Job Details  

Program Assistant
Students cannot apply for this job online.
Job ID 75235
Job Funding Source Non-Work-Study
Employer Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Office of
Category Professional/Administrative
Job Description

Position Description: Sustainable Design Guidelines Advisory Council Student Representative 

The Sustainable Design Guidelines Advisory Council serves as a steering committee for U-M’s effort to evaluate, revise, and enhance its design guidelines to more effectively advance institutional commitments to energy, climate action, sustainability, and environmental equity.

The council includes staff representatives from various units and a student representative. The Office of Campus Sustainability and Innovation is seeking a highly motivated, knowledgeable, and community-oriented student representative. 

 

This engagement spans summer 2026 to spring 2027, with the bulk of the effort during the 2026-27 academic year. Meetings take place every 6-8 weeks in a hybrid format, offering the ability to participate virtually when needed. This position reports to the Sustainable Design Guidelines Project manager, Katrina Folsom.

Responsibilities: 

  • Attend council meetings. 

  • Attend Student Sustainability Advisory Board and Student Carbon Neutrality Network meetings to share updates and gather feedback (5 hrs/month during the school year; 3 hrs/month in the summer).

  • Gather feedback from fellow students to share with the council and project team. 

  • Review and provide feedback on draft documents. 

  • Identify and co-facilitate opportunities to keep students, faculty, and staff updated on the project in targeted ways, such as class presentations and design-focused events.

Educational Value

This position offers students valuable hands-on experience in sustainability planning, stakeholder engagement, and institutional decision-making within a large university environment. The student representative will develop professional skills in communication, facilitation, collaboration, and strategic thinking while contributing to a real-world initiative focused on sustainable design, climate action, and environmental equity. Through participation in advisory council discussions, document review, and community engagement efforts, students will gain exposure to interdisciplinary sustainability work and build experience applicable to careers in sustainability, planning, design, public policy, higher education, and related fields.

 
 
 
Job Requirements

Qualifications: 

 

 

  • Must be a U-M (Ann Arbor, Flint, or Dearborn) student through spring 2027.

  • Experience as a member of or working with student sustainability organizations.

  • Demonstrated skills in communicating complex ideas, building rapport, and balancing competing priorities.

  • Ability to attend all or most council meetings, which take place during standard business hours, Mon-Fri 9-5 (to be determined).

  • Knowledge of sustainable design and U-M sustainability goals and initiatives more broadly.

A resume and cover letter are required for consideration. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in and qualifications for this position. Please also tell us one top priority you would have in this role.

 

Please send resume and cover letter to Katrina Folsom (kfolsom@umich.edu), with the subject line: Application - Sustainable Design Guidelines Student Rep.

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Hourly Rate $17.00/hour
Hours 1.5 hours per week
Time Frame Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer
Start Date July 6 - August 24
End Date Spring 2027
Primary Contact Sarah Dawn Suchanek
Primary Contact's Email kfolsom@umich.edu
Supervisor Katrina Folsom
Work Location Work can be performed fully remote.
Phone N/A
Fax N/A