Section 1. Each offer of appointment or reappointment to a Graduate Assistant position shall be made by the University in writing and shall state:
Section 2. The parties recognize appointments for longer than an academic year are generally in the mutual interest of the University and the GA. Hiring units are encouraged to offer one academic year appointments when practicable. Appointments exceeding one academic year may be made contingent on available funding.
Section 3. The parties agree that it is preferable to prioritize the use of GA funding to support existing GAs for a reasonable number of semesters to enable them time to complete their academic program over offering GA positions to incoming GAs.
Section 4. The University shall provide a written letter offering an individual an appointment or reappointment.
Section 5. The parties acknowledge their mutual interest in allowing GAs the opportunity to express assignment preferences prior to the University making assignment decisions. The University encourages all hiring units to offer such opportunities. Nothing precludes a GA from expressing assignment preferences.
Section 6. The letter of appointment shall include the following information:
Section 7. Supplemental Description of Duties. The University shall provide GAs with applicable documentation detailing the specific duties of the appointment, which shall, wherever applicable, include:
Departments may use the sample Description of Duties forms attached hereto to as Appendix A or may create their own forms, provided that such forms describe duties with reasonable particularity.
The University shall provide such documentation with as much of the information above that is reasonably known at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the commencement of each academic semester, and all information no later than one week prior to the beginning of the semester. In any case, including revisions to a GA’s Description of Duties, GAs shall be given at least 24 hours to review the document and raise concerns.
- (a) Whether the position is a Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantship or a combination of research support and teaching, if known at the time the letter is issued; and
- (b) the term of the appointment or reappointment. Offers of appointment or reappointment to a GA position shall be for a minimum term of one semester. Notwithstanding the foregoing, appointments of less than one semester may be offered, by agreement of the parties, to account for funding opportunities that were not available for the entirety of the semester, replacement for an unanticipated vacancy by another GA, late arrival onto campus, or other reasons that would have prevented the appointment of the GA at the outset of the semester.
Section 2. The parties recognize appointments for longer than an academic year are generally in the mutual interest of the University and the GA. Hiring units are encouraged to offer one academic year appointments when practicable. Appointments exceeding one academic year may be made contingent on available funding.
Section 3. The parties agree that it is preferable to prioritize the use of GA funding to support existing GAs for a reasonable number of semesters to enable them time to complete their academic program over offering GA positions to incoming GAs.
Section 4. The University shall provide a written letter offering an individual an appointment or reappointment.
- (a) The University shall notify incoming students of their appointments by April 1, except in exceptional situations as outlined in subsection (e).
- (b) The University shall notify continuing students of appointments beginning in the Fall Semester by June 1, except in exceptional situations as outlined in subsection (e).
- (c) For students whose appointments begin in any other semester, except Intersession and Summer instructional appointments, the University shall notify students of their appointments at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the work assignment, except in exceptional situations as outlined in subsection (e).
- (d) For Intersession and Summer instructional appointments, the University shall notify students of their appointments at least 21 days prior to the beginning of the work assignment, except in exceptional situations as outlined in subsection (e).
- (e) Exceptional situations, for purposes of this Article, refer to those situations in which the appointment cannot be filled by the notification deadline or those situations in which an appointment has been filled but vacated due to an unforeseeable situation. Remedies available to an arbitrator for violations of this Section shall be limited to prospective changes in departmental hiring practices and the implementation thereof.
- (f) The University will notify GAs when there is no record of a reappointment in progress as of June 1. The University shall send the affected GA(s) a written notice no later than five (5) business days after June 1. An affected GA receiving such notice should consult with the GA’s home department and/or relevant supervisor for further information.
Section 5. The parties acknowledge their mutual interest in allowing GAs the opportunity to express assignment preferences prior to the University making assignment decisions. The University encourages all hiring units to offer such opportunities. Nothing precludes a GA from expressing assignment preferences.
Section 6. The letter of appointment shall include the following information:
- (a) Appointment title
- (b) Appointment percentage of Full Time Equivalent
- (c) Effective dates or duration of the appointment
- (d) Hiring unit
- (e) Hiring unit contact
- (f) A brief summary of the general nature of required duties
- (g) Stipend
- (h) Reference to source of information on health and other applicable benefits
- (i) Tuition and fee waiver or remission information (including all mandatory fees)
- (j) Response requirements, if any
Section 7. Supplemental Description of Duties. The University shall provide GAs with applicable documentation detailing the specific duties of the appointment, which shall, wherever applicable, include:
- (a) assigned course, lab, research project, or position;
- (b)the faculty member(s) or supervisor(s) to whom the GA will report;
- (c) the duties that the GA will be required to perform;
- (d) course meeting times and location;
- (e) the maximum number of students for which the GA will be responsible per class, section, lab, etc.;
- (f) work location.
Departments may use the sample Description of Duties forms attached hereto to as Appendix A or may create their own forms, provided that such forms describe duties with reasonable particularity.
The University shall provide such documentation with as much of the information above that is reasonably known at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the commencement of each academic semester, and all information no later than one week prior to the beginning of the semester. In any case, including revisions to a GA’s Description of Duties, GAs shall be given at least 24 hours to review the document and raise concerns.
