Student AB Trip Director
Position Overview
The Student Trip Director is the lead coordinator of Alternative Break experiences, including researching and contacting organizations, reviewing evaluations of past trips, and choosing and arranging the Alternative Break sites and topics. The Student Trip Director will act as the main, initial point of contact for each break site in coordination with volunteer trip coordinators. They shall work together to set up each service trip before handing it over to site leaders who take care of the more detailed planning. The Student Trip Director will oversee recruitment, interviews, selection, and training of these site leaders whom they will meet with frequently and advise about site issues.
In addition to setting up trips with volunteer Core members, they facilitate the structure of the education component of the class with the volunteer Education Coordinator, the Managing Director, and Advisor(s). The Student Trip Director will work in congruence with the Education Coordinator (volunteer) and Co-Directors to bring in guest speakers, research issues to create informative handouts, facilitate site-specific research projects, and lead discussions and activities about group dynamics.
The Student Trip Director oversees the volunteer Trip Coordinators. They are responsible for ensuring that students are informed before their trip and that they will internalize the lessons they learn after the trip. The Student Trip Director reports to the two Alternative Breaks Co-Directors and is supported by their Staff Advisor(s). The Student Trip Director must be available to CORE during the upcoming summer and throughout their position, including during Alternative Break travel periods, and for turnover the following year.
Hiring, weekly hour maximum, and hourly rate of pay are contingent on KU Student Senate funding.
Per the State of Kansas, student employees may hold concurrent appointments not to exceed maximum appointment and hours worked levels. However, concurrent student appointments must be of matching FLSA designation (exempt/salaried or non-exempt/hourly).
In addition to setting up trips with volunteer Core members, they facilitate the structure of the education component of the class with the volunteer Education Coordinator, the Managing Director, and Advisor(s). The Student Trip Director will work in congruence with the Education Coordinator (volunteer) and Co-Directors to bring in guest speakers, research issues to create informative handouts, facilitate site-specific research projects, and lead discussions and activities about group dynamics.
The Student Trip Director oversees the volunteer Trip Coordinators. They are responsible for ensuring that students are informed before their trip and that they will internalize the lessons they learn after the trip. The Student Trip Director reports to the two Alternative Breaks Co-Directors and is supported by their Staff Advisor(s). The Student Trip Director must be available to CORE during the upcoming summer and throughout their position, including during Alternative Break travel periods, and for turnover the following year.
Hiring, weekly hour maximum, and hourly rate of pay are contingent on KU Student Senate funding.
Per the State of Kansas, student employees may hold concurrent appointments not to exceed maximum appointment and hours worked levels. However, concurrent student appointments must be of matching FLSA designation (exempt/salaried or non-exempt/hourly).
Job Description
Trip Planning & Education – 60%
- Work with Co-Directors and Trip Coordinators (volunteer) to ensure ethical and engaging site selection occurs; maintain prior site relationships, lead coordination with sites, lead participant-related engagement, review evaluations of past trips, and support the preparation of Alternative Break (AB) site packets and communication between Trip Coordinators (volunteer) and community partners.
- Attend, support, and facilitate within the education classes as part of the AB pre-trip education component; working closely with the Education Coordinator (volunteer), Co-Directors, and AB’s Advisor(s) to develop an engaging and thorough experiential service-learning program for participants.
- Participate in the selection and interviewing of prospective trip participants.
- Follow-up with participants and sites with evaluations after completion of trips.
- Serve as a point of contact for all AB executive CORE members (paid and volunteer), Advisors, AB partnerships, and current and potential partners across campus (CSL, Departmental Deans, Student Senate, etc.).
- Serve as the lead contact for Trip Coordinators (volunteer), and an effective point of contact for potential community partners. Organize and lead bi-weekly meetings regularly with Trip Coordinators (volunteer) in partnership with the Managing Director.
- Meet at least bi-weekly with other Directors (Finance, Public Relations, Managing, and Executive) to discuss updates on trips, internal management, and AB programming.
- Support incoming/outgoing Directors in facilitating volunteer CORE interviews, selection, new coordinator hiring, and turnover tasks.
- Maintain availability during academic breaks to manage Alternative Break experiences; especially as it relates to participant experiences.
- Meet at least monthly with the AB’s Advisors and other Directors to discuss internal management and trip programming.
- Develop and follow a standard annual timeline and process for trip planning and educational classes to ensure a timely, engaging, and thorough coordination experience can occur for all future Alternative Breaks.
- Document processes related to internal and external communication as related to Alternative Break community volunteer partnerships to create a manual/guide for future AB leaders and to ensure communication is timely and relevant.
Required Qualifications
- Evidenced commitment to community outreach and service as shown in application materials.
- Ability to lead and work collaboratively with a team as shown in application materials.
- Strong organization and time management skills as shown in application materials.
- Strong self-starter with a proactive approach to problem-solving as shown in application materials.
- 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 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)
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience as a CORE Member of KU Alternative Breaks or participant of an Alternative Break.
- Prior experience working with and collaborating with a wide range of populations.
- Prior experience facilitating educational classes or service-learning experiences.
- Prior experience organizing student-led trips or experiences.
Additional Candidate Instructions
Your application must consist of each of the following:
The selected applicant for this position will be expected to attend a leadership/turnover retreat in mid-April. More details will be provided if selected for an interview.
Application deadline is 3/30/2025.
- Completion of the online application form
- Cover Letter
- Current Resume
- Cover Letter: career.ku.edu/cover-letters
- Resume: career.ku.edu/resumes
The selected applicant for this position will be expected to attend a leadership/turnover retreat in mid-April. More details will be provided if selected for an interview.
Application deadline is 3/30/2025.
Contact Information to Applicants
Kate Kemper: katekemper@ku.edu
Steph Ruppen: csl@ku.edu
Steph Ruppen: csl@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$11.00 per hour
Work Schedule
5 hours per week
Anticipated Start Date
Sunday July 6, 2025