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Expectations

New graduate teaching assistants must complete University orientation requirements (not including those at Health Sciences).

Expectations

On average, regular graduate assistants are expected to work 20 hours per week and partial graduate assistants are expected to work 10 hours per week.

  • For graduate teaching assistants, this time includes preparation time and office hours, in addition to class and meeting time.
  • See eligibility and enrollment requirements for information on work hours during the summer.

In general, graduate assistants should not be assigned clerical duties or other duties more appropriate for hourly student workers. A graduate assistantship should contribute to the student’s professional skills and knowledge.

Time Commitment 

A 9-month (fall and spring academic terms) graduate assistantship normally runs from August 16 to May 15.

The fall academic term normally runs from August 16 to December 31.

The spring academic term normally runs from January 1 to May 15.

Graduate assistants are not expected to work on University holidays and are not expected to make up work hours missed for holidays.

Graduate teaching assistants are not normally expected to work when classes are not in session, unless otherwise specified in their letter of appointment.

Other types of graduate assistants are expected to work in accordance with the information in their letter of appointment.

Some graduate assistants may be required to work at specific times during the week, as described in their letter of appointment or agreed upon with their supervisor.

Duo Authentication

At West Virginia University, security is a shared responsibility. That’s why we require everyone to use two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security besides your username and password. When you log into a secure system that contains sensitive, personal or financial information, you’ll have to confirm your identity with two things -- something you HAVE (a device) and something you KNOW (a password). 

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

According to federal law, West Virginia University must publish and distribute an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASR) to current students and employees and to give notice of its availability to prospective ones. The ASR includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by West Virginia University, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The ASR also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a hard copy of the ASR by contacting the W. Va. Univ. Police at 304-293-3136 or by accessing it here: https://police.wvu.edu/clery-act/campus-safety/annual-clery-report