Student Assistant I - Dissertation Reviewer

Palo Alto University (PAU) a private nonprofit university founded in 1975 and located in the heart of

Northern Californias Silicon Valley is a community grounded in values of social justice dedicated to

addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of

todays diverse society. The students at PAU reflect the diversity of the region are engaged in their

education and are committed to improving the lives of others. The University sees diversity in its staff

and faculty as very important to serving its diverse student body (or synonymous with inclusive

excellence). PAU has recently been designated a HispanicServing Institution (HSI) and an Asian

American Native American Pacific IslanderServing Institution (AANAPISI). PAU offers undergraduate

and graduate programs with online hybrid and residential options and has an engaged faculty who make

significant contributions to their fields and prepare future leaders who make a difference in the lives of

individuals and communities. When you put all of this together PAU creates a legacy of confident

competent and compassionate professionals who are at the forefront of psychology and counseling and

who move ahead in life by moving lives ahead. Palo Alto University (PAU) is dedicated to promoting

mental health and wellbeing in our diverse community of students. We are committed to providing

resources and support that empower students to achieve their educational and personal goals.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Dissertation Reviewer

Department: Student Success Writing Studio

Reports To: Dr. Robert Randolph Writing Studio Director

Location: All PAU Campuses and Virtually

JOB SUMMARY

The Dissertation Reviewer will use the PAU Dissertation Template Checklist to review PAU PhD and

PsyD Consortium dissertations for adherence to the PAU template and APA style requirements. Reviews

will encompass the cover page abstract body of the manuscript references and intext citations. The

successful candidate must maximize efficiency while working independently be well organized possess

excellent timemanagement skills and have exceptional attention to detail.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibility of the Dissertation Reviewer is to support the Writing Studios mission to

empower students to become confident and effective writers in support of their academic and professional

success.

Format Reviewing: Conducts timely and efficient format reviews of electronic dissertations and

records of students to ensure adherence to PAU and APA formatting standards (including but not

limited to intext citations and references tables figures graphs and charts table of contents list of

tables list of figures and preliminary pages margins fonts pagination headings running head and

headers etc.).

Customer Service and Outreach: Guides and assists students in preparing submitting reviewing and

publishing dissertations.

Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records and track student progress.

Light Copyediting: Apply APA style manual rules for grammar mechanics and spelling (including

but not limited to capitalizing hyphenating italicizing or using numbers instead of letters).

Manuscript Assigning: Manage or coordinate manuscript assignments as needed.

Note: Dissertation reviewing does NOT include oneonone dissertation review sessions with

students general writing assistance tutoring or comprehensive APA instruction.

Maintain accurate records and track student progress.

Perform other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

functions.

Must be an enrolled doctoral student second year or above in good academic standing (3.0 GPA is

preferred) at Palo Alto University.

Available to work during the busy dissertation review season during winter spring and summer

quarters.

Demonstrated proficiency in written communication across various genres and academic disciplines.

Experience writing reviewing and editing academic papers.

Personable reliable confident and able to work independently and quickly with minimal

supervision.

Familiarity with current APA style (7th edition).

Ability to establish rapport with diverse students and create a supportive and inclusive learning

environment.

Genuine interest in supporting fellow students and promoting their academic success.

Prior experience in tutoring mentoring or teaching writing is highly desirable.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

To apply please submit the following: resume/CV cover letter brief writing sample (34 pages) and

recommendation letter from a professor to Robert Randolph (). PAU is

committed to providing an educational environment that supports a diverse equitable and inclusive

population. In your cover letter please include information on how your background and experience have

prepared you to be in an environment that holds equity and inclusion core to its mission and values.

EEOC POLICY

The University is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to nondiscrimination in its

hiring and other employment practices and in the application of its personnel policies. In compliance with

all applicable federal and state laws except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists

employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff members race color religion religious

creed ancestry national origin age (except for minors) sex marital status citizenship status military

service status sexual orientation medical condition (cancerrelated or genetic condition) disability and/or

any another status protected by law. When necessary the University will reasonably accommodate

individuals with disabilities if the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform all essential

functions of the position and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.