McNair Program Assistant

Department Overview:

https://mcnair.wisc.edu/

The UW-Madison Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair Scholars Program) is a federally-funded TRIO program that prepares undergraduate students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in graduate education for Ph.D. studies. For the McNair Scholars Program, these groups include first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds and underrepresented students (Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiians, and Native American Pacific.) The program offers scholars opportunities to conduct research, develop the necessary interpersonal, analytical, and test-taking skills for graduate study and successful completion of these students' doctoral degrees. Staff members are responsible for carrying-out McNair grant activities in keeping with federal, state, and UW-Madison regulations.

Anticipated Start Date:

August 17th 2026

Anticipated End Date (If Applicable):

August 16th, 2027

Remote Work Eligibility Detail:

Partially Remote

 

Anticipated Hours Per Week:

Minimum: 20 

Schedule:

8:30 AM – 8:30 PM (Schedule flexible between these hours); some evening work is required (Scholar seminars and workshops are typically held in the evening)

Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum:

Minimum: $37,417 

Number of Positions:

1

Qualifications:

• Strong intercultural communication skills, including written and verbal communication;
• Enrollment in a graduate program (Master's, PhD, etc.) at UW-Madison.
• Preference will be given to McNair alums and those who can commit to two years of service (appointment renewable contingent on funding and performance.)

Employment will require UW-Madison to verify your identity and employment eligibility. The employee must physically present original, unexpired documents (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents) as evidence of identity and employment authorization.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to work as a member of a team and individually.
• Ability to mentor low-income, first-generation college, and underrepresented students for success in doctoral programs.

Position Summary/Job Duties:

• Assisting the Program Coordinator with coordinating and facilitating workshops, seminars, and the summer research symposium
• Collecting, reviewing, and providing feedback on assignments designed to prepare the STEM disciplines for graduate and funding applications.
• Researching opportunities for Scholars' professional development, including assisting Scholars with finding a research mentor and applying for graduate funding
• Serving as a one-on-one mentor for STEM Scholars
• Serving as a role model and mentor for current McNair Scholars
• Keeping student records in preparation for the McNair Annual Performance Report to the US Department of Education
• Assisting with informational events for prospective students as necessary
• The PA is expected to attend McNair Scholars Program staff meetings and workshops and assist with other assigned tasks as needed.

Physical Demands:

Limited physical demand.

Institutional Statements:

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

UW-Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background-people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu

Accommodation Statement:

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/