Tag Archive : RC

/ RC

Two Residential Counselor Positions Available (Start Date: August 2010)

May 24, 2010 | News, People, Staff, Student Life, WKU | No Comments

Western Kentucky University, The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, is seeking applicants for two Residential Counselors.  These positions are 10-month.  These positions reports to the Residence Life Coordinator.  Anticipated start date is August 1, 2010.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for professionals who wish to make a true difference in the lives of young people who are gifted and talented and in the future of the Commonwealth.  In the fall of 2007, the Gatton Academy opened as the nation’s 14th state residential school with a focus on mathematics and science.  Located on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, the program provides extraordinary academic and research opportunities for Kentucky High School juniors and seniors who are academically talented and interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  One hundred and twenty-eight students will earn at least sixty hours of college credit while completing their High School Diploma in both a residential and peer-supported living/learning environment.

Responsibilities:

The following duties are customary for this position, but are not to be construed as all-inclusive.  Duties may be added, deleted and assigned based on management discretion and institutional needs:

  • Creates a safe, healthy, and nurturing living/learning environment on assigned wing of the building
  • Lives on student wing in the Academy and serves as a role model in all areas of personal, relational, and academic life
  • Develops and implements educational, cultural, social and recreational programming to promote social growth and involvement in the community
  • Intervenes and/or refers student to appropriate source during emotional or physical crises
  • Monitors and documents student progress
  • Communicates frequently with parents
  • Staffs the front desk during assigned shifts
  • Serves as a student advisor for clubs/activities
  • Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree
  • Experience with residential life
  • Must reside at the Academy
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desired/Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with gifted students

Salary Grade:  105

Expected Salary Range:  $22,500.00 -$25,000.00 annually, plus housing

Applications for employment will be accepted electronically only. Interested candidates must submit a cover letter describing qualifications and experience, a current resume, and names, addresses, and daytime phone numbers of three professional references using the on-line application process.  Transcripts may be requested at time of interview. Please refer to the following website to apply:  http://asaweb.wku.edu/wkujobs.  Reference requisition number S2603.   For further assistance contact (270) 745-5934.  To ensure full consideration please submit all application materials by May 31, 2010.  Position will remain open until filled.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply including women, minority men and women, persons with disabilities, and disabled veterans.

Western Kentucky University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Read More
By Corey Alderdice

Former Academy RC, WKU Graduate Traveling To Argentina On Fulbright Grant

March 11, 2010 | Alumni, News, People, WKU | No Comments

Katherine Hale, a 2007 Western Kentucky University graduate and former Academy Residential Counselor, will leave fulbrightSaturday to spend eight months in Argentina as a recipient of a 2009-2010 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant.

Hale, an Honors College graduate who majored in Spanish, German and Religious Studies, received one of 15 Fulbright grants available to teach English in Argentina.

Hale plans to apply for graduate school at the end of her Fulbright year and begin studies in the fall of 2011, but she hasn’t determined a specific degree program to pursue.

“ETAs in Argentina instruct at Teacher Training Institutes, a fact that was particularly appealing to Katherine, as she is considering a career teaching at the university level,” said Jeanne Sokolowski, Fulbright application coordinator for WKU’s Office of Scholar Development. “Though there are ETA grants available to teach in more than 40 countries, Katherine chose wisely in applying to Argentina, as the program there fits with her long-term goals.”

Hale hopes that the Fulbright experience will help her determine her career path. “I plan to work either as a college professor or an international programs administrator,” Hale said. “I am excited about the opportunity to gain experience teaching at the college level.”

From March to November, Hale will be working as a language assistant at the Universidad Nacional de Villa María (National University of Villa María) in Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina.

“My work will consist of giving presentations on cultural and historical topics relating to the United States in English classes and otherwise providing assistance to faculty and students within the English department,” Hale said.

Since the teaching load is not full-time, ETAs also propose a supplementary project or suggest activities that will help involve them in their local communities. “In continuation of my most recent work as a Preschool ESL Assistant in Warren County Schools,” Hale said, “I plan to volunteer at an orphanage, working in small groups with the young, preschool-aged children with the goal of developing their pre-literacy skills. I will do this primarily through reading, word games and conversations. I plan to track their progress in letter recognition and phonological awareness over the months that I spend working with them.”

Hale said another goal during her Fulbright experience in Argentina is to improve her Spanish to a level that will give her the confidence to work as a part-time interpreter she returns to the United States.

This will not be Hale’s first experience living abroad. She spent a semester in Morelia, Mexico, studying Spanish with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies. As part of her undergraduate studies in German, she spent a semester at the University of Education Vienna in Austria.

“I am excited to see that Katherine will spend time in Argentina, where she can immerse herself in the Argentine culture and continue her study of Spanish,” said Dr. Laura McGee, WKU German professor and Interim Head of Modern Languages. “No doubt the year will be very productive for her future.”

Sokolowski noted that the 2009-2010 Fulbright cycle was the second time Hale had applied for the ETA grant. “Students sometimes think you apply once and if you don’t get something, that’s it,” she said. “However, in Katherine’s case, her decision to apply again was a testament to her perseverance, and it paid off.”

While students like Hale work closely with the Office of Scholar Development on Fulbright applications, Sokolowski noted that “faculty are a key element in recruiting and encouraging students in applying for this, one of the most prestigious scholarships.”

“I am particularly grateful for the guidance Amy Eckhardt of the Honors College at WKU provided throughout my Fulbright application process,” Hale said. “And four other professors who have been mentors and were instrumental in helping me receive the grant: Dr. Lawrence Snyder, Dr. Laura McGee and Dr. Sonia Lenk of WKU and Dr. Fred de Rosset of Berea College.”

The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Six WKU students applied for the 2010-2011 Fulbright application cycle, with four advancing to the final round review. The next application cycle opens in May; students interested in applying are encouraged to contact Jeanne Sokolowski at jeanne.sokolowski@wku.edu at the Office of Scholar Development to start the process.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jeanne Sokolowski at (270) 745-2081.

Read More
By Corey Alderdice