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PROCEDURE FOR HIRING GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

1. PURPOSE: This regulation describes how graduate assistants may be hired, eligibility requirements, and the procedures and forms to use in hiring a graduate assistant. These persons may be hired in graduate program areas as well as areas not offering a graduate program. It includes academic departments as well as other offices of the university.
   
2. DEFINITION: A graduate assistant is a student admitted to a bona fide graduate program. He/She is hired to assist the area by performing professional activities to which his/her status as a graduate student brings special expertise and experience. This may include, but is not limited to, assisting in teaching, research, laboratory supervision, administrative functions, etc.
   
   Graduate assistants should not be employed for duties that can be performed by undergraduate assistants, student help or by hiring clerical staff.
   
3. GRADUATE ASSISTANT APPROVALS AND FUNDING: The allocation for assistantship positions in graduate departments is made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs on the recommendations of the college deans and director of Graduate Studies. Graduate staff assistant positions are funded by the area seeking to hire the student. For staff assistants, recommendation must be given by the student's program department chair, and approval given by the University Budget Office, by the College Dean in the case of academic departments, by supervisors if for another area, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
   
4. ELIGIBILITY: Graduate assistants must:
   1. Submit a resume and two letters of recommendation.
   2. Be admitted to a graduate degree program. Graduate special students may not serve as graduate assistants.
   3. Graduate assistants must be registered for at least one graduate course and a minimum of two credits per quarter of their assistantship.
   4. Maintain a 3.00 grade point average.
   5. Not be employed as a student assistant, undergraduate assistant, student help or other WSU classification during the period of the assistantship. Any exception must be authorized by the Director of Graduate Studies.
   6. Failure to adhere to these conditions will result in termination of the graduate assistantship.
      
5. SUPERVISION AND ASSIGNMENT:
   1. Graduate assistants in academic departments must be assigned to and supervised by a full-status member of the graduate faculty. Graduate staff assistants must be assigned to and supervised by a full-time professional employee with at least a Master's degree or equivalent experience and expertise in the area of the assignment.
   2. Graduate assistantships may be prorated and granted for one, two or three quarters and may include summers.
   3. A full-time assistantship will normally consist of 18-20 hours of work per week; a half-time assistantship of 8-10 hours of work per week.
   4. Full-time graduate teaching assistants normally will teach no more than one course per term. Inany case the load is not to exceed 4 credits.
   5. Graduate assistants will normally serve a maximum of two years. Any exception must beauthorized by the Director of Graduate Studies.
      
6. HIRING PROCEDURE:
   1. The academic department or area solicits student applications for available graduate assistantshipson WSU Form R 4-40.
   2. The academic department or area will recommend a student to fill the graduate staff position and route the form for the appropriate approvals and verifications.
   3. Upon receipt of the completed form from the College Dean or Area Supervisor, the Office of Graduate Studies will notify successful applicants with a letter to the student stating the conditions under which the assistantship is to be accepted and requesting that the offer be formally accepted via a written acceptance letter.
   4. When the applicant's letter of acceptance is received, the Office of Graduate Studies will send the documents to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
   5. The Academic Vice President will then send the documents to the Human Resources Office where a Graduate Assistant Employment Agreement will be prepared and issued to the candidate with copies to the department and to the Office of Graduate Studies.

The administration shall report to the Faculty Association at the beginning of each quarter the names of all graduate assistants, the courses and/or duties assigned, and the compensation.

This WSU Regulation supersedes WSU Regulation 3-10, dated January 10, 1992.

AUTHENTICATED BY:

Darrell W. Krueger
President

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Last Modified: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 9:28 by