GRADUATE ASSISTANT

GUIDELINES

Effective
Fall 2009
Graduate assistantships are limited in number and are awarded on a competitive basis, subject to criteria such as
grade point average, test scores, skills offered by the applicant, needs of the College or Department, and order in
which the assistantship application was received. When awarding assistantships, priority will be given to
graduate students who do not hold a 40 hr. per week position.
To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, a graduate student must complete the following procedures:

I. Initial Application Process.

A. Complete an application for an assistantship, available from the School of Graduate Studies
website www.saumag.edu/graduate, which describes previous training and experience supported
by at least three references. The applicant may indicate an area of preferred placement on the
application. The deadlines to apply for an assistantship: July 1st for fall, December 1st for spring
and May 1st for summer.

No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, handicap, or national origin, be denied
admission to or employment at Southern Arkansas University, or be excluded from participation
in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any program or activity sponsored by
the university.

The application for an assistantship must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, who
will verify that the student has met all criteria established below and forward the application to
the department/director granting the assistantship. Applicants who visit campus offices (other
than the School of Graduate Studies) requesting a position will not be considered for an
assistantship.

B. Be fully admitted to the School of Graduate Studies at SAU.

C. Enroll in a minimum of six and a maximum of nine hours of graduate work (three/six per
summer session). If the students enrollment drops below six hours (three hours each summer
session), any unused portion of the assistantship and all fee reductions must be forfeited. The
effective date for forfeiting unused portions of the assistantship will be the date in which the
student withdraws from a course and thus falls below the minimum course load requirement.
Please keep in mind that graduate students must be enrolled in nine hours to be officially
considered full-time according to The Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

D. Meet criteria established by the department/director offering the assistantship. Each

department/director establishes the minimum competencies required for the assistantship in that
area.

E. Be available to work 20 hours/week in assigned duties.

(Including holiday weeks)
15 weeks for the fall and spring semesters (total of 300 hours per semester)
5 weeks each Summer session (total of 100 hours per semester)

F. Maintain academic standards:

Have a grade point of at least 3.00 on all graduate coursework.
Have no grade of C or lower in a graduate course.

A graduate assistant failing to uphold these academic standards forfeits the graduate assistantship and
will not be eligible to re-apply. Any exceptions to this policy require written approval of the College Dean or

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Program Director and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, with justification forwarded to the Graduate
Dean for a decision on the request. Any final appeal may be made to the VPAA.

II. Stipend
The stipend for fall and spring semesters is $4,000. Fall and spring stipends will be awarded in four
paychecks of $1,000 throughout each semester.

III. Tuition
All students must make payment arrangements with the Office of Student Accounts prior to the
payment deadline to save their schedule. Graduate assistants have the option of arranging to pay
tuition and fees out of their monthly stipend.
Students who reside outside of Arkansas can complete the Graduate Assistant Waiver of Non-
Resident Tuition to waive the out-of-state fee.

IV. Timesheets
It is the responsibility of the graduate assistant to submit timesheets to the School of Graduate
Studies by 5 p.m. on the day they are due. Failure to follow this procedure repeatedly will cause a
delay in receiving a paycheck.

V. Evaluations
Each department will determine when and how evaluations are administered. Graduate assistants
should check with their supervisor for evaluation procedures within the department. Completed
evaluations should be submitted to the graduate office.

VI. Renewal Process

It is the responsibility of the graduate assistant to request renewal of a semester or summer session
contract, if desired. To be considered for renewal, the graduate assistant must:

A. Have a grade point average of at least 3.00 on all graduate hours taken.
B. Have no grade of C or lower in a graduate course.
C. Enroll in a minimum of six and maximum of nine hours of graduate work (three/six per summer
session).
D. Satisfactory ratings (average score of 3) for all evaluations received the previous semester.

Students may hold an assistantship for a maximum of two (2) years.

A graduate assistant who fails to uphold the guidelines will be required to report to the Graduate Dean.
If problems persist, Southern Arkansas University reserves the right to terminate the contract.

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Additional Information for graduate assistants:

Parking Stickers Graduate Assistants receive one free parking sticker per academic year.

Meal Plan Commuter meal plans can be purchased in the Business Office from a student accounts
representative.

Study Areas Second floor of the Reynolds building and study rooms of different sizes are available
in Magale Library (key can be checked out at the circulation desk).

Name tags If you would like a name tag, please request one from your supervisor.

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 Graduate Assistant Guideline Agreement

_______________________________
Printed Name

By signing below, I have read and understand the Graduate Assistant Guidelines. Also, I understand that failure
to uphold these guidelines will result in termination of my current contract and/or non-renewal for the following
semester.

_____________________________________ _______________________
Signature Date