Work and Volunteer for LOCUS
The LOCUS program provides first-year students living off-campus with an exceptional on-campus experience, and we could not do this without our dedicated student volunteer team!
A great way to get involved with the Laurier campus community and participate in the shaping of the first-year student experience is by joining the LOCUS (Laurier Off-Campus University Students) team. While we have finished hiring our team for the 2025/2026 academic year those interested in getting involved in the future can take a look at the position details for our team members below:
Volunteer Positions
Check out the position descriptions below to see what role(s) interests you. Hiring for the 2026/2027 academic year will begin near the end of the Fall 2026 term.
An off-campus advisor works with the advisor team to plan regular programming for first-years and is there to answer any questions students may have on school, academics, the city, or just life in general.
Position Description
Reports to: Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
Time Commitment: Five to seven hours per week and Orientation
Position Details
- Host social events with the intent of building positive social relationships for the LOCUS students
- Host events themed around campus services/community, academic, wellness, virtual programming, and living in Brantford/Waterloo
- Be a consistent resource to the first-year students by answering questions, addressing concerns, sharing resources, and making referrals
- Hold a position as an ice-breaker on the Orientation team and fulfill all the duties as outlined in that job description (hours determined by the Students’ Union, typically 30+ hours for orientation programming plus training)
- Work with the Orientation team to actively promote the LOCUS program, as well as ensure that the first-year student population experiences an exceptional orientation week
- Create & maintain a friendly relationship with first-year off-campus students
- Attend all training, including mandatory summer training
- Support other LOCUS staff by promoting & attending their events, including LOCUS House Council, the First Year Leadership Program events, etc.
- Attend LOCUS staff meetings, events, & one-on-ones
- Actively participate in the planning, facilitation and evaluation of larger-scale programming from LOCUS in campus-wide events such as Thrive Week, Keep Calm & Study On, Fall/Winter Orientation etc.
- Attend FYLP events including those planned by campus councils and Hawk Weekend/Golden Hawk Challenge.
- Maintain open and honest communication with everyone involved in the success of LOCUS
- Promote, present, and recruit students to the LOCUS program at various events (Open Houses, Orientation, etc)
- Act as an ambassador of the LOCUS program and Wilfrid Laurier University
- Optional: Successful candidates may have the opportunity to apply to be a council advisor within the First Year Leadership Program
Meeting Expectations
- Weekly LOCUS Staff Team Meetings
- Monthly one-on-ones with the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
- Other meetings as assigned
Work Hours and Stipend Information
- August Training: LOCUS Program Training + Students’ Union Orientation Training (Dates TBA)
- These training sessions must be attended in person/on campus
- Fall Orientation: 35-40 hours
- Spring/Summer Term: 5-7 hours per month
- All spring/summer hours (except August training) can be completed remotely and mainly consist of online asynchronous training modules
- Fall and Winter term: 5-7 hours per week
- During the fall & winter terms, the successful candidates will be paid a stipend of $575 per semester
- Successful candidates hired as advisors within the First Year Leadership Program will earn an additional stipend
Benefits of the Role
- Opportunity to mentor first-year off-campus students and make their first-year experience positive and memorable
- Opportunity to develop and improve organization, leadership, presentation, and time management skills
- Opportunity to plan programs and events designed for first-year students
- Opportunity to effectively and creatively communicate with off-campus students and campus partners about the LOCUS program
- Opportunity to collaborate with various departments on campus, ie: Transition and Learning Services, Wellness Education, Dean of Students Office, Your Students’ Union, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Learning Skills and Development, Athletics and Recreation, etc.
Successful Candidates will:
- Be enrolled as a full-time Laurier undergraduate student for the 2024/2025 school year
- Have experienced one full academic year at Wilfrid Laurier University
- Have a minimum GPA of 6.0, or the minimum required GPA to progress within their academic program, whichever is higher
- Have a passion for student leadership, engagement, and providing an exceptional first-year student experience
- Have demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Have demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Have proven creativity, innovation, and initiative, particularly in regard to event planning and communicating with students
The marketing and engagement executive works directly with the Off-Campus Advisor (OCA) team to amplify and promote all programming offered through the LOCUS program. Special focus and support will be given to increasing the social media presence of the LOCUS program across various platforms.
Position Description
Reports to: Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
Time Commitment: 5-7 hours per week + Orientation
Position Details
- Work with the LOCUS student leader team and assist in promoting LOCUS-led programs and events each month
- Ensure that there is a social media strategy for all LOCUS accounts
- Populate consistent and engaging content on LOCUS social media accounts including the use of stories, reels, and posts
- Maintain consistent records of LOCUS events, FYLP events, key university dates/deadlines, and campus partner’s programs to ensure frequent and timely promotions
- Create innovative content that educates off-campus students about the Laurier community and the broader Waterloo, Brantford & Milton community
- Host engaging contests to push higher followers and engagement on social media accounts
- Be a consistent resource to the first-year students by hosting drop-in hours, answering questions, addressing concerns, and making referrals
- Attend all training, including mandatory August training
- Support LOCUS staff attending their events and capturing content
- Coordinate the event reflection process and any event wrap-up details
- Provide staff and administrative support throughout Orientation, including working the LOCUS registration booth, staffing during OCA breaks/downtime, assisting in facilitating LOCUS-specific programming
- Attend LOCUS staff meetings, events, and one-on-ones
- Actively participate in the planning, facilitation and evaluation of larger-scale programming from LOCUS in campus-wide events such as Thrive Week, Keep Calm & Study On, etc.
