| Guideline on Employment of Graduate Assistants |
| Second Edition |
| The Graduate School, New Mexico State University |
| Revised March 21, 2007 |
Our graduate assistants are engaged in the teaching and research
mission of New Mexico State University and are vital to our success
as a research institution. The primary purpose of the Graduate
Assistant Guideline is to educate faculty, staff and students about
the employment of graduate assistants. Topics covered in the
guideline are listed below.
This Guideline is a working document. Topics will be added or
expanded based on the needs of faculty, staff and students.
I. Eligibility for Appointment
Graduate assistants can be either a teaching assistant or a research
assistant. They are selected by departments, research centers and
service units to serve the needs of New Mexico State University. To
be eligible for employment as graduate assistants, the student must
be admitted to the Graduate School and to an academic department in
the semester of hire. In addition, the student must meet criteria
for a regular full time student: (1) be enrolled in 9 graded
graduate credits during an academic semester (fall or spring
semester), (2) have a 3.0 cumulative GPA, (3) have not exhausted
years of state level of support (see section VI on Years of
Support), and in the case of international students, pass the NMSU
International Teaching Assistant screening tests administered by the
Department of Communications or another unit of NMSU. In cases where
international students do not pass NMSU English language screening
tests, the student must be enrolled in the designated courses. For
graduate assistantships during the summer months, see section V on
Enrollment Requirements.
The funding source plays a major role in the type of student that
can be hired for different types of activities including teaching,
research and service. Below we list two types of students that can
be employed as graduate assistants.
a. New Mexico State General Fund and Graduate Assistants:
Students receiving support from the New Mexico State General Fund
should primarily be engaged in the educational mission of the
university. Usually these students are teaching assistants that
provide instructional support in a classroom or lab setting.
Students supported through the New Mexico State General Fund must be
admitted with “regular” status as a graduate student.
b. Non-state funded Graduate Assistants: A non-state funded
graduate assistantship can be a research assistantship where
students are engaged in research with faculty in their department,
another department or research center at New Mexico State
University. In some cases, assistants can also be engaged in the
teaching or service mission of the university. Either regular or
provisional students can receive non-state funded graduate
assistantships.
c. Definitions
- Regular student:
A regular student, in the Graduate Catalog, is defined as (a) a
beginning graduate student who has either an overall 3.0 grade
point average or a grade point average of 3.0 in the last half
of undergraduate work or, (b) a continuing graduate student who
maintains at least a 3.0 grade point average.
Provisional student: A provisional student is (a) a continuing graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average at the end of any term is less than a 3.0, or (b) a beginning graduate student who does not have an overall 3.0 grade-point average or a 3.0 grade-point average in the last half of undergraduate work. An admitted provisional student must have at least a 2.5 grade-point average to enroll as a graduate student. Please note that students admitted provisionally must complete their first semester including 9 credits (course level 450 and above) with at least a 3.0 grade-point average in order to remain in graduate school. Graduate students can only receive 1 semester of funding from the state of New Mexico as a provisional student. Provisional students can continue to receive support as research assistants.
International students are eligible to receive a
graduate assistantship. If funding for the graduate assistantship
comes from the New Mexico State General Fund, the student must be a
“regular” student. International students must have a current Social
Security number in order to be employed at NMSU. Prior to the
semester in which a teaching assistantship will be received,
international students must complete the International Teaching
Assistant Screening exam that is offered by the Communication
Studies department of New Mexico State University. Students who pass
the screening exam are eligible immediately for a teaching
assignment. Those that do not pass the screening exam must enroll in
and successfully complete Communication 485 (Comm. 485) in order to
be hired as a graduate assistant.
All new graduate assistants must attend a mandatory orientation
offered by the Graduate School. The orientation is offered during
the first few weeks in August. In addition, departments may also
require students to complete training workshops, seminars and
orientations to receive an assistantship. If a student becomes a
new graduate assistant in the spring semester, departments must
submit a letter to the Graduate School indicating how the student
will receive training.
II.
Eligibility for In-State Tuition
Out-of-state students and International students are eligible for
in-state tuition if they obtain at least a 10 hour/week (.25 FTE)
graduate assistantship. It must be a salary position. The Graduate
School must approve the assistantship before census date
(stated by Registrar’s Office) each fall and spring semester for
those out-of-state students that wish to pay in-state tuition. In
the past, census date has been the third Friday of the semester.
