Jobs, Graduate Assistantships and Graduate Internships

The Project Upward Bound College Prep Academy (PUB) at Oakland University is a great environment for anyone who shares the passion of enriching students’ lives. It is a great “proving ground” for those who are interested in careers in education, student affairs, and human services while also developing administrative and professional skills.

PUB’s Team positions are structured to be actively involved with participants in helping them prepare to achieve their college and career goals. So Team members must all have the temperament and the considerable patience to work with teens.

Diversity is integral to PUB – age, ethnic, cultural, ability – all types of diversity make up the mosaic that is PUB! So appreciation for diversity and inclusion needs to be an integral character trait of anyone who is on the PUB Team. In addition, for the protection of minor participants, all potential Team members must first agree to a criminal background search.

Oakland University requires that all potential academic year student employees must first be enrolled for classes and registered at the Student Employment Office in Student Financial Services. Students cannot be hired into summer jobs until they have registered for the following fall semester. Non-students must be hired through University Human Resources.

Please review current job openings before applying.

OU students go to Handshake
Non-OU students go to Oakland University Employment Opportunities.

Jobs

To request full job descriptions, email [email protected].

Teacher - Summer Academy

PUB teachers are carefully selected so that participant learning is maximized. Because the goal of Summer Academy core courses is to prepare participants for success in their next semester of high school and on standardized tests, teachers should be certified in the core subject that they want to teach – especially math, science, and English. Teachers must be creative in their approach, open to using a variety of teaching methodologies to capture all learning styles, willing to incorporate technology into classroom activities, and have a compatible temperament for working with the urban TRiO high school population that PUB serves. Summer Academy teachers must attend a one-day orientation and staff development on the Saturday prior to the start of the Summer Academy.

Academic Mentor - Summer only

These positions are designed for 2 primary purposes: The first is to support learning in the Summer Academy classrooms. To this end, Academic Mentors may be asked to provide one-on-one or small group tutoring for students who need extra assistance. Secondly, Academic Mentors relieve teachers of clerical responsibilities so that their primary focus can be on teaching.

Student Clerical Assistant - Summer only

This position is to help the Administrative Secretary facilitate the clerical needs of a staff of approximately 35 people during the Summer Academy. It may be filled by a college student (OU or other) or qualified adult who is willing to accept the wage and conditions of employment. The duration is for about 12-13 weeks between mid-May and mid-August.

Head Resident - Summer only (Position filled for 2019)

Each PUB participant is expected to spend at least one summer in residence for the Summer Academy. This helps them to become acclimated to what campus life will be like in their freshman year. It is the Head Resident’s role to supervise this setting and assure that participants have a positive experience. The Head Resident reports to the Project Director and is supported by the Project Advisor in assuring that the goals of the residential component are achieved.

Residential Peer Mentors - Summer only

Peer Mentors have one of the most important roles in PUB. They live with participants and so they often become their confidants, many times developing lifelong mentor/mentee relationships. PM’s are also charged with modeling behaviors that participants should be adopting to support college success. Beyond that, one of the greatest challenges for PM’s is differentiating their mentor/friend role from their supervisor/rules-enforcer role.

Real Talk: Although being a residential Peer Mentor is a great pre-professional experience for any student seeking a career in education or human services, the most successful PM’s are those who have prior experience working with teens and living in a dorm. Peer Mentors are actively engaged with participants at all meals, throughout the evening, and into the night. They are active in meetings, planning groups, and training sessions during the day. They must effectively interact with parents and staff and go through a weekly performance evaluation. They are on a performance-based point system to earn the right to work the summer trip. So if your goal is just to secure an easy summer job with room and board, this is not the one!

Night Watch Person - Summer only

The Night Watch Person secures the building by assuring that all entry and stairwell doors are locked by 10 p.m. during the Summer Academy. He/she provides overnight internal surveillance of residence hall along with active members of the PUB Parent Association.

College Success Coach - Academic year only

PUB provides Study Skills, Tutoring, and homework/project assistance to participants after school four days a week at the target schools (one day at each of the 4 schools). This position is responsible for teaching Study Skills modules and supervising the College Club environment. This position must be diplomatic in interactions with target schools personnel and assertive with participants in the school environments.