- Promote, present, and recruit students to the LOCUS program at various events (Open Houses, Orientation Week, etc)
- Maintain open and honest communication with everyone involved in the success of LOCUS
- Create & maintain a friendly relationship with first-year off-campus students
- Act as an ambassador of the LOCUS program and Wilfrid Laurier University
Meeting Expectations
- Weekly LOCUS Staff Team Meetings
- Monthly one-on-ones with the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
- Other meetings as assigned
Work Hours and Stipend Information
- August Training: LOCUS Program Training (Dates TBA)
- This training must be attended in person/on campus
- Fall Orientation: 35-40 hours
- Spring/Summer Term: 5-7 hours per month
- All spring/summer hours (except August training) can be completed remotely and mainly consist of online asynchronous training modules
- Fall and Winter term: 5-7 hours per week
- During the fall & winter terms, the successful candidates will be paid a stipend of $575 per semester
Benefits of the Role
- Opportunity to mentor first-year off-campus students and make their first-year experience positive and memorable
- Opportunity to develop and improve organization, leadership, presentation, and time management skills
- Opportunity to plan programs and events designed for first-year students
- Opportunity to effectively and creatively communicate with off-campus students and campus partners about the LOCUS program
- Opportunity to collaborate with various departments on campus, ie: Transition and Learning Services, Wellness Education, Dean of Students Office, Your Students’ Union, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Learning Skills and Development, Athletics and Recreation, etc.
Successful Candidates will:
- Be enrolled as a full-time Laurier undergraduate student for the 2024/2025 school year
- Have experienced one full academic year at Wilfrid Laurier University
- Have a minimum GPA of 6.0, or the minimum required GPA to progress within their academic program, whichever is higher
- Have a passion for student leadership, engagement, and providing an exceptional first-year student experience
- Have demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Have demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Have proven creativity, innovation, and initiative, particularly in regard to event planning and communicating with students
The LOCUS House Council Advisor works with the council to plan monthly programming for the first years and is responsible for the continued growth and development of the council and its members.
Position Description
Reports to: Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
Time Commitment: 5-7 hours per week + Orientation
Position Details
- Recruit, hire, train and evaluate the group of first-year off-campus students on the LOCUS House Council
- Advise and support the council in the planning and facilitation of the monthly house council events
- Work with the Campus Liaison to create meaningful ways to train, develop and collaborate with the LOCUS Campus Council Representatives
- Work with the Orientation team to actively promote the LOCUS program, as well as ensure that the first-year student population experiences an exceptional orientation
- Remain informed of all events planned by the First Year Leadership Program (FYLP) and attend FYLP events including those planned by campus councils and Hawk Weekend/Golden Hawk Challenge.
- Provide staff and administrative support throughout Orientation, including working the LOCUS registration booth, staffing during OCA breaks/downtime, assisting in facilitating LOCUS-specific programming
- Create & maintain a friendly relationship with first-year off-campus students
- Be a consistent resource to the first-year students by answering questions, addressing concerns, providing resources, and making referrals
- Attend all training, including mandatory August training
- Support other LOCUS staff by promoting & attending their events
- Attend LOCUS staff meetings, events, & one-on-ones
- Actively participate in the planning, facilitation and evaluation of larger-scale programming from LOCUS in campus-wide events such as Thrive Week, Keep Calm & Study On, Fall/Winter Orientation, etc.
- Promote, present, and recruit students to the LOCUS program at various events (Open Houses, Orientation etc)
- Maintain open and honest communication with everyone involved in the success of LOCUS
- Act as an ambassador of the LOCUS program and Wilfrid Laurier University
Meeting Expectations
- Weekly LOCUS Staff Team Meetings
- Weekly LOCUS House Council Meetings
- Weekly LOCUS House Council Executive Meetings
- Monthly one-on-ones with the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
- Other meetings as assigned
Work Hours and Stipend Information
- August Training: LOCUS Program Training (Dates TBA)
- This training must be attended in person/on campus
- Fall Orientation: 35-40 hours
- House Council Hiring Weekend: September 12th to 14th
- House Council Onboarding: 5-7 hours in September
- Spring/Summer Term: 5-7 hours per month
- All spring/summer hours (except August training) can be completed remotely and mainly consist of online asynchronous training modules
- Fall and Winter term: 5-7 hours per week
- During the fall & winter terms, the successful candidates will be paid a stipend of $575 per semester
Benefits of the Role
- Opportunity to mentor first-year off-campus students and make their first-year experience positive and memorable
- Opportunity to develop and improve organization, leadership, presentation, and time management skills
- Opportunity to plan programs and events designed for first-year students
- Opportunity to effectively and creatively communicate with off-campus students and campus partners about the LOCUS program
- Opportunity to collaborate with various departments on campus, ie: Transition and Learning Services, Wellness Education, Dean of Students Office, Your Students’ Union, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Learning Skills and Development, Athletics and Recreation, etc.
