The New School

Responsibilities:

FWS Student Assistant Specialist

The Vera List Center for Art and Politics seeks a Federal Work Study student to assist with various administrative, programmatic, social media, and design tasks, as well as supporting the presentation of public events such as New School New Books. The student should be available 7–12 hours/week, some of them during the evening or weekend, at an hourly rate of $21/hour. The student will be expected to be in person at least 4 hours per week. The position begins in January and will run through May 2025 with the possibility of being continued into the 2025–2026 academic year. The student worker will report directly to Adrienne Umeh, the Director of Operations and Budget at the Vera List Center.

The student assistant specialist will gain insight into the Vera List Center’s organization, including its public events, publications, exhibitions, fellowships, and prize cycles. The student assistant will learn about the interdisciplinary contributions of the VLC to New York City’s cultural communities and will be engaged with the Center’s efforts to diversify its programs and make them broadly accessible. The position is open to graduate students in any program at The New School and seeks candidates who are passionate about the arts, how they intersect with current political issues, and often enhance social justice work and strategies.

About the Vera List Center for Art and Politics

The Vera List Center for Art and Politics is an artist-centered organization at The New School that imagines and supports politically-engaged art, public scholarship, research, and community around the world. Founded in 1992, we are guided by the unwavering belief that artists play an essential role addressing issues that are urgent to communities around the world. We are: a vibrant locally, nationally, and internationally connected hub for art that advances equity, inclusion, and social justice; a forum for rigorous study, research, and teaching on the significance of art as a force for political empowerment; and a venue to support, present, and commission visionary projects. Across all our work, we galvanize resources to support artists and nurture public recognition of the extraordinary role they play in society. We contribute to a thriving arts ecosystem through: direct support of artists (prizes, fellowships, exhibitions, and other meaningful public presentations of artists’ work); educational and public programs that are free and open to the public; and publications intended for a wide audience.

www.veralistcenter.org

NOTE: This position is available only to matriculated students of The New School who have a current, valid Federal Work Study Award letter. For additional information about the Federal Work Study program, please follow this link.

The Vera List Center and The New School are committed to creating and maintaining an environment that promises diversity and tolerance in all areas of employment, education and access to its educational, artistic or cultural programs and activities. The New School does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, creed, sex or gender (including actual or perceived gender identity or expression or transgender status), sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, pregnancy, religion, religious practices, mental or physical disability, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, or any other legally protected status.

The Vera List Center and The New School are strongly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and particularly seek applications from members of underrepresented groups, as well as candidates who share this commitment.

Hourly rate: $21/hour

Work mode: Hybrid

Responsibilities

The FWS Student Assistant will work with various members of the VLC staff providing day-to-day support as well as working on longer term projects. This position is multifaceted and includes administrative, communications, and programmatic responsibilities, at times extending to archival work or database management. Duties of the position include:

• General administrative support such as help with preparing mailings, website updates, filing and organization, putting together itineraries, etc.
• Support of program evaluations, attendance, and statistics, and gathering other data relevant for outreach, PR, and development.
• Research and organizing information for VLC events, with a particular focus on publications, reading rooms and libraries.
• Organizing the VLC collections of books, papers, and art materials.
• Supporting communication efforts in accordance with the VLC outreach calendar and social media, to include taking pictures and drafting posts. Assistance with publication and other asset management and organization.
• Using the FileMaker database to archive the VLC projects and network, including creating new records for individuals, events, and programs; managing lists, updating prior entries; using it to export lists of contacts, addresses, etc. and saving backups of the FileMaker archive regularly.
• Other administrative and programmatic tasks as assigned.
• In-person event support.

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Must qualify for Federal Work Study stipend.
• Passion for engaging with diverse communities of different backgrounds and levels of expertise through contemporary art and social justice work.
• Strong office, administrative, and organizational skills
• Exemplary attitude and work habits including diligence and an attention to detail.
• Independent worker with great self motivation and initiative, who thrives working simultaneously across different tasks and platforms and is able to work without close supervision or alone.
• Commitment for two semesters and availability in the evening and weekends to help with events.
• Outstanding research, writing, and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications

• Curatorial and editorial experience.
• Event planning and coordination experience.
• Social media and communication experience.
• Experience with video editing, graphic design, WordPress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Indesign software a plus.

Job Family: Schools of Public Engagement