Graduate Coordinators Handbook

Section 2

< Back To Handbook Index

Herewith are stated the policies of the University of Mississippi governing the appointment, training, supervision, evaluation, reappointment, and rights and privileges of graduate assistants. (For the purposes of this document, a Graduate Assistant is defined as a student enrolled in and actively pursuing a graduate degree and employed in an academic unit or academic support unit on assignments that enhance professional development.) Regardless of the source of funding for a graduate assistantship, these policies apply. Individual departments will have specific procedures and practices in accord with these general policies. Because of the variation in the duties of different types of graduate assistants and in the duties needed for different departments, only general statements and examples are given below.

Graduate assistants are considered to be both students and employees. They are important contributors to the mission of the University through the teaching of lower-division courses, laboratory and review sessions, the performance of research, and the administration of certain services. At the same time, graduate assistants are actively pursuing an advanced degree and their duties as graduate assistants should enhance their overall professional preparation.

The stipends associated with graduate assistantships provide the financial support for these individuals to attend graduate school, and, for the University, provide a means of recruiting highly qualified students into graduate programs. In the statements below, the term graduate assistant refers to all types of assistants. Likewise, the general term, department, refers to any academic department, research institute, administrative or service office, or signatory faculty member employing a graduate assistant. When statements apply to certain types of graduate assistants or employing units, this will be indicated.

The following types of positions are available through the University for the employment of graduate students.

2.1 Graduate Instructor: This is an appointment to serve as the primary instructor of an undergraduate course. Such courses will generally be multi-sectional and the graduate instructor will be supervised by a permanent faculty member. As stated in section 3.0, a graduate student employed at this level must meet specific qualifications.

2.2 Graduate Teaching Assistant: This is an appointment to serve as a proctor for a laboratory or discussion session, or as a grader. A teaching assistant is not responsible for assignment of final grades in a course.

2.3 Graduate Administrative Assistant: This is an appointment to perform various types of administrative or service tasks for an academic department or university office or program.

2.4 Graduate Research Assistant: This appointment is made by an academic department, research institute, or faculty member (having a funded research project) to a student to assist in performing various types of research activities.

3.1 Academic Qualifications: To be eligible to receive any of the above graduate assistantships, a student must be admitted as a Full-Standing or Conditional student in a graduate program within the University. The student must be enrolled, during the semesters in which the appointment is in effect, according to the schedule in section 4.2.

3.2 Graduate Instructors: Students who are appointed as Graduate Instructors must have completed a minimum of 18 hours of graduate course work (with a minimum grade point average of 3.0) in the assigned field of instruction. Exception can be made for relevant non-academic experience or the possession of specific skills. Exceptions must be approved by the Graduate Dean's office before the appointment is made.

3.3 English Language Requirements: Students for whom English is not their native language will be required to fulfill both the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score requirement for admission into graduate school and the TSE (Test of Spoken English) or SPEAK (institutional test of spoken English) score requirement for appointment to a teaching position.

The minimum requirements for the TOEFL, TSE or SPEAK examinations are to be determined by the Graduate School; individual departments may require higher scores for their appointments.

4.1 Appointment Levels and Periods: Ordinarily, graduate assistantship appointments are made as either one-quarter or one-half time positions. This implies a 10 hour to 20 hour work effort per week. Depending on the type of assigned duties, the actual work time may vary and will be determined by the department supervisor. (Only under special circumstances may a student be employed on a basis of more than one-half time. See the Faculty and Staff Handbook for an explanation of these circumstances. Appointments for less than one-quarter time may also be made).

Appointments are made for a one-semester or two-semester (academic year) period. (Research assistantship positions may be made for any duration up to a 12-month period.) Students who are making good progress toward their graduate degree and who receive good evaluations will usually be considered for reappointment; reappointment to a position is not made automatically from one period to the next and depends on the needs of the department supervisor and the availability of funds (procedures for reappointment are outlined in section 6.0). Departments may choose to establish a maximum number of semesters of support for their students.

4.2 Enrollment Requirements: Students who receive at least a one-quarter time graduate assistant appointment must be enrolled for at least six graduate hours during the semester(s) of employment. The maximum level of enrollment is 12 hours for students with one-quarter or one-half time service appointments. (For students with one-half time appointments, a maximum of 9 hours can be in course work; the balance may be in thesis, dissertation, or recital hours). Students with less than one-quarter time appointments must enroll for at least three hours (and a maximum of fifteen hours) of graduate course work. The Faculty and Staff Handbook lists these and additional regulations pertaining to course load for graduate student assistants, including regulations governing the summer session and regulations governing the enrollment levels of three-quarter time appointments. Graduate assistants who have a one-half time or greater appointment are expected to devote full time to their combined assistantship duties and degree program and not be employed outside of the University.

4.3 Appointment Procedures: Appointments to graduate assistantships are recommended by an academic department, research institute, administrative or service office, or a funded faculty member. Appointments are made through the Department of Personnel, contingent on the availability of funds. Personnel form #7 (e-form) is used for the appointment of Graduate Instructors; personnel form #6 is used for the appointment of other graduate assistants. [All University personnel must complete a Personnel form 19 in order to be employed.] Personnel forms #6 and #7 are forwarded by departments to the Graduate School, where a check is made of the proper admission status of the appointee and, in the case of Graduate Instructors, the requisite 18 hours of graduate course work in the area. When an exception to the 18 hour rule is needed for the appointment of a Graduate Instructor, a department head must justify the qualifications of the candidate in a written request to the Graduate School. This request mast be signed by both the department head and the dean of the school/college in which the graduate assistant will be enrolled. The Graduate School will advise the Personnel Office of the eligibility of the student to be appointed to a teaching position.

4.4 Appointment Letters: The terms of individual appointments will vary from department to department and it is the-responsibility of the administrative head of a department to state in writing the terms of appointment to new appointees or to students who are appointed to new assistantship positions. The letter should provide information regarding the following conditions, where appropriate:

a. the title, percentage time, and period of the appointment;

b. the stipend level for the above period and the availability of supplemental fellowships, including conditions for receiving a tuition scholarship;

c. the minimum and maximum red course enrollment during the appointment period;

d. evaluation procedures and required grade point average and performance requirements for continued employment;

e. procedure for reappointment;

f. deadline for acceptance of the assistantship offer;

g. assistantships are usually subject to taxation and must be declared as income;

h. date on which the appointee is required to report for work duty or training.

The following information should also be provided, if it is applicable or known at the time the appointment is made:

i. a description of the duties for the assistant;

j. the name of the faculty supervisor;

k. required training sessions;

l. required English tests or courses for international students).

In addition, this letter may include an indication of any awards for superior performance, departmental regulations regarding the maximum length of support, and any resources which are available to the appointee for the performance of assigned duties (i.e., the availability of office space, clerical services, computers, or teaching supplies.

A copy of all appointment letters should be sent to the Graduate School. In the case of international students, a copy of the appointment letter should also be sent to the International Admissions Office so that immigration forms can be processed.

4.5 Conditions for Termination: The appointment of a graduate assistant may be terminated by the University, upon the recommendation of the departmental head, for the following reasons:

a. incompetent job performance or neglect of duty;

b. misconduct that is job-related;

c. moral turpitude;

d. physical or mental ailment or condition which significantly impairs or limits job performance and cannot reasonably be accommodated;

e. financial exigency or discontinuance of the work for which the appointment is made;

f. mutual agreement;

g. failure to maintain a graduate grade point average of 3.0 and/or failure to maintain the minimum enrollment obligation.

For the purposes of termination, Personnel Form #4 is used.

4.6 Obligations of the Department Head to the Appointee: It is the duty of the department head to consult with the graduate assistant to attempt to resolve any problems of performance and reappointment. Except in the instance of Graduate Research Assistants, the department head is responsible for providing written correspondence to a graduate assistant regarding 1) any change in the terms of appointment, including notification of reappointment for additional periods, ii) evaluation of job performance, and iii) any complaints received by the faculty supervisor or department head concerning the student's job performance, and iii) any complaints received by the faculty supervisor or department head concerning the student's job performance.

In the case of Graduate Research Assistants who are supported by extramural funds and under the direct fiscal authority and supervision of an individual faculty member, the process may be less formalized. To every extent possible, however, the rights of the student should be protected.

4.7 Other Guidelines: Situations involving academic grade appeals or charges of academic dishonesty and involving students in classes taught by Graduate Instructors or Graduate Teaching Assistants will follow the procedures outlined in the M Book.

4.8 Role of the Graduate School: All records pertaining to the appointment, supervision, and evaluation of graduate assistants are maintained by the Graduate School. Copies of appointment letters, the name of the graduate assistant's supervisor, and letters of periodic evaluation are to be sent by the departments to the Graduate School. The Graduate School confirms the admission status and, for Graduate Instructors, that 18 hours in the teaching area have been completed.

5.1 Orientation Program: For Graduate Instructors and Graduate Teaching Assistants, departments will provide an orientation program for new appointees and for those for whom teaching duties will be changed. This orientation program will differ among the departments since teaching duties vary. For Graduate Administrative Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants, training will usually be provided, as necessary, by the supervisor.

5.2 Supervision, Evaluation, and In-service Training Workshops: For all Graduate Instructors, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Administrative Assistants, a faculty supervisor will be designated by the department. The supervisor is responsible for assuring the proper training of assistants and for evaluating their performance. Informal evaluations and recommendations may be provided by the supervisor to the assistants during the appointment period. At the end of the period, a written evaluation, prepared by the department head in consultation with each student's supervisor, will be provided to each Graduate Instructor and Graduate Teaching Assistant. These evaluations are used to aid the student in the development of teaching skills and for decisions regarding reappointment. In-service training workshops, in addition to the orientation program, will also be provided for Graduate Instructors and Graduate Teaching Assistants.

Graduate Instructors may also be evaluated by university-wide student-teacher evaluation surveys or by similar departmental surveys. These survey results should not substitute for the department head's evaluation.

The following criteria will determine the eligibility of Graduate Instructors, Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, and Graduate Administrative Assistants for reappointment:

a. evaluations of performance by the supervisor;

b. recommendation of the student's academic advisor;

c. a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.0 in each semester of enrollment (or in the Law School the requirements for graduations

d. length of cumulative support by an assistantship and time in a degree program (optional departmental policy);

e. availability of funding and continuance of the work for which the appointment is made;

f. other written criteria as determined by the department making the appointment.

The degree of emphasis placed on each criterion will be determined by the department. If the above criteria are met satisfactorily, students can expect an extension of their assistantship at the original stipend level.

The actual procedure for reappointment will differ among departments. In some cases, a student must formally apply for reappointment by a specified date preceding a new period. In other cases, reappointment may be awarded in the letter of evaluation. Individual departments will explain their reappointment procedure in the initial appointment letters.

7.1 Rights Pertaining to Assistantship Duties: The department employing the graduate assistant has the responsibility of providing the space, materials, equipment, and services necessary to carry out assigned duties.

7.2 Tuition Waivers and Scholarships: Students who receive any graduate assistantship providing at least $600 per semester and who are not residents of Mississippi receive a waiver of the nonresident fee for themselves and their spouses.

Students who receive a minimum graduate stipend from any University assistantship, fellowship, or scholarship and who register for at least nine hours of graduate credit will be eligible to receive a partial tuition scholarship for that semester. (The minimum stipend level was set at $1125 in 1988; this level may change. For the current minimum trigger stipend level, contact the Graduate School.)

7.3 Right to Written and Timely Communication Regarding Appointments:

All appointment and reappointment offers must be made in writing by the department head to the student. The appointment of new graduate assistants should be made as early as possible, preferably before June 1 for the following fall semester; however, due to uncertainty regarding the availability of funds, a department may be unable to offer such appointments until a much later date. Offers of reappointment to students should also be made as soon as is possible. For example, reappointment offers for the fall semester should be made within one month following the completion of the spring semester.

7.4 Grievance Procedure: Graduate assistants who have grievances regarding their appointment and assigned duties should follow the Graduate Assistant Grievance Procedure.

7.5 Vacation, Sick Leave, and Retirement Benefits: Because graduate assistants are temporary employees, they are not eligible to accrue any vacation, sick leave, or retirement credit, or to participate in employee insurance programs. Graduate assistants are covered under the University's Workers' Compensation program.

7.6 Miscellaneous Benefits: Graduate assistants have a priority in obtaining married student housing apartments.

No one who is teaching a section of a course may also accept payment for tutoring a student in that section. This prohibits a Graduate Assistant from accepting positions as a tutor for that section either in other University units (such as the Athletic Department) or in non-University agencies; it also prohibits a Graduate Assistant from accepting payment for tutoring a student in his or her course or section independently (i.e., as a private arrangement between the student and the Graduate Assistant).

No one who works for a faculty member as a Graduate Assistant with responsibilities for a particular course or section of a course (for example, as a test grader) may accept payment for tutoring a student who is in that faculty member's course or section of a course.

No one who is teaching a section of a course in which the same departmental examination is given to multiple sections, may accept payment for tutoring a student in any section of that course.

Graduate Assistants who work as laboratory assistants may not accept payment for tutoring a student who is in any of the laboratory sections for that course.

Individual departments may impose more stringent restrictions on their Graduate Assistants' tutoring activities, so long as those restrictions apply uniformly to all Graduate Assistants in the department and do not have the effect of discriminating against any individual or group of individuals.

Graduate Assistants are reminded that they must avoid any type of tutoring activity (for additional pay) that might lead to real or implied conflicts of interest or that might compromise the academic integrity of the University.

Tutors must not discuss a student's work with a Graduate Assistant who is teaching that student, if the results of that discussion might, intentionally or unintentionally, seem to pressure the Graduate Assistant to give the student an unfair advantage or to assign a particular grade.

Tutors must not prepare students' assignments for them.

Tutors must not use their access to information about assignments or examinations within the department to give the students they are tutoring an unfair advantage over other students.

Graduate Assistants should not recommend to their own students that they seek tutorial assistance from other Graduate Assistants, but might instead recommend that they seek assistance from the Academic Support Center.

< Back To Handbook Index

Create a Customized E-Brochure! NEW!