PREAMBLE: A small number of half-time and quarter-time graduate assistantships are available. Assistantships will be awarded on a semester basis and students must reapply each semester for renewal of their assistantship award. Renewal of the award is based on academic performance, previous service performance, and is at the discretion of the dean of each school in consultation with the school’s faculty members.
Graduate assistantships provide graduate students with financial resources to assist with funding their tuition. Assistantships also provide educational and professional benefits. The responsibilities and benefits of assistantships vary, but in general, graduate students gain valuable experience and knowledge of techniques in their fields; hone their research skills; acquire pedagogical experience necessary for an academic career; and develop professional skills such as leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, and performance evaluation.
I. APPOINTMENT
Qualifications: The following criteria are minimum university requirements. Individual schools may set higher standards.
Categories of Assistantships: The duties assigned to graduate assistants will vary according to school/department and some assistants may be assigned duties in more than one of these categories.
(a) Graduate Teaching Assistants:
Teaching assistants usually work to support the efforts of faculty members in specific courses. They will generally not teach a course as the primary instructor, but may be responsible for a section of a lecture course, laboratory course, or physical activity course under the direct supervision of an experienced faculty member. Responsibilities may also include grading examinations, leading discussion sections, or performing other duties related to the instructional program.
(b) Graduate Teaching Associates:
The graduate teaching associate will normally have primary responsibility for teaching an undergraduate course for credit and for assigning final grades for said course. A graduate teaching associate shall not have responsibility for teaching a graduate level course. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges have specific requirements that must be met before a graduate student can be assigned responsibilities in this category. Criteria for a graduate student to be appointed as a teaching associate include:
(c) Graduate Research Assistants:
The graduate research assistant will work under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The purpose of the research assistantship is to provide the graduate student with experience in research directly related to the professional and scholarly goals of the student and to advance the research program of the faculty mentor. The student should gain experience in all aspects of conducting a research project including such things as library searches, design of experiments, evaluation of information relevant to the project, and preparation of manuscripts to be submitted for publication. Development of these skills should advance the student's professional qualifications and, ideally, lead to development of a prospectus for the thesis, or capstone project.
Appointments: New graduate assistants are appointed by the dean of each school in consultation with the faculty. Appointments are awarded on the basis of academic background, performance as a graduate student, and potential for satisfactory performance of the required duties. This assessment is made primarily on the basis of transcripts, personal interview, and letters of recommendation, but national test scores may also be considered. If the applicant's native language is not English, he or she must submit a qualifying TOEFL score. Individual schools may have higher requirements. Applicants should consult the school for its requirements.
Renewal of Appointments: See “Rights of Graduate Assistants.”
Evaluations: Each graduate assistant will be evaluated by his or her supervising professor and/or the dean of the school using a standard University evaluation form.
II. REMUNERATION
Compensation: Appointments offer a stipend or hourly wages for the semester period, paid in biweekly payments beginning one pay period after school begins. Compensation and Level of Appointment Schedules are available from the dean of each school and adhere to minimum wage standards.
Benefits: Graduate assistants are classified as student employees and are therefore not eligible for any employment benefits.
III. TUITION WAIVED CLASSES
Tuition Waiver: Tuition for six (6) graduate semester hours per semester will be waived for half-time graduate assistants, and tuition for three (3) graduate semester hours per semester will be waived for quarter-time graduate assistants. This waiver does not include tuition for non-degree related courses (e.g., physical education activities courses); courses that do not carry graduate credit (unless they have been approved by the school for inclusion in the student’s graduate degree program); enrollment for audit rather than credit; late registration fees, drop-add fees, laboratory fees, international student fees, or other similar costs.
IV. RIGHTS OF GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Published Policies: Each assistant will receive a copy of the university-wide graduate assistantship policy including criteria for appointment, remuneration, evaluation/supervision information, as well as a statement of rights and responsibilities. Each school will make available to assistants information regarding grading, test security, office hour requirements, and classroom and laboratory safety procedures. In addition, each school should keep a list of resources accessible to graduate assistants, which may assist them in fulfilling their teaching and research responsibilities.
Renewal: Assistantships are normally assigned on a semester basis. Renewals are offered to continuing students by the dean of each school in consultation with the faculty. In order to be considered for renewal of appointment, a student must make measurable progress toward a degree, maintain a good academic standing, and perform all assigned duties (teaching, grading papers, holding office hours, research, etc.). Measurable progress toward a degree is defined as having completed a minimum of nine (9) hours toward the degree each semester and maintaining a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. Attendance at departmental colloquia, forums, and seminars is also considered when evaluating an assistant for reappointment.
An appointment remains in effect only if the student maintains good academic standing, makes satisfactory academic progress, and provides satisfactory service.
Assistants will be informed as early as possible of intentions about renewing the assistant's appointment. If, because of enrollment or budget uncertainties, the schools cannot make a firm commitment to a student about reappointment, a letter of intent will be sent to the assistant stating that these uncertainties exist and explicitly defining the school’s plans once the situation is clarified.
In-Service: The schools will provide regular in-service for assistants.
Supervision and Evaluation: Each academic and administrative unit with assistantship appointments should clearly communicate expectations about assistantships to students, as well as to supervising faculty and staff, to ensure that students’ duties have intellectual and educational value. Each assistant will be evaluated by their supervising professor and/or the dean using a standard university instrument.
Termination of Appointments: An assistantship appointment may be terminated during the term of the appointment, if the assistant
The assistant will be provided with written notice and an opportunity to respond to the dean of the school prior to termination. The dean of the school must advise the Graduate Dean of the cancellation or reduction in a student’s award.
Resignation: A student who resigns an assistantship appointment, or whose appointment is canceled before service is rendered for at least three-fourths of the term, is required to pay the full amount of appropriate tuition and fees for that term. Payment for tuition is not required if the student withdraws from the university on the same date or before the last day of the assistantship, or if degree requirements for graduation are completed within seven calendar days after the resignation date.
V. RESPONSIBILITIES OF GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Duties: The assistants will be assigned a combination of duties under the supervision of the dean or faculty of any given school. Graduate students holding assistantship appointments must register as full-time graduate students.
Workload: Time spent on assistantship duties during the appointed term should equal at least 300 hours (20 hours per week average throughout a full semester) for half-time graduate assistants and 150 hours (10 hours per week average throughout a full semester) for quarter-time graduate assistants. Assistants should keep their supervisor(s) apprised of any changes that need to be made in the agreed-upon schedule. Changes may be necessary because of the assistants’ own classes, qualifying or other examinations, job searches, conferences, illness, or other personal or professional factors.
Revised 2019