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The provisions of this catalog do not constitute an offer for a contract which may be accepted by students through registration and enrollment in the University. The University reserves the right to change any provision or requirement, including fees, at any time with or without notice. The University further reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the University for cause at any time.
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Catalog Changes Following Initial Publication
Approved March 25, 2025 by the ULM Graduate Council
ADMINISTRATION OF GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP APPOINTMENTS
PURPOSE
To address the management of graduate assistantship appointments (Research, Teaching, and Administrative Graduate Assistantships)
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Academic Standing – Students are in good academic standing if they are making adequate progress toward completing degree requirements; have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0; and do not have an excessive number of incomplete grades on their records.
Appointing unit. The appointing unit refers to the university unit that selects, appoints, evaluates, and assumes financial responsibility for the costs associated with a graduate assistantship.
Full-time assistantship. A full-time assistantship refers to a graduate assistantship requiring twenty hours of service per week.
POLICY
Graduate assistantships provide students with valuable educational and professional experiences while pursuing advanced degrees. These assistantship appointments are expected to advance the quality and scope of graduate education by attracting high quality students into our graduate programs and promote student access to graduate school.
Graduate assistants are appointed across a variety of academic and non-academic departments, and come as teaching, research or academic support. These appointments follow the University calendar and may be assigned during Fall, Spring, Summer I, Summer II, and Wintersession.
Assistantship awards are competitive and open to full-time, degree-seeking, graduate students in good academic standing. A graduate student appointed to an Assistantship may not engage in other employment inside the university. Graduate Assistantships may be internally or externally funded and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, candidates must have “regular” admission status and be admitted to a degree program. Students who are conditionally admitted are not eligible for assistantships unless their deficiencies are undergraduate prerequisites. Provisionally admitted and non-degree students are not eligible to apply for assistantships.
Applicants must also have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher; if any graduate coursework has been completed (either at ULM or any other institution), applicants must have a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
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Note: Although the Graduate Assistant Application is often submitted with regular admissions materials, it is not guaranteed that an assistantship will be awarded.
APPOINTMENT PROCESS
Students interested in applying for graduate assistantships must submit an application form and three letters of recommendation to the department or program in which an assistantship is desired. Additionally, teaching or research applicants must submit a detailed CV/resume and complete paperwork related to LA ACT 106. All required forms are located on the Graduate School webpage: https://www.ulm.edu/gradschool/grad-assist-hiring.html
Applications made directly to the Graduate School will not be accepted unless the assistantship positions are located within the Graduate School. Once the application materials have been reviewed by the department/program and candidate(s) selected, a request will be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School for final approval. Once approved, the Graduate School will generate an appointment letter. The candidate will sign and return a letter of acceptance to the Graduate School before beginning any work. The acceptance letter will outline the responsibilities, type of assistantship, and compensation offered through the assistantship. Tuition waivers will be applied once the student accepts the position and enrolls for classes.
Some departments may have additional specific application requirements for their graduate assistantships; each applicant should inquire with the hiring supervisor regarding these requirements.
Students may not serve as a teaching assistant in graduate-level courses unless the assistance is limited to preparing course materials (e.g. Lab set-up).
TYPES OF ASSISTANTSHIPS
Graduate Assistantships fall into three categories, based upon the primary (>50%) responsibilities of teaching, research and program support:
1. Teaching Assistant (TA) – Teaching Assistantships primarily support instruction. Examples of responsibilities include but are not limited to: teaching undergraduate classes; grading; leading lab or discussion groups in a course setting; developing academic instructional materials; preparation of lecture and lab materials; conducting review sessions; proctoring exams; overseeing/coordinating the work of other TAs; monitoring or maintaining existing course websites; holding office hours; and other duties as assigned. TAs who are the teacher of record or co-instructors must have earned 18 hours of graduate credit in the teaching discipline.
