Graduate Assistant Handbook
Revised December 2012
Table of Contents
What is a Graduate Assistantship?
3
How are Graduate Assistants Selected?
3
Who is Eligible to be Considered for a Graduate Assistantship?
5
What is the Expected Workload for a Graduate Assistant?
6
What are the Levels of Graduate Assistantships?
7
What is the Compensation and Tuition Reduction for Graduate Assistants?
10
What is the Process for Resolving Graduate Assistant Issues or Complaints?
12
Appendix A: Graduate Assistant Offer Letter - Sample/Acceptance
13
2
What is a Graduate Assistantship?
Graduate Assistants are graduate students who provide assistance to faculty and staff in
research and teaching. To the extent possible, graduate assistantships are also designed to
further the graduate student’s own graduate career and development as a researcher,
scholar, teacher, and professional.
Generally, there are two types of Graduate Assistantships awarded at Chapman
University:

Research Assistants assist University faculty members with funded research.

Teaching Assistants assist University faculty members with various levels of
teaching duties as defined later in this handbook.
How are Graduate Assistants Selected?
Initial Selection
The following factors are considered in the selection of graduate assistants:





satisfactory academic performance and timely progress towards completion of degree
requirements,
departmental need,
prior teaching experience,
faculty requests, and
a student's knowledge/expertise in a particular subject area.
Questions about the specifics of graduate assistant selection should be referred to the
department chair or school dean, as appropriate.
Graduate Assistant positions will be posted on the Student Employment website and in
the academic department, or school as appropriate.
The details of Research
Assistantships can be obtained from the project director/principal investigator. The
details of Teaching Assistantships can be obtained from department chairs or school
deans.
Research assistantships are at-will appointments and are contingent upon availability of
external funding. External funding is usually in the form of research grants/contracts or
training grants awarded to a particular faculty member, based upon his/her research
interests. Students are encouraged to contact individual faculty members to inquire about
3
possible research assistantships. Students are selected for graduate research assistantships
based on merit, relevant experience and skills, compatibility with the research goals of
the Principal Investigator of the contract or grant, and specific limitations defined by the
granting agency. Students should give consideration to their own academic and
professional goals as graduate students when considering assistantship opportunities.
Continuation of any research assistantship is based on continuation of the contract or
grant funding and the satisfactory performance of the student assistant. Therefore,
students must discuss with the faculty member not only the current availability of funds
and the compatibility of the research with their own interests, but also the duration of the
award.
Teaching Assistantships are at-will appointments and are dependent upon the existence
of sufficient department or school funds to support the position (defined later in this
handbook). The service performed for the Teaching Assistantship must be relevant to the
student’s academic program.
Students who receive a graduate teaching or research assistantship at the University must
receive an offer letter at least annually detailing the specifics of the award. This
agreement will be signed by the student and returned to the department official offering
the award, with a copy sent to Human Resources. Students are encouraged to carefully
read the terms of these offer letters. A sample offer letter is included (Appendix A). A
new graduate assistant offer letter must be issued at the beginning of every academic year.
If a graduate assistantship is offered for a summer term and the terms were not specified
in the fall or spring offer letter, a summer letter should also be provided.
Reappointment of Graduate Assistants
As is the case in selection, reappointment of all graduate assistants is predicated on
satisfactory academic progress and timely progress toward degree completion, however,
there is no obligation on the part of the university to reappoint graduate students beyond
the term outlined in the offer letter.
Research Assistantship reappointment is based on the continuation of external contract
or grant funding, meeting the department/professor’s expectations as outlined in the offer
letter, student's progress in research, continued good academic standing, and progress
toward degree completion. The determination of such reappointments is based largely on
the input of the faculty member in charge of the contract or grant.
Teaching Assistantship continuation may be based upon, but is not limited to, any of the
following criteria: student evaluations of teaching assistants, faculty evaluations of
teaching assistants, departmental need, and available financial resources. Reappointment
typically occurs approximately one month before the start of the semester. Any change
in the specifics of the award should be reflected in a new offer letter.
Students should contact the applicable department chair or school dean if they have
questions about reappointment of these awards.
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Non-Reappointment or Dismissal
It should be remembered that Graduate Assistantship appointments are at-will and may
be terminated at anytime by the University or the student. Students are expected to adhere
to standards of performance in order to maintain eligibility for the assistantship. The
University reserves the right to withdraw a graduate assistantship award at anytime for
serious lack of performance or confirmed student misconduct issues. Students who fail to
meet the academic standards required for degree progress, or who fail to meet any one of
the eligibility requirements, may be denied permission to retain their awards or to be
considered for reappointment. This decision may be reached either by the appropriate
faculty committee or department in consultation with the appropriate dean and/or the
Office of the Chancellor. Students who fail to perform their assigned graduate assistant
responsibilities satisfactorily may have their awards withdrawn upon departmental and/or
school recommendation and review by the Office of the Chancellor. All nonreappointments or dismissals during the term of the offer letter will be reviewed by the
Human Resources Department before notifying the graduate student of the planned action.
Who Is Eligible To Be Considered For A Graduate Assistantship?
At a minimum, graduate students must satisfy all of the requirements listed below.
Individual departments/schools may have additional requirements.


