Desk Assistants

A Desk Assistant (DA) is a student staff member who is responsible for the safety and security of the residents within their assigned hall. DAs work at the front desk of a building/area and maintain a desk log, appropriate desk paperwork, and serve as a customer service representative for the area. DAs provide lockout keys, check out equipment, and overall support the running of the building/area and the area staff. Successful candidates of the DA position will demonstrate an ability to work appropriately with students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds, while being the face of customer service and a willingness to help for their building/area.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Administrative
  • Thoroughly and accurately complete all desk forms
  • Arrive on time for shifts and other meetings
  • Follow protocol for shift changes
  • Follow protocol when a replacement DA does not show up
  • Promptly and accurately clock in and out for all shifts
  • Accurately submit all time worked on Pipeline/WTE by the assigned date and time
  • Appropriately submit or direct residents to submit facilities concerns
  • Maintain a neat and appropriate work area while cleaning and sanitizing regularly
  • Follow the correct flow of communication
  • Utilize desk software as needed
  • Follow all other procedures as outlined in the DA Manual and by supervisors
• Professionalism
  • Keep open and regular communication with supervisors
  • Practice professionalism in all written and verbal communication
  • Maintain a professional setting at and around the desk
  • Follow the dress code outlined in the DA Manual (generally put together and appropriate with no clothes from other schools)
  • Ask questions as needed
• Safety and Security
  • Look at and greet every person entering view of the desk
  • Never leave the desk unattended
  • Only allow those approved by supervisors or MTSU Employees on official MTSU business behind the desk
  • Appropriately confront and document all incidents or policy violations
  • Ask for identification when unknown individuals are entering the building/area
  • Follow emergency protocol when necessary
  • Notify the appropriate on call personnel when situations arise in the area
  • Follow all key protocol when checking out, issuing keys, or maintaining key security
  • Follow the technology policy outlined in the DA manual
  • Maintain privacy and confidentiality as required by department, university, local, state, and federal policy and law
• Customer Service
  • Greet and help every person who approaches the desk
  • Display a positive attitude about the area, the department, and the university
  • Be consistently polite and courteous to all residents, guests, visitors, faculty, and staff
  • Make every effort to find an accurate answer to questions asked before referring someone elsewhere
  • Properly and promptly answer the phone every time it rings

Requirements and Compensation:

• Requirements for Applicants
  • Must be a full-time MTSU student
  • Must have a current clear judicial record with Housing and Residential Life
  • Must have and maintain a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.5
  • Must pass a criminal background check administered by Housing and Residential Life
  • Must go through entire hiring process including application, interview, and submission of HR paperwork and background check information
• Supervision and Job Requirements
  • Will report directly to the Resident Director in assigned area and will be subject to the supervision of the Area Coordinator and the On-Call staff
  • Must provide work availability upon request to allow for scheduling of shifts
  • Required to complete Desk Assistant Training and MTSU Employee online trainings
• Compensation and Hours
  • Desk Assistants get paid $10.00 per hour, and are able to work up to 25 hours per week, depending on available shifts within availability
  • Desk Assistants, once trained, can pick up shifts at any desk in any residence hall
  • Shifts will be anywhere from 1-5 hours, but will never go over five hours
  • Most desks are open 24/7, with shifts available at any time of day

The following guidelines have been created to be as transparent as possible about the conditions of employment and expectations for the MTSU Housing Desk Assistant position. It is imperative that these conditions and expectations are read and understood in order to maintain employment as a Desk Assistant. Failure to abide by the following conditions and expectations may result in probationary status or termination of the DA position. DAs will be required to sign a Statement of Understanding prior to each contracted period of employment. This document will be reviewed and updated, as needed. Any changes made during a period of employment, after the document has been signed, will be communicated to the DAs through their Resident Director or Area Coordinator.

