Happy New Year! We hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing holiday season.
Do you have a graduate assistantship for Spring 2024? Please read on to learn some important information! Before the semester kicks into high gear, we wanted to remind you of some important information!
You are receiving this message because you are listed in the WVU payroll system as a GA—please disregard this message if you are not a GA this semester.
GRAD ED GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP POLICIES
Holding an assistantship comes with rights and responsibilities. We would like to remind you of some guidelines and encourage you to discuss anything you have questions about as soon as possible.
Check out our website for the most detailed version of our policies, including full-time enrollment (9 credits), minimum stipend requirements, and how much additional on-campus work you might be able to do (like the 100 hour rule).
All regular and partial assistantships come with a waiver of all or some university tuition. University fees and college/school tuition are your responsibility, unless otherwise stated in your assistantship appointment letter.
Regular GAs receive payment of the health insurance premium, and partial GAs receive payment for half the premium (unless you have waived the coverage). You must be hired prior to the end of the fifth week of classes for these benefits.
Make sure that your student account reflects the correct tuition waiver and payment of health insurance premium according to the type of assistantship you hold. This is your responsibility!
What should you receive from your supervisor? What are your work requirements?
Supervisors should provide you with an appointment letter, which should convey what type of work you are expected to do and when you are expected to do it.
Some GAs do not have specific assigned hours while others have set hours—this should be communicated to you at the start of the semester.
Regular GAs work an average of 20 hours a week and partial GAs an average of 10 hours a week.
Some research assistantships require work that may overlap with an academic project (research credits, theses, dissertations etc.). Please work with your supervisor to understand the distinctions between GRA work and your individual research requirements.
GAs are not expected to work or make up times when the University is closed (holidays, weather or emergency closures, etc.). Some assistantships require work when class is not in session. Your supervisor should clearly communicate this schedule to you at the start of the semester.
Your supervisor should provide you with a performance evaluation at the end of the semester.
What to do if you have questions?
If you need to drop below full-time at some point this semester, you and your supervisor must contact our office.
If you have specific questions about your assistantship, we strongly encourage you to discuss them with your supervisor now. Please be sure to review the information in the links above. Communicating any concerns or questions you have as early as you can helps reduce the possibility of confusion or conflict later on.
For general questions, or for assistance, contact the Grad Ed and Life team at Graded@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7173.