Messy Conversations Federal Work Study - S. Beth Lohre [Work Study]

Start Date: 10/13/2025
End Date: 6/30/2026
Number of Positions: 2, One students will focus on administrative support/documentation & backup, the other on outreach to students, faculty, AU community & beyond
Hours per Week: 20 hrs/2 students
Weekends Required: No
Evenings Required: Yes

Supervisor: Sara Beth Lohre

Alternate Supervisor: Asa Wilder

This position allows for remote work Yes/No: Yes

Percentage of time that could be remote (0-100%): 100%

Method to assess remote work: Attendance at Messy Conversations 3:45 PM PT-5:45 PM PT + Weekly meetings to discuss work/progress & support in addition to weekly Tuesday Planning Team meetings--4-5 PM PT in addition to workload as decided and two-way feedback sessions.

Job Description

• Work-Study Position: Messy Conversations Federal Work Study (FWS)
  About Messy Conversations
  Messy Conversations is a community dialogue series centering lived experience, collective
  learning, and relational accountability. We host weekly conversations, share resources, and
  maintain a growing public archive.
• Role Summary
  The work study (FWS) supports the full lifecycle of our weekly conversations—planning,
  outreach, live-session support, and post-session archiving—while helping maintain our
  communications channels and records. This position is cross-trained to cover all functions. 
• Work Study Students (2) will work collaboratively with the other work-study student to define roles and division of labor each quarter so the work is covered smoothly and sustainably--roles assigned based on skills, experience, willingness to learn and divided up by the students along with the supervisor's guidance. This is an opportunity to connect AU resources with the existing and always-changing larger community and to develop skills needed to amplify voices on issues of anti-racism and social justice including communication, practice, documentation, networking, marketing, outreach, and community-building, among many others.

• Key Responsibilities
  Event Operations (live on Zoom)--all duties will take a few minutes to a few hours depending on the person and their learning. Students are encouraged to build, develop and adapt our current organizational systems to best support their work and their way of engaging in the work.
  ● Attend weekly Messy Conversations (typically Mondays, 3:45-5:45 PM PT) to provide live
  support (resource links in chat, light moderation, and troubleshooting) (2 hours).
  ● Capture and label session artifacts (screenshots as appropriate; chat transcript; links,
  slides, Padlet items shared by participants)
  ● Download, label, and archive all session materials promptly in shared drives.
  Planning & Coordination
  ● Attend weekly planning meetings (typically Tuesdays, 4:00 PM PT) and implement
  assigned follow-ups.
  ● Coordinate with the team to gather session info (titles, guests, bios, resources) for flyers,
  invites, and the archive.
  ● Help manage incoming/outgoing email related to announcements and RSVPs.
  Communications & Outreach
  ● Create a weekly promo cadence: draft flyer by Tuesday; share a test reminder to the
  team by Wednesday; distribute the announcement by Thursday morning; send calendar
  invites by Friday as needed.
  ● Maintain and update the Messy Conversations website/pages as needed.
  ● Create social media content and short highlight clips from past sessions for
  posting/embedding.

  Documentation, Publishing & Archiving
  ● Upload recorded videos to YouTube and link them to our LibGuides/archive promptly.
  ● Maintain accurate attendance counts and collect participant contact info in accordance
  with program policies.
  ● Keep the master mailing list current and maintain the “Complete Sessions” spreadsheet
  (title, date, guests, attendance, links).
  ● Support broader archiving initiatives and help refine our knowledge-management
  systems.

  Partnerships & Logistics
  ● Coordinate with community partners (e.g., Malik Books) to distribute digital gift
  certificates when applicable and archive related receipts.
  ● Assist with recruiting and onboarding future student staff when transitions arise.
  Growth Projects (as capacity allows)
  ● Explore turning Messy Conversations into a podcast (editing, distribution to major
  platforms).
  ● Support grant research and drafting to sustain the series.
  Qualifications
  ● Must be Federal Work-Study (FWS) eligible through your institution.
  ● Reliable availability for Mondays at 3:45-5:45 PM PT (events) and Tuesdays at 4:00-5 PM PT (planning).
  ● Strong organization and follow-through; able to manage details and deadlines.
  ● Comfortable with Zoom, Google Workspace/Drive; willing to learn YouTube uploads,
  basic video clipping, and LibGuides.
  ● Clear, warm written communication; basic flyer creation (Canva or equivalent).
  ● Collaborative, community-minded, and able to hold confidentiality.

• Hours & Compensation
  Part-time student position paid via Federal Work-Study at your school’s hourly rate and
  guidelines. Scheduling is coordinated with the team based on event cadence and deadlines.

Qualifications

• Must be Federal Work-Study (FWS) eligible through your institution.
  
• Reliable availability for Mondays at 4:00 PM PT (events) and Tuesdays at 4:00 PM PT
  (planning).
• Strong organization and follow-through; able to manage details and deadlines.
  
• Comfortable with Zoom, Google Workspace/Drive; willing to learn YouTube uploads,
  basic video clipping, and LibGuides.
  
• Clear, warm written communication; basic flyer creation (Canva or equivalent).
  
• Collaborative, community-minded, and able to hold confidentiality.

Does this position meet the definition of Community Service?

Yes

How to Apply: To Apply Send a brief note of interest and your resume to [email protected] with the subject line: Program Coordinator (FWS) — Messy Conversations. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.

Email: [email protected]

Position Type: Work Study

Department: Undergraduate Studies (UGS) Seattle