Successful Candidates will:
- Be enrolled as a full-time Laurier undergraduate student for the 2024/2025 school year
- Have experienced one full academic year at Wilfrid Laurier University
- Have a minimum GPA of 6.0, or the minimum required GPA to progress within their academic program, whichever is higher
- Have a passion for student leadership, engagement, and providing an exceptional first-year student experience
- Have demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Have demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Have proven creativity, innovation, and initiative, particularly in regard to event planning and communicating with students
Please note, that this role is exclusively on the Waterloo campus. All other positions are available on the Brantford and Waterloo campuses.
The Campus Liaison collaborates with the Students’ Union and Residence Department. The Campus Liaison works with the LOCUS Representatives on the FYLP’s Campus Councils to facilitate opportunities for leadership development and growth. In addition, they maintain regular communication with the Students’ Union Orientation Team to ensure LOCUS is aware of all updates and events.
Position Description
Reports to: Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives
Time Commitment: 5-7 hours per week + Orientation
Position Details
- Work alongside the Coordinator to create effective summer communications to off-campus students surrounding Orientation
- Regularly communicate with the Students’ Union Head Icebreakers during Orientation to coordinate LOCUS needs as well as ensure that the first-year student population experiences an exceptional orientation.
- Recruit, hire, train and evaluate the LOCUS Campus Council Representatives for the First Year Leadership Program (FYLP)
- Advise and support the LOCUS Campus Council Representatives by facilitating regular meetings to support student growth and development
- Be a resource to the FYLP Campus Council Advisors in creating more accessible events that best suit the off-campus student experience
- Be a consistent resource to the first-year students by hosting drop-in hours, answering questions, addressing concerns, and making referrals
- Work with the LOCUS House Council Advisor to create meaningful ways to train, develop and collaborate with the LOCUS House Council Representatives
- Plan, facilitate and evaluate programming in collaboration with the campus community (eg. Event collaborations for first-year Laurier athletic nights)
- Attend all training, including mandatory August training
- Support other LOCUS staff by promoting & attending their events
- Actively participate in planning, facilitating, and evaluating larger-scale programming from LOCUS for campus-wide events such as Thrive Week, Keep Calm & Study On, etc.
- Attend LOCUS Staff meetings, events, & one-on-ones
- Maintain open and honest communication with everyone involved in the success of LOCUS
- Promote, present, and recruit students to the LOCUS program at various events (Open Houses, Orientation Week, etc)
- Create & maintain a friendly relationship with first-year off-campus students
- Act as an ambassador of the LOCUS program and Wilfrid Laurier University
Meeting Expectations
- Weekly LOCUS Staff Team Meetings (Time TBD)
- Bi-Weekly LOCUS Campus Council Meetings (Time TBD)
- Weekly Campus Council Meetings (Traditionally Tuesdays at 10 pm) (drop-in)
- Weekly Waterloo Leadership Council Meetings (Wednesdays at 5:30 pm – 7 pm)
- Monthly one-on-ones with the Coordinator, Off-Campus First-Year Initiatives
- Attend Orientation Week Executive Meetings
- Other meetings as assigned
Work Hours and Stipend Information
- August Training: LOCUS Program Training (Dates TBA)
- Orientation: August 31 – September 7, 35-40 hours
- Campus Council Representatives Training: 5-7 hours in September
- May to July: 5-7 hours per month
- August: up to 5 hours per week
- All spring/summer hours (except August training) can be completed remotely and mainly consist of online asynchronous training modules
- Fall and Winter term: 5-7 hours per week
- During the fall & winter terms, the successful candidates will be paid a stipend of $575 per semester
Benefits of the Role
- Opportunity to mentor first-year off-campus students and make their first-year experience positive and memorable
- Opportunity to develop and improve organization, leadership, presentation and time management skills
- Opportunity to plan programs and events designed for first-year students
- Opportunity to effectively and creatively communicate with off-campus students and campus partners about the LOCUS program
- Opportunity to collaborate with various departments on campus, ie: Transition and Learning Services, Wellness Education, Dean of Students Office, Your Students’ Union, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Learning Skills and Development, Athletics and Recreation, etc.
Successful Candidates will
- Be enrolled as a full-time Laurier undergraduate student for the 2024/2025 school year
- Have experienced one full academic year at Wilfrid Laurier University
- Have a minimum GPA of 6.0, or the minimum required GPA to progress within their academic program, whichever is higher
- Have a passion for student leadership, engagement, and providing an exceptional first-year student experience
- Have demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Have demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Have proven creativity, innovation, and initiative, particularly in regard to event planning and communicating with students