Teacher - Academic year

Teachers are employed for Academic Year Saturday Academies primarily to provide SAT preparation – both content and strategies – for grades 9-11. Financial Literacy is also included in the curriculum. Teachers also facilitate College Seminar for juniors who have taken the SAT to help them begin directed focus on the process of college fit and entry, selection of majors, and securing financial aid. Academic Year teachers may or may not have taught during the Summer Academy.

Academic Mentor - Academic year only

Academic Year tutors are the primary facilitators of PUB’s after-school College Clubs at the target high schools. PUB Academic Mentors are OU students who are able to provide individual and group tutoring primarily in high school math, science, and English. OU’s students have always found PUB tutoring to be a rewarding experience – especially international students, PUB alumni, and education majors. We welcome all applications!

Academic Year Peer Mentors

The purpose of this position is to model appropriate behaviors for PUB’s high school Scholars that help them to mature and support their aspirations to be successful postsecondary education students. Provide guidance, moral support, general advising, social/cultural/career enrichment, emotional support, and redirection as needed.

Student Office Assistant - Academic year only, Work Study required

Student Clerical Assistants are critical to PUB’s administrative effectiveness and efficiency. PUB can employ as many as 8-10 work/study students as Student Office Assistants during the Academic Year.

Graduate Assistantships

NOTE: The Project Upward Bound Graduate Assistantship is not available in the 2024-2025 Academic Year.

PUB's GA position is ideal for master’s level students in education and/or human services fields. It provides opportunities to work with high school students in supervision, guidance, and advocacy capacities and their parents in information sharing. PUB GAs are also exposed to high school officials as well as local and statewide student affairs professionals. Opportunities exist to apply planning and organization, resourcefulness, presentation, and facilitation skills.

Responsibilities

Provide support to the PUB Administrative Team for developing and implementing enrichment programming. Work closely with the Project Advisor on recruitment and retention.

Preferred Experience

Meet graduate assistantship requirements and must undergo background check to work w/minors
High integrity with ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse audiences
1 - 2 years successful interaction w/diverse high school at-risk youth
Must have assertive (not aggressive) but inviting demeanor to function effectively in high schools
Must be Microsoft Office proficient with good written and oral communication/presentation skills
Must be licensed w/good driving record to be eligible to drive OU vehicle or provide own transportation

Duties

Assist with scholar assessment, selection, success planning, and progress/performance monitoring
Develop and maintain positive relationships w/personnel at each target school
Secure documents from scholars, parents, and target schools as necessary; update databases
Represent PUB at scholars' extra-curricular/school related activities such as National Honor Society induction, sport and academic competitions, National College Application Day, prom, and graduation
Create, maintain, and update an attractive PUB informational bulletin board at each target school
Assist with implementing College Seminar (juniors) and Senior Seminar on Saturdays, including guidance regarding college entry and persistence
Provide substitute supervision at College Club (after-school tutoring) when supervisor is absent
Assist in coordinating community service, social enrichment, fund raising, and conference activities
Maintain appropriate regular PUB-related social media communications w/PUB scholars
Follow up on PUB alumni
Attend and contribute to PUB Administrative Team meetings
Conduct information/training sessions as appropriate
Conduct data research, collection, and report preparation

Send questions about the job responsibilities to [email protected]. Inquiries about whether the assistantship is available and for an application contact Oakland University’s Graduate Study Office at [email protected] or 94sy.jdzruiran.com/gradstudy.

Graduate Internships

Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services requires a Graduate Internship as the capstone course in its Master of Higher Education Leadership (MAHEL) Program. As a part of OU’s Student Affairs and Diversity Division, PUB is pleased to work with MAHEL candidates to tailor opportunities that match their needs for experiential learning in leadership in a higher education setting. PUB would be happy to work with other degree areas as well to determine compatibility for an experience to fulfill their degree requirements.

Project Upward Bound

Vandenberg Hall, Room 120
502 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester , Michigan 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-3218
Fax: (248) 370-3217

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Extended hours on select Saturdays (see schedule) or call for an appointment