The University of Kentucky employs graduate assistants through its various educational, research and administrative units.
For application information, see Assistantship and Fellowship Information and Instructions for Applying. Department and research units are directly responsible for the awarding of assistantships under the aegis of the department Director of Graduate Studies or the unit Chair or Director. A Notice of Appointment to Graduate Student Academic Staff (GSAS) for delineating terms of appointment and assigned duties must be submitted to the Graduate School Funding Office through the online form.
Eligibility/Appointment
Teaching assistants are employed by
academic departments and are responsible to the Department Chair, Director of
Graduate Studies, or other appropriate academic officer within the department. TAs
are subject to policies in effect within their department and college in which they are employed. Teaching assignments, workload, and compensation may vary within the employing college. All
teaching assistants are carefully supervised and guided in their duties and
responsibilities. In departments which employ TAs, an experienced teacher or a
specialist in teaching methods provides guidance and supervision in
assigned instructional activities.("Policies Relative to Teaching
and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
Teaching assistants are selected on the basis of their past teaching experience or on their academic potential to be effective instructors in their field of training. TAs who have primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and/or for assigning final grades for such a course must have completed at least 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline and hold at least a master's degree. If this criteria is not met, TAs must have earned at least 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline, be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, receive regular in-service training, and be regularly evaluated.
Responsibilities
The duties of teaching assistants
(TAs) may include full classroom responsibilities, instructional assistance in a
laboratory or discussion session, or other related activities.
Training
All new teaching assistants
are required to attend an orientation program at the beginning of their first semester
designed to provide an overview of effective peagogical strategies and to inform them of their upcoming duties, rights, and responsibilities.
Most departments also conduct an orientation and training program to
guide TAs in their specific classroom or laboratory responsibilities.
International TAs
Prior to beginning their duties,
International TAs (ITAs) are required to attend and participate in an
orientation program designed to aid them in their transition into the American university classroom, acquaint them with campus resourcesuseful in their roles as teaching assistants, and introduce them to institutional policies relevant to ITAs. ITAs who are non-native English speakers are also required to undergo a language screening, which evealuates the ITAs English language skill and their readiness for instructional responsibilities. This evaluation,
conducted by a committee of faculty, staff, and students, is under the purview
of the Dean of The Graduate School. Screenings include a representative from the ITA's educational unit.
ITAs who receive unconditional approval
will be assigned appropriate duties in their department. ITAs who
receive conditional approval or who are disapproved may be assigned other duties
until they have successfully satisfied remediation program within a
specified time period. An ITA not approved for teaching may be eligible for rescreening by
the Committee at a later date. (ITA Language Screening Information ) (See also - "Policies on International
Teaching Assistants" Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-9)
Eligibility/Appointment
Research assistants (RAs) are
employed by many of the University's academic departments, as well as
administrative and research units. Some RAs are employed by a research or
administrative unit outside their departmental or disciplinary interest, but in
a program of research to which the RA brings certain knowledge or skills of
value to the project.
Responsibilities
Specific
responsibilities within a department or center may be assigned by the unit
Chair, Director, or Director of Graduate Studies. Responsibilities
may also be assigned by a faculty member as part of that individual's specific
research grant or contract. In such cases, students' research activities may be
directly related to their field of specialization or
to a thesis or dissertation topic. RAs
should be provided with a clear indication of the assigned duties, the person(s) to whom they are responsible and by whom
their performance will be evaluated.
Graduate assistants are employed by some of the University's academic departments, as well as administrative offices on an "as needed basis." GA positions assist Directors of Graduate Studies, manage special projects or work in a clerical capacity within a variety of university departments. Non-departmental positions select candidates from many areas of graduate studies and information is usually made available through your department via email. Responsibilities of GAs will depend on the department of employment.
Each educational unit is responsible for providing written policies concerning the appointment and reappointment of teaching and research assistants. These policies shall be made available to all prospective assistants at the time an initial offer is made and to all assistants whenever these policies are changed.
Workload
Teaching and
research assistants who are also full-time graduate students may be assigned
responsibilities requiring no more than 50 percent of their time. Normally for
TAs, this means service for not more than an average of 20 hours per week
including time spent in preparation, classroom and laboratory teaching, grading
papers, counseling students, etc. Responsibilities for RAs will vary with the
fraction of time for which they are employed, but normally a one half-time
appointment should require no more than 20 hours per week of assignable duties,
for a .50 (full) TA/RA, or 10 hours per week for a .25 (half) TA/RA.
("Policies Relative to Teaching
and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
Compensation
Minimum
levels of compensation for TAs and RAs are recommended by the Graduate School,
in consultation with the various graduate programs, on the basis of reasonable
compensation for their discipline or field, and on comparisons of salaries for
TAs and RAs at other benchmark institutions.
