Faculty/Staff Daily Digest

Innovation Zone Makerspace Fellow: 2018-2019

Fellowship Summary. The Innovation Zone Makerspace Fellow is responsible for programmatic, educational, and administrative support for the Learning Community Innovation Zone makerspace, as well as other collaborative learning spaces in Werth Tower. The Innovation Zone is a creative makerspace that enables and supports innovation, entrepreneurship, and making by providing resources, technologies, and mentorship to students participating in the Learning Community program. The Innovation Zone Makerspace Fellow is responsible for collaborative engagement with staff in the Office of First Year Programs & Learning Communities and Residential Life, as well as advising and engaging with students and building and maintaining relationships with other Learning Community stakeholders and constituents.

The Innovation Zone Makerspace Fellow reports dually to a supervisor in the Office of First Year Programs & Learning Communities and to a designee in the Department of Residential Life. This fellowship requires a commitment of 15 hours per week, with the term of fellowship being from August 20 to May 12. This is a live-in fellowship, with the cost of rent and utilities for a furnished one-bedroom apartment located in Werth Tower considered as compensation. The Innovation Zone Fellow, as a live-in staff member, will be expected to uphold expectations and standards specific to living in on-campus housing.

Program Overview. Learning Communities are a proven pedagogy that can provide intentionality and integration amongst undergraduate students’ curricular, co-curricular and residential experiences. They become a foundation for a creative and holistic approach to education. They help first-year students in their transition to college and encourage all students to become engaged on campus; they enable students to have regular one-on-one or small group interaction with faculty, advisors, staff and peer mentors; they emphasize undergraduate research and experiential learning and they develop intentionality and interdisciplinary habits of mind that encourage students to become life-long learners. Each Learning Community has unique attributes and traditions that develop based on their theme.

Essential Responsibilities

1. Develop and coordinate programming and events, participate in developing operational and safety procedures, offer technical guidance and equipment training, provide formal and informal support of projects, workshops and courses
2. Facilitate meaningful design and innovation activities; administer operational aspects of the program incorporating modern design processes and methods
3. Develop and lead design and innovation workshops or programs. Evaluate the effectiveness of those programs.
4. May assist in managing undergraduate students who help maintain the space and serve as student experts
5. May support Learning Community faculty directors by developing design and innovation curriculum that can be incorporated into the theme of their community
6. May instruct, co-instruct, or support credit bearing FYE (first year experience, UNIV 1810/1820) and/or sophomore courses (UNIV 3820); assist in the development of curriculum; plan and implement class activities; supervise project teams and assess student learning
7. Advise and mentor students utilizing individual and group strategies; holding weekly office hours within Werth Tower
8. May write articles for university and/or program newsletters, blogs, websites, etc.
9. Act as a liaison between the Learning Community, key students, faculty and staff stakeholders from across the university; send periodic updates, coordinate meetings as needed and give public presentations as needed
10. Connect students with relevant faculty, programs and events occurring across campus, encouraging engagement and student professional and personal development
11. Communicate regularly with staff within Office of First Year Program and Learning Communities and Residential Life
12. Must attend Learning Community Support Team meetings and Learning Community Team Planning meetings as well as key LC events throughout the year; ensure that Werth Tower activities do not conflict with major LC-wide activities
13. Required to meet weekly with position supervisor.  Must also meet with Residential Life designee once a month.
14. Write a personal report on responsibilities completed in position at the end of each semester and contribute to Learning Community Annual Report submitted to FYP&LC at end of Spring semester
15. Complete university and department-required trainings to ensure compliance with standards of ethics and accountability
16. Complete other duties as assigned

Commitment: Candidates must be eligible to work 15 hours per week; days and times to be determined; willingness and ability to maintain a flexible schedule to support the needs of students. Weekend and evening hours are required.  

Application Process: Interested candidates should send a letter of interest; resume/CV; and names and contact information for three professional references to: Cody D. Ryan, LCIZ Makerspace Supervisor, Office of First Year Programs and Learning Communities at Cody.D.Ryan@uconn.edu. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer.

For more information, contact: Cody Ryan at cody.d.ryan@uconn.edu