The student must be matriculated in a graduate degree program with regular graduate
standing.
Students must be enrolled in either:
o a minimum of 6 units of graduate coursework for credit, not audit; or
o enrolled in Thesis or Dissertation
Graduate Assistants must use caution when enrolling for less
than 6 units, as strict policies apply. In addition, students should
note that enrollment in a minimum of 8 units per semester is
required for some federal loan programs, and that for
international students, immigration law requires full time
enrollment to maintain student status.


Students must maintain a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.25. A
hold will be placed on any qualified tuition reduction awards related to the Graduate
Assistantship for those who fall below this standard.
Students are to make satisfactory academic progress toward completing the degree
objective, as defined by the department/school and the time limits for the degree. For
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
Ph.D. students, this includes timely guidance committee composition, passing of the
qualifying examination, appointment of dissertation committee and completion of the
dissertation.
Students are to maintain appropriate standards of academic conduct.
In the performance of their responsibilities they must abide by
the academic and instructional criteria and policies established
by the department, school or program in which their
assistantship is held. They are governed by the same standards
of conduct in the performance of their academic responsibilities
as are members of the faculty
By federal regulation, all individuals receiving salary through Payroll must
demonstrate eligibility to work in the U.S. by filing Federal Form I-9 with Human
Resources within 3 business days of the first day of work. In addition, verification of
social security number is required for payroll purposes.
Exceptions to Eligibility Requirements
 Exceptions to the above eligibility criteria will be considered only when no
matriculated graduate student is available for the assistantship appointment.
Exceptions must be requested by the department and must include a statement of the
reasons why the exception is being requested. Exceptions require advance approval
from the relevant academic Dean.
What is the Expected Workload for Graduate Assistants?
A student with a graduate assistantship is expected to be able to fulfill his/her
responsibilities in no more than 50% of the student’s total effort during the academic year
and in less than 1,000 hours per calendar year. The remainder of academic effort is
devoted to his/her own studies and research. The time devoted to the assistantship may
vary from day to day and week to week as long as it does not exceed the average given
above. In addition, a graduate assistant is not expected to work more than 8 hours in a
given day or 40 hours in a given week. On occasion the duties of the graduate assistant
may unavoidably exceed the norm stated here (e.g. field trips, professional meetings and
conferences). However, these deviations should be rare and in no case should the total
work load over the course of the year exceed the limits described above. See Appendix A
for a sample graduate assistant offer letter.
It is advisable for both the students’ wellbeing and the department’s/school’s interests
that 50% assistantships be strenuously pursued and funded. However, for assistantships
of less than 50% of the student’s total effort, the compensation and tuition reduction, if
awarded, will be prorated accordingly.
6
It is the first responsibility of a graduate student to achieve satisfactory academic
accomplishment in his/her own research and studies, along with timely progress toward
her/his degree. Therefore, assistantship regulations prohibit the appointment of students
for more than 50% of the student’s total effort during the academic year in order to
support the accommodation of these primary pursuits. It is also incumbent upon the
students to make every effort to coordinate their Research Assistantship activities with
their own research and professional goals. This coordination is best accomplished
through discussions with prospective research advisors about the directions and goals of
their research and the level and duration of external funding.
Multiple positions may not be combined to exceed that limit. The department of
appointment should inquire from the GTA or GRA whether they have any other
appointments that could affect the total workload.
What are the Levels of Graduate Assistantships?

Graduate Assistantship Structure
There are two subcategories under the general heading of graduate assistantships:
Research Assistantships (GRA) and Teaching Assistantships (GTA). Assignments are
typically for one-year with a review at the conclusion which will determine the
placement level for the next assignment. However, there may be exceptional
circumstances where an assignment will be for one semester only, with a review at
the conclusion. Each one is described below.
o Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
The Research Assistantship is directly related to a funded research project.
The following research appointments are listed in ascending order of
qualifications, responsibility, and compensation.

