Student Leader Selection

Student Leaders play a vital role in shaping the Knox College experience. While our leadership opportunities are diverse, each has the common goal of enhancing campus life, complementing the academic experience, and upholding the College's values of critical thinking, inclusivity, respect, and support. Student Leaders can effect change on campus through mentoring, advocacy, peer education, and program development. They experience the fulfillment of service as well as the added benefit of marketable skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and time management.

Ready to apply?  Head to the job posting on Handshake! 

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year open on January 2, 2024, and are due January 26, 2024. Watch this tutorial video for a walk-through of how to apply.

Selection Process

The Student Leader Selection (SLS) process is a joint hiring process for a variety of student employment positions across campus.  The process includes 15 paid, on-campus Student Leader positions in a variety of offices on campus. The process consists of:

• a common application (applicants may also view the application rubric),
• individual interviews with supervisors, if invited,
• and successful completion of the IDIS 130: Introduction to Leadership 0.5 credit course, taken by new Student Leaders in the Spring term.**
  • The course credits will come at no additional charge, even if it puts you in an "overload" status on credits, however, you may be expected to purchase course materials.

**If you are studying abroad during the spring term, we will work with you to provide you with access to the class/content so you may still participate in the selection process and coursework.  Please indicate that you will not be here in the spring term due to studying abroad in the application, and we will reach out to you with more details about this option if you are hired to serve in one of the Student Leader positions for the next year.

To apply for the Student Leader positions, you will need:

• A resume tailored to being a Student Leader
• An appropriately formatted cover letter that explains your skills and interests in being in a Student Leader position, addressed to the Student Leader Hiring Committee
• Contact information for 2 references (NOT reference letters)
  • A Knox faculty or staff member
  • A current Student Leader

Application Tips and Tricks

We encourage you to have your resume and cover letter reviewed by the Center for Career Success and to utilize Handshake resources on how to best write and format both your resume and cover letter!  Contact the Bastian Family Center for Career Success: careers@knox.edu, stop in and see them (Alumni Hall - 222), or schedule an appointment. They are there to help!  We expect both your resume and cover letter to be correctly formatted.  Check out the examples and resources below from the Center for Career Success!

• Cover letter: Guide / Tips / Additional Resources
• Resume: Example / Student Leader Example / Additional Resources
• Interview preparation and practice: Big Interview

Listing interest in a specific position on the application does not guarantee a student will be offered an individual interview for that position. A candidate's application, individual interview, and overall team composition in each position are considered by supervisors when making hiring decisions. We encourage you to attend one of the tabling sessions to learn more about the process. If you have questions about the process please contact the Campus Life Office at campuslife@knox.edu or 309-341-7527.

Selection Timeline

The Student Leader application opens on January 2 on Handshake and is due no later than January 26.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a student leader, we encourage you to attend a tabling session. The information sessions will include an interactive platform to learn additional details about the selection process and provide an opportunity for students to talk to supervisors and Student Leaders who currently hold the available positions.

Winter term tabling sessions:

• Jan 4, 11 AM - 12 PM, Trustees’ Room
• Jan 16, 5 - 7 PM, Ferris Lounge

Applications Due: January 26

Individual Interviews: Interview emails will be sent on February 8/9, interviews take place February 8 - 20

Decision letters sent: Feb. 26

Acceptance due: March 4

Job Descriptions

Counseling Services Peer Educator 

Dare to Care (D2C) Peer Educator 

Disability Support Services Peer Educator 

Health Services Peer Educator

Intercultural Life Peer Educator (ILPE)

Interfaith Peer Educator (IFPE)

International Ambassador 

Orientation Leader (OL)

Peer Career Leader (PCL)

Resident Assistant (RA) 

Sustainability and Resiliency Project Leader (SRPL)

TRIO Team Leader

Interested in more than one position?

Check out this positions conflict graphic to see what positions conflict and what positions can be held at the same time. 

Ready to Apply?

Apply by going to the Handshake job posting or by searching for "Student Leader" on Handshake! Remember, applications are due January 26.

Learning Goals and Outcomes

Student Leader Selection Process and IDIS 130 goals:

• Provide students the opportunity to practice and develop skills for searching and applying for jobs that emphasize their skillset
• Aid students in building leadership skills through the selection process and IDIS130 course
• Create opportunities for students to learn about various leadership ideologies and topics such as servant leadership, teamwork, conflict management, communication, and reflection
• Strengthen the student representation within the applicant pool to reflect the student population in various leadership roles on campus
• Provide an equitable experience for students to apply for multiple leadership roles through one process
• Build a community of Student Leaders
• Increase student leaders’ understanding of their own and others’ identities and how they impact their meaning-making 

By participating in the Student Leader Selection process and IDIS130 course, students will:

• Develop new ways to practice leadership.
• Practice skills for applying to jobs such as creating a resume and cover letter and doing an interview.
• Build connections with peers and Knox College staff.
• Learn about campus resources and Student Leader opportunities.
• Create their own leadership philosophy, tailored by their experiences.
• Increase their understanding of their own identity and bias and how it impacts their meaning-making.

The IDIS 130 class and overall process are meant to be about more than a position and the practical job skills needed for that singular position. Ideally, students walk away with a better understanding of their identities (socially constructed), strengths/opportunities for growth, and how these ‘things’ impact the ways in which they are seen by faculty/staff and their peers; They also learn how such constructs and experiences impact the work that they are able to do and how they themselves may support their success, and their peers’ success, at Knox.  The Student Leader Selection process strives to meet the goal that students will be able to communicate how being a leader on campus helped them develop transferable skills for the workforce.