2. Research Assistant (RA) RAs contribute to the university’s research mission and work within their field of study. Research Assistants primarily work on research projects under the direction of a supervisor. The duties of research assistants vary by discipline. Examples include but are not limited to: literature review; conducting
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experiments; collecting, organizing or analyzing data; writing reports; compiling spreadsheets; presenting findings in publications or conferences; collaborating with faculty in preparing publications; and other research activities as assigned. 3. Administrative Graduate Assistant (AGA) Administrative Assistants perform clerical and administrative tasks for university offices. These roles may or may not align with the student’s field of study and are commonly found outside of academic departments. Examples of responsibilities include but are not limited to: receptionist duties; copying; translation; data entry; processing paperwork; correspondence; web page assistance; managing mail; supervising/administrating labs (e.g., STAP labs, Learning Centers etc.); equipment management; network support; publication support; outreach duties; and other clerical duties as assigned
GA ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT
Graduate Assistants must be full-time (9 hours), working towards an advanced degree. Students in certain professional programs E.g. Marriage & Family Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Counseling, etc. may be enrolled for up to 15 hours while holding an assistantship. The Major Professor and the Dean of the Graduate School must approve a student’s request to enroll in a course load exceeding 9 semester hours during a regular semester or 7 semester hours in the summer (3 hours per summer session). Students in combined bachelor’s/master’s degree programs are not eligible for a graduate assistantship until they have completed the bachelor’s degree and have been regularly admitted into a master’s degree program.
Students who fail to maintain a full-time course load in any semester or term may automatically lose their assistantships and be disqualified from receiving assistantships in subsequent semesters/terms. Any exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis by the Dean of the Graduate School. GAs will be required to document their circumstances for consideration.
GA WORK POLICY
Duration of work: Students are expected to be involved in assistantship activities for approximately 16 weeks as indicated in their offer letters, not including official University holidays, campus closures (including for inclement weather, etc.), university-designated study days, spring & fall breaks, and the Thanksgiving break. When ongoing research or work type cannot be interrupted by holidays and cannot be delegated, the graduate student will need to be made aware of the requirements before the start of the assistantship.
Work Hours: All Graduate Assistant (GA) appointments include 20 hours of work per week under the direction of the student’s assigned supervisor. Due to specific operational requirements in some areas, the total time expectation may be satisfied by increasing or decreasing the number of weekly work hours so the average work does not exceed 20 hours and the total required hours of commitment are not exceeded. Such arrangements must be clarified to the students by the hiring supervisor before the student accepts the assistantship.
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Other campus employment: Graduate Assistants may not hold any other compensable employment on campus. Graduate Assistants may not be asked to perform personal duties by or for their supervisors outside the scope of their assigned responsibilities; any changes must be approved in writing by the Program Graduate Coordinator. All GA work must remain within the confines of their assigned job duties and work hours.
ORIENTATION
Orientation for Graduate Assistants is in an online course in Canvas. Graduate Assistants will be added to the course as required and completion is mandatory.
All GAs are expected to attend training, workshops, and professional development activities held during University week (the week before the start of fall and spring semesters) and throughout the semester. The first work day/last work day of any term for Graduate Assistants (GAs) is:
AGA: First class day/ Last class day
RAs: First class day/ Last class day
TA’s: Up to 3 business days before the first day of class as assigned by the supervisor/ last day of the semester
The dates indicated are determined by the university’s academic calendar. Graduating students may not work past graduation.
JOB PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION OF ALL GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Evaluation is a crucial part of the assistantship experience. It should be a supportive and constructive process that helps identify strengths, as well as weaknesses, and develop an improvement plan. As a first step in the evaluation process, the student should be given clear information by the supervisor about job expectations at the beginning of the employment period and should be informed of how progress will be measured. Evaluations against those expectations will be conducted each semester by the employing unit (a mid-term evaluation is highly recommended during the first year of employment) for all graduate assistants. Providing valuable feedback throughout the semester for all graduate assistants, new or returning, is a best practice, and is highly encouraged. The formal performance assessment process involves the student and the supervisor discussing a written evaluation. The document must be signed by both parties. Both the student and the supervisor share responsibility for ensuring that the evaluation process is carried out. An evaluation form is available on the Graduate School ‘forms’ page.
WORK ABSENCE
Graduate assistants do not accrue vacation, sick leave, or other paid time-off.
