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Student Leadership Opportunities

Student leaders form an important part of the LSWA community by helping to promote the wellbeing and inclusion of all LSWA students. They serve as role models who build connections between LSWA staff, faculty, and students, and communicate important program information to existing and prospective students. Students can serve in leadership roles as Peer Assistants, Creative Mentors, Resident Advisors, or Student Recruiters. They can also return to the program as second-year students.

Peer Assistants (previously known as Student Assistants)

Students apply in the fall of their first year in the hopes of returning to LSWA—and Alice Lloyd Hall—as Peer Assistants in their second year. PAs in the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts serve as role models by guiding and mentoring first-year students, and by actively helping students to feel included. PAs partner with CMs and RAs to lead LSWA clubs, plan small- and large-group activities, and encourage students to meet program and housing requirements. PAs attend LSWA training, Student Leadership Meetings, as well as the All-Community Meetings. Peer Assistants commonly express how integrated they feel among their peers and within the LSWA community. PAs are paid an hourly wage, work about 8-10 hours/month, and students often serve in this role before becoming CMs or RAs. The call for applications goes out in October for the following fall, though students may express their interest any time by contacting [email protected].

Creative Mentors

CMs are juniors or seniors in the program, who previously served as a PA, whose creative talents and strengths support LSWA projects and initiatives over the course of the year. CMs also serve as supplemental advisors to the PAs in their roles as club leaders, and may also lead a club themselves. In collaboration with PAs and RAs, they may help to plan programs, events, and activities for our students. They will attend LSWA trainings, Student Leadership Meetings, and our All-Community Meetings, and they may also assist with LSWA recruitment efforts, and social media/outreach/PR. CMs work about 8-10 hours/month and are paid an hourly wage.

Resident Advisors

Resident Advisors in LSWA support the program and our students, though they are appointed by U-M's division of Housing to live and work in the residence halls. Typically, they are 3rd- or 4th-year students, but can also be appointed in their second year. As the highest-level student leaders in the buildings, they are expected to carry out the philosophy and principles outlined in the Community Development Model, which states that they will work together to create positive, inclusive communities. RAs undergo comprehensive training in leadership, conflict management and resolution, peer mentoring, crisis intervention, social identity and development, program planning, and budget management. LSWA RAs also co-lead clubs, work closely with PAs, and cultivate relationships with each resident, serving as role models and resources to help students thrive. RAs receive a stipend, and prospective RAs typically apply in October for the following fall semester. A current timeline and more information can be found at http://housing.umich.edu/resstaff.

Student Recruiters

LSWA Student Recruiters are the public face of our program to prospective students and their families. Our Recruiters represent LSWA at both on-campus and off-campus recruitment events. They may visit area high schools to speak to students, participate in panel discussions, or staff tables at local college information fairs. While these events take place throughout the year, most activity takes place during the winter term, when prospective students visit the University of Michigan to attend Campus Days. During Campus Day sessions, Recruiters meet with prospective students and their families to provide information. These are excellent opportunities for Recruiters to share their first-hand experience of life in LSWA: our program requirements, our educational, social, and enrichment activities, the many opportunities for personal and academic growth and development, and the community cultivated here. Student Recruiters also correspond with prospective students via email as part of our recruitment campaign. The call for applications is made in the fall, and students in this role receive an hourly wage. For more information on becoming a Student Recruiter, contact [email protected].

Second-Year Students

Current LSWA students who are interested in returning to LSWA in their second year can do so by participating in the Housing Sign-up process, which begins in January of the year they wish to return. Students must also complete a LSWA Returning Student Program Application,available to students in early January. Returning students are not required to become student leaders in order to return to LSWA; their decision to return to the program is typically based on their affinity for LSWA classes and instructors, the opportunities and activities the program offers, and the community they have helped to shape. LSWA requirements for returning students are reduced: they enroll in one LSWA course, attend LSWA All-Community Meetings, and participate in an LSWA club. For more information on returning as a second-year student, contact [email protected] and visit http://housing.umich.edu/sign-up/calendar.