Call for Applications:

Doctoral Fellows 2026-2027 Cohort

15 hours/week, total 450 hours

DUE: Sunday, March 1, 2026, 11:59 pm

About the Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies program (CUNY BA)

The CUNY BA for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, the University-wide, individualized degree program seeks to increase student access to high-impact opportunities and allow students to create their own area of specialization outside of traditional majors. Interdisciplinary work represents the future of knowledge, allowing students to “think outside the box,” and in some cases, to consider the world’s great problems. The interdisciplinary approach encourages students to draw on different disciplinary perspectives, integrate their learning, and to explore a topic that is too broad or complex to address with a single discipline (Klein & Newell, 1997). See sample majors, called areas of concentration, on the CUNY BA website.

Like a more accessible honors program, students receive additional support, such as an assigned academic advisor, exclusive access to scholarships, and the opportunity to build relationships while working directly with faculty mentors and the CUNY BA community, which includes staff, faculty, student leaders, campus coordinators, and allies.

The Doctoral Fellows Program

The Fellows program gives doctoral students the opportunity to build skills helpful to future program administration while serving a vital role in administrative support of the program. The CUNY BA Fellowship requires fellows to work a total of 450 non-teaching hours during the academic year, approximately 15 hours per week for 30 weeks. The cohort of Fellows provides vital support to the program, in areas such as recruitment, assessment, community-building, communications, event planning, student leadership development, peer mentoring, and academic- and professional-skill building. Some fellows may also work on special projects such as grant-writing opportunities and other projects as assigned.

Areas of Focus

• Recruitment and Admissions Fellows (2): The Recruitment and Admissions Fellows play a critical role in recruiting students to expand student access by increasing awareness of CUNY BA and supporting the application process. Key responsibilities include:
  • One-on-one or small group coaching: Facilitate coaching sessions with prospective students, helping applicants to create a successful draft of an initial Area of Concentration. Respond to student inquiries.
  • Lead information sessions: Facilitate regular recruitment sessions and assist recruitment initiatives, which includes coordinating the CUNY BA Student Ambassador Program to showcase a current student at events.
  • Recruitment and transfer event outreach: Conduct outreach and represent the program at recruitment or yield events, club meetings, tabling opportunities, or other gatherings.
  • Create recruitment materials: Design or update flyers and information for prospective students or potential “recruiters”, such as faculty or staff.

• Strategic Communication Fellow: The Strategic Communication Fellow helps review and update communication strategies to engage the CUNY BA community, including current and prospective students, faculty mentors, alumnx, and allies. Key responsibilities include:
• Coordinate the newsletter: gathering and writing announcements, student stories, and visual materials for a monthly newsletter. Coordinate posting with staff and the website administrator.
• Create events communications, such as flyers, social media posts, emails and announcements.
• Review and consult on revising student resources (e.g., orientation, handbook, or website materials)
• Create content for social media, news releases, and the program webpage: Write student stories and announcements; design messaging.

• Student Leadership Development Fellows (2): Lead paraprofessional leadership opportunities, including the Peer Mentor Program and Student Leadership Council (SLC). Key responsibilities include:
• Advise the Student Leadership Council (SLC), including SLC elections, transitions in leadership, training, and guidance, ensuring a well-functioning, productive group.
• Recruiting, matching, training, facilitating, and evaluating the Peer Mentor Program to pair incoming new students with a current CUNY BA student
• Partner with Recruitment Fellows on leadership development of the Ambassadors’ program.

• Events Planning and Community-Building Fellow: In conjunction with the staff and Fellows, the Events Planning and Community-Building Fellow builds a slate of academic, professional, and social events, with a focus on community engagement and student learning. Key responsibilities include:
• Coordinate facilitators of events and academic workshops, for example, on building research skills, writing a college narrative, applying to national prestigious fellowships and graduate school, and crafting an impactful personal statement.
• Perform event planning related administrative tasks such as updating events and workshop calendar, managing Zoom meetings, and other related duties.
• The Event Planning and Community-Building Fellow partners with the Strategic Communication Fellow to generate strong engagement from stakeholders, which include current students, alumnx, faculty and faculty mentors, staff, administrators, and donors.
• Lead the high-impact opportunities campaign: To publicize and increase access and engagement in Kuh’s (2008) high-impact opportunities, by organizing workshops on study abroad, undergraduate research, and internships or other experiences.
• Lead or partner on large-scale events, such as the Student Showcase, donor receptions, and alumni panels.