In the event of illness, a graduate student needs to notify his/her supervisor as soon as possible for any days of absence, and arrange to recover the lost time, in agreement with the supervisor. The work schedule should be adjusted by the supervisor to enable the graduate student to complete their assistantship work commitments due to a necessary absence.
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For extended leave, (>3 days), for example due to illness or military leave, the GA will need to provide medical proof or justification, and contact the supervisor, major professor, graduate program coordinator, and the Graduate School. A stipend adjustment may take place. The Dean of the Graduate School must be notified of all stipend adjustments.
For any leave time, Graduate Assistants must report their start and end dates to their supervisor, major professor, and the Graduate School. Appropriate arrangements to make up missed work will take place in agreement with the major professor/supervisor. Failure or inability to make up missed work may result in a reduction of the GAs stipend.
STIPENDS, TUITION & FEES
Compensation
University graduate assistantships feature a base compensation package that includes a full tuition waiver and an out-of-state fee waiver. Students are also awarded a base stipend of at least $3,000 per regular term, $1000 per summer term, or $800 for Maymester and Wintersession. Many departments offer assistantships with stipends that exceed the minimum. Stipend amounts vary and are determined by the appointing units. Assistantship stipends are paid bi-weekly according to the pay schedule posted on the Human Resources website.
Teaching and Research Assistants are exempted from paying certain student fees by the State of Louisiana (ACT 664). Students must pay fees that are not covered by this legislation such as professional fees, course related fees, international student service fees, vehicle registration fees, insurance fees etc. Administrative Graduate Assistants are not eligible for fee waivers.
All new graduate assistants must complete a Hiring Packet with their supervisor that must be submitted through Human Resources to Payroll.
Payment of Stipend
RAs and TAs are paid biweekly (every other week), and the payments are determined by dividing the amount of the overall stipend by the number of pay periods for the semester. If the student works the full twenty hours each week, the entire stipend amount, minus taxes, will have been distributed by the end of the semester.
AGAs are paid bi-weekly and the pay is hourly. A timesheet should be completed each pay period and approved by the supervisor. Timesheets should be completed by each payroll deadline and should not be turned in late. Bi-weekly payments are determined by the number of hours worked each week. If the student works a reduced number of hours in one or more weeks and cannot make those hours up in a subsequent week, the amount of pay every other week will be reduced, and the entire stipend will not be distributed by the end of the semester. If the student works the full 20 hours each week, the entire stipend amount, minus taxes, will have been distributed by the end of the semester.
GA APPOINTMENTS
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Late Appointments
All open graduate assistant positions should be filled by the end of the first week of classes each semester. For students who are awarded an assistantship after that date, the tuition waiver and stipend amounts will be pro-rated to adjust to the date work begins. Mid-Semester Resignations
If a student resigns his or her graduate assistantship at any point during the semester, the student and the assigned supervisor will contact the Grad School immediately so a stop on future stipend distributions can be initiated.
The student will be responsible for the remainder of his or her tuition at a pro-rated rate proportional to the fraction of the semester worked and will only receive stipend distributions through the final day of work.
If a student resigns without notifying the Grad School and continues to collect stipend payments distributed by Payroll after they have stopped working, the University may choose action pursuant to the recovery of the affected funds.
If the student has been assigned a lab key or any other items specific to the position, those items must be returned to the assigned supervisor before leaving campus for the final time.
Reappointment
Reappointment is contingent upon these criteria: the graduate assistant making satisfactory academic progress, satisfactorily completing work duties, the number of years the student has been supported, and the availability of funding.
Although most GA appointments are renewed by term, there can be no guarantee of renewal. Graduate assistants whose appointments are for more than one term will be notified of decisions not to renew appointments at least 30 days before the date upon which the appointment is to begin. An appointment may be terminated immediately for cause or due to changes to the University GA budget.
Graduate assistants are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and above, and must not earn more than one grade of C in their graduate coursework. Receiving a request for reappointment from the student’s supervisor indicates satisfactory completion of work duties.
It is important to note that a graduate student who is not a GA may make two C’s and still be in good standing with the university; however, two C’s will be cause for a GA to lose the assistantship. They may still attend classes and continue their studies, but not as a GA.
