Caine Conservatory - Student Assistant

Job Title: Caine Conservatory Student Assistants (Botanical Conservatory Assistants, Exhibition Production Assistants, Conservatory Ambassadors, and Marketing Assistants)

Department: Wanek School of Natural Science – Caine Conservatory

Supervisor: Michael Meiners and Jason Lattier

Starting Rate of Pay: $9.00

Length of Time: Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 - Per Semester, eligible for potential rehire

Department Description: 

The Don & Teresa Caine Conservatory is a botanical teaching conservatory in the Wanek School of Natural Sciences at High Point University. We strive to maintain a collection of plants that is equal parts beautiful and educational, supporting classes in the natural sciences. And, we strive to provide a tranquil space of year-round beauty and enjoyment for our broader campus community.

Job Descriptions : 

1.) The botanical conservatory assistants will help in maintaining the roughly 15,000 square feet of display, research, and production spaces, including the main display house, the north production greenhouse, and the south desert greenhouse. This position is best suited for students interested in greenhouse and conservatory work who are enthusiastic about plants, communicate well with staff, and have a desire to learn new skills.

2.)  The exhibition production assistants help plan, produce and maintain botanical displays, installation and exhibitions, and assist with care, storage, movement, exhibition and stewardship of conservatory collections.

3.) The ambassador has the primary responsibility to engage with visitors, provide information about plants and the conservatory’s features, education on botanical topics, and promote the organization’s mission through interactive experiences and outreach programs, essentially acting as a knowledgeable and welcoming representative of a botanical space.

4.) The marketing assistant supports the team by executing marketing campaigns across various channels like social media, email, and content marketing, conducting market research, creating marketing materials, monitoring campaign performance and social medica updates,

Job Location/ Hours Required: 

The candidate will perform most/all job duties in The Caine Conservatory. Hours may vary depending on the job requirements; however, the total number of hours a student employee may work per week is 20 hours. This position requires a minimum of 5 hours per week.   In some positions intermittent Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer break hours are required. Some weekend and summer hours are available. 

Responsibilities

  Botanical Conservatory Assistant

• Able to move over uneven pavement, under railings, and around plants and other obstacles, and to bend, kneel, and grasp during horticulture activities
• Visual and tactile acuity
• Able to lift items of 25lbs and 40lbs occasionally
• Have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA

  Exhibition Production Assistant

• Install and uninstall temporary and permanent exhibit elements, including botanical displays, objects, hardware, and graphics.
• Assist with design and fabrication of exhibit elements, including object mounts.
• Help maintain plant collection, lighting, mechanical, and technical elements of temporary and permanent exhibits.
• Participate in collections care activities including creating object storage solutions; packing, shipping, and unpacking objects; and condition reporting objects.
• Maintain inventory of available exhibit- and storage-related supplies.
• Work closely with Conservatory Manager, other student workers and community volunteers and Director (on rare occasions). 
• Work independently and assume direct responsibility for tasks when requested.
• Other duties as assigned. 

 Conservatory Ambassador

• Greeting guests, answering questions about plants, guiding tours and providing wayfinding assistance within the conservatory.
• Understand plant taxonomy, characteristics and ecological relationships to accurately inform visitors.
• Lead guided tours.
• Maintain records of guest feedback and observations to inform future programming.

 Marketing Assistant

• Supports/assists with campaign execution – planning and implementing marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including social media, email newsletters, and website content.
• Content creation – drafting engaging copy for marketing materials
• Market research – conduct market research to identify trends and target audience insights.
• Data analysis – tracking and reporting on marketing campaign performance using analytics tools to identify areas for improvement.
• Social media management – maintain and