Graduate Student Assistant- BRASA

About the role

The Department of Spanish & Portuguese seeks a motivated part-time Graduate Student Assistant to provide essential support for the Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA). BRASA will be hosted at the University of Kansas for six years starting July 2026. The Graduate Student Assistant will serve as a point of contact for BRASA membership and KU’s local committee, reporting directly to Prof. Luciano Tosta (incoming BRASA Executive Director) and Jennifer Duhamel (incoming Administrative Director). The one-year position begins August 1, 2026, with potential for renewal based on performance.

Responsibilities

• Respond to membership emails and inquiries, providing accurate information on events, membership, and resources.
• Participate in meetings with the KU local organizing committee and BRASA's executive committee, taking notes and following up on action items.
• Assist in conference planning, including abstract management, scheduling, and logistics for BRASA's biennial congresses and workshops.
• Support general organizational tasks to ensure smooth operations during KU's hosting period.
• Maintain and update BRASA's website, membership database, and social media channels with Portuguese/English content.
• Coordinate travel and reimbursements for invited speakers, board members, and KU-affiliated participants.
• Prepare reports, grant applications, and promotional materials for funding opportunities and academic outreach.
• Liaise with KU's Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Centers for Global and International Studies (CGIS) and Latin American Studies for interdisciplinary events on Brazilian culture, diaspora studies, and related themes.
• Manage document translation (Portuguese-English/Spanish) and archive BRASA records using tools like Google Drive.
• Assist with virtual/hybrid event moderation and post-event evaluations.

Requirements

• Current enrollment in Spanish & Portuguese, Latin American Studies, Global and International Studies, or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of Portuguese.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Zoom, Teams, and basic web/database management.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Native or near-native fluency in Portuguese.
• Prior experience with Brazil (e.g., study abroad, research, or cultural engagement).
• Familiarity with academic administration and/or conference organization.

Position Requirements

• During the semester term, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours.
• For summer periods, the student hourly must:
  • have been enrolled in no fewer than 6 hours in the past spring semester; or
  • be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no fewer than 6 hours; or
  • be enrolled in summer session; or
  • be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester.
• Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students.

Employment Conditions

• Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
• 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 concurrently.