Department of Multicultural Life

Department of Multicultural Life è Macalester College

2013-2014 STUDENT VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Greetings! We are excited that you are interested in volunteering with the Department of Multicultural Life (DML).

The Department of Multicultural Life, through the Lealtad-Suzuki Center, the Cultural House, and other initiatives, provides leadership in supporting Macalester's stated purpose "to prepare people to become intellectually vital and productive citizen leaders in a world that includes a multiplicity of cultures, perspectives, and needs." We believe that campus diversity can lead to intentional educational opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Macalester strives to encourage and maintain an optimal learning environment that honors multiple perspectives and works toward equity and social justice. The Department of Multicultural Life provides leadership to the campus community to help address these efforts with intention and integrity.

The mission of the DML is to provide transformative leadership in creating a Macalester community that is equitable, inclusive, and socially just for everyone. The goals of the DML are to foster and promote a welcoming and pluralistic environment that is inclusive of the entire college community; identify, assess, and promote social justice for the campus community; integrate and affirm the peoples, discourses, thoughts, and experiences of marginalized people into the fabric of the Macalester community; and to create partnerships with academic and administrative departments to infuse anti-oppression education throughout all aspects of campus life.

Student Volunteers are an integral part to the work of the DML in actualizing these goals. The DML has student volunteer opportunities available in the Cultural House and the Lealtad-Suzuki Center.

Student Volunteers will have many opportunities to work toward social justice and inclusion at Macalester. While each volunteer will work with a particular area, the DML asks that every student volunteer also engage in department-wide initiatives. In addition, all 2013-2014 DML Student Volunteer positions require residency in the Cultural House.

For more information about the DML, please visit our website at www.macalester.edu/multiculturallife.

Please read carefully all of the instructions that follow, and be sure to complete the general application for the DML as well as the specific questions for the volunteer position(s) for which you are applying.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO REMEMBER!

· 2013-2014 Student Volunteer positions require residency in the Cultural House.

· Friday, March 15, 2013: All application materials due by end of day.

· Thursday, April 11, 2013, 4:30pm – 6pm: Spring Orientation for selected student volunteers.

· Saturday, August 24, 2013: DML Student Staff & Volunteer Training begins.

DML VOLUNTEER QUALIFICATIONS

· Enthusiasm for the DML and enthusiasm for living in and contributing to the Cultural House environment.

· Able to devote five (5) hours a week to the DML as a volunteer.

· Knowledge of the mission, goals, and programs of the DML, LSC, and Cultural House.

· Past participation in DML initiatives, including participation in the signature programs of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center, Cultural House, Emerging Scholars, and/or Host Family Program.

· Willingness to openly engage in building community across differences.

· Strong oral and written communication skills.

· Dependability and reliability, ability to take initiative and take direction.

All of the volunteer positions within the Department of Multicultural Life offer excellent opportunities to develop skills in leadership, facilitation, program planning, event coordination, and time management.

VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES

· Responsibilities for specific volunteer positions include:

Cultural House Volunteer:

o Live in the Cultural House and contribute to the Cultural House

o Participate in Cultural House program planning and assist with community use of Cultural House spaces.

o Attend major Cultural House events (e.g., Block Party, Poetry Slam, Fresh Fridays)

o Attend Cultural House staff meetings and individual meetings with the Assistant Director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center

o Assist with the care and maintenance of the Cultural House

o Attend DML staff training and events

o Serve as an ambassador for the Department of Multicultural Life both on and off campus

Lealtad-Suzuki Center Volunteer:

o Serve as LSC’s photographer at signature programs (i.e., Soup & Substance, Tapas Series, Xpressions, SPEAK! Series).

o Create monthly calendar for Lealtad-Suzuki Center bulletin board.

o Assist with filing, organizing, and maintenance of the LSC library.

o Meet regularly with the LSC Director, Department Coordinator, and Student Assistant staff

o Attend DML staff training and events

o Serve as an ambassador for the Department of Multicultural Life both on and off campus

2013-2014 GENERAL STUDENT VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

DEPARTMENT OF MULTICULTURAL LIFE t MACALESTER COLLEGE

Campus Information

Name______ID#______

Address______Email______

Best Phone Number to Contact You: ______

Class Year______GPA______Major______

Name of 2 Staff/Faculty References: ______

______

Summer Contact Information

Full Address______

Country ______

Phone (home) ______(cell) ______

Preferred E-mail ______

Please rank (1-2, with 1 being the highest) the areas in which you are interested in volunteering:

Cultural House Volunteer ______

Lealtad-Suzuki Center Volunteer ______

Do you plan to study abroad next academic year? ______If yes, when? ______

*Reminder: 2013-2014 Student Volunteer positions require residency in the Cultural House.*

GENERAL STUDENT VOLUNTEER APPLICATION ESSAY QUESTIONS:

All applicants must complete the following essay questions on a separate sheet of paper. All responses should be typed and no longer than 2 pages.

1) Explain why you are interested in a Student Volunteer position in the Department of Multicultural Life (DML). What do you hope to learn from this experience? What do you hope to contribute?

2) Please describe your vision of the meaning and importance of the DML and its programs, staff, and spaces (i.e., the Lealtad-Suzuki Center, Cultural House).

ADDITIONAL ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR SPECIFIC STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

Separate questions must be answered for the specific volunteer position(s) in which you are interested (see below). All responses should be typed and no longer than 2 pages per position.

Cultural House Volunteer Essay Questions

1) Which Cultural House programs excite you and why?

2) Describe any experiences and skills you have with program planning. How do you determine if a program is a “success?”

Lealtad-Suzuki Center Volunteer Essay Questions

1) How familiar are you with the Lealtad-Suzuki Center signature programs? What have you observed so far regarding their impact on the Macalester community?

2) Describe any experiences and skills you have with marketing and/or creative design. What are the necessary components for effective publicity?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO REMEMBER!

· 2013-2014 Student Volunteer positions require residency in the Cultural House.

· Friday, March 15, 2013: All application materials due by end of day.

· Thursday, April 11, 2013, 4:30pm – 6pm: Spring Orientation for selected student volunteers.

· Saturday, August 24, 2013: DML Student Staff & Volunteer Training begins.