Graduate Research Assistant I (GRA I) — A beginning graduate student
who works on a research project under the direct supervision of a faculty
member(s) who is the principal investigator of an externally funded
project. Tasks may include data collection, preparation of data for
reporting, general office responsibilities, and logistical support to the
principal investigator(s).

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) II, III, and IV — An advanced
graduate student conducts research in support of the principal investigator
(s) of an externally funded project:
 There are three levels, commensurate with the level of
experience and expertise in the field of research and original
contribution to the field. Faculty will determine the level of
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experience, expertise, and contribution necessary for placement
in the appropriate GRA level.
 Performs research organizational tasks beyond the scope of a
Graduate Assistant I. Such tasks may include data collection and
analysis, report preparation, coordination of field sites for data
collection,
and
other
project-specific
organizational
responsibilities.
 At these higher levels, the Graduate Assistant may make an
original contribution (e.g., article for publication, presentation at
a state or national conference) to a research effort that serves the
common professional objectives of the student and supervisor.
o Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Teaching Assistantships are directly related to a course(s) and are supported
by funds available in a department/school for such purposes. The following
teaching appointments are listed in ascending order of qualifications,
responsibility, and compensation. There are four levels of GTAs:

Graduate Teaching Assistant I — Assists a faculty member who has
primary responsibility for an undergraduate or credential course. The GTA
I is primarily for graduate students who do not have prior teaching
experience. Duties vary but do not include classroom teaching. Duties may
include:
 Assisting in the preparation of lecture materials.
 Conducting review sessions.
 Grading student course requirements with oversight of instructor.
 Holding office hours to consult with students regarding course
requirements. This does not supplant a faculty member’s regular
office hours for advising students.
 Monitoring or maintaining existing course web sites.

Graduate Teaching Assistant II — This teaching appointment is
primarily for graduate students who have prior teaching experience, but
not necessarily at the college or university level. The Teaching Assistant II
works directly with a faculty member who has primary responsibility for
an undergraduate, credential, or master’s level course, or assists a group of
students in several courses. Duties vary and may include:
 Preparing for class sections where new material may be
presented.
 Presenting material in a classroom setting.
 Consulting with students on course writing assignments, for
example, serving as a Writing Consultant or Writing Fellow, for
a particular course or set of students.
 Marking and/or grading some portion or all of the exams or
papers (but not independently assigning the final grade).
8
 Holding office hours to consult with students regarding course
requirements. This does not supplant a faculty member’s regular
office hours for advising students.

Graduate Teaching Assistant III — This teaching appointment is limited
to graduate students who have had substantial teaching experience,
including community college or university teaching. The GTA III will
typically be identified as the instructor of record in Chapman University
publications, and will have primary charge and responsibility for the
course with the mentorship of a faculty member.
 Responsibilities for the class typically include preparation,
teaching, grading, holding regular office hours, etc., in keeping
with the established practices of the department.
 In some cases, the GTA III has full responsibility for a course
where the content is defined by a faculty coordinator. In other
cases, they will develop course materials independently with the
guidance of a faculty mentor for a course that has been approved
by the department/program in which it is offered.

Graduate Teaching Assistant IV — This teaching appointment is limited
to graduate students who have had substantial teaching experience,
including previous university teaching. In addition to the responsibilities
of a Graduate Teaching Assistant III, the GTA IV serves as a head
Teaching Assistant to coordinate the training and guidance of other
teaching assistants in a given course or set of courses.
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What is the Compensation and Tuition Reduction for Graduate Assistants?
Compensation
The compensation paid to graduate assistants is treated as taxable income by the Internal
Revenue Service and the university is therefore obligated to withhold federal and state
income taxes.
The monthly compensation amounts are shown in Appendix B and are based on 50%
effort. Compensation will be prorated based on a percentage of effort less than 50%
Tuition Reduction
When offered as part of the Graduate Assistantship, tuition reduction for 50% effort is 12
credits per semester. Tuition reduction will be prorated based on the percentage of effort
less than 50%.
o Qualified Tuition Reductions
Tuition reductions are intended to aid graduate assistants in their studies and
are not a specific form of remuneration for services rendered. Awards are
considered a non-taxable qualified tuition reduction under section 117(d) of
the Internal Revenue Code. For additional information, students should
consult a tax advisor. When awarded, tuition reductions will be credited to the
student's account in keeping with the percentage of the assistantship and at the
rate per unit appropriate to the enrolled courses.

