FACULTY & STAFF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GRA/GTA HIRING PROCESS
Contents (press control and click on the section number to go directly to the page)
Overview of Graduate Assistantship Policies .......................................................................... 2
1. How long does a Graduate Assistantship last? .................................................................... 2
2. What are the eligibility requirements? ................................................................................. 2
3. How does the student become a Teacher of Record? .......................................................... 2
4. Can I hire Summer GRAs/GTAs/GAs? ............................................................................... 2
5. How are Graduate Assistantships allocated? ....................................................................... 2
Hiring Procedure for a GRA/GTA/GA ...................................................................................... 3
1. How are GRA/GTA/GA projects to be used?...................................................................... 3
2. What is the role of a GRA/GTA/GA?.................................................................................. 3
3. How do I apply for a GRA/GTA/GA allocation? ................................................................ 3
4. How do I find a GRA/GTA/GA candidates? ....................................................................... 3
5. How to verify if your candidate(s) are qualified? ................................................................ 3
6. What forms do I complete to start the hiring process? ........................................................ 3
7. Who submits the Hiring Packet to the Graduate College? .................................................. 4
8. What are the deadlines for Hiring Packet submissions? ...................................................... 4
9. How am I notified that the Hiring Packet has been processed? ........................................... 4
10.
How should my GRA/GTA/GA complete the HR Orientation?...................................... 4
11.
When should I meet with the GRA/GTA/GA to discuss the guidelines for the project? 4
12.
What are the GRA/GTA tuition rates? ............................................................................. 5
13.
How to enroll for or waive the mandatory health insurance? .......................................... 5
14.
What work does the GRA/GTA/GA perform? ................................................................ 5
15.
How do I submit the final performance documentation for the student? ......................... 5
16.
What if my GRA/GTA/GA fails to complete the job requirements? ............................... 5
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
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Overview of Graduate Assistantship Policies
1. How long does a Graduate Assistantship last?
Graduate students can be hired on a one or two-semester contract. The assistantship can be for
the fall, spring, fall and spring or summer semester. If the assistantship is being funded by the
Graduate College and is hired under a two-semester contract, that position will count as two
one-semester positions from your program’s total annual allotment.
2. What are the eligibility requirements?
To be eligible as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), qualifications are as follows:
a. Have completed the requirements for an undergraduate degree;
b. Have applied for and been fully accepted to a graduate degree program of study;
c. Have maintained a 3.0 grade point average in any current/previous graduate
course work;
d. Have maintained a 3.0 graduate point average in any previous undergraduate course
work if a first semester graduate program student.
It is the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor or Program Director’s responsibility to verify
student’s eligibility requirements. The student’s advising guide from the Owl Express Student
Information System should be used to verify the GPA requirement prior to every application
packet submission.
3. How does the student become a Teacher of Record?
a. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA’s) will be a Teacher of Record (TOR) and must meet
all of the above requirements and have a master’s in the teaching discipline or 18
graduate semester hours in their graduate program.
b. The teaching assistants will be required to attend a seven-week, non-credit Graduate
Teaching Workshop offered by CETL (dates/times to be determined) or an approved
alternative.
c. An additional Teacher of Record Appointment Form is to be completed and submitted
to the Graduate College along with the curriculum vita and transcript. The Buckley Form
should be submitted to the Registrar separately. Please see separate instructions for
Teacher of Record enrollment.
4. Can I hire Summer GRAs/GTAs/GAs?
Yes. The GRA/GTA/GA will be provided up to 6-hours of waived course credit. Summer stipends
from the Graduate College will be determined in the spring and are based on funds remaining in
the university stipend budget.
Academic Departments, Colleges and Administrative Offices who utilize the services of a
GRA/GTA/GA are encouraged to continue to provide stipends from their accounts or from
extramural grants and contacts.
