Illinois State University is hiring: Extra Help Writer in Normal

Overview

Division Name: Academic Affairs
Department: School of Teaching and Learning

The School of Teaching and Learning is home to four undergraduate teacher education programs and three graduate programs. Our faculty engage in research and partnerships throughout the Bloomington/Normal and Chicagoland areas. As our staff writer, you will help us get the word out about all the great things going on in the School of Teaching and Learning by writing stories for the TCH Newsletter and collaborating on other media and communications projects. You will be expected to cover events, sometimes outside regularly scheduled hours, and interview multiple subjects for most stories. This position requires professional skills such as writing, interviewing, organization, editing, and teamwork. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to network with professionals throughout campus and the greater Bloomington/Normal area.

Salary: $22.00 per hour

Duties

• Interviewing faculty, students, and others related to TCH stories
• Attending and covering events hosted or sponsored by TCH
• Producing original writing and stories for the TCH newsletter
• Collaborating with the Assistant Director on the TCH newsletter and social media
• Editing and proofreading original writing

Benefits

Benefits include time away from work for eligible employees and the option to participate in the University’s 403(b) Plan.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field
• Demonstrated experience writing for an academic department
• Strong writing, copywriting, proofreading, and editing skills
• Basic photography skills, with the ability to do slight edits to photos a plus
• Knowledge of various social media platforms, preferably with a background in creating content for an academic department
• Professional, highly motivated, personable, timely, and detail-oriented with excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

Work Details

Hours: 15-25 hours per week; hours may vary

Proposed Starting Date: September 2025

Required Applicant Documents

Resume
Cover Letter
References, with email address
Two Writing Samples, preferably published work

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Optional Applicant Documents

Certification of Retirement Annuity

Special Instructions for Applicants

Applicants for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. without ISU sponsorship. Sponsorship for work authorization will not be considered for this position.

Extra Help employees may only work up to 28 hours per week for all University employment. Employees are only paid for hours worked and do not qualify for most benefits including health insurance and retirement, with Illinois State University. However, Extra Help employees are eligible to participate in the University’s supplemental retirement savings plans (403b). Applicable retirement information is provided at the time of hire. There is no guarantee that working as Extra Help will lead to or secure permanent employment. In addition, extra help employees may only work up to 900 hours total during their employment.

Please fully complete the entire application including, but not limited to, the education and work history portions. Be specific on your work history, including employment dates (if part-time you must list the number of work hours) and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Please do not put "see resume" in the duties and responsibilities section of the work history. This will be considered an incomplete application and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Illinois State University is authorized to do business within the State of Illinois. All work under this appointment is required to be performed from within the State of Illinois.

Contact Information

Erin Mikulec
emikule@ilstu.edu
(309) 438-8863

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.