Position Title: Desk Assistant

Department: Residential Living

Advertised Pay: 10.00

Campus Location: Washburn University

Position Summary:

Desk Assistants (DAs) play an important role in supporting our Residential Living Communities at the Living Learning Center, Lincoln Hall, and Washburn Village. As front-line staff, DAs are responsible for ensuring a smooth and safe experience for residents and guests through customer service, security, and support. Career competencies or skills you will gain as a Resident Assistant include:
Teamwork
-Collaborate with fellow Desk Assistants and other Residential Living Student and pro staff to create a supportive and healthy living environment for residents.
Leadership
-Act as a peer mentor and primary point of contact, offering support through approachability. Leading by example in daily actions and professional conduct.
Professionalism
-Exhibit dependability and accountability while maintaining appropriate behavior and demeanor in professional settings.
Critical Thinking
-Develop the ability to independently analyze and resolve problems when working with residents or completing administrative tasks.
Communication
-Enhance proficiency in oral, written, and non-verbal communication when working with residents, peers and professional staff. Further understanding the perimeters of confidentiality and reporting appropriate information regarding mail and packages; sharing pertinent information when needed after standard business hours.
Belonging
-Cultivate supportive relationships with residents that encourage personal growth, self-respect, and accountability, while creating a positive, inclusive, and safe environment for residents.
-Engage with students and visitors of diverse backgrounds with respect and professionalism.
Technology
-Utilize Residential Living Software for processing mail and packages; confirming occupancy when completing lock outs, or checking residents and guests in.
Career and Self-Development
-Strengthening skills in time management, interpersonal skills, customer service, security, and understanding procedures and protocols.

About Washburn University: 

Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of just over 7,000 students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a robust learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

Essential Functions:
-Create a welcoming environment at the front desk by maintaining approachability, answering questions, connecting people to resources, and meeting individual needs.
-Monitor main entryways that allow access to our residential living spaces.
-Assist residents with lockouts.
-Process building mail and packages.
-Answer incoming calls from the front desk phone, and the on-call phone.
-Attend all required staff meetings (individual and group).
-Facilitate the distribution of keys as it relates to new and departing residents.
-Assist the Residential Living Office with major housing related events (ex. building openings and closings).
-Provide tours of housing facilities upon request.
-Maintain confidentiality and discretion regarding information learned during the performance of the role.
-Acquire and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of Residential Living and related university processes, policies, and practices.
-Support on-call staff as needed during crisis or elevated concerns.

Required Qualifications:
-Must be enrolled as a full-time student, unless an exemption is requested and granted by Residential Living professional staff.
-Required minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
-Be available to work 10-20 hours per week.
-Understanding of FERPA and Confidentiality Washburn University Resources of Support.
-Residential Living Policies and an understanding of the Code of Conduct.

Preferred Qualifications:
Students residing in Residential Living housing, preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

Hourly