Appointment and Training Policies

Op3.16-4 Stipends

Various standard graduate assistantship stipend rates are offered for the academic year. The lower rate is used for most assistantships, but higher rates are offered in limited situations. Departments/offices determine stipend levels but must ensure the number of assistantships remains at or above the previous year’s totals.

A graduate assistant is required to complete the minimum enrollment standards set by the Graduate College during each fall and spring semester of appointment and must maintain a graduate GPA of 3.00.

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available during the summer session. Summer graduate assistants may hold an assistantship in the summer without being enrolled in coursework, as long as they are enrolled in the subsequent fall semester.

Refer to the Graduate College website for enrollment requirements, stipend amounts and payment schedules.

Students who are awarded a graduate assistantship also receive fee-waiver scholarships. Note that graduate assistants whose appointment paperwork is received in the Graduate College after September 15 (for fall semester) and February 15 (for spring semester) will not be eligible for the fee-waiver scholarship.

Op3.16-5 Fee Waiver Costs

Fee waiver scholarships are calculated as a weighted average of in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees for the mean number of credits taken by graduate assistants. University units are given an allocation of tuition-fee waiver scholarships to use in conjunction with the stipends they provide for graduate assistants. Any additional graduate assistant appointments beyond allocation will not include the fee waiver scholarship. Rather, the department/office desiring to hire an additional GA will be required to transfer funds into the fee waiver budget A02000-312025-69010-081. To determine the additional funds required, please see the Fee Waiver table.

Proposals for external grants or contracts that include graduate assistantships are expected to include funding for both the stipend and the tuition-fee waiver. The university has a limited number of tuition-fee waiver scholarships that can be included in proposals in order to serve as a university match or in cases where the funding agency does not allow tuition-fees in the budget. Contact the Office of Research Administration for procedures for requests.

Op3.16-6 Recruitment, Appointment and Training

Recruitment

The Graduate College website contains a list of known GA openings posted at the request of the hiring unit. However, hiring units may use their own strategies for recruitment and making hiring recommendations for GAs to the Graduate College.

Appointment

Units must ensure that the potential GA meets the university eligibility requirements (Op3.16-1). Once eligibility is confirmed, a GA Bear PAF should be submitted to the Graduate College for approval based on university due dates.

Training

The Graduate College holds a mandatory training for new Teaching Assistants prior to each semester. These sessions provide information regarding instructional responsibilities and other relevant information.

Op3.16-9 Hours and Timesheets

Hours

Assistantships begin the week prior to classes starting and continue through the end of finals week each semester. Graduate assistants work 20 hours per week on average. Specific hours of employment are arranged between the student and supervisor. International students can only work 20 hours maximum per week. A work week is defined as Monday-Sunday.

Graduate assistants typically do not work on university holidays nor other days when classes are not in session. Any unit requirements that necessitate GA involvement during these times should be discussed with the GA prior to employment.

Timesheets

A GA Timesheet form should be used by all Graduate Assistants (GAs) who are not Teaching Assistants or Graduate Research Assistants.

Monthly time sheets should be submitted to the unit leader for review, signature and retention. The Payroll website should be accessed periodically for updated versions of the form. For any weeks of over 31 hours worked, a copy of the time sheet should be sent to Payroll on the first working day of the following month. If the week spans two months, copies of both months should be sent to Payroll as soon as possible.

Units should retain time records for a minimum of five (5) years.

Completed forms are subject to random auditing. Units that are out of compliance with these retention guidelines are subject to corrective actions that may include losing their right to hire graduate assistants.

Op3.16-10 Termination/Resignation

Termination/Resignation of an assistantship by a student or by a unit must be made in writing. As soon as a graduate assistant has been terminated or has resigned, a copy of the letter of termination/resignation and a corresponding Personnel Action Form (with the termination action checked) should be sent to the Graduate College. Failure to complete a Personnel Action Form in a timely manner for a student who has been terminated or has resigned, may delay appointment of a replacement assistant.