Related Pages in this Manual
- Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships: Student Reps
Sample Materials
Reps
The student employees are the visible face of a green living program (GLP) in the campus community. Their advice, communication, networking and vision for campus greening within their dorms are the foundation of the program’s success.
The number of hours per week they work will depend on the funds you have set aside in your program budget for student salaries. At the Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI), each GLP rep works four hours per week. The responsibilities you expect them to fulfill will also influence the number of hours they will need to work.
This page includes tips and suggestions on the following facets of recruiting reps for your program:
- Application Deadline
- What To Ask For in an Application
- Publicizing the Job Opportunity
- Interviewing and Selecting Applicants
Application Deadline
Be sure the application deadline allows enough time to interview all the applicants, select the top candidates, offer them the job and fill out their paperwork before the orientation. You can run the interview and selection process at a number of times during the year. Each timeframe has its own set of advantages:
Beginning of academic year
- The reps will be a visible face in the dormitory for the entire school year.
- They will be better able to adjust other time commitments for the year according to their GLP schedule.
- Their personal development will coincide with that of the dormitory population as a result of their GLP-related educational campaigns.
End of school year
- Students know they will be reps the following year, allowing them to consider their yearly commitments during the summer.
- Summer offers reps the chance to brainstorm activities and projects for the upcoming year.
- They could possibly work as captains, reps or general campus-greening interns during the summer.
- Orientation can occur at the end of the school year or during the summer to ensure that reps are back on campus and ready to go with GLP activities at the beginning of the fall term when students move into the dormitories.
Mid academic year
- Reps can be prepared to run August/September campaigns as soon as students move in, rather than being delayed by the application, interviewing and hiring process.
What To Ask For in an Application
By asking for students' resumes, you will be able to see their past interests, responsibilities and achievements. It is great to have student employees who have been involved in environmental issues in the past because that knowledge will benefit your GLP team down the line. At the same time, be open to student applicants who do not know much about environmental issues but are willing to learn and have demonstrated their capacity for learning a new subject in the past.
The paid aspect of the GLP job will likely draw a diversity of applicants, including students who would not necessarily have become involved with environmental issues otherwise. Students who have little experience in environmental work may still make great reps! You should expect and encourage this diversity within the applicant pool. A football-playing rep, for example, may be a great asset as he will be able to spread the GLP message to the entire football team or he may have inside suggestions on how to get the athletics department to cooperate with recycling at sports events. A drama rep may be able to help with greening play productions on campus. The more diverse your GLP team, the healthier your organization will be in the long run and the more partnerships and networks you will be able to create across campus.
Similarly, remember that the fewer "bad habits" a student has in regards to environmental issues and advocacy, the cleaner the slate you will have to work with while educating them! By bad habits, we mean preconceived, incorrect notions about environmental issues, especially in terms of how the student talks about them or puts them into practice.
Avoid making the job application too burdensome. If your application period is at the beginning of the academic calendar, students may be in the midst of moving in and getting ready for classes. Hefty application requirements may scare away some great applicants. At the same time, you should have a written expression of the students' goals, interest in the program and sense of commitment. A cover letter can serve this purpose. You should explicitly request that one be attached to students' application materials.
You could ask for additional writing samples from the students; however, keep in mind that the majority of the reps' impact will be through their great personalities and face-to-face interactions with campus administrators and fellow students. If you receive a strong response to the job posting, you may find yourself with a mountain of reading if you ask for extra writing samples.
Publicizing the Job Opportunity
As with GLP captains, campus listserves are excellent vehicles for posting advertisements for the reps. Any of the following organizations might have a listserve you could tap:
- environmental groups
- student government
- dormitory
- academic departments
Another important method of publicizing the positions is by hanging posters around campus—on reused paper, of course!—in highly trafficked places like the residences, student center and dining hall, if allowed. You could also place an ad in campus publications or employment websites. Call the student employment office to ask about their different venues for getting the word out about on-campus jobs.
When writing your job descriptions, try to think up catchy phrases that speak to students in their own lingo. Design slogans and posters that will catch their eyes, while also properly describing the work involved. Be sure to list the benefits of being involved with your GLP.
Contact students who have directly expressed interest in your program to alert them about the application deadline. After all, you will want student employees who have shown investment and commitment to greening your campus before the GLP even started!
Use existing student organizations as a means of recruitment. Speak personally to the leaders of the campus volunteer environmental student group (if there is one) and ask if they know any students who would be interested in being a rep. Ask if they can help spread the word about the opportunity. For example, maybe they would include a job announcement on their postering route, let you present at their fall orientation, or email students directly for you.
Plan to have the option of continuing recruitment beyond the initial trial period in case you do not receive enough applicants.
Interviewing and Selecting Applicants
You want to find reps who have charisma, creativity, interest and dedication to environmental issues and who show they will be committed to and responsible for GLP reporting and weekly work. Here are some specific qualities to look for:
Personal qualities
- interested in making dorms more resource efficient
- interested in learning about environmental issues and social marketing
- kind, friendly, creative and fun to work with
- proactive, independent, good time manager and reliable
- passionate, committed and willing to go the extra mile
- comfortable interacting with dorm residents, administrators and staff
- happy to be a visible personality or act silly to get your message across
- creative with talents and skills
Availability
- can attend orientation and GLP meetings
- will prioritize GLP events and work sessions during the year
- available for special events, like Earth Day and other major calendar events
- interested in attending optional GLP events, such as field trips
Written and reporting qualities
- reads and responds ASAP to time-sensitive emails
- committed to completing written reports fully and on time
- has access to and is comfortable using up-to-date, PC-compatible versions of Microsoft Word and Excel
Note: If students do not have computers, suggest computer labs as a resource. If your campus is Mac-based, then the versions of Word and Excel should be compatible with macs.