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Advertising Summary: The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for a Recruitment Assistant within the Office of Student Success (OSS).

The Recruitment Assistant will provide essential planning, coordination, and execution for student recruitment initiatives, to include outreach, event planning, and data collection. This position plays a vital role in supporting prospective students by connecting them with resources and providing first-point-of-contact support. 

Unit: L D Wilder Sch of Govt & Pub Affrs

Department: Office for Student Success (OSS)

Department Summary:

The Wilder School's mission is to:

• Engage, teach and inspire students and leaders to understand and solve challenges in our world.
• Advance research that informs public policy and decision-making to improve our communities.
• Collaborate with communities through innovative partnerships to enhance the quality of life.

The Wilder School's vision is to be the premier resource for public policy expertise in public safety, governance, and economic and community development. The 2025 U.S. News and World Report rankings confirm the Wilder School among the top 16% of graduate schools of public affairs at No. 36 and tied for No.1 in Virginia. The School is also ranked No. 8 in Homeland Security Programs, and No. 25 in Public Management and Leadership. The Wilder School has over 1,400 students and more than 12,000 alumni, with an established environment where multiple perspectives thrive and where a common interest in public service and the betterment of society unites these perspectives together. Our academic excellence attracts the highest quality faculty, staff, and students, and our graduates are leaders in their professions.

Our location in Richmond, the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, combined with our proximity to Washington, DC, provides numerous opportunities for engaged scholarship, teaching and community engagement activities. A creative, interdisciplinary School with both academic programs and training/research centers in the social sciences and professional arenas, we reflect the communities we serve, providing students and faculty with the knowledge, skills, opportunities, and experience necessary for success.

For additional information about the Wilder School, please visit our website at https://wilder.vcu.edu/.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Director of Recruitment, the Recruitment Assistant will:

• Assist with monitoring and responding to Recruitment and Admissions main email accounts and phone lines.
• Assist with Recruitment and Admissions calendar management.
• Communicate with prospective first-year, transfer, and master’s students, counselors, agencies and community partners who have shown an interest in learning more about the undergraduate and graduate programs in the Wilder School.
• Provide input into the development of new recruitment techniques to build new markets to identify and attract potential students, both in-state and out-of-state.
• Assist with the planning, coordination, and delivery of open houses, information sessions, and other events for prospective students to provide information about the School, admissions processes, and university policies and procedures.
• Maintain familiarity with admission processes and degree program requirements.
• Represent the school at various external recruitment events.
• Other duties related to the recruitment and retention of students as assigned.

Communications and Outreach (40%):

• Assist in monitoring the Wilder School student recruitment email account and respond to inquiries from prospective students.
• Review and revise email content and campaigns.
• Organize and execute mailing, phone call, and other outreach campaigns at all stages of the application process, and especially for the purpose of converting admitted applicants to enrolled students.
• Incorporate prospective students into ongoing outreach campaigns.
• Assist in-person visitors to the Wilder School.

Events (40%):

• Maintain an accurate calendar of recruitment events.
• Assist in the planning and coordination of events.
• Represent the Wilder School at various recruitment events, including the delivery of presentations to large groups.
• Collect registration and attendance data.

Strategy (20%):

• Develop and maintain accurate knowledge of Wilder School academic programs and admissions processes.
• Participate in development of new strategies, events, and outreach initiatives that increase enrollment and maximize student success.
• Support Student Services events.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize work and handle multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Demonstrated excellence in public contact, interaction skills, public speaking to large groups and customer service.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision. 
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Responsible, mature, self-starter with good judgment and the ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters are essential qualities.
• Basic computer skills including familiarity with Microsoft software and Google drives. 
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in college admissions, recruitment, or marketing. 
• Experience in special event and project planning.
• Knowledge of university data management, tracking, and communication platforms, such as Banner, EServices, Slate, Canvas, and Navigate.
• Bachelor’s degree in one of the Wilder School program areas.

Salary Range: $21.15 per hour

Benefits: All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Hours per Week: 20-28

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Search Contact: Steph Vennetti

Contact Email: vennettis@vcu.edu