To allow a larger number of qualified students to benefit from assistantships, many departments limit the number of years that a graduate student may serve as an assistant in any capacity. Normally, a graduate student may hold an assistantship for a maximum of two years while pursuing a master’s degree and four years in a doctoral program. Once a student completes all degree requirements and paperwork, they are not eligible for assistantships in the next term, including students who complete their degree requirements between terms (i.e.,
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if a student successfully defends and submits a thesis or dissertation during the summer, then they are not eligible for an assistantship the following fall term).
A graduate assistantship may be rescinded because of a loss, reduction, or reallocation in appropriation, grant, contract, gift, or other funds with which to support the appointment. Subject to the fiscal priorities of the unit, programs will make a good faith effort to find alternative funding for the full term of the appointment for a GA who is in good standing and making satisfactory progress towards their degrees.
Termination of Graduate Assistantships
A Graduate Assistant’s appointment may be terminated before the expiration of its designated term for the reasons listed below. An appointment may be terminated with a written notice of 30 days.
1. For cause
An appointment may be terminated immediately for cause. The following are examples of sufficient cause for removal: incompetence, inefficiency, wanton carelessness or neglect of duty, insubordination, repeated or extended absence, and misconduct related to the GA’s suitability or capacity to continue to perform assignments. GAs charged with any violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, the Code of Student Conduct, or any other University policy, or with a criminal offense may be suspended from their positions with pay while the charges against them are pending. GAs found responsible for any violation or offense related to their GA duties will be terminated immediately, and any commitment to provide future GA appointments will be invalid. Graduate assistants may be dismissed from their appointment for failure to return to duty following an approved leave from their assistantship.
2. Engagement in a second job on campus
A graduate assistantship may be terminated if a student is employed for a second on-campus job, contrary to the conditions of employment
3. Unsatisfactory Academic performance
An appointment may be terminated if the student does not make satisfactory academic progress, earns more than one grade of C, or is not in good academic standing.
4. Voluntary mutual agreement.
With the agreement of the University, an appointment may be terminated by the voluntary written resignation of the GA.
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APPEALS PROCESS
A Graduate Assistant whose appointment shall be terminated, for cause, unsatisfactory performance, or holding a second campus job should follow the process below.
1) Informal Resolution
The student must attempt to resolve their concerns with their respective School Director within five (5) business days of the date on which the decision being contested was communicated to the Graduate Student by informal consultation and resolution. Students hired in non-academic units must contact their direct supervisor for an informal resolution.
2) Filing a Grievance
If the matter is unresolved, the Graduate Assistant may submit a grievance to the Academic Dean with a copy of the grievance to the Graduate Dean within three (3) business days of the informal resolution.
The grievance must specify the decision being contested, the steps the student has taken to resolve their complaint, and the requested resolution. The student should include any supporting documentation they consider relevant to the grievance.
3) Resolution of Grievance. The Academic Dean will investigate the complaint described in the grievance. The investigation will include, but is not limited to, reviewing relevant documentation and meeting separately with the student and the Graduate Coordinator and other relevant personnel.
Upon receipt of a formal review the Academic Dean of the College or Vice-president overseeing a non-academic unit will solicit a written response from the School Director and offer to meet with the Graduate Assistant and the concerned faculty member, either individually or together.
The Academic Dean/Vice-president may consult with the Graduate Coordinator, Department Head, Graduate Dean and others who the Dean believes may be knowledgeable about the matter. The Academic Dean/ VP shall convey a written recommendation with tangible steps towards resolving the issue between the GA and the faculty member to the Graduate Dean within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the formal review request. The Graduate Dean may elect to seek the opinion of the Graduate Council. In such a case, the recommendation of the Council will be taken into consideration for a collaborative decision by the Academic and Graduate Deans.
The review process outlined above is not appropriate for complaints related to discrimination based on age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or family medical or genetic information. Such allegations must be directed to the Title IX office. Graduate assistants may bypass their direct supervisor when the grievance involves allegations of sexual, racial or other prohibitive harassment by that supervisor
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