This position is budgeted for $20.00 - $23.64 per hour dependent on experience and is non-negotiable.

With support from the Mellon Foundation, SDSU VISTA has embarked on a three-year project to grow the impact of our two-year degree program for incarcerated students with a focus on mental and emotional well-being, holistic assessment and student support, and research and implementation of best practices for teaching students who are incarcerated. Additionally, we would expand our degree offerings to include a degree in a Humanities field. Further, we have been approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to bring the BA degree to two prisons and Mellon funds will support a degree for a third cohort of students.

The Research Assistant (RA) position supports the Mellon Project team in their goal to research and create innovative student-centered teaching and learning tools for students who are incarcerated. In addition, the RA will offer logistical and administrative support on the team’s goal of creating a toolkit for holistic learning in higher education in prisons.

Core Duties 95%

• Attend regularly scheduled collaborative team and subcommittee meetings
• Meet with faculty supervisor on a regular basis
• Support fellows with note-taking and organization for visits to gather information with students in the prison
• Engage in collaborative dialogue in relation to learning needs
• Support the project goal is locating and organizing resources for students and the team
• Collaborate on discussions related to projected learning innovations with project team and students
• Support the fellows in the organization and secure data story of information gathered both formally and informally
• Assist fellows in strengthening VISTA presence on campus and participate in related initiatives
• Assist in the creation a toolkit outline
• Track and record feedback
• Visit the correctional institution on as-needed basis

Other Duties as Assigned 5%

Preferred Qualifications and Special Skills

• Current undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a related discipline at SDSU
• Passion for the mission and work of the project
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Positivity
• Problem solving skills
• Willingness to work as a team

Additional Applicant Information

• Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).
• San Diego State University Research Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU Research Foundation provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin or any other categories protected by federal or state law.  
• Employment decisions are based on an individual’s qualifications as they relate to the job under consideration. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every employee has equal access to resources and support. 
• SDSU Research Foundation complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), and other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws including grant or contract terms and conditions related to funded program activities. Further the SDSU Research Foundation maintains a Nondiscrimination Policy that prohibits discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all programs, policies, and practices.  
• SDSU Research Foundation makes all employment decisions including, but not limited to, applicant screening, hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, benefits, disciplinary actions, and terminations on the basis of merit.