Non-Transferability of Qualified Tuition Reductions
Tuition reductions may be available up to specified amounts only during
the semesters in which the graduate assistant is fulfilling obligations and
during the following summer. It does not imply an entitlement to a
specified maximum annual number of units. Any tuition reduction, which
is not used during the term in which the student holds the assistantship,
is forfeited. Tuition reductions may not be transferred to other semesters.
In addition, tuition reduction is not transferable from one student to
another.

Responsibility of Students to Settle Their Bills
It is imperative that students review and check the accuracy of their fee
bill at the mid-term of each semester. It is the student's responsibility to
ensure that the tuition award has been credited correctly to each term's
tuition bill before the term ends.
Multiple Graduate Assistantships
Multiple Assistantships are allowed, including both GRAs and GTAs, but these
combined appointments must not exceed 50% of the student’s total effort during the
academic year and must be less than 1,000 hours per calendar year.
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Cancellation of Assistantships
 On or before the start date by either party: No compensation is paid;
no tuition reduction is applied; if tuition reduction has been applied, it will
be withdrawn; student is responsible for tuition charges.
 During the Semester of the Assistantship:
 If the school or department terminates the assistantship for any
reason during the semester, other than involuntary termination,
compensation will end but the student who is awarded a tuition
reduction, will receive the full semester tuition reduction. This
includes circumstances where sponsored funding for an
assistantship ends.
 If a graduate student voluntarily terminates an assistantship
appointment or is removed involuntarily during the semester,
compensation will end on the date of termination and the tuition
reduction, if warded, will be withdrawn for the semester. Tuition
reduction will not be pro-rated.
 Compensation ends and, if awarded, the tuition reduction will be
applied as needed to pay the student’s bill for the semester when
an assistantship appointment is terminated because a student has:
 Completed all of the degree requirements and leaves the
University, or
 Formally withdrawn from a degree program and leaves the
University, or
 Taken a department-approved extended leave of absence
from the University (for emergency/medical purposes).
Benefits
No sick leave, vacation leave or other welfare or retirement benefits are connected with
Graduate Assistantships. Graduate assistantships will be eligible for coverage under the
university’s workers compensation policy for illness or injury incurred during the course
and scope of their assistantships.
What Process Is There For Resolving Graduate Assistant Issues Or
Complaints?
Conflict Resolution
It is the hope of the University that graduate assistants will find the conditions of their
assistantships to be satisfactory and the experience gained to be rewarding. However, if a
student has a problem or complaint regarding the graduate assistantship, the problem
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should be brought immediately to the attention of the supervising faculty member to
whom the graduate assistant is responsible. If a solution cannot be achieved in this
fashion, then the student should consult with the chair of the department. If the problem
cannot be resolved in this manner, the student should bring the problem to the attention of
the dean of his/her home academic unit. If the problem remains unresolved, the student
should refer the dispute to the Chancellor’s Office. In all cases, the Chancellor’s
determination on the dispute shall be final.
Harassment and Discrimination Policy
All students are expected to follow the Chapman University Harassment and
Discrimination Policy. This Policy shall be considered to be incorporated in this
Handbook as if reproduced in full. It is available online at:
http://www.chapman.edu/HR/EO/harrassmentPolicy.asp. Awareness and prevention
training is provided through the Human Resources Department through an online
program that is accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and live workshops that are
conducted periodically throughout the year.
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Appendix A
This is a sample Graduate Assistant Offer Letter.
The sample offer letter language below represents a general explanation of pay and
hours of work for graduate assistants. In addition to this information, an actual offer
letter should contain a description of the graduate assistant’s specific assignments and
duties.
[Date]
[Name and Address]
Dear [Name]
On behalf of the School/Department of________, I am pleased to offer you a
graduate assistantship for the [fall, spring] semester [year] at Chapman University. This
appointment provides compensation of [see Page 11 above], [(only if awarded)and a
tuition reduction depending on the level of appointment [see Page 11 above]]. The
compensation will be paid to you once per month beginning in [starting month] through
[ending month, year]. Departmental awards are merit based and are offered in
recognition of academic achievement.
[(only if awarded)The tuition reduction is non-transferable from semester to
semester and will be applied to your fee bill in the amount appropriate for the courses you
take. Fees (books, laboratory, etc.) are not covered by the award.] You will receive a
copy of the Graduate Assistant Handbook which describes additional duties and
