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University Recreation Graduate Assistant for Fitness

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Part-time
Remote friendly (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville United States of America)
Worldwide

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Closing Date:

03/14/2026


Type of Position:

Graduate Assistant


Workstudy Position:

No


Job Type:

Academic Term (Fixed Term)


Work Shift:

Day Shift (United States of America)


Sponsorship Available:

No


Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

If you have a disability and need assistance with the hiring process, please submit a request via the Disability Accommodations | OEOC | University of Arkansas (uark.edu) : Request an Accommodation. Appli­cants are required to submit a request for each position of which they have applied.

For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at 479.575.5351.


Department:

Fitness & Wellness


Department's Website:


Summary of Job Duties:

The University Recreation Fitness Graduate Assistant will assist the Assistant Director of Fitness with overseeing the daily functions of the personal training program, ensuring efficient service delivery and a positive member experience. This position will assist in the supervision and management of a team of 10+ personal trainers, providing guidance and support to enhance their performance. This position is responsible for administering fitness programs and maintaining accurate records related to program participation and staff schedules. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

This position will develop UA Career-Ready skills such as critical thinking, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.


Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum 3.0 grade point average

  • Admission to a graduate degree program prior to employment is required (Note: GPA and GRE requirements are program specific and must be met prior to admission)

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or currently completing a bachelor’s degree, preferably in Recreation, Kinesiology, or a related field of study

  • Current personal training and/or group fitness certification from an accredited fitness organization such as ACE, ACSM, NSCA, and NASM

  • Experience working in a Campus Recreation setting as a student employee

  • Experience of assuming a leadership role within Campus Recreation

  • CPR/First Aid/AED Certification and Instructor Certification or obtain upon employment

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Knowledge of collegiate recreation and fitness programming

  • Candidate must have excellent written and verbal communication, customer service, and supervisory skills

  • Skilled in organization and time management

  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet project deadlines

  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

  • Ability to work collaboratively with others

  • Ability to create environments that foster equitable participation of all groups while seeking to address and acknowledge issues of oppression, privilege, and power

  • Has a sense of their own agency and social responsibility that includes others, their community, and the large global context


Additional Information:

Federal Work Study Requirement:

  • Federal Work Study award not required

Required License(s), Training, Certification(s), & Background Checks:

  • Pediatric & Adult First Aid, CPR, and AED certification or be able to obtain certification within 40 days of hire (UREC will provide a certification opportunity, if needed)

  • Required criminal background check

  • Required sex offender registry check

Compensation & Benefits:

  • $19,260 for a 50% appointed, 12-month master's-seeking GA position

  • Tuition paid – A 50% graduate assistantship and six hours of credit class is considered full-time graduate status

  • Optional - Partially funded student health insurance

  • Employee Assistance Program counseling services

Hours and Schedule:

  • The position is designed to be a 20 hour per week in-person commitment

  • Weekly office hours are set by Graduate Assistant with flexible scheduling based on academic commitments

  • Weekly office hours worked between 8 am-5 pm, with occasional presentations or events pre-scheduled outside of business hours

  • Hours determined on a semesterly basis and flexible around academic commitments

  • Mandatory GA training required in August, 1 week prior to Fall Semester classes starting

Employment Timeline:

Start date is July 2026. This position is eligible for up to two years of continuous employment as a Graduate Assistant, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued academic enrollment

Supervision:

Assistant Director of Fitness, University Recreation + Wellness

This job will provide experiences to develop the following UA Career-Ready Skills:

  • Leadership | Technology | Professionalism | Teamwork

  • Ability to Facilitate Group Dynamics: Recognize the importance of group dynamics in achieving organizational goals and facilitating group dynamics by leveraging team member strengths, putting team members in a position to succeed, collectively setting group norms, and resolving conflicts effectively

  • Ability to Inspire, Persuade, & Motivate: Ability to use emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills through acknowledging others’ needs, contributions, thoughts, and feelings with the goal of guiding and motivating others and improving the team’s functioning and success

  • Ability to Adapt to New Technologies: Explore, learn, and integrate new or unfamiliar technologies to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making and achieve strategic goals

  • Ability to Integrate Strengths: Ability to recognize the knowledge, skills, and abilities of others and integrate them into the team's performance

  • Ability to Demonstrate Dependability: Act as a dependable, diligent member of a work environment by being present, prepared, responsible for your actions, behaviors, performance, and decisions and showing attention to detail

Application Instructions and Required Documents:

Please contact Lauren Campbell at lc082@uark.edu with additional questions about the position

  • Resume, cover letter, 3 professional references

  • Application documents must be submitted in Workday

  • Application deadline: None


Salary Information:


Required Documents to Apply:

Optional Documents:


Recruitment Contact Information:


All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.


Special Instructions to Applicants:


Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.


Constant Physical Activity:

Crouching, Grasping, Hearing, Kneeling, Lifting, Reaching, Standing, Stooping, Talking, Walking


Frequent Physical Activity:

Balancing, Feeling, Manipulate items with fingers, including keyboarding, Pulling, Pushing, Repetitive Motion


Occasional Physical Activity:

Climbing, Crawling, Sitting


Benefits Eligible: