GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Purpose:
To attract excellent graduate students who are interested in full time study. To give graduate students an opportunity to work with a Mentor and to be involved in college level activities.

Eligibility:
Graduate Assistantships are awarded to students with superior records (at least 3:00 GPA) who are matriculated into a graduate degree program.  Preference will be given to students enrolled in 9 semester hours per semester. Incoming students are initially awarded for one semester but may be extended for the full 20 months with the academic department's and dean's approval.

Responsibilities:
Responsibilities are designed to give graduate students an opportunity to work with a Mentor and to develop a college/colleague relationship.  It is necessary, therefore, to assign appropriate professional level responsibilities in teaching support, research, or clinical work to the Graduate Assistant.  Among the responsibilities could be:

a) Teaching Support
Assist professors in preparing classroom materials, leading discussion groups, and supervising laboratory sessions, tutoring, or other instructional Activities.

b) Research
Assist professors or administrators in conducting research that may lead to a joint public presentation or a joint authorship of a publication, or to a students’ thesis.

c) Clinical
To synthesize academic course work in a real life clinical experience. To assist a professor or a field supervisor in testing out clinical methods or procedures.                       

d) Administrative
To assist in student development activities such as studies in retention, counseling, and student surveys.

e) Instruction
During their second academic year of assistantship work, graduate assistants will be expected to teach one course per semester as assigned by their respective academic department.

Stipends and Workloads:
Full time Graduate Assistantship
Workload:      15 hours per week for 15 weeks
Courseload:    up to 9 hours/semester
Stipend:         Tuition and course fee remission plus $2400.00 per semester 

Two-thirds time Graduate Assistantship
Workload:      10 hours per week for 15 weeks
Courseload     up to 6 hours/semester
Stipend:         Tuition and course fee remission plus $1600 per semester

Application & Review Process:
A student must apply for a graduate assistantship through the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education. Applications for Fall 2008 will be available beginning March 17, 2008.

Application forms will ask the student to spell out the project and what is the expected outcome.  The Mentor (Professor/ Administrator) with whom the student is working with, will be asked to comment on the intended project.  The department head or the director will be asked to comment on the appropriateness of the project for the academic department or office.

There are a limited number of graduate assistantships available for degree seeking matriculated graduate students.

 It is preferred that graduate students serve assistantships within their own department. Students seeking an assistantship outside their department must also include a letter of support from their home department.

 We encourage departments that do not have graduate programs to submit requests for a graduate assistant to the Dean.  Such requests should identify their need and how they will utilize the graduate assistant should any be available.

Graduate Assistants are part-time workers and may only be utilized to perform work in the five areas identified under responsibilities.

Deadline for consideration for Fall 2008 Assistantships is May 2, 2008.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.