GA Handbook: Rules and Regulations
Graduate Assistants are expected to behave professionally and ethically during the length of their assistantship. Graduate Assistants should contact the Graduate School with questions pertaining to ethical issues, and may complete the Graduate School Feedback Form to provide information on concerns, which may be completed anonymously. View more information about abiding by University policies.
- Travel - If part of a Graduate Assistant’s job duties include attending a special event or training, the Graduate Assistant should be given equivalent time off for hours worked while at the event. The supervisor and graduate assistant should come to an agreement on the hours to be compensated and when those hours will be taken for compensation prior to the event. The hours taken for compensation must be during the same contract period, and ideally as close to the event as possible.
If significant or overnight travel is involved in such an event, the actual hours worked should be used to determine hours needing compensation time, not necessarily total time spent away in order to attend. Normal travel to and from work is not eligible for compensation time. - Time Keeping - Graduate Assistants are required to log their time worked to the nearest quarter hour on either the paper or electronic version of the Graduate Assistant TimeSheet, which can be found under Graduate Student Forms. A timesheet must be completed every month and retained in the hiring unit. Graduate Assistants should also retain a copy of each timesheet for their own records. For questions regarding the preferred timesheet process in a specific hiring unit, Graduate Assistants should consult with their direct supervisor.
- Working with Minors - All Graduate Assistants working with or around minors must submit to a background check. Final hiring is contingent on the outcome of the background check. Background checks are conducted through the Human Resources office.
- Graduate Assistants Engaged in Research - Graduate Assistants engaged in research must comply with all legal and ethical policies on research, including those governing use and care of animals, recombinant DNA, biosafety, and human subjects. For information on training requirements and relevant policies, please view Graduate School Compliance.
- Term Limitations for Assistantships - Qualified students may hold an assistantship for no more than a total of seven academic terms per degree to a maximum of 14 terms total. The Graduate Dean may grant an exception to this policy for students who pursue degrees that require more than 45 semester hours for completion. An academic term is defined as fall, spring or summer semester.
- Taxation of General Assistant’s Tuition Waivers - All General Assistant’s tuition waivers will be reported as non-cash taxable wages in excess of $5,250. These non-cash wages are subject to tax withholding by the IRS for students whose positions are not specifically classified as “research” or “teaching”. Please keep this in mind when planning your course load or using the Earned Summer Tuition Waiver. Please view the Graduate Tuition Waiver Taxation document from Human Resources for more information.
