Atkins Fellow - Student Wellness

Academic libraries are increasingly creating positions and offering services and resources that support the overall well-being of students. Recognizing that students have other aspects of their lives that impact their ability to succeed in their academic careers, academic libraries can play an important role in supporting them. This project will explore how academic libraries can support public health initiatives and/or harm reduction efforts by helping develop recommendations for a sustainable model for Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte. Some public health and harm reduction efforts include (but are not limited to) substance test kits, safer sex kits, free menstrual products in the library bathrooms, free COVID tests, food pantry, and stress reduction and health literacy programming. One harm reduction effort that is more common in public libraries involves training public-facing library employees to recognize the signs of an overdose, administer Narcan (Naloxone), and to make the medication freely available in the library.

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the ways that academic libraries can support these student wellness efforts. Employing a variety of research methods, the Fellow will collect information about different approaches to integrating public health initiatives and harm reduction practices in academic libraries, gather best practices from university and public libraries offering these services, and meet with campus units that can partner on these efforts. This project will help inform the approach that Atkins Library can use to further support student wellness on campus. The Fellow will gain experience collaborating with faculty and staff throughout campus who are dedicated to student well-being and health. They will work closely with the Student Success Librarian, gaining exposure to the different elements of this type of work in academic libraries. This position will appeal to MLIS students who are interested in the intersections of libraries and public health and harm reduction, community engagement, and research.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Applications submitted by January 29, 2025 will receive first consideration.

To learn more about the Atkins Fellows program, including housing and transportation options, please visit https://library.charlotte.edu/atkinsfellows/

Participants will receive a $1500 housing and transportation stipend to help with the cost of moving to Charlotte for the fellowship.

Please submit a resume, cover letter and list of three references with your application.

Please ensure your full range of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience and education are listed on your application.

Temporary staff employees are ineligible to receive benefits (leave, health coverage, State service credit, etc.). They are, however, covered by Worker’s Compensation provisions.

However, any non-permanent employee hired to work 30 or more hours per week for three months or more (cumulative of all positions, and not designated as variable hour worker), must be offered the chance to enroll in the High Deductible Health Plan, within 30 days of their eligibility. Any non-permanent employee hired to work less than 30 hours per week (cumulative of all positions, or designated as variable hour worker – i.e. student workers) are measured during designated measurement periods. If they average 30 or more hours per week over a designated measurement period, they will be offered the chance to enroll in the High Deductible Health Plan, and will be notified of instructions.

Special Notes Regarding Eligibility for the High Deductible Health Plan