Graduate AssistantsGraduate Assistantships provide remission of the instructional fee portion of tuition and a salary on a regular periodic basis as compensation for the service provided each term of the appointment. There are three types of assistantships: teaching, research, and administrative. You must be a full-time graduate student, regularly admitted to a graduate degree program, and in good academic standing to begin an assistantship. Students are free to apply for assistantships in any department, not only in the department to which they are admitted. Students wishing to apply for graduate assistantships must correspond directly with the department offering the assistantship. The Office of Graduate Studies does not maintain a list of available assistantships and does not award graduate assistantships, but does post assistantship announcements when requested. Available Graduate AssistantshipsRetirement Association of Portland State
Graduate Assistant Terms of AppointmentEligibilityTo qualify and to remain eligible for an appointment, the student must have Regular Admission status (or Qualified Admission status: eligible for Regular University admission but having only departmental conditions) and must maintain good academic standing in a graduate degree program at PSU. The graduate assistant must be registered for and satisfactorily complete a minimum of 9 graduate credits each term the assistantship is in effect, except Summer Term, with term and cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or higher, and show satisfactory academic progress in fulfilling the requirements of the degree program. (The graduate assistant will also be registered for assistantship-related Practicum or Research credits each term, as noted in the memo from the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, which cannot apply toward any degree and do not count toward the 9-credit enrollment requirement.) Terms of AppointmentLevels of appointment may be between 0.15 and 0.49 FTE per term, with appointments being either for a single term, for 9 months, or for 12 months (see paragraph below). The typical full time assistantship is at 0.30 FTE. Students appointed for an academic year (9 months) receive a salary each month during the academic year; students appointed for 12 months receive a salary each month of the year. Appointments for fiscal quarters essentially parallel the academic terms for which the instruction fee portion of the tuition is remitted. The carry over of a week or two from one fiscal quarter to another does not provide instructional fee remission for both academic quarters. Under no circumstances can a graduate assistant hold unclassified or classified appointments concurrent with the graduate assistantship. If a graduate assistant also earns student wages or other graduate assistant wages, a maximum of .49 FTE (approximately 254 hours of work total) is allowed from all PSU appointments during each term the assistantship is in effect. For example, a graduate assistant with a 0.30 FTE appointment could work a maximum of 0.19 additional FTE in that term in any other PSU student position(s) but could not have any unclassified or classified appointment in that term. 1.0 FTE for 13 weeks is approximately 520 hours of work; 0.19 FTE (98 hours) maximum is available in that term for other student work at PSU. Service to the InstitutionGraduate assistants holding a 0.30 FTE appointment are expected to provide teaching or research services of approximately 12- 15 hours per week (see Salary and Hours, below). The time commitment for other levels of appointment should be increased or decreased proportionally. Teaching assistants provide service related to the University's instructional program (e.g., teaching, laboratory, or discussion sections; grading papers). Research assistants provide service related to the research functions of the Department or School/College. In all cases the assistantship is regarded as a contribution to the graduate student's learning experience as well as a service to the university. Salary and HoursThe graduate assistant is provided a salary on a monthly basis as compensation for the service that has been provided. The salary is not directly dependent on the actual number of hours worked each month, but rather is paid for satisfactory performance of professional responsibilities as required by the Department Chair or program Director. However, as a guideline, the following can be used:
All graduate assistantships must be for appointments between .15 and .49 FTE (inclusive) and must also include tuition remission equivalent to at least the minimum established by the tuition remission schedule set each academic year (instructional costs only, at resident rates). Nonresident graduate assistants are charged resident tuition rates for the terms of their graduate assistantship only. No vacation, medical, dental, or retirement benefits are paid, and no time toward tenure is accrued. Termination of AppointmentAll appointments are made for a specific period of time (e.g., one quarter, 9 months, 12 months). Reappointment is not automatic, must be considered on a competitive basis, and is based upon an evaluation of the student's academic progress and performance as a graduate assistant. An appointment may be terminated at any time because of unsatisfactory academic performance, such as probation status, or for failure to register for and complete satisfactorily a minimum of 9 graduate credits in a term, or if the services provided by the graduate assistant are judged unsatisfactory or unnecessary. A graduate assistant who has been terminated by the Department may petition the Dean of the appropriate School/College for review of the termination action. After review, the Dean of the appropriate School/College will confirm the termination or reinstate the appointment. Termination of the appointment is not subject to the administrative rules of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and Portland State University. 09/05 PSU/OGS |
