EPCC.1998.002

3.5 POLICIES ON GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING/RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Approved by University Council March 12, 1998

1. Purpose

The University of Houston-Clear Lake provides several categories of student employment which provide assistance to faculty and students. To be considered for student employment, the student must be currently enrolled and be making satisfactory progress toward a degree. In addition to stipends, students employed 0.50 FTE are eligible for benefits but not faculty privileges.

2. Categories of Employment

Categories of employment include:

2.1 Graduate Teaching Fellows

Graduate Teaching Fellows are graduate students who have primary responsibility for instruction and work under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Graduate teaching fellows must submit the same documentation for employment as adjunct faculty and may be listed as instructor of record. Graduate Teaching Fellows will not be assigned as instructors of record in an undergraduate course (i.e. having full responsibility for a course) until they have earned a master's degree or its equivalent or have completed 18 graduate semester credit hours in the teaching field. Students so employed qualify for out-of-state tuition waivers for each semester they are employed at 0.50 FTE. Funding for this category of student employment should come from faculty salary budgets.

2.2 Graduate Teaching Assistants

Graduate teaching assistants are graduate students who spend at least 50 percent of the time of their appointment in direct instructional contact with students. Graduate teaching assistants work under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Students employed as graduate teaching assistants qualify for out-of-state tuition waivers for each semester they are employed at 0.50 FTE. Funding for this category of student employment may come from faculty salary budgets.

2.3 Instructional Assistants

Students in this category may be graduate or undergraduate. These students perform under a faculty member's direct supervision those duties directly related to the development of course materials, grading and related duties of the course. Instructional assistants are not eligible for out-of-state tuition waivers. Funding for this category of student employment should come from departmental operating expenses budgets. Faculty salary budgets must not be used to support this category of student assistant.

2.4 Research Assistants
Students in this category are graduate or undergraduate students who are engaged in research activities under the direction and supervision of a principal investigator. Students in this employment category are eligible for out-of-state tuition waivers for each semester they are employed at 0.50 FTE. Research assistant students are paid from research budgets.

3. Qualifications for Appointment and Selection Process

3.1 To be eligible for an assistantship, graduate students must be degree seeking and be enrolled in a minimum of six hours coursework or three hours in a Master's Option each long semester during the period of appointment. Undergraduate students must also be degree seeking. They must be enrolled in a minimum of nine hours of enrollment each long semester during the period of appointment. Students employed during the summer must be enrolled for a minimum of three hours during the summer session.

International applicants for the Graduate Teaching Fellow or Graduate Teaching Assistant positions who hold F-l or J-l visas and/or are non-native speakers of English must demonstrate competent communications skills in English for successful instruction in the classroom to the appropriate school personnel.

3.2 Selection of student assistants must follow a process of application and screening by appropriate school personnel. Additional related procedures may be established by the school.

3.3 Duration of Appointment

These positions are normally one-semester appointments. However, the school may wish to designate a particular position for an academic year (fall and spring semesters).

Normally, students may only hold these positions for a maximum of three years while pursuing the degree.

Reappointment will be based upon the above criteria and also a formal evaluation by the faculty supervisor and associate dean. Reappointment is not automatic and is based upon the school needs and financial resources.