GUIDELINES FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS AT UAB
Adapted
from the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools publication, “A Model
Policy for Graduate Assistantship Administration,” by C.W. Minkel and M. P.
Richards, 1987. The term “Graduate Assistantship” as used here is intended
to apply to graduate research assistants, teaching assistants, and fellows.
Background1
Programs of
graduate study are designed to transform the individual from student to
professional scholar or practitioner. Graduate assistantships2
are designed to provide intellectual guidance and financial support for
promotion of the student's education. When a graduate assistantship is
well conceived and executed, it serves as an ideal instrument to help
facilitate the desired transformation. The primary goal of an assistantship
is, then, to facilitate progress toward the graduate degree. The graduate
assistant is a student functioning in an apprenticeship role which
contributes to the student’s own professional development.
As a
student, the graduate assistant is expected to perform well academically
to retain the assistantship. He or she is to be trained, counseled, and
evaluated regularly by a graduate faculty mentor so as to develop
professional skills in teaching and/or research. The graduate
assistant is expected to meet specific obligations in these areas as
outlined in the letter of appointment. The contribution made by the
graduate assistant supports the teaching and/or research mission of the
university. The responsibilities of the graduate assistant may be greater
than those required of other students, but the opportunities for
professional development are also greater. Any work obligations of the
assistant are incident to the assistant’s education.
Eligibility
To be
eligible for an assistantship, a student should be admitted to a graduate
program as a full-time, degree-seeking student. The assistant must be
enrolled during the period of the assistantship. He or she should have
achieved, and should continue to maintain, good standing. Students found
to have engaged in academic or nonacademic misconduct are ineligible for
appointment and will have their appointments terminated.
Appointment
Procedures
Appointment of graduate assistants should be made and monitored by the
Program Director, Department Chair, and the Dean of the School where the
appointment is made. Because the terms of individual awards may vary from
department to department, and even within a single department, it is the
responsibility of the Program Director and/or Department Chair to make the
offer of appointment in an official letter. In cases where the funding is
being provided from an entity outside the Department (e.g., the Graduate
School), the terms of the assistantship will be communicated to the
Program Director so that these terms can be spelled out in the official
letter of appointment. In the case of the Graduate School Assistantship,
regular and direct communication should occur between the Program Director
and the Graduate School Dean regarding the student's progress. When
teaching is involved, the prospective assistant may be required to
demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English before appointment.
Each graduate student who receives an assistantship must receive a letter
of appointment, signed by the Program Director and/or Department Chair,
that clearly spells out the terms of the assistantship.
These
terms should include, but not be limited to, the following issues:
§
Title of
appointment, time commitment, and length of appointment
§
Conditions and timing for reappointment
§
Stipend
level and whether or not fees, health insurance, and tuition will be paid
§
Course
load, if teaching is involved
§
Description of duties, if applicable
§
Expectation regarding whether or not the assistant may take on employment
§
Expectations regarding time commitments and responsibilities between terms
§
Name and
position of supervisor How the student assistant is to be evaluated
§
Resources
to be provided (e.g., equipment, supplies, office space, travel funds)
§
Deadline
for acceptance of the assistantship offer
Term of
the Assistantship
Each
assistantship should be made for a maximum period of one year.
Assistantships generally begin with the academic calendar year.
Reappointment is possible but the terms of reappointment are variable,
determined by policies of the program.
Responsibilities
of the Graduate Assistant
A
fundamental responsibility of the graduate assistant is to work closely
with the faculty supervisor in carrying out research or teaching
activities, while at the same time making good progress toward the
completion of the degree program. If the student’s assistantship
responsibilities and academic program are properly coordinated, these
responsibilities will be compatible. The assistant should articulate his
or her goals early in the term of appointment and work with the supervisor
to achieve them. The graduate assistant is obligated at all times to
maintain high ethical standards in academic and nonacademic activities,
and to report violations of these to the faculty supervisor. The graduate
assistant should keep well informed of departmental, school, and
institutional regulations, and follow them consistently. If problems arise
in the assistantship assignments, the graduate assistant should
seek help first from the faculty supervisor. If problems cannot be
resolved, the student should consult the Program Director.
In
general, graduate assistants are expected to be available in the periods
between academic terms. Graduate assistants are entitled to the following
short-term leaves:
·
a minimum
of 15 calendar days (one-half month) paid leave of absence (vacation) per
calendar year,
·
15
calendar days (one-half month) paid sick leave of absence per calendar
year, and
·
parental
leave of absence (with pay) of 30 consecutive days per calendar year upon
the birth or adoption of a child. Either or both parents are eligible for
parental leave.
These
leaves (vacation, sick, parental) do not accrue. All leaves require
notification of and approval by the mentor or graduate program director
and may be extended, if necessary, with the permission of the
graduate program director. Program policies regarding leaves of absence
must apply equitably to all full time students in good standing in the
program. With the agreement of the mentor and graduate program director,
extended, unpaid, non-emergency absences from campus for periods up to a
month may be approved. Extended absences (without pay) for non-academic
purposes should be limited. Students should consult the Graduate School
Policies and Procedures concerning leaves of absence. In emergencies,
graduate assistants should inform their mentors or program directors as
soon as possible about the need for a leave of absence.
Privileges
Graduate
assistants should be assigned space and equipment sufficient to carry out
their assignments effectively. Normally this would include a desk, chair,
file space, a mail box, and office and lab supplies, where needed.
Where possible, graduate assistants should be provided secretarial
assistance or computer access when they are preparing materials related to
their assignments.
Evaluation
Goals
should be worked out with the faculty mentor early in the academic year.
Each graduate assistant should receive a formal evaluation from his or her
faculty supervisor once each year. Excellence should be noted in
an assistant’s record, as should inadequacies in performance. Ongoing
informal evaluation should precede more formal measures. The results of
formal evaluations will be entered into the assistant's departmental
record, including evidence that the student has reviewed the evaluation.
Reappointment
Priority
for reappointment is determined by the graduate program but should be
given to those graduate assistants making good progress toward completion
of the degree and performing well in their assistantship duties. Criteria
for reappointment should be announced in advance of reapplication and
should generally include:
·
maintenance of good standing and satisfactory progress toward the degree
·
assessment of performance during the annual review
·
length of
time on the assistantship
·
length of
time in the degree program
1
Prepared by the Advisory Committee to the Graduate Council. Questions
concerning this document should be addressed to the Graduate School.
2
Note: Each graduate assistant should be provided with a copy of this
document detailing the rights and responsibilities of the graduate
assistant.