KU Student Housing Night Desk Assistant
Position Overview
General
The Night Desk Assistant is an overnight (10:00 PM –6:00 AM) hourly student staff member within Housing & Residence Life who reports to the Student Desk Manager/Administrative Associate or Business Coordinator for Front Desks & Administration. Night Desk Assistants assist with hall safety and security while also being responsible for Desk Assistant duties including customer service, access control, administrative, and communication functions within a residence community. Night Desk Assistants work collaboratively with other student staff in paraprofessional roles to maintain confidentiality of information and ensure an academically supportive environment for students. Night Desk Assistants are expected to remain in good standing with the University and Housing & Residence Life for their employment.
As a representative of Housing & Residence Life, Student Affairs, and the University of Kansas, Night Desk Assistants demonstrate a commitment to the Mission, Values, and Inclusion Statement of Housing & Residence Life.
Our Mission
Building learning-centered communities through individual support and respect.
Our Central Values
We advance KU's mission with:
The Night Desk Assistant is an overnight (10:00 PM –6:00 AM) hourly student staff member within Housing & Residence Life who reports to the Student Desk Manager/Administrative Associate or Business Coordinator for Front Desks & Administration. Night Desk Assistants assist with hall safety and security while also being responsible for Desk Assistant duties including customer service, access control, administrative, and communication functions within a residence community. Night Desk Assistants work collaboratively with other student staff in paraprofessional roles to maintain confidentiality of information and ensure an academically supportive environment for students. Night Desk Assistants are expected to remain in good standing with the University and Housing & Residence Life for their employment.
As a representative of Housing & Residence Life, Student Affairs, and the University of Kansas, Night Desk Assistants demonstrate a commitment to the Mission, Values, and Inclusion Statement of Housing & Residence Life.
Our Mission
Building learning-centered communities through individual support and respect.
Our Central Values
We advance KU's mission with:
- Engaging communities.
- Vibrant physical spaces.
- Effective administration.
- Demonstrate a willingness to learn. Including the ability to show respect for others’ rights, feelings, and property.
- Positively participate, engage, and contribute within trainings, meetings with supervisor, ongoing departmental communication, and an annual performance evaluation process.
- Demonstrate a commitment to personal integrity, such as modeling good judgment, ethical behavior, and adherence to laws and policies.
- Each Night Desk Assistant is subject to possible progressive discipline up to and including termination in the event that they violate any policies, procedures and regulations of Housing & Residence Life, and of The University of Kansas, including, but not limited to, the Terms and Conditions of the Housing & Residence Life Contract, Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities, KU Human Resources policies, and the Housing & Residence Life Handbook.
- Attend all scheduled departmental, staff, and training programs as directed by your supervisor.
- Participate in an annual position evaluation.
Job Description
Customer Service (40%)
- Ensure a welcoming and approachable reception area for the community.
- Greet residents, staff members, and other guests, answer phone, and assist with questions and concerns.
- Perform administrative tasks related to hall occupancy including issuing keys, check-ins/check-outs, lockouts, equipment check-outs, providing mail and packages, and scheduling room reservations.
- Serve as the information hub for the building by sharing applicable information and answering questions.
- Coordinate incoming and outgoing communication.
- Perform additional duties and special assignments as directed.
- Monitor the card access system and security cameras for the resident community.
- Ensure access by residents, approved staff members, and accompanied guests only.
- Maintain an awareness of hall surroundings and ensure that non-resident guests are with a resident.
- Report suspicious behavior, to hall staff and KU Public Safety.
- Assist hall staff when directed during an emergency.
- Submit incident reports as documentation of various situations at the desk.
- Be familiar with and enforce policies and procedures of the University of Kansas and Housing & Residence Life.
- Document incidents occurring during working hours and submit incident reports through the designated online incident reporting system.
- Communicate with other KU Housing & Residence Life staff members when appropriate and/or in accordance with reporting structure.
Required Qualifications
- Ability to work an average of 8 hours per week, including night and weekend shifts, and during the final exam schedule.
- Available to work shifts during university breaks (approximately one half of break days).
- Experience with the Microsoft Office suite of software and applications as demonstrated in application materials.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Housing & Residence Life, with priority given to current Housing & Residence Life residents and staff.
- Work experience including customer service and administrative duties as shown in application materials.
- Ability to manage work tasks in a fast-paced environment with rapidly changing priorities.
Position Requirements
During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).
Employment Conditions
(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.
Additional Candidate Instructions
To ensure consideration apply by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time 1/16/2026.
Contact Information to Applicants
Housing & Residence Life Desk Operations
shdeskoperations@ku.edu
shdeskoperations@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$12 per hour
Anticipated Start Date
Wednesday January 14, 2026