Student Leaders

As part of the Mission and Goals of New Student Orientation (NSO), campus centers, offices, and programs play a vital role in NSO. These spaces/programs build community, provide resources, programs, and support all new students (and their families) as they adjust to life at Stanford.

Campus Centers and Offices with NSO Student Leaders

• Asian American Activities Center
• Bechtel International Center
• Black Community Services Center
• Disability Community Space
• El Centro Chicano y Latino
• FLI Student Success Center
• The Markaz: Resource Center
• Office for Military-Affiliated Communities
• Native American Cultural Center
• Queer Student Resources
• Office for Religious & Spiritual Life
• Women's Community Center
• Transfer Student Programming

About the NSO Student Leader Position

Overview

Student Leaders are part of the NSO Team! Student Leaders welcome all new students to Stanford and help to plan and execute the NSO events for the offices listed above. Campus center/office professional staff select and supervise their respective NSO Student Leaders. Undergraduate students who will be enrolled for the 2026-27 academic year and will be on campus for Fall 2026 are eligible to apply for a Student Leader position.

Responsibilities, Expectations & Timeline

Summer Planning (~ 5 hours): 

• Work with professional staff and NSO staff to finalize NSO event plans, budget, and logistics. Professional staff will give final approval for NSO events.

NSO in September* (12-20 hours during week of NSO):

• Move back to campus on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
• NSO All-Team Training: Attend required NSO staff and volunteer training, 6-8PM on Sunday, September 13. [2 hours]
• New Student Move-In: Move new students into their residences, 8AM-12PM on Tuesday, September 15. [4 hours]
• Convocation: Work the Convocation Ceremony event, 4-6PM on Tuesday, September 15. [2 hours]
• Center/Office Events: Work with professional staff to prepare for and implement NSO events from Sept 18-20. Some offices may continue to hold events through early fall quarter. Please speak with the professional staff for exact details and expectations for their NSO student leaders.
• *ISO Student Leaders only: ISO Student Leaders move back on Sept 11 to lead International Student Orientation, Sept 12-15. Bechtel professional staff will detail specific responsibilities for the role. (ISO Student Leaders will not be expected to attend the NSO All-Team Training, Move-In, and Convocation.)

Wrap-Up (1 hour):

• Submit a final written report with event summaries, notes, and recommendations to NSO staff by October 31. 

Eligibility & Perks:

To be a 2026 NSO Student Leader, students must be:

• Undergraduate students. (Coterm students in their fifth year/graduate tuition group are not eligble.)
• Enrolled for Autumn 2026.
• Physically in person on campus from September 13-20.

Early Housing and Dining: This is an in-person position. NSO will register you and pay for your early housing and dining in September. You must have a fall undergraduate housing contract on campus in order to be sponsored for early arrival housing. (The early arrival housing fee will be charged to your student bill in the fall. NSO will then issue a stipend to your student bill for the amount of this fee.)

Pay: This is a paid hourly role for undergraduate students. If you will be paid by the center/office, they will hire you and determine the hourly rate. If you will be paid by NSO/Academic Advising, the hourly rate will be $18.70. We anticipate Student Leaders will work about 5 hours in the summer and about 12-20 hours during the week of NSO, for a total number of about 25 hours of NSO work in the role.

September Commitment: Because they occur at the same time as NSO, NSO Student Leaders cannot participate concurrently in any other programs taking place in September (Sept 13-20), for example: Residence Student Leader (RA/ETA), Sophomore College, Arts Intensive, Honors College, SPOT Leader. If a center/office selects a NSO Student Leader with these known conflicts, NSO will not be able to sponsor early housing/dining for the selected student.

Application Process

2026 NSO Student Leader Application

• Interested students interested should complete the NSO Student Leader Application*.
• Applications are due Sunday, May 10. After this priority deadline, applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis, if available positions remain open.
• The center(s)/office(s) to which you have applied will be provided your application. They will reach out to you directly for next steps.

*Note: Students interested in working for the Markaz, QSR, or WCC should not complete the NSO Application. Instead, these centers have their own separate applications and student staff positions to carry out NSO responsibilities. Students should contact professional staff in these centers directly to inquire about the application process.

Questions?

For questions about a specific position, please contact the center or office with which you would like to work. For questions about NSO more generally, please contact stanfordnso@stanford.edu.