1. GENERAL

1.01     The term "Graduate Assistant" as used at Sam Houston State University indicates a graduate student who is  employed by the university on a part-time basis, usually one-quarter or one-half time, to teach lower division courses and/or laboratories under the supervision of a full-time faculty member, perform specific research duties, or assist in office functions.

1.02     Graduate Assistantships are made available to a limited number of graduate students each year. The purposes of the Graduate Assistantship program are to aid in financing the graduate studies of outstanding students and to provide experiences in the instructional and research programs through the assignment of duties designed to support and improve the total instructional program of the university.

1.03     There are six types of graduate assistantships at Sam Houston State University. A graduate student seeking a master’s degree may be employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, a Graduate Research Assistant, or a Graduate Assistant. A graduate student seeking a doctoral degree may be employed as a Doctoral Teaching Assistant, a Doctoral Research Assistant, or a Doctoral Fellow.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES AND DEFINITIONS

2.01     A half-time Graduate Teaching Assistant or a Doctoral Teaching Assistant normally is responsible for two courses, or four laboratories, or twenty clock hours of duty each week and is expected to be enrolled in six to nine semester hours of course work each semester. These assistants are employed by an academic department, usually paid from faculty salaries, and are responsible for, or in charge of, a class or class section, or a quiz, drill, or laboratory section. According to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools regulations, they must have earned eighteen (18) graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline, report directly to a faculty member, and be evaluated regularly.

2.02     A half-time Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Assistant, Doctoral Research Assistant, or Doctoral Fellow may be assigned duties associated with research of a technical or professional level, faculty support, or other duties as permitted by the funding source, with twenty clock hours of duty each week and is expected to be enrolled in six to nine semester hours of course work each semester. Funding for these positions is usually derived from departmental operating expense or external sources such as grants, contracts, fellowships, or endowments.

2.03     Graduate students on an assistantship may not normally hold other salaried positions from the university.  An exception to this rule may be made with the written approval of the appropriate academic dean.  A graduate student on an assistantship may not be employed more than 80 percent from all sources of funding.

3. REMUNERATION

3.01     A stipend is paid semi-monthly. Nonresidents (including citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. and all foreign students) employed as research or teaching assistants on at least a half-time basis in a position related to their degree programs are entitled to pay the resident tuition rate.

4. HIRING

4.01     The hire of Graduate Assistants will be in consonance with paragraph 13 of Academic Policy Statement 800114, Academic Instructional Staffing.  To be eligible for appointment to a Graduate Assistantship, the applicant must have met all requirements for regular admission to graduate studies.  The maximum course enrollment load for Graduate Assistants on one-half time employment is nine (9) hours per semester or three (3) hours per summer session. Graduate Assistants on less than a half-time assistantship may have their maximum course load authorization increased proportionately by the appropriate department/school chair.

4.02     Graduate Assistants usually are appointed for one academic year, i.e., two semesters, and may have the position renewed. In some circumstances Graduate Assistants may be limited to a single semester. Retention of the position Graduate Assistant is at all times conditional upon the continued good standing of the student in graduate studies (not less than a 3.0 minimum overall grade point average) and upon satisfactory performance of work assignments for which the stipend is provided.

4.03     Applications for positions of Graduate Teaching Assistant and Doctoral Teaching Assistant may be obtained from the office of the appropriate academic dean.

5. QUALIFICATIONS

5.01     Graduate Teaching Assistants and Doctoral Teaching Assistants who have primary responsibility for teaching a course or laboratory for credit and/or for assigning final grades for such course or laboratory must be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching field, receive regular inservice training, and be regularly evaluated.

5.02     Criteria for selection of Graduate Teaching Assistants and Doctoral Teaching Assistants include but are not limited to:  undergraduate/graduate grade point average, experience, performance on the GRE or GMAT, and letters of recommendation.

5.03     Prior to teaching a lecture section of a course, a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Doctoral Teaching Assistant must have earned at least 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching field.

5.04     The requirements of paragraph 5.03 do not apply to graduate students on assistantships who are engaged in assignments such as providing laboratory assistance, teaching physical education activity courses, attending or helping to prepare lectures, grading papers, keeping class records, conducting discussion groups, or engaging in research projects.

6. ORIENTATION/TRAINING, SUPERVISION, AND EVALUATION

6.01     All Graduate Assistants will periodically receive orientation/training, supervision, and evaluation necessary to ensure their effective performance as classroom/laboratory teachers, researchers, or office workers.

6.02     Department/School Chairs are responsible for ensuring that the orientation/training, supervision, and evaluation of Graduate Assistants is accomplished.

7. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

7.01     In accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 3.02 of Academic Policy Statement 871214, English Language Proficiency for Instructional Personnel, each written recommendation for the employment of a Graduate Teaching Assistant or Doctoral Teaching Assistant will bear the following endorsement from the appropriate academic chair/ dean:

 "I certify that   has been carefully evaluated as to his/her English language proficiency and is qualified to fill this position vacancy."
 

APPROVED: __________________/s/____________
JAMES F. GAERTNER
President

DATE:                    July 16, 2002