• Period of Employment and Time Commitment
  • DAs may be employed from the time of hire to their graduation from MTSU.
  • The DA position does not have a weekly time requirement, but cannot exceed an average of 25 hours per week.
  • Shifts can be picked up at any Desk in Housing and Residential Life and can be worked, according to Desk Assistant availability, any hour or day of the week, as most desks are open 24/7.
  • To ensure successful work performance and availability, commitments beyond the DA Position (student teaching, internships, off-campus jobs, on-campus jobs, student leadership positions, and etc) must be communicated to the supervising Resident Director. On-campus jobs must balance to the 25 hour per week average, and must be communicated to the supervising Resident Director.
  • Holiday and Break times have available shifts, but are not required.
  • Availability for scheduling will be filled out by the Desk Assistant on the scheduling platform that will allow for transparent scheduling and clocking in/out.
  • See Training Section for time commitments related to that requirement.
• Compensation
  • Desk Assistants are paid $10/hour with the exception of holiday pay, which will be paid at time and a half ($15/hr).
• Training
  • DAs are required to attend and actively participate in the following training:
  • August All Staff Training
  • January All Staff Training
  • Initial Desk Assistant Training by Resident Director
  • Resident Director One-on-One meetings and evaluation meetings, as scheduled
• Shift Duty
  • During work shifts, DAs are required to answer the desk phone anytime it rings.
  • DAs must keep the desk clean and orderly and provide service to residents, staff, and guests, as needed.
  • Additional shift assignments may be required at other times (tornado warnings, fire alarms, emergencies, etc)
  • DAs must complete Incident Reports, as needed, in a timely and accurate manner as directed by professional staff and Housing policy.
  • DAs must contact appropriate personnel in the event of an emergency or incident.
• Position Expectations
  • Housing and Residential Life Desk Assistants must abide by all Housing Policies.
  • Desk Assistants are expected to complete and pass a background check and complete all HR Paperwork before their first date of employment.
  • DAs must successfully perform the requirements of the position as documented in the DA Position Description, DA Expectations, and DA Manual.
  • DAs must abide by expectations set forth by the AC/RD of their area, the AC/RD On Call, the Associate Director of Residence Life, and the Director of Housing and Residential Life.
• Key Usage
  • Access to room keys and Housing ID Access are issued for the sole purpose of performing work and/or services of Housing and Residential Life in the Housing Areas.
  • A room key may not be loaned to anyone other than the occupant(s) of that room.
  • Housing ID Access should only be used to access buildings other than their own when performing duties of a Housing Staff Member.
  • Any misuse of keys will result in termination from the Desk Assistant position.
• Rehiring Process
  • All DAs are employed through their graduation date, unless the DA resigns or is terminated due to conduct, academic status, or disciplinary status at the university.
  • Desk Assistants will be notified by Housing Staff when it is time to put forth the intention to continue or resign their position for the next Academic Year.
• Terminations and Resignations
  • Job reprimands, up to and including termination, may result at any time due to an DAs misconduct or failure to abide by any stated expectations or policies.
  • DAs who plan to resign should provide the Resident Director with a minimum of a two-week notice.
• VIV. MTSU and Housing Policy
  • All DAs are expected to abide by all federal, state, and local laws; abide by all rules and regulations of MTSU, Student Affairs, and Housing and Residential Life, including, but not limited to, the Housing Contract, Student Code of Conduct, and all DA expectations
  • Academic Standards
    • DA must maintain a 2.5 or better cumulative and semester GPA at MTSU in order to be hired and remain a DA.
    • DAs must be registered, full-time students at the University.
  • Use of Alcohol and Tobacco Products
    • MTSU is a Tobacco and Alcohol-Free Campus
  • Online Trainings
    • DAs must complete all assigned online trainings and abide by the policies set forth by the University and Housing and Residential Life.
  • Candidates for the DA position must be in good standing with the Housing and Residential Life department and remain in good standing during their period of employment.
  • Candidates for the DA position must be in good financial and disciplinary standing with the University and remain so during their period of employment. This includes all standards set by the Student Code of Conduct.
  • The academic, financial, and conduct-related standing of DAs will be checked at the end of each semester and as needed throughout the year by professional staff of the Housing and Residential Life Department to ensure compliance with the above guidelines.

The DA Recruitment process is done on a rolling basis, which means that once you put in your application, we will upload your information into our DA Applicant Database. Any time we have any openings, we will open interview times and will send out an email to all of the DA Applicants inviting them to sign up for an interview. We will keep your application in our database until one of the following happens: you get hired as a DA, you graduate, or you ask us to remove your application.
We typically do a large interview process at the beginning of each academic semester and at the beginning of the summer, but we will also open smaller processes periodically as open shifts emerge.

• Requirements
  • 2.5 cumulative and semester GPA
  • Be a registered full-time student at MTSU
  • Pass a criminal background check
  • Clear conduct record with MTSU and Housing
  • All Application Materials and Interview completed
• Application
  • Please use your mtmail email address on the application.
  • Desk Assistant Application

• MTSU Housing Student Staff Recruitment Office
  • Gracy Hall, Room 114
  • 321 Friendship St.
  • Open M-F from 8a-4:30p
  • Front Office: 615-904-8310
• Assistant Director of Housing Staff Resources & Guest Management
  • Stephanie Alderson
  • [email protected]