Graduate Assistantships

Terms of Employment

Stipends for graduate assistantships are generally stated in terms of nine- or twelve-month appointments and require service to the institution. The term of service normally runs from August 15 to May 15 for nine-month appointments or from August 15 to December 31 for the fall semester or January 1 until May 15 for spring semester. The total hours of work, as well as the particular days of service (e.g., weekends and/or holidays) required, must be made clear to the student by the appropriate graduate department at the time of assigning the assistantship.

Students may not hold more than the total equivalent of one assistantship. This rule applies even if the appointment comes from several sources (e.g., graduate teaching assistantship, graduate research assistantship, graduate administrative assistantship, graduate residence hall assistantship, and/or teaching fellow).

Policy on Remuneration for Graduate Assistants

The following principles apply to the remuneration for duties performed by all categories of graduate assistants:

• Graduate Assistant (except residence assistants) salaries must meet or exceed the University minimum on a 9-month equated basis as set by the Office of Academic Affairs, with the minimum salary for doctoral students set higher than the minimum for master's level students
• Academic and other units are required to establish discipline-based salary ranges by student level (i.e., master's, doctoral, first-professional) for graduate assistants funded in their units
• International students must meet financial support criteria from an assistantship and/or other sources in order to qualify for a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or IAP-66) and, subsequently, a student visa.

Remission of Fees

Students appointed as graduate assistants are eligible to apply for remission of tuition and certain fees. Tuition and some fees are generally remitted or paid for fellows and trainees also. All students must pay the Mountainlair construction, radio station, Daily Athenaeum, Technology, and Health Services fee. Payment of most other fees is at the graduate assistants, fellows, and trainees option.

Titles

• Graduate Teaching Assistant: A person who holds a graduate teaching assistantship is obligated to the extent of teaching two three-hour courses per semester, or for the equivalent in laboratory classes, or for other forms of departmental assistance, except research assistance, amounting to a minimum of 12 clock hours per week. These assistantships are generally registered to academic units.
• Graduate Research Assistant: A person whose duties consist of assisting in the research of a faculty member with an obligation of not less than 15 or more than 20 clock hours per week in any semester.
• Graduate Administrative Assistant: A student employed as a graduate administrative assistant works part time in one of the administrative offices of WVU. Assistantships obligate the student to no less than 12 or more than 20 hours of work per week in any semester.
• Graduate Residence Assistant: Resident assistants are assigned to the Department of Housing and Residence life. The are required to provide educational, cultural, recreational, and social opportunities and programs for the residents of the University-supervised residence halls. Remuneration for resident assistants consists of room, board, and a monthly stipend. Graduate students may also receive a tuition waiver for a few, specialized, live-in positions. Information concerning the recruitment and selection of these positions can be obtained from the Assistant Director for Residence Life, G-106, Bennett Tower, P.O. Box 6430.
• Advising Center Assistant: Students admitted to a graduate program may be accepted by the University Advising Center to provide academic advising services to freshman and sophomore students. A stipend is paid and the graduate student is eligible to apply for waiver of tuition and registration fees. Further information is available from the Director of the University Academic Services Center.
• Teaching Fellow: A teaching fellow is an advanced graduate student, usually in a doctoral program, who would qualify for a junior faculty position if that person were not a graduate student at WVU. A teaching fellow may be given major responsibilities for the design and/or operation of a course, whereas such responsibility is not placed on a graduate teaching assistant.