Tuition
Scholarships
Depending on the nature of their assignment and on
recommendation of their academic or administrative unit, TAs and RAs may be
eligible for Tuition Scholarships provided by the Graduate School under the
aegis of the Chancellors of the Lexington and Medical Center Campuses. TAs and
RAs may be eligible for both in-state and out-of-state tuition during the fall
and spring. During the summer, TA scholarships are handled directly by the
department and include in-state and out-of-state tuition and RAs are provided
out-of-state tuition only, by the Graduate School. Students must be enrolled in
a graduate program (post-baccalaureate students are not eligible). Graduate
assistants placed on Scholastic Probation are not eligible to receive either an
in-state or out-of-state tuition scholarship.
(Tuition Scholarship/Billing Account Information )
Assistantship
Duration
University-wide policy provides that TAs and RAs who are
candidates for a master's degree shall serve no more than a maximum of three
years without completion of their degree requirements. TAs and RAs who are
doctoral candidates shall serve no more than four years without successfully
completing their qualifying examinations. Graduate assistants are advised to
consult with the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies relative to
total number of years of support eligibility. ("Policies Relative to Teaching
and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
Satisfactory Progress and
Performance
TAs and RAs must maintain satisfactory academic records and
demonstrate progress toward degrees; their assistantships will not be renewed if
their academic progress is unsatisfactory. Satisfactory progress includes the
maintaining of a minimum 3.0 GGPA as well as other measures which may be
established under departmental policy with approval by the Graduate Council.
("Policies Relative to Teaching
and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
Evaluation
Each
educational unit is responsible for the systematic evaluation of the performance
of TAs and RAs in their employment according to established educational unit
criteria. The results of these evaluations shall be presented annually to
assistants in some formal manner. TAs and RAs shall be notified by March 1 of
each year whether or not their assistantships will be renewed for the coming
year. If a final decision on reappointment cannot be made by that date, they
shall be provided an explanation and informed as to when they might expect to be
notified.
("Policies Relative to Teaching
and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
Additional Employment
In order to preserve the academic focus of graduate students who
are on full-time assistantships and have their tuition paid by the University,
the Graduate School does not allow for additional salary or employment.
A full-time assistantship at UK, whether teaching, research or graduate, is considered 0.50 FTE (full time equivalency) in the employment system, or the equivalent of 20 hours per week on average in any combination of assignments. ("Policies Relative to Teaching and Research Assistants") (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-7)
In rare circumstances, an exception may be granted. An e-mail or written request should be submitted to the Pat Whitlow, Assistant Dean, Graduate School Funding Office, pat.whitlow@uky.edu, providing a description of the additional assignment(s), the purpose, and the length of the assignment. The signatures of the student, DGS or major advisor, and employing department(if different than home academic department) must be included. In the event that an exception is granted, the maximum FTE permitted for a graduate student may not exceed 0.75 FTE.
Graduate Students are not eligible for overload assignments if they:
Employment greater than the full-time work load for a graduate student (0.50) may have FICA tax implications for the student.
Termination of
Appointment
The appointment of a teaching or research assistant may not
be terminated before the end of the period of appointment without the
individual's being provided with an opportunity to be heard before the University Senate Advisory Committee on Privilege and Tenure. Issues should first
be addressed, where possible, with the appropriate unit Chair, Director, or Dean
of the College in which the TA/RA holds employment. They may also consult with
the Dean of the Graduate School concerning their rights and responsibilities.
A TA or RA who has established a prima facie case to the satisfaction of the committee that a consideration violative of academic freedom significantly contributed to the individual's non-reappointment shall be given a statement of reasons by those responsible for the non-reappointment and an opportunity to be heard by a University Senate Hearing Committee (Privilege and Tenure). "Termination of Appointment. Graduate Student Staff" (Univ. Administrative Regulation II-1.0-1, IV.G)
Graduate assistants should be familiar with the following sources of information relative to their rights and responsibilities:
Graduate assistants (teaching assistants and research assistants) at the University of Kentucky are employed by educational, research, and administrative units. Direct administrative oversight is provided by their immediate employer (Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, Center or Institute Director, Principal Investigator of a grant or contract, or other appropriate unit officials). It is the responsibility of College Deans, Vice Chancellors, or Vice Presidents to whom these educational, research, and administrative units report; to monitor the role, responsibilities, evaluation, and employee status of all graduate assistants. As defined in the Governing Regulations (VII-9, B-2), the Dean of the Graduate School serves in a consultative and advisory capacity to Graduate assistants and to their employers concerning Graduate assistant rights, responsibilities, and other issues related to equitable treatment, particularly as relates to the student's academic progress toward degree goals.
Direct questions
to grad.webmaster@email.uky.edu
Last updated: December 14, 2007