responsibilities of graduate assistants with which you must be familiar and benefits for
which you may be eligible.
This is a [%] appointment, which means that you are expected to devote, on
average, [example: 15-19.5 hours for 50%; 8-10 hours for 25%] per week to your duties
as a graduate assistant; the remainder of your academic effort is to be devoted to your
own studies and/or research. Of course the time you devote to your assistantship may
vary from day to day and week to week. Your compensation covers all hours you are
expected and scheduled to work, including any attendant training.
It is very important, however, that the expectation of [#] hours per week, on
average, not be exceeded so as to ensure that the graduate assistant program is fair and
equitable and does not interfere with progress toward degrees. We also expect that you
will work as a graduate assistant for no more than 8 hours in any given day, or no more
than 40 hours in any given week, and limit your work hours to less than 1,000 hours in
any calendar year. We recognize, however, that on occasion the duties of the graduate
assistant may unavoidably exceed the norms stated here. Because these maximum hour
13
expectations are important to the integrity of the graduate assistant program, at the end of
each pay period you need to complete the designated payroll report to confirm your effort
toward your graduate assistantship.
Your first responsibility as a graduate student is your own research and/or studies.
[for research assistants] As a Graduate Research Assistant, when your own
research overlaps the professor's research project, your "work" time as a graduate
assistant is the time you spend assisting the professor over and above the time that
you would spend in any case to further your own research and studies as a
graduate student.
[for teaching assistants] As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, when your
preparation for teaching overlaps what you would ordinarily do as part of your
studies and professional development, your "work" time as a graduate assistant is
the time you spend assisting the professor over and above the time that you would
spend in any case to further your own studies and professional development as a
graduate student.
This award is subject to approval of the [Office of Sponsored Research for GRAs;
the appropriate school dean for GTAs]. It is contingent upon your enrollment in a
graduate degree program and verification of satisfactory completion of any current
academic work. The continuation of the award for subsequent semesters and any
renewals in subsequent years is dependent upon available funds, departmental needs,
your continuance of at least the minimum enrollment, good academic progress as a
graduate student, including a GPA of at least 3.25, and upon satisfactory performance in
your assignments as a graduate assistant. You will be assigned [describe assignment].
Please note that Chapman University requires Graduate Assistants to be enrolled
in a minimum of six graduate credit units every semester or in equivalent full-time
enrollment (Thesis or Dissertation).
In addition, if your Graduate Assistantship is as a Teaching Assistant and, if you
are an international student whose first language is not English, this offer and your
funding is contingent on meeting the University’s requirements on English language
proficiency. This can be accomplished by [describe procedure]
If you have not already done so, please call [HR person] at [campus extension] to
schedule an appointment to complete your hiring paperwork before your first day of
employment. The University follows policy and procedures for compliance with federal
law requiring all employers to verify that employees hired or rehired are authorized to
work in the United States. This means that when you complete payroll forms, you must
show proof of eligibility to work in the U.S. and show positive proof of identity in
addition to completing the federal form I-9, regardless of national origin.
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It must be remembered that this is an at-will appointment and can be terminated by you
or the University at anytime, with or without notice. As a reminder, this Graduate
Assistantship offer and your employment with Chapman University are contingent on
finalization of the above requirements. [faculty supervisor name] looks forward to
working with you as a Graduate Assistant and trusts that you will accept this offer. Please
sign below and return a copy of this letter in the enclosed envelope to [name of staff
person] in the Department of _________by [date].
Sincerely,
________________________
Department Chair Signature
________________________
Dean Signature
*****************************************************************
ACCEPTANCE
I accept the above offer, and I agree to comply with all its terms
and conditions, including the university policy defining intellectual
property rights.
_________________________________
«FirstName» «LastName»
«Address1»
«City», «State» «PostalCode»
Date:_________________________
CU ID #:___________________________ Phone:_______________________
*****************************************************************
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Appendix B
Salary Structure for Graduate Assistantships
The amount of compensation assigned to each position level is updated periodically as
necessary to maintain market relevance. The amounts shown below are based on 50%
effort.
Position Level
Monthly Compensation
GRA/GTA I
$1,560
GRA/GTA II
$1,734
GRA/GTA III
$2,167
GRA/GTA IV
$2,600
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