Graduate Intern - Student Affairs (Engagement & Belonging)

Graduate Intern – Student Affairs (Engagement & Belonging)

Reports To: Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Hours & Compensation: Up to 140 hours/semester @ $22/hour

Target Audience: Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Master's / Doctoral Students

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Massachusetts. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to apprenticeship and entrepreneurship. Today, that legacy has evolved into an accredited college that delivers accessible tech and trade education to level the playing field for aspiring talent.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, Franklin Cummings Tech offers a unique mix of certificates and degrees that appeal to enterprising students from Eastern Massachusetts and respond to employer demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation, helping to spur incredible growth in the past four years.
 

Franklin Cummings Tech educates more than 1,000 learners annually across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education enrollees, and 3) early college students. As evidence that our mission holds resonance student enrollment is up and Fall 2027 applications have soared 16% year over year.
 

We seek optimistic, data-informed, and dedicated colleagues who are eager to increase student success outcomes and boost total enrollment to 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission-driven work! 

 
POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the Student Affairs leadership team, the Graduate Intern will gain practical, hands-on experience in higher education student life, campus programming, retention initiatives, and community support frameworks. Working closely with Student Affairs staff and cross-functional campus partners, the Intern will assist in planning student engagement activities and student leadership programs, supporting wellness initiatives, and strengthening community resource referral networks.

This role offers an HGSE graduate student an ideal opportunity to apply student development theory in an urban technical college setting. The Intern will play a direct role in creating an inclusive campus environment where students build leadership skills, establish peer connections, and access the resources necessary to navigate external barriers to their academic success.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Event Planning & Campus Programming

• Event Coordination: Collaborate closely with the Operations Coordinator and Student Affairs team to assist in planning, marketing, and executing student activities, workshops, and campus traditions.

• Orientation & Campus Traditions: Assist with student orientation programs, transition events, and campus-wide initiatives designed to foster student belonging throughout their educational journey.

• Wellness Initiatives: Support the planning and rollout of Wellness Week and related health awareness programming designed to promote student well-being and connection to campus resources.

• Assessment & Marketing: Help gather student feedback and engagement trends to evaluate programming, and assist in creating clean visual promotional materials (e.g., flyers, digital announcements, and social media posts).

2. Student Engagement, Leadership & Belonging

• Student Leadership Support: Assist with the Franklin Leaders student leadership initiative, supporting student club coordination, meeting facilitation, and peer leadership development activities.

• Inclusive Engagement: Help co-create inclusive programming that reflects the diverse identities and lived experiences of Franklin Cummings Tech students.

• Student Outreach: Conduct proactive outreach to students who may be disengaged or isolated from campus life, helping connect them to campus activities and peer networks.

• Cross-Department Collaboration: Work alongside Success Coaches and faculty to identify students who would benefit from increased co-curricular involvement, providing peer-level encouragement to help students balance academic commitments with campus involvement.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

• Direct Mentorship: 1-on-1 supervision, guidance, and professional mentorship from Student Affairs leadership.

• Institutional Insight: Comprehensive exposure to urban technical college administration, student retention models, and co-curricular programming.

• Portfolio Development: Tangible, resume-building experience co-designing student leadership frameworks, managing campus-wide event logistics, and managing student resource networks.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• Enrollment: Currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Graduate Intern is also expected to enroll in S997 alongside the internship.

• Field Focus: Demonstrated interest in student affairs, higher education leadership, student development, or retention initiatives.

• Communication: Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Detail & Design: High attention to detail with interest or experience in basic event planning and simple visual design/flyer creation.

• Student-Centered Approach: Empathetic, approachable demeanor with a commitment to supporting diverse student populations facing systemic or personal barriers.

• Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with campus stakeholders (Success Coaches, Operations Coordinator, Faculty) and maintain discretion.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.