In addition, Fellows will assist with large-scale events, such as the Student Showcase and receptions, and work other projects as assigned.

Eligibility

• Students with administrative experience are encouraged to apply. CUNY BA seeks Fellows from across disciplines and campuses.
• Per the Graduate Center’s funding policy, doctoral fellows are eligible for a maximum of seven years of institutional funding.
  • To be eligible, applicants must be in their third, fourth, or fifth year (i.e., have two to three years left of funding) by the start date of the appointment. Note: the CUNY BA Fellowship replaces the multi-year fellowship for the years that they serve as a CUNY BA Fellow.
  • Depending on program needs, Fellows may be invited back for a total of three years at CUNY BA.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional or volunteer experience in one or more of the project areas: recruitment, admission, advisement, community-building, assessment, communications, events planning, student leadership development, peer mentoring, academic and professional-skill building, or willingness to learn.

Applicants should:

• have administrative experience and CUNY institutional knowledge, teaching experience a plus
• possess a range of skills useful to the development of co-curricular programming, such as outreach, communications, information gathering and presentation
• be familiar with the CUNY BA program; understand the value of interdisciplinary studies
• demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access
• have experience with student development
• display exceptional time management, interpersonal, and organizational skills

Learning Goals

Fellows in the program will have the opportunity to set learning goals and to learn about:

• Project management and team coordination
• University processes, such as program development and best practices
• Technologies used to develop webpages, surveys, and data tracking
• Facilitation and presentation skills
• Advocacy for diversity, equity, and accessibility, by helping students from underrepresented backgrounds thrive, for example, through recruitment, support, and educational workshops.

Job requirements

• The CUNY BA fellowship requires fellows to work a total of 450 non-teaching hours during the academicyear, approximately 15 hours per The position is 60-70% in- person, or more, depending on CUNY policy.

Compensation and Benefits

• The CUNY BA fellowship requires fellows to work a total of 450 non-teaching hours during the academic year, approximately 15 hours per week. The position is 60-70% in-person, or more, depending on CUNY policy.
• Compensation for the fellowship will be a minimum of $30,141 for the academic year.
• The Fellowship is paid in two parts: Fellows will be appointed to the Graduate Center payroll as Graduate Assistant Bs (GAB) at their own current rate (the minimum GAB salary is currently $14,982) and also receive a Provost’s Award in the amount of $15,159 that will be paid through the Office of Fellowships and Financial Aid in two equal lump sum payments. One payment will come towards the beginning of the Fall 2026 semester, and the second will come towards the beginning of the Spring 2027 semester.
• The GAB title provides eligibility to purchase the low-cost NYSHIP health insurance as well as in-state tuition remission for fellows who are within their first ten (10) registered semesters of doctoral study.
• Fellows who are past their ten registered semesters of doctoral study will be eligible to receive in-state tuition remission at the Level III rate as per the 2017-2023 PSC-CUNY contract (this benefit provides for this tuition remission for a maximum of four semesters past the student’s 10^th registered semester).

Application Instructions 

To apply online, you will need:

• a one-page cover letter connecting your experience and interest in the Fellowship to the job description, especially the focus areas for 2026-2027.
• a résumé or CV
• a list of three professional references
• Applicants have the opportunity to share portfolio material, such as work samples or projects (optional).

Questions? Email general@cunyba.cuny.edu or the Academic Director, Dr. Jody Clark Vaisman, at jody.vaisman08@cunyba.cuny.edu or for general inquiries, general@cunyba.cuny.edu .