5. How are Graduate Assistantships allocated?
It is the policy of the University that each graduate program will receive at least two, onesemester Graduate Assistantships each academic year. Larger programs with greater numbers
of graduate students and graduate faculty receive larger numbers of Graduate Assistantships
each semester. All sponsored Graduate Assistantships receive between 6 and 12 hours of
graduate credit per semester of funding for fall and spring semesters and between 3 and 6
hours of graduate credit in summer. There is a 24-hour graduate credit limit per calendar year.
The maximum cannot exceed the number of hours required to complete a masters in a
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
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respective program.
Hiring Procedure for a GRA/GTA/GA
1. How are GRA/GTA/GA projects to be used?
GRA/GTA/GA projects should be allocated in support of graduate faculty scholarship or in
support of the applied research needs of graduate programs, the Graduate College or the
University. We also encourage graduate student involvement in extramurally funded research
programs where state and federal funding agencies allow graduate stipends and tuition.
2. What is the role of a GRA/GTA/GA?
GRA/GTA/GAs should, in most cases, be assigned to work with faculty who hold Full or
Provisional Graduate Faculty Status and are highly involved in graduate programs (e.g., faculty
who teach, on average at least one graduate class each year and who are actively involved in
scholarship endeavors within their respective programs.)
3. How do I apply for a GRA/GTA/GA allocation?
Graduate Program Directors will solicit project proposals from graduate faculty and will notify
the office of the Graduate College which faculty members have been awarded GRA/GTA/GAs.
4. How do I find a GRA/GTA/GA candidates?

There are two paths to finding a Graduate Student for an Assistantship position.
1. You may have already identified a Graduate Student to fill an Assistantship position
through the recruitment process or through knowledge of your students expertise while
in the program.
2. Graduate Students that have not been indentified may:
a. Submit a Graduate Student Assistantship Interest Form found at:
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/grajobboard.html
b. Once submitted the form will be posted on the GRA Job Board for potential
hiring faculty to review.
5. How to verify if your candidate(s) are qualified?
Once the faculty member has selected their student, the following procedure should be
followed:
a. Verify that your candidate meets the qualifications to be a GRA/GTA:
i. has a GPA of 3.0 or better;
ii. has not exceeded 24 waived course credits in an academic year, or has not reached or
exceeded in waived course credits the number of hours required for the registered
program;
iii. returning GRA/GTAs must have satisfactory performance on previous assignments.
b. The Graduate College is responsible for providing to Business Services a Waiver Request
Form that certifies all graduate students hired as Graduate Research Assistants have met
the qualifications of the program.
6. What forms do I complete to start the hiring process?
The hiring packet consists of the following forms:
1. Graduate Assistantship Contract & Approval Form
a. Form is a fillable PDF and can be downloaded from:
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
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http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
b. Includes all hiring information, contract language, and expectations of the
Graduate Student.
2. SEPAF form
a. The Student Employment Personnel Action Form (SEPAF) must be completed.
The SEPAF will be completed and signed by the Graduate Faculty Project
Supervisor.
3. Teacher of Record (TOR) Appointment form and Authorization to Release
Transcripts (for GTA’s only) – refer to Section 3, Overview of Graduate
Assistantship Policies
7. Who submits the Hiring Packet to the Graduate College?
The Graduate Assistant, upon completion of the forms, may submit the paperwork to the
Graduate Dean (3rd floor of Kennesaw Hall) for approval –OR- once signed by the Graduate
Student and the Faculty Supervisor it may be scanned and emailed to Jennifer Harb at
jharb@kennesaw.edu.
8. What are the deadlines for Hiring Packet submissions?
All hiring deadlines can be found on the Graduate College website. The completed paperwork
may be submitted to the Office of the Graduate Dean when the application process is opened.
GRA/GTA/GAs who register during Priority Registration but whose hiring documents are not
received by the Priority Registration Deadline will be required to pay their tuition and wait for
reimbursement at a later date, or have their classes dropped from their schedules. They may reregister as this period is normal registration.
