. Many of our current employees’ favor signing up to work these longer one day shifts on weekends as opposed to working many smaller events during the week. ETS is great for those that are looking to work hard in a flexible working environment!
What is the promotional track within ETS?
The Promotional Track is based on an employee's proficiency level. When an employee shows that he or she has successfully learned the required skills necessary for a particular certification, they are then promoted to the next level, allowing them to sign up and work shifts in that capacity. This includes both technical and non-technical promotions. With each promotion/certification a pay raise is given. All raises are based on this promotional track.
What does the Operations unit do?
The Operations unit of Student Engagement oversees the Schine and Goldstein Student Centers and handles all non-academic and non-athletic scheduling for campus registrar classrooms and event spaces. Operations also supports furniture setups in the Student Centers, as well as limited equipment rental for university affiliates only. If you have entered our student centers, there is a good chance you have seen or interacted with our lovely information desk attendants, building managers, or student office assistants in our offices!
As an employee of Operations, you will assist in customer service, set up and breakdown of conference rooms, and helping maintain our student centers to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of its patrons. Opportunities include Information Desk, Building Manager, and Student Office Assistant (for Student Engagement suites). The schedule is built out at the beginning of the semester and shifts are assigned based on student-declared availability. If the building is open, shifts will be available! There also opportunities to work over academic, winter, and summer breaks! Please note: this job is federal work study only.
What positions are available in Operations?
Information Desk Attendants are responsible for managing the information desks of Schine Student Center and Goldstein Student Center. This position is an essential service and is expected to work all hours that our facilities are open, including nights and weekends. Information Desk Attendants will be responsible for opening and closing Student Engagement facilities, being present at the Information Desk, displaying effective communication and problem-solving skills, and utilizing available resources.
Student Office Assistants are responsible for an assortment of tasks for both suites. This position operates the front desk in Schine Student Center Suites 124 and 230 within traditional business hours Monday through Friday, except for later hours for Suite 230 that are predetermined by Student Engagement. This includes front desk coverage and customer service for our suites, package tracking for incoming mail for our office, overseeing the inquiry email inboxes regarding reservations (including coordination of equipment rentals and creating diagrams for conference rooms). Job duties for this position also includes taking phone calls, sending emails, assisting reservation requests, and consulting with walk-in clients. As the first point of contact for Student Engagement, the Student Office Assistants are responsible for referring clients to the appropriate professional staff members as necessary.
Building Managers are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Schine Student Center. This position is an essential service and is expected to work all hours that our facilities are open, including nights and weekends. Building Managers will be responsible for setting up meeting rooms in designated facilities, providing guests with appropriate assistance with their event, displaying effective communication and problem-solving skills, and utilizing available resources.
How many hours do I work a week in Operations?
Each student center is open over 100 hours a week! Shifts are available throughout the week including day, night, and even overnight shifts. There is no specific hour requirement for working with Operations. Students can work as little as 2 hours a week and up to 20 hours a week. Shifts are flexible around class schedules.
What is the promotional track in Operations?
Students receive on-the-job training to learn how to incorporate our Communication, Appearance, and Problem-Solving (CAPS) Philosophy in order to provide quality customer service. Students generally start in the Information Desk or Student Office Assistant position.
Students who are responsible and can communicate well, are willing to learn, and like to work in a fun team environment are most likely to be promoted into Building Manager or Lead Staff position.
When is the greatest need for hours?
With our student centers being open so many hours, we have a heavy need for weekend and evening availability.