GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

The University of West Alabama provides a limited number of stipends for graduate assistants. Graduate assistantships are authorized only in specific areas, and each graduate assistant is employed to perform specific duties. Except in unusual circumstances, graduate assistants do not teach classes other than physical education activity courses, although some do work as laboratory assistants or in other paraprofessional capacities.  Graduate assistants are expected to devote approximately 20 hours per week to their assigned duties.

Decisions on the persons to receive graduate assistantships are made by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies upon recommendation of the chairperson of the department in which the assistant is to work and with the approval of the Provost. In the case of graduate assistants in the athletic program, the Director of Athletics must also approve the graduate assistants’ applications.

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES POLICIES FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP ADMINISTRATION

Philosophy

Programs of graduate study are designed to transform the individual from student to professional scholar. When a graduate assistantship is well conceived and executed, it should serve as an ideal instrument to help facilitate the desired transformation. The primary goal of an assistantship, then, is to facilitate progress toward the graduate degree. Rather than interfere or conflict with the student’s educational objective, the assistantship should aid in the prompt and successful completion of the degree program. While the student assistant makes progress toward an advanced degree, he/she also receives work experience in a profession under the supervision of a faculty/staff mentor. The graduate assistant is both a student and employee. As a student, the graduate assistant is expected to perform well academically to retain the assistantship. He/she should be counseled and evaluated regularly by the mentor so as to develop professional skills. As an employee, the graduate assistant is expected to meet teaching, coaching, research, and/or administrative obligations. He/she works under the supervision of experienced faculty and/or staff and receives in-service training. In sum, the graduate assistant receives financial support for graduate study by contributing to the teaching, coaching, and/or research mission of the University. The totality of responsibility may be greater than that required of other students or staff members, but the opportunities for professional development also are greater for the graduate assistant.

The graduate assistantship should be used as a recruiting device to attract highly desired students. It can help build confidence in graduate students from diverse backgrounds as it helps them to become better professionals.

Types of Graduate Assistantships

Depending on the needs of academic units, available funds, and the qualifications of the individual graduate student, the following types of assistantships may be offered:

Academic Assistantship

Academic graduate assistants work with students in a specific course to provide support for the faculty member in charge, and only in unusual circumstances to teach the course in the absence of the instructor. Academic graduate students can teach remedial classes, that are below the 100 level for academic courses and the 200 level for physical education activity courses. Sometimes, graduate assistants help only in laboratory sections of lecture courses. However, in all teaching assignments, the graduate assistant works under the supervision of the school/department chairperson or another experienced faculty member. In consultation with the supervisor, the graduate assistant works to gain teaching skills and a better grasp of the essentials of the academic discipline.

 

Athletic Assistantship

A graduate student serving as an assistant coach works with a particular athletic varsity sport and is supervised by full time coaches. His/her responsibilities are determined by the Head Varsity Coach in the particular sport and the Athletic Director. Athletic graduate assistants cannot teach physical education activity courses.

 

Research Assistantship

A research assistant normally is employed by the principal investigator of a funded research project. Ideally, the assistant is assigned a range of duties, such as Learning Resources Center search, field work, laboratory experiences, and preparation of reports, so as to gain professional skills to complement his/her graduate program. The student’s work on a research project should lead toward a thesis and provide long-range direction for the student’s development as a scholar. He/she should be closely supervised by a mentor.

 

Administrative Assistantship

An administrative assistant works with the administrative staff of the college, department, or administrative unit. The assigned duties should be relevant to his/her perspective on the operation of the University.

 

To be eligible for an assistantship, a student should possess an undergraduate degree with substantial work in the field involved in the appointment. He/she should complete the admission process to the School of Graduate Studies and meet all the criteria for appointment as a graduate assistant prior to the appointment. Applicants should be studying for an advanced degree in the field to which they are appointed or in a closely related field in which they have substantial background.

International students who are eligible under federal regulations may apply for an assistantship after they have completed at least one semester of graduate work at The University of West Alabama. Their knowledge of the specific field in which they may work as a graduate assistant and their command of the English language to a degree appropriate to the demands of the assignment should be evaluated thoroughly before an assistantship is awarded. Under no circumstance should an international student be employed as a teaching assistant until he/she has served a period of special apprenticeship.

Graduate assistants are appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of the department chairperson or administrative department head, and with the approval of the Provost. The official appointment letter should provide full information on the terms of the assistantship, including:

1. Title and length of appointment.

2. Amount of stipend and any other compensation where appropriate.

3. Maximum student course load.

4. Description of duties.

5. Name of supervisor.

6. Deadline for acceptance.

1. Application for Graduate School received by first Monday in May of year prior to next academic year.

2. Application for Graduate Assistantship received by first Monday in May of year prior to next academic year.

3. G.P.A. of 2.75 on all work attempted and in the Graduate Assistants major academic area.

4. 40 MAT/850 GRE (Verbal & Quantitative) minimum.

The Criteria listed in three and four are in accordance with the Graduate Council’s decision regarding GPA and standardized test scores for unconditional admission to the School of Graduate Studies at The University of West Alabama.

