Student Worker - Academic Mentor (Mid-Year Hire)

About the role

The Academic Mentor (AM) position at the University of Nevada, Reno focuses on the academic success of our on-campus residents, as this is a crucial component of our residence halls. Academic Mentors are trained undergraduate student staff who live on campus to assist students with acclimating to the university, building a positive community, and navigating the academic environment. The AM will serve students living in all residence halls by helping to bridge the residence hall living environment with what occurs in the classrooms of the university. Academic Mentors supplement the residential experience by providing more extensive academic resources and in-depth individual and group academic attention. AMs collaborate as a team to provide academic support to all on-campus residents, no matter the residence hall in which they live.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a positive role model on and off campus.
• Represent the university positively to various stakeholders.
• Engage and connect with residents through intentional interaction.
• Actively participate and be visible in the community.
• Provide at least 10 hours per week of dedicated study hours where they will provide academic assistance to their students.
• Intervene with residence hall students identified as struggling academically.
• Maintain accurate academic information and up-to-date resources to share with students.
• Complete a collateral assignment which revolves around academic outreach to all residence halls.
• Perform general administrative tasks such as weekly reports as well as attend regular staff meetings and one-on-one meetings.

Requirements

• Minimum of two completed undergraduate semesters at the time of hire (dual enrollment not accepted).
• Full-time student in good standing and eligible to live in the residence halls.
• Cumulative and semester GPA of 3.00 must be maintained throughout employment.
• Expected to maintain 30 credits of coursework per academic year or average 15 credits per semester.
• Strong connections to their academic major and campus academic resources preferred.
• Previous experience as a tutor or similar experience preferred.

Schedule

This position routinely requires approximately 15 hours a week, broken down as follows:

• Walk-in Study Hours – 10 hrs/week: Some study hours held in common areas of the residence halls, open to all residence hall students. May consist of tutoring, assisting students in developing adequate study habits and skills, and providing referrals to other campus resources such as the Math Center, Tutoring Center, and professors’ office hours.
• Academic Outreach – 2.5 hrs/week: Conduct academic intervention meetings with residents identified as needing additional academic support; perform proactive community outreach when specific intervention opportunities have not been assigned; host workshops on commonly requested academic topics or courses during mid-terms and finals seasons; be a role model and advocate for personal academic success; assist residents in identifying, understanding, and utilizing campus resources dedicated to developing students’ academic success; know campus academic and personal support services to effectively serve as a referral agent for residents.
• Meetings – 1.5 hrs/week: Weekly Academic Mentor staff meeting (1 hour) and biweekly 1:1 meeting with direct supervisor (30 minutes).
• Collateral Assignments – 1 hr/week: Complete collateral assignments such as Social Media, Hall Currency, Event Programming, Student Leader Advisory Council, and staff representatives for other departmental committees.

Compensation

• Grade: Student Employee Level 1
• Room and utilities furnished for the length of time served as an Academic Mentor (depending on building/room assignment, students may be assigned a roommate and/or suitemates).
• Meal Plan provided.
• Partial tuition waiver ($14 per credit for up to 15 credits) for those who successfully complete at least two semesters as an Academic Mentor.
• Meals provided by the department during Fall Training (August) and Winter Training (January).

Note: Academic Mentor compensation may interfere with any financial aid you may receive. It is your responsibility to consult the Financial Aid office to discuss any potential impacts.

Application requirements

• Resume/CV (required): List a detailed description of the major duties performed as part of each job. Must demonstrate that you qualify for the position; education and experience must be clearly documented.
• Contact Information for Two References (required): Include name, contact information, and relationship. Reference can be a professor, former or current supervisor, or your current RA. A current GRD/RD may not be used.

Posting close date

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm on 11/09/2026 (posting closes at 12:00 am on 11/10/2026).

About the university

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities,” and ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.” Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine – and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown, situated where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe. The beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building (opening fall 2025), a planned State Public Health Laboratory Building, and the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus known as “University Village” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty. Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple (providing incoming freshmen and transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories) and Google’s TechWise program (an 18-month program supporting undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation). In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration named Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs), strengthening America’s lithium batteries, critical elements, and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state. Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation, and world.