The Presidential Engagement Fellow in the Office of the President will gain exposure to strategic decision-making and leadership development at the highest levels of the institution. In this role, the fellow will actively engage with university leadership, participate in high-level committees and represent the Office of the President at campus-wide events. This diverse portfolio of work will allow the fellow to gain a deep understanding of university administration and governance as well as explore their career interests through work critical to the university's mission.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow in the Vice President's Student Affairs office, will play a crucial role in enhancing student engagement, external communication and connection, and supporting Student Affairs partner initiatives.

Vice President for Student Affairs Engagement:

• The fellow will have the opportunity to (and be encouraged) to meet and shadow each Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) Leadership Team member.
• The fellow will be invited to the VPSA Leadership Team briefing, tactical and strategic meetings.
• They will play a key role in these spaces and will have opportunities to both participate and facilitate. These experiences will allow the fellow an inside look at the leadership team and inner operations of Student Affairs.

Committee Engagement:

• The fellow will be encouraged to be involved in committee and council work both as a facilitator and contributing member.  This may include university or division-wide committee support and engagement.

External Communications:

• The fellow will work on external communications for the division including news articles, Vice President speeches, and family engagement opportunities.

Student Supervision

• The fellow will supervise one student assistant who will help oversee the Student Advisory Board and Student Affairs student engagement efforts.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow in the Madison Center for Civic Engagement will play a vital leadership role in advancing the university's commitment to informed and active participation in democracy. The Engagement Fellow will cultivate a dynamic cohort experience for Democracy Fellows centered on civic discourse, student voter knowledge, and campus-wide democratic engagement. Through designing and executing intentional leadership development initiatives for students, faculty, and staff, the Engagement Fellow will design and facilitate programs that strenghten dialogue skills, deepen understanding of democratic processes, and foster a culture of thoughtful civic participation. The Engagement Fellow will collaborate closely with university and community partners, engage in strategic planning conversations, and contribute to key campus committees and working groups to align civic initiatives with institutional priorities.  With opportunities to observe and participate in high-level planning and decision-making within the Madison Center for Civic Engagement, the Engagement Fellow will gain valuable insight into campus leadership and civic infrastructure while serving as a visible ambassador for student-centered democratic engagement.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow will work closely with CGE, university leadership, faculty, staff, and international partners to enhance JMU’s study abroad programs and support international recruitment efforts. The role focuses on International Partnerships and Recruitment and Study Abroad Programming. The fellow will assist with strategy development, outreach through webinars and virtual fairs, and partnership building with international universities and organizations. The fellow will lead re-entry programming initiatives, assist in developing a faculty toolkit, and conduct research on study abroad best practices. The fellow will also manage logistics for meetings and events, contribute to JMU’s marketing efforts, and may present at conferences or lead short-term programs. This role provides an opportunity to gain expertise in international higher education and demonstrate leadership in global initiatives.

The Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD) advances JMU's role as an engaged university by supporting talent development, innovation, and regional prosperity. OECD connects campus and community through partnerships, resource navigation, economic engagement initiatives, and strategic communication. Within OECD, the Research to Impact (R2I) program assists researchers, students, and innovators as they move ideas toward implementation, supporting intellectual property education, commercialization, startup formation, and connections to regional entrepreneurial resources.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow placed in OECD will contribute to initiatives that strengthen JMU's innovation ecosystem and economic engagement efforts. The Fellow will work closely with staff across OECD and R2I, providing project coordination, communications support, partner engagement, and strategic assistance on emerging initiatives.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

OECD & Research to Impact (R2I) Project Support

• Assist R2I in connecting researchers, students, and community innovators to resources that help advance ideas toward implementation.
• Support education and outreach related to intellectual property protection, commercialization, and startup pathways.
• Coordinate and support entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem activities, both on-campus and across the region.
• Help plan, execute, and participate in R2I events, workshops, and engagement opportunities.
• Contribute to special projects such as economic impact analyses, grant proposal coordination, and regional partnership initiatives.
• Provide coordination support across projects, proposals, and collaborations to strengthen OECD's regional ecosystem-building work.

Communication, Storytelling & Engagement

• Assist in developing storytelling, marketing materials, and digital content that articulate OECD and R2I's impact, services, and opportunities.
• Support strategies to communicate JMU's economic engagement activities across campus, in the region, and statewide.
• Help cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with campus units, community partners, and ecosystem collaborators.

Ideal Candidate Qualities

The successful Fellow will:

• Be curious, collaborative, and eager to learn about university-based economic development and innovation support.
• Demonstrate strong communication, organization, and project coordination skills.
• Be comfortable working across teams and engaging with diverse stakeholders, including students, faculty, community partners, and regional organizations.
• Exhibit adaptability and initiative to independently advance projects, manage priorities, and move work forward.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow in University Advancement’s Constituent Engagement (CE) unit will rotate through four departments: Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Family Engagement, and Women for Madison, spending a few months with each. The fellow will engage in a variety of projects, collaborating with colleagues across these interconnected offices, which focus on enriching relationships with students, alumni, families, and other university supporters.

This fellowship provides opportunities to develop leadership, planning, and organizational skills, while gaining hands-on experience in event production, fundraising, and relationship-building. The fellow will contribute to meaningful projects and gain insight into a potential career path in higher education and advancement.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow within the Office of Creative Propulsion (OCP) will contribute to advancing the university’s mission of fostering creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and engagement. This fellow will play a vital role in designing and implementing community-engaged arts programs, including leading efforts to deliver accessible, impactful arts experiences through the ArtsMobile program and assisting with a new pilot teaching artist training program. The position provides hands-on leadership development by enabling the fellow to collaborate with faculty, students, and community partners while designing innovative, arts-centered initiatives. This role aligns with the university’s values of innovation, inclusion, and civic engagement by leveraging the arts to foster connections between the university and the broader community. It positions the fellow as a leader in advancing initiatives that blend creative expression with social impact while offering a transformative leadership experience that supports their professional development.

The Presidential Engagement Fellow will assist in strengthening and updating cultural awareness programs at the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services (IIHHS). The fellow will have the opportunity to work on a variety of initiatives, such as supporting clinical programs, enhancing communication about clinical services, and conducting community assessments. Previous fellows have contributed to projects such as extending Migrant Education services to non-English-speaking populations and conducting needs assessments for the Arabic-speaking community.

Fellows will be encouraged to explore IIHHS's diverse program offerings, identify areas of personal interest, and work with the Institute Director to tailor their scope of work. This role offers flexibility to focus on different aspects of health and human services, depending on the fellow's interests and expertise.

This Presidential Engagement Fellow within Valley Scholars supports the university's mission of engaging the local community and providing a financially accessible path to post-secondary attendance for low-income first-generation students. Fellows are provided the opportunity to participate in programmatic decision making, development, and community engagement. The fellow’s duties include student mentorship to local middle and high school students, program development, and coordinating volunteer/community engagement opportunities for student to invest in their localities across multiple districts and community partners. In this role, fellows gain a deep understanding of the important relationship and opportunities that exist between universities and their local communities.