Graduate Assistant Scope of Work
Congratulations on your assistantship! This semester you will be assigned to work with Dr.
XXXXXX. The graduate assistantship is designed to provide a variety of opportunities for you
to learn about doctoral work beyond coursework requirements. Practical experiences include
teaching, research, manuscript development, grant writing, and other academic service
opportunities.
Given these opportunities alongside the dual role of student and employee, an assistantship
can be a significant and challenging growth experience. As a student, you are expected to make
satisfactory progress toward degree requirements. As an employee, you are expected to
perform the assigned duties and uphold the University’s mission of breadth, depth, and
perspective. We hope you will take this opportunity seriously, work closely with your assigned
faculty member, and use the experience for professional and personal development.
Here are the basic requirements of assistantships:
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Create a clear written agreement with your professor. This agreement should articulate (1)
when you will work, (2) how you are to proceed with the work, (3) how you document your
work hours, (3) when you report to the professor or present your work, and (4) how and
how often you and the professor will communicate. Begin now to establish the professional
habit of putting important information in writing.
You are assigned to work 20 hours per week. These hours may flex, depending on your
agreement with the professor with whom you are assigned to work. Some projects are ongoing and should be used to fill any downtime you have; other projects will be more
immediate or time-sensitive.
If you are unable to work 20 hours in a week or to complete a task, tell the professor right
away and arrange to make up the hours or complete the task.
If your professor changes your assignment or your hours, if you are unable to fulfill your
hourly commitment or have an emergency, or if your agreement with your professor
changes, be sure that both of you have written documentation (email is fine) to that effect.
Keep a work diary or formal timesheet, according to what your agreement with the
professor. Record the number of hours you work each day, note the project you are working
on, and jot down something about the progress you are making (for example, organized
articles related to community schools). Add comments or questions as you think
appropriate.
Remember: communicate with your assigned faculty member through weekly meetings,
phone conferences, or email exchanges.
This section to be completed by the assigned faculty member and the graduate
assistant at the first meeting of the semester:
Provide a brief description of the types of projects that will be assigned this semester*:
We agree that the projects have been discussed and the expectations of the graduate assistant
are clear.
Signed,
____________________________
Graduate Assistant
____________________________
Faculty Member
____________________________
Date
* Please note that assigned projects and tasks may change over the course of the semester. As
projects and tasks change, the graduate assistant and faculty member should update the scope
of work accordingly.