9. How am I notified that the Hiring Packet has been processed?
The Graduate College will forward to the Bursar’s Office the waiver requests and appropriate
documents to Human Resources for each GRA/GTA/GA. The Graduate College will notify the
Graduate Program Directors of paperwork completion by sending a PDF copy of the final
approval via email.
10. How should my GRA/GTA/GA complete the HR Orientation?
Orientation is mandatory for all students hired for assistantships and must be completed no
later than the third day after the contract beginning date. Upon receipt of the approved
Contract & Approval From by the Graduate Dean, the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor or
Program Director should instruct the GRA/GTAGA to contact HR by phone (470-578-6030) or email (hr@kennesaw.edu) and identify themselves as a "GRA/GTA/GA for the upcoming
semester" to complete the hiring-in process. Please note that the GRA/GTA/GA cannot be paid
until this mandatory final step has been completed. HR will conduct orientation sessions every
Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (drop-in only, for approximately 15 minutes).
11. When should I meet with the GRA/GTA/GA to discuss the guidelines for the project?
It is important for the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisors to meet with their GRA/GTA/GA by
the first week of classes and review the graduate project (i.e., based upon research or teaching
expectations), review specific duties, and setup work hours. Graduate Program Directors and/or
Graduate Faculty Project Supervisors should advise the Graduate Dean as soon as possible of
any GRA/GTA/GA does not show or drops out so the appropriate termination paperwork can be
initiated and forwarded to HR.
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
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12. What are the GRA/GTA tuition rates?
a. The GRA/GTA/GA will pay a special tuition rate of $25, plus all student fees, including the
mandatory health insurance fee if required.
b. Tuition, both in-state and out-of-state, will be waived for a maximum of 12 credit hours for
all GRA/GTA/GA s in the Fall and Spring Semesters, and up to 6 hours in the Summer
session.
c. GRA/GTA/GA s will be responsible for the cost of any credit hours beyond the 12-hour
maximum in the fall and spring or 6-hour maximum in the summer.
d. Though the 12-hour credit is now available for GRA/GTA/GA s, approval in writing is
required for all hours over nine (9) from the GRA/GRA/GA s academic supervisor (i.e.
Graduate Program Director) insuring the Graduate Assistant’s sound academic standing.
This approval has been incorporated into the Hiring Proposal Form which is signed by the
Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor or Program Director. In addition, the Graduate Dean
renders approval for all course hours over nine (9).
e. GRA/GTA/GA s enrolled in premium-priced graduate programs will pay all tuition/other
costs of these programs in excess of the standard graduate program tuition waiver.
f. Additional online course tuition fees are now included in the tuition waiver.
g. Tution will not be waived for undergraduate courses.
13. How to enroll for or waive the mandatory health insurance?
All GRA/GTA/GA s will be assessed the cost for mandatory health insurance. If the Graduate
Assistant has insurance otherwise, a waiver of the health insurance may be applied for directly
at the United Health Care’s website.
14. What work does the GRA/GTA/GA perform?
The GRA/GTA/GA will perform work as outlined in the project description and as instructed by
the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor who will also track hours worked.
15. How do I submit the final performance documentation for the student?
The Graduate College will send a link to the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor for online
survey to evaluate the performance of the graduate student during the just completed
semester. The Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor will be expected to complete the survey
within two weeks.
16. What if my GRA/GTA/GA fails to complete the job requirements?
The Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor will advise the Graduate Program Director and the
Graduate College immediately if the GRA/GTA/GA fails to complete job requirements, and the
Graduate Program Director will confer with the Graduate Dean about termination of the
GRA/GTA/GA contract. No separation paperwork is required when the GRA/GTA/GA completes
the contract period as scheduled. A student that resigns must present a written resignation
letter to both the Graduate Faculty Project Supervisor and the Graduate Dean.
http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/GRA.html
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