Student Assistant I - Dissertation Reviewer at Palo Alto University – Los Altos, California

Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university, founded in 1975 and located in the heart of

Northern California’s 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

today’s 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 Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian

American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving 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 well-being 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 in-text citations. The

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

excellent time-management skills, and have exceptional attention to detail.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibility of the Dissertation Reviewer is to support the Writing Studio’s 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 in-text 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 one-on-one 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 (3-4 pages), and

recommendation letter from a professor to Robert Randolph (rrandolph@paloaltou.edu). 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 non-discrimination 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 member's race, color, religion, religious

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

service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related 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.