Host a HESA-Affiliated Graduate Assistant

Why host a HESA GA? What are the benefits? Check out top reasons to hire a HESA-Affiliated Graduate Assistant (PDF).

As a graduate preparation program, UConn HESA aims to develop reflective scholar-practitioners. We strongly encourage students to hold a graduate assistantship unless they are employed in another higher education or related role. HESA-Affiliated graduate assistantships are critical to the majority of our students’ learning and ability to fund their graduate education. 

Graduate assistantship sites also gain significant benefits from employing a HESA student during their two years of graduate study. HESA students bring rich and varied experiences in higher education and related fields. HESA students focus on applying what they are learning from our curriculum to their assistantships. Hosting a HESA-Affiliated graduate assistantship is an investment in emerging higher education and student affairs practitioners and adding a valuable colleague to your organization.

GA Hiring Process

The HESA program helps to facilitate the matching of interested admitted students with HESA-Affiliated graduate assistantship sites. We are happy to discuss the details of the process with prospective sites. These are the general features of the process: 

• Mid-fall semester: Your office or department commits to hosting one or more GAs for a two year period and provides us with a job description. 
• January: HESA faculty offer admissions to qualified prospective students and invite them to apply for GA positions. 
• February: HESA program shares applicant information with sites, facilitating an interview process in which sites interview multiple applicants and admitted students interview with one or more sites.
• March-April: HESA and representatives from your office or department work together to make offers to desired admitted students. We aim to meet the preferences of both the admitted students and the GA site and to fill as many positions as possible. 
• April-June: HESA program works with representatives from your office or department to facilitate the hiring and onboarding process with the new GA.

Current and Past HESA-Affiliated Graduate Assistantship Sites

Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES)
Asian American Cultural Center
Careers for the Common Good
Center for Academic Programs/Student Support Services
Center for Career Development
Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences- Undergraduate Affairs and Outreach
Community Standards
Dean of Students Office
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
Graduate School
Office of Institutional Equity
Pre-College Summer
Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC)
Rainbow Center
School of Law- Graduate and International Programs
Student Activities- Community Outreach
Student Activities- Leadership and Organizational Development
Student Activities- Major Events and Programs
Student Activities- Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG)
Student Union
Women's Center