Graduate assistants must meet the GPA and standardized test score minimum for unconditional admission; however, if no applicant meets these requirements, a department may hire a graduate assistant on a temporary basis for one semester, with the understanding that the assistantship may be renewed for two additional semesters with the decision being made by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the applicable department chairperson.

After a graduate student has accepted an assistantship, he/she should be notified of orientation meetings and other training opportunities as soon as they are scheduled. Specific departmental policies governing graduate assistants should be given in writing, and the assistant should be put in touch with the faculty supervisor prior to assuming the assistantship duties.

Graduate assistantship appointments should be made for the academic year so that both the graduate assistant and the department can plan effectively. Occasionally, under special circumstances, an appointment may be made for one or two semesters only. In such cases, an assistant who has performed well in a short-term appointment should be given priority for reappointment in a subsequent term over an applicant who has not been appointed previously. If a graduate assistant fulfills the conditions for reappointment, he/she should be eligible to continue for a second year while a candidate for the master’s degree and a third year while a candidate for the specialist’s degree.

A graduate assistant is expected to progress toward the degree while serving an apprenticeship complementary to that goal. The course load and assistantship responsibilities, thus, should form a totality that facilitates progress rather than hinders it. A graduate assistant should register for a minimum of three semester hours and not more than twelve semester hours of graduate course work during a given term. The specific course load should be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor or major professor. A graduate assistant should maintain a minimum 3.0 grade average.

Graduate assistants should not be allowed to teach courses carrying graduate credit nor to enroll in the courses in which they are assigned assistantship responsibilities. A fundamental responsibility for a graduate assistant is to work closely with the supervisor in carrying out assigned duties and, at the same time, make progress toward completion of the degree program. If the student’s work load and academic program are properly coordinated, these responsibilities will be compatible. Whether working in a laboratory, classroom, office, or other setting, the graduate assistant is obligated to maintain standards of academic honesty and integrity and to report violations of these to the supervisor. The graduate assistant should keep well informed of departmental, college, and institutional regulations and follow them consistently. The graduate assistant should keep careful records of work assignments so that progress and problems can be fully documented. Since the assistantship is a temporary position, graduate assistants should keep records so that decisions can be traced, results verified, and incomplete work finished after the assistant has left the position.

If problems arise in the work assignment, the graduate assistant should seek help first from the faculty/staff supervisor. Even if the graduate assistant encounters few problems, he/she is responsible for getting the most out of the apprenticeship experience. This means that the graduate assistant, in consultation with the supervisor, should assess the work experience on a continuing basis in order to improve it. The assistant should articulate his/her goals early in the term of appointment and work with the supervisor to achieve them.

Graduate assistants should be assigned space and equipment sufficient to carry out their assignments effectively. Graduate assistants should receive priority in University housing, parking, and other privileges. They also should have the benefit of participation in graduate student organizations if they are available. In sum, they should have the privileges of graduate students generally but have additional privileges, as stated above, in recognition of the services they provide as employees of the University.

The graduate assistant should be notified in writing of all decisions that affect her/her status as an assistant. This includes advance notification of evaluation procedures and a summary of the evaluation. The graduate assistant should be notified of any complaints received by the faculty/staff mentor, department chairperson, or department head concerning his/her performance of duties. The assistant has the right to respond to such complaints and to present evidence in defense if appropriate. The burden of proof should rest with the person making the complaint.

Evaluation is an important part of the assistantship experience. It is an on-going process of communication between the graduate assistant and the faculty/staff mentor. Both these professionals work together in an atmosphere of scholarship to enhance the quality of academic experience at the University.

A formal evaluation is designed to convey specific tasks to be accomplished by the graduate assistant and the criteria for their completion. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies sends to the faculty/staff supervisor (in most cases the department chairperson) an evaluation form by the last week of the quarter, who then evaluates the graduate assistant and keeps records of this evaluation. The graduate assistant meets with the supervisor to go over his/her evaluation and, if he/she agrees with the evaluation, signs the evaluation. The evaluation is forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The graduate student has the right to appeal this evaluation with the Dean of Graduate Studies acting as arbitrator in the case. The evaluation is a positive, supportive process that helps the assistant to identify strengths and weaknesses and to plan for improvement. This evaluation is critical in the possible reappointment of graduate assistantships for the next academic year and is made part of the reappointment criteria.

Priority for reappointment should be given to those graduate assistants making progress toward completion of the degree and performing well in their assistantship duties. These criteria should be measured in specific ways announced in advance of re-application:

1. Minimum overall grade-point average for the current academic year of at least 3.0.

2. Favorable report of the academic advisor.

3. Formal evaluation by the faculty/staff mentor supervising the assistant’s work.

4. Length of time in an assistantship.

5. Length of time in the degree program.

6. Admission to Candidacy.

Reappointment is not automatic for graduate assistants. Final decisions are based on departmental needs, financial resources, and previous performance.

A graduate assistantship may be terminated for any of the reasons listed below:

1. Failure to enroll in the School of Graduate Studies.

2. Unsatisfactory performance of the graduate assistant as determined by the chairperson of the academic unit.

3. Failure to enroll in at least three hours of graduate work.

4. Failure to maintain a G.P.A. of 3.00 on all graduate work attempted.

5. Failure to acquire candidacy.

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