Position Overview
This posting covers several different positions with the VISTA newspaper: Editor-in-Chief, Digital/Managing Editor, Photographer, Sports Editor, Photo Editor, and Reporter.
Hours per Week
10-20 hours per week.
College/Department Overview
The Vista is a department within Mass Communication and was established in 1903 as the student newspaper of the University of Central Oklahoma and is the longest, continually published student newspaper in the state.
Department Specific Job Functions
Editor-in-Chief:
- Duties include guiding a Digital First approach and overseeing the weekly version of The Vista. This includes: acting as voice and face of the student newspaper, oversight of all other positions on the paper, oversight and management of layout and design, contributing articles for weekly content, acting as head editorial writer, and leading weekly staff meetings.
Digital/Managing Editor:
- The Managing Editor will assign stories, manage assignments, assist in page design, coordinate photography and copy edit stories. In addition, the managing editor will help generate story ideas and occasionally report as needed
Sports Editor:
- The managing editor will assign sports stories, manage assignments, assist in page design, coordinate photography and copy edit stories. In addition, the managing editor will help generate story ideas and report as needed.
Photo Editor:
- Duties include assigning and shooting events on and off campus for weekly photographic content. This includes: ensuring each story is assigned a photographer to provide art, ensuring each story has said art attached before publishing, communicating with staff to determine effective art, assigning and contributing photo-stories throughout the semester, ensuring proper layout and design needs are met for each photo before publishing, and other duties as assigned.
Photographer:
- The photographer will shoot assigned stories in a variety of subjects, including news, sports, activities and entertainment.
Reporter:
- The Reporter will interview, report, and edit stories/articles.
Enrollment Requirements
Fall/Spring Semesters: All student employees must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible to work any UCO student position. Half-time enrollment for fall/spring semesters is considered 5 hours for graduates and 6 hours for undergraduates. International students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible to work as a student employee. Full-time enrollment is 9 credit hours for graduates and 12 credit hours for undergraduates.
Summer Semester: Student employees working regular student positions must be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours to be eligible to work during the summer. Students not enrolled in summer classes must be enrolled in fall classes in order to work during the summer, but they (and the department) will be required to pay FICA taxes. Student employees working FWSP positions must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours (if undergraduate) or 5 credit hours (if graduate) in order to work during the summer in a Federal Work Study Program position.
Enrollment Exception: If the number of credit hours needed to graduate is less than the minimum number of hours required for student employment, the student must obtain a letter from their Academic Advisor (stating the number of hours needed to graduate and anticipated graduation date) and submit it to Human Resources. This pertains to both regular and Federal Work Study Program positions. Contact jobs@uco.edu for more information.
Qualifications/Experience Preferred
- Students studying mass communications are encouraged to apply.
- A flexible schedule is a plus.
- Must have great communication skills and be deadline driven.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Sensitivity of intercultural communication.
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Detail oriented.
- Dependable.
- Punctual.
Physical Demands
Reasonable accommodation, in accordance with ADA requirements, may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