Please check with the Registrar’s Office to identify census date
each semester. Departments can hire students after census date.
However, out-of-state students will be required to pay out-of-state
tuition.
Students cannot start their assistantship without prior approval
from the Graduate School. Graduate assistants approved after
census date will have to pay out-of-state tuition and fees. This is
a New Mexico state policy not an NMSU policy.
We encourage out-of-state students to apply for in-state residency
after their first year of enrollment at NMSU. Applications for state
residency may be obtained in the Registrar’s Office, in the
Educational Services Building. We strongly encourage domestic
students to become New Mexico residents. However, students will need
to explore the impact of a change in residency on services they
receive in their prior state of residency (such as car insurance).
We realize that international students cannot apply for New Mexico
state residency.
Out-of-state graduate students and international students who are
paid by the hour are not eligible for in-state tuition. This
includes out-of-state graduate students who hold work-study
positions.
III.
How to Apply for a Graduate Assistantship
In most cases, students do not apply directly for an academic
department graduate assistantship. Departments offer first year
students graduate assistantships as part of the recruitment process.
For continuing graduate students, graduate assistantships are
offered based on the needs of the program and the skills of the
students. The Graduate School recommends that students contact
the program they will be or are enrolled in and ask to be
considered for a graduate assistantship. Some departments may
require students to complete an employment application.
Service units and research centers also hire graduate assistants. In
most cases, the announcement or advertisement of the position
describes how to apply for employment. Job announcements are usually
posted around campus, advertised in the student newspaper and/or
through email. Students seeking employment with a service unit or
research center should investigate if payment is salary or hourly.
As mentioned in part II, students who are paid by the hour do not
qualify for in-state tuition.
IV. Minimum Salary Requirements
Each summer the Graduate School establishes a minimum payment scale
for graduate assistants. Departments, research centers and service
units may pay students more than the suggested minimum salary.
Levels of support vary among students as indicated below. If a raise
is issued by the state of New Mexico, a letter is sent to department
heads during the summer indicating the new payment scale for all
graduate assistantships. A description of the levels of support is
discussed below.
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Level I: This level is for regularly enrolled students pursuing a master’s degree. This level is also for a first year student seeking a doctoral degree who does not currently hold a master’s degree. Once the doctoral student becomes a second year student and passes their qualifying exam, they can obtain support as a Level II student.
Level II: This level is for regularly enrolled students pursuing the education specialist or doctoral degree who have passed the qualifying exam. This level is also for a graduate student who currently holds a master’s degree and is entering a doctoral degree program.
Level III: This level is for a doctoral degree student who has passed the comprehensive exam and has advanced to candidacy.
To recruit the best students, departments,
research centers and service units may wish to offer graduate
assistants more than the minimum amount stated by the Graduate
School.
V. Enrollment Requirements
All graduate assistants must enroll as full-time students taking at
least 9 graded graduate credits (courses numbered 450 and above). No
audits can be taken as part of the 9 minimum credits. Only 3 of the
9 credits may be taken as an S/U option. A graduate assistant may
not enroll for more than 15 credits each semester. Students must
maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average in order to continue on
an assistantship.
If a “regular” student (see prior definitions) needs to take
deficiency courses as part of the 9 credits, then a memo from the
advisor or department head should be submitted to the Graduate
School. If approved, the student can register for 3 undergraduate
credits and a minimum of 6 graded graduate credits during their
first semester at New Mexico State University.
During the summer months, students are not required to enroll in
courses while they hold positions as graduate assistants. If
students enroll in at least 3 credits of instruction and work less
than 21 hours a week, they do not pay FICA. However, if students are
enrolled in at least 3 credits of instruction and work from 21 to 40
hours per week, the student and the department are required to pay
FICA. If students do not enroll in courses, the student and the
department is required to pay FICA regardless of the number of hours
worked. Please check with the Payroll Office to see if the rules
have changed regarding FICA.
It should be mentioned that the amount earned during the summer
could have an impact the student’s financial aid for the following
year.
VI.
Number of Years of Support from New Mexico State General Fund
Limitations have been placed on years of support of graduate
assistants that receive support from the New Mexico State General
Fund through NMSU. This policy has been put in place to encourage
students to graduate in a timely manner. For doctoral degree
students, the limitations encourage departments to seek research
support for their students.
Departments can also place limits on the years of support
graduate students receive from all sources of support.
a. Students enrolled in a 2-year master’s degree program (less
than 40 required credits):
Only 2 years of support should be awarded from the New Mexico State
General Fund. Departments can appeal for a 5th semester of support.
Funding for additional semesters should come from other sources of
support.
b. Students enrolled in a 3-year Master’s degree program (more
than 40 required credits:
Only 3 years of support should be awarded from the New Mexico State
General Fund. Departments can appeal for a 7th semester of support.
Funding for additional semesters should come from other sources of
support. Students seeking a second master’s degree at New Mexico
State University can receive 2 to 3 years of additional support
depending on the required years to complete the program.
c. Entering Ph.D. students without a master’s degree in the
field of study: For those students entering doctoral
programs without a master’s degree in their field of study, no more
than 5 years of support should come from New Mexico State General
Fund. Departments can appeal for a 6th year of support. Funding for
additional years should come from other sources.
d. Entering Ph.D. students with a master’s degree in the field
of study: For those students entering doctoral programs with
a master’s degree in their field of study, a limit of 4 years of
support should come from New Mexico State General Fund. Departments
can appeal for a 5th year of support. Support for additional years
should come from other sources.
VII.
Maximum Number of Hours per Week
Employment during the academic year is limited to 20 (.50 FTE) hours
a week for graduate assistants regardless of the funding source.
Students may seek other student employment positions as long as the
combined employment does not exceed more than the 20 hours or .50
FTE.
We strongly encourage departments and service units to investigate
whether a student is employed by another unit on campus.
Please note that NMSU does not allowed units, departments and/or
research centers (all hiring units) to hire international students
for more than 20 hours a week (.50 FTE) during the academic year.
Departments wishing to hire domestic students for more than the 20
hours a week (.50 FTE) must seek approval by the Graduate School. A
memo must be submitted that discusses the number of credits in which
the student has enrolled in, his/her current GPA and the additional
activities of work. The memo must also include the number of
additional hours of work as well as the total hours of work.
Additional hours of work must include all forms of employment
including the graduate assistantship, research assistantship, and
employment as a college instructor and college faculty, to name a
few. The Graduate School can terminate graduate assistantships
if departments, research centers and service units fail to process
forms for employment. The department head and the academic advisor
must endorse the memorandum prior to submitting it to the Graduate
School. The Graduate School discourages departments from hiring
newly enrolled students for more than 20 hours per week. This
includes all forms of employment.
Graduate students may work up to 40 hours a week during the summer
as well as during fall, spring and winter breaks.
Limitations on number of hours of work are made to ensure that
students graduate in a timely manner.
VIII.
Holidays
Graduate assistants are entitled to fall and spring breaks as well
as the same holidays of faculty and staff. Refer to the current
academic calendar for information on reporting dates and holidays.
Students can also speak to their supervisors about make-up hours
during fall and spring breaks.
IX. Termination of Employment
Faculty and staff may find situations where they need to terminate
an appointment of a graduate student. Grounds for termination
include situations where the student is not performing satisfactory
work. A termination should be handled in the same manner as
terminating an employee. Supervisors must give the students a
“verbal warning” and a “written warning” prior to dismissing them
from their positions. The supervisor should make sure to document in
writing the reasons for termination. The Graduate School suggests
that supervisors review the NMSU Policy Manual on personnel
issues. Prior to taking any action, please inform the Associate Dean
of the Graduate School in writing about the student and the
rationale for termination. The Associate Dean will determine if it’s
possible to come up with a viable solution that meets the unit and
students’ needs or if termination is the best solution.
Staff/faculty must complete and submit a Personnel Action Form (PAF)
anytime a student is terminating prior to their end date. You must
also enter an Effective End Date. The student must sign the
Personnel Action Form before it is routed for appropriate
signatures. If a student chooses not to sign, please indicate the
reason for termination in the Comments Section. If the student has
sent you an email or a note or letter, please attach that to the
Personnel Action Form.
Students may appeal to the Graduate School if they have evidence
that their employment was unfairly terminated. Students should
contact the Graduate School within 10 business days from the date of
termination. A formal grievance letter (not an email) should be
addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School. The dean will
determine whether an investigation is appropriate. The dean will
respond directly to the student in a timely manner.
X. Roles and Responsibilities
a. The Graduate School
The Graduate School provides a number of services related to the
employment of graduate assistants. A brief summary is provided
below.
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Each August, the Graduate School offers a one-day mandatory
