Non-College Work-Study, Student Research Assistant

The College of Public Service Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work is looking for student assistants to work with its newly funded voting and civic engagement initiative, emPOWER YOUth. Student assistants will work with Drs. Liza Barros-Lane, Fey Yang, and Diane Miller will help develop and implement educational materials for local high school students and justice-involved youth. Some travel will be required. Funds are available to assist with and possibly cover the costs of travel expenses. Additionally, student assistants will work with faculty with initiative-related research projects, administrative tasks, and planning. The position is ideal for those wishing to gain experience in public service to inform and enrich future careers in social work, criminal justice, and education. Students serving in these positions will earn 15-19.5 hours of work per week. The position is renewable for the period of the initiative’s financial endowment award period of 3 years while still a student at UHD (2022-2025).

Duties:

• Designs and implements civic engagement and voting rights educational materials
• Collects and analyzes data
• Engages with high school students and justice-involved youth
• Participates in all Gators Engage events
• Completes administrative duties as needed

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Required to complete all UHD online training pertaining to employment/scholarship
• Required to complete all Houston ISD background check requirements
• Must be available during the hours of 2:00-5:00 p.m. on weekdays
• Must commit to working 15-20 hours per week during both the fall and spring semesters
• Must be willing to interact with and mentor adolescents
• Must have demonstrated a strong interest in criminal justice and civic engagement research
• Must have demonstrated exemplary academic writing skills
• Must have demonstrated good interpersonal communication skills

EEO/AA

• Must be an Undergraduate/Graduate Criminal Justice major with junior or senior standing with a GPA higher than 3.5
• Must be a BSW student in Urban Practice 2 or above (not yet in field practice courses)

About University of Houston Downtown

The second-largest university in Houston, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is a comprehensive, four-year, urban university in the heart of downtown. Led by President Loren J. Blanchard, UHD is a community of diverse faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future. 

Since opening its doors in 1974, UHD has grown in size, scope, and service, now offering 46 bachelor’s and 11 master’s degree programs and 17 fully online programs within its four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences & Technology.

UHD educates approximately 15,000 students annually. With more than 77% of UHD’s students coming directly from Harris County, UHD is not just a university in Houston, but Houston’s University and an Anchor Institution for the region.

UHD is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military-Friendly School. While the student population is largely Hispanic at 53% and African-American at 20%, more than 64 countries are represented. Furthermore, UHD has the most affordable tuition among four-year universities in Houston, and its graduates have the lowest student loan debt in the state. Importantly, 70% of UHD freshman students are the first in their families to attend college.

UHD is one of the four distinct and separate components of the University of Houston System, which also includes the University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and University of Houston-Victoria. Instructional Sites operated by UHD are University of Houston-Downtown Northwest, University of Houston-Downtown at Lone Star College Kingwood, and University of Houston-Downtown at Lone Star College CyFair.

The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution and recognizes protected classes of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, religion, age (40 and above), national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or status, and gender expression as required by federal law. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.