University of Portland Anchor Leaders (AL) are responsible for assisting first-year students in their adjustment to life on The Bluff through co-instruction of The Anchor, a foundational aspect to the first-year experience. The Anchor Workshop sessions are facilitated by the AL and focus on transitional skills to help acclimate to campus culture and university life. The Core Dialogue sessions are facilitated by the Anchor faculty, with assistance from the ALs. These sessions focus on the exploration of the Core Habits that encompass UP’s Core Curriculum and introduce students to the purpose of a Liberal Arts Education. ALs attend weekly staff meetings which either review the upcoming lesson material they will teach or provide professional development conversations hosted by campus partners.
Successful applicants have: compassion towards others, a passion for supporting peers through transition, an interest in facilitating classroom instruction, and a desire to champion the continual efforts of developing a new program. Compensation for this role is $15.95/hour until July 2025, after which it will mirror the Portland Metro minimum wage.
Application Checklist:
- Cover letter (no longer than one page)
- Resume (no longer than one page)
- Typed answers to Supplemental Questions (see below)
- Three (3) recommendations: Applicant must send their referencesthis recommendation link to be completed by Thursday, January 30th.
- 1 UP Faculty Member that you have had for class
- 1 UP Campus Partner that you have gotten to know/worked with
- Any UP staff member (Hall Staff, Academic Advisor, Research advisor, Club Advisor, on-campus job supervisor, etc.), or
- Professor (did not have to have had them for class), or
- Student leader (RA, Club president, Immersion Coordinator, Plunge into your Neighborhood Leader)
- 1 other Recommender
- If you are a current first-year student, this must be your Anchor Leader
- If NOT a first-year student, this would be a previous supervisor (from an on or off campus job)
Core Duties
General Duties and Responsibilities:
- Attend a Spring Team Introduction Meeting: April 5th, 2025 from 10-5pm (*subject to change)
- Attend and participate fully in all required activities during Summer Training and Orientation Weekend: August 15th – 24th, 2025 (*subject to change)
- Teach at most 2 sections of the Anchor Workshop between 6-8pm
- Prepare lesson plans and class materials for each Anchor Workshop
- Attend weekly meetings with the Assistant Director of First Year Experience and Anchor Leader team
- Hold weekly office hour
- Attend weekly Teaching Team meeting with partnering Anchor Faculty and other assigned Anchor Leaders
- Maintain paperwork and administrative tasks
- Coordinate with Anchor faculty on lesson instruction and support of first-year students
- Assist Anchor Faculty in the grading of class assignments and any needed follow-up with students on class responsibilities
- Other relevant duties as assigned
Time Commitment and Required Availability:
- Anchor Leaders must be on campus beginning the week before Orientation for intensive training and must have no other commitments during Orientation weekend.
- ALs must also be able to commit around 7-8hrs per week.
Weekly Breakdown:
- Friday Meeting 1.0
- Office hour 1.0
- Teaching Team meeting 0.75
- Grading and student follow-up 1.0
Minimum Qualifications
- Applicants must be in good academic standing at the University.
- Applicants CANNOT be studying abroad during Fall 2025, serve as Resident Assistants, Orientation Assistants, Hall Council Executive Members, any Hall Ambassador positions, Beacon executive, or participate in any other role that will conflict with the training and responsibilities for the workshop program. Applicants are responsible for cross-referencing position descriptions to ensure full participation in The Anchor program.
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * What about the Anchor Leader position interests you and what would you contribute through the role and to the team?
(Open Ended Question)
- * What is a challenge that a first semester college student might experience, and how would you help a student overcome that challenge as an Anchor Leader?
(Open Ended Question)
- * What influence did the Anchor have on your first-year experience and overall transition to campus? how would you encourage the next first-year class to fully engage in this experience?
(Open Ended Question)
- * Tell us about a time you had competing demands. How did you prioritize your responsibilities? How will you use this experience to help balance your work as an AL and other commitments on campus?
(Open Ended Question)
Required Documents
Required Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Optional Documents
Contact
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd
Portland, Oregon
97203-5798
503.943.8484
recruitment@up.edu