PDO PLACEMENTS

Fall 2024

Digital Studio

2/3 positions available

The Florence Digital Studio (FDS) serves as the campus hub for multimedia production and post-production, the coordination of digital communications and the promotion of excellence in teaching and learning. The FDS provides consultation, training, and tools for multimedia capture, production, and online publication (audio, video, images); video equipment operation and maintenance; instructional design and technology.  The FDS coordinates digital communications for NYU Florence, including social media channels, websites, online exhibitions and other special projects.

Our team provides a unique learning opportunity to perfect existing skills in digital media production and to learn new approaches and techniques for creating and editing promotional, instructional and archival materials. Open communication, teamwork and collaboration are key components of the successful completion of FDS projects. Through a series of hands-on tasks and direct experience, students could participate in the following activities in close collaboration with the Senior Coordinator for Digital Learning and Innovation and the Senior Coordinator for Media Production and Social Media Management:

• Techniques for using professional media production software such as Adobe Creative Cloud (in particular Adobe Premiere, Photoshop and Illustrator). 

• Develop graphic design projects and online exhibitions.

• Participate in the creation and publication of social media content for NYU Florence.

• Coordinate Florence Underground, the NYU Florence radio project (scheduling broadcasts, recruiting DJs, technical support during live broadcasts, etc.).

• Support the printing and scanning facilities for Tisch photography courses.

• Organize the distribution and collection of multimedia equipment borrowed by students, staff and faculty.

Students will also work closely with PDO placements in other NYU Florence offices, serving as liaisons for social media content and developing team building, collaboration, and project management skills.

The Office of Student Life

2 positions available

Communications Assistant

This role provides a student perspective and support with content creation for websites, e-newsletters, and other materials needed for the organization, planning, and execution of different events organized by the Office of Student Life. This position is designed to support efforts to highlight, share, inform, and promote a positive and inclusive student experience at NYU Florence.

 Duties for this position include:

• Conduct peer-to-peer interviews and group interviews, to assess the engagement of the students in our community and get feedback on what we could improve, as well as identify new opportunities to engage and inspire our student audience appropriately.

• Reflect on and respect the diverse nature of NYU Florence and Italy as a whole.

• Encourage and improve student engagement across different platforms, and events promotion, collaborating closely with the Digital Studio PDOs, student leaders, and other PDO figures across campus.

• Encourage inclusion and participation throughout the Campus, promoting events, or carrying out other actions, as needed. Regular attendance of trips and activities will be required throughout the semester (which might include evenings and weekends).

• Strengthen communication between staff and students by creating, updating, and checking different resources available, as well as making sure that these are up to date in the different sources.

• Content creation according to the OSL needs and the activities taking place during the semester, including participating in events, taking photos, and creating digital material.

• Supporting the OSL in different administrative tasks, as needed, which can include but won’t be limited to scheduling meetings, emailing students, and creating and updating documents, among other duties.

Student Engagement Assistant

This position involves providing administrative support to student leaders and clubs, facilitating activities and trips organized by the Office of Student Life, as well as developing community-building activities to unite the various cohorts on campus.

Duties for this position include:

• Supporting and following up on the progress of the student-led clubs, as well as encouraging student participation in these, making sure that the students have the materials and resources that they need, and supporting OSL in creating structures and procedures to improve the support that the office gives to the different clubs.

• Encourage collaboration among student clubs’ leaders, by conducting group and individual meetings, as well as helping the SLA to organize the different all-club-leader meetings during the semester.

• Encourage and improve student engagement across a suite of NYU Florence platforms, and events promotion, collaborating with the Digital Studio PDOs and other PDO figures across campus.

• Monitoring student resources, including, but not limited to: the Student Info Portal and different bulletin boards around campus.

• Supporting the OSL in different administrative tasks, such as scheduling meetings, emailing students, creating and updating documents, and inventory and updating and uploading attendance to different activities, among other duties.

• Encourage inclusion and participation throughout the campus, suggesting and promoting events, or carrying out other actions, as needed. Regular attendance of trips and activities will be required throughout the semester (including some evenings and weekends).

• Strengthen communication between staff and students by updating and checking different digital and hard copy resources.

Villa La Pietra Collection Office

2/3 positions available

Villa La Pietra hosts the Acton Collection created by the Anglo-American family between 1908 and the late 1930s. Since the death of the last owner, Sir Harold Acton in 1994, it has been managed by NYU as a house museum with more than 7,000 works of art and personal belongings, 12,000 books and ca. 25,000 historical photographs. The La Pietra Garden in ‘Italian Renaissance style’ frames the house and it is one of the most celebrated in Italy. The artworks, building and garden have been officially listed as national cultural heritage and fall under the protection of the Italian Ministry of Culture. 

The Villa La Pietra Collection Office provides a professional development opportunity to students who have an interdisciplinary interest in the arts, history, literature, collecting trends, architecture, and museums, and are willing to transmit these passions to their peers. The position offers a special opportunity for undergraduate students to be in close contact with a  wide range of works of art from all over the world (mostly Italian, French and Asian) and to start connecting with the museum studies and collection management fields. Students will assist the Office with ongoing regular activities and special projects within the house museum and garden setting, supervised by the Collection Manger, and in collaboration with the Visit and Event Coordinator, the conservators and the digital archivist. 

•     Learning the history of Villa La Pietra and guiding visitors on tours of Villa La Pietra collections and   its garden

•     Learning to use the Collection database (TMS Collections / Conservation Studio) to assist in the documentation of the collection and conservation work

•     Assisting with the photograph archive digitization, rehousing and database work

•     Assisting with social media related to the VLP house museum and gardens

•     Learning about ongoing conservation activities and assist with preventive conservation 

•     Assisting students and faculty with class projects in connection with the Collections

•     Assisting in the implementation of special projects related to the Collections

•     Assisting with NYU Florence Villa La Pietra related events

Open communication, teamwork and organizational skills are key components of the successful completion of the Collection Office projects. Students will also collaborate with PDO placements in other NYU Florence offices, specifically with the Digital Studio in connection with online exhibition projects and database work.

The Office of Academic Support

3-4 positions available

The OAS fosters academic learning at NYU Florence, providing academic services and support to faculty and students. OAS PDOs will work on one of the following projects, closely collaborating as a team on transversal projects:

Library

The student will be introduced to the field of library science through hands-on activities, such as cataloging new books, relabeling materials, understanding the shelving system for all books and magazines, and monitoring the circulation of materials on loans. The student will also participate in the thematic curation of resources - books, DVDs and magazines - to be creatively displayed in the Library and Villa Ulivi public spaces, helping to select from a vast collection of resources both in English and Italian.

Research and Writing

The student will work closely with the Writing Consultants and OAS staff on the process of creating written pieces and other materials related to research, writing and publishing. The PDO will also assist with the development of a series of workshops on academic writing for their peers. 

Italian Language and Culture

The student will work with the Italian Tutor and OAS staff to promote and create opportunities for students to practice the language through interactive and fun activities, such as debates on current affairs and activities with board games in Italian. Some proficiency in Italian is preferred but not required for this position. 

NYU Florence Sustainability

1 position available

The NYU Florence Sustainability Team is seeking a student who is highly motivated in sustainability issues and eager to promote environmental awareness within the NYU Florence community:

• Update the Sustainability page of the NYU Florence Student portal;

• Help develop didactic materials explaining how NYU Florence’s production of vegetables, for the on-site cafeteria, is good for both the environment and students.

• Act as spokesperson for sustainability initiatives, both on and off-campus;

• Encourage peers to make more eco-friendly choices while living in Florence; 

• Create student-led sustainability initiatives and collaborate with on-campus environmentally related events and programs;

• In collaboration with the Digital Studio, develop design graphics, write scripts for and generate video footage relating to sustainability issues within our community.

Skills students will develop:

• Interpersonal and communication skills: 

• Ability to carry out research under limited supervision;

• Graphic design abilities (Powerpoint,  Photoshop, Canva, Adobe etc);

• An interest in and knowledge of sustainability and environmental issues.