Communications Student AssistantAt — CSUF - Parking & Transportation Services

Under the direction of the Parking and Transportation (PTS) Communications and Project Specialist and/or the PTS full-time administrative team members, the Communications Student Assistant will provide support for graphic design creation and drafting social media posts. They may occasionally assist with department events. The student assistant will provide administrative support and other tasks as assigned.

The Parking and Transportation Services Department provides access to the campus through alternative commute options and parking programs that mitigate traffic congestion and improve air quality by reducing mobile source emissions. The Communications Student Assistant will support content creation and social media efforts to improve awareness of Parking and Commuting services, policies, procedures, and upcoming parking updates.

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of the internship, Audrey will have received first-hand knowledge and be able to:
1) Draft a communication plan on behalf of an organization, route communications for team input and edits, and implement and publish communications via email, social, newsletter, website, etc.
2) Learn to facilitate media partnerships by assisting with interview requests - Student will research journalists and outlets and provide initial written responses to inquires.
3) Learn to be a brand ambassador on behalf of a department- Student will join the Communications Specialist at Orientations and Outreach events to provide campus information, resources, and promote department initiatives.
4) Student will grow & develop critical software skills with platforms such as: Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Photoshop, Smartsheet, Omni CMS web, etc.
5) Student will experience event coordination and assist with event planning, including: invite development, social media promotion, event outreach & coverage, etc.

Training  

To help the student achieve the proposed learning outcomes, I will:
1) Always allow a student to create the first draft of any needed social post, email, or web edit, so that I may offer constructive feedback and provide brand management recommendations.
2) Always be available to the student when they have questions. I will also look for mentoring & professional development opportunities available to the student, as they arise.
3) Assist the student with networking opportunities by finding ways to introduce them to other CSUF professionals, both internally & across departments
4) Continue to review their work and offer suggestions for improvement to apply to their coursework and future work opportunities.

Tasks/Duties  

The intern will demonstrate the learning outcomes by
1) Improving engagement & Social following for @csufpts on Instagram and X.
2) Ability to independently create and update a webpage.
3) Ability to present at public-facing outreach events and provide customers with accurate information and available resources.
4) Successfully building professional relationships with the CSUF community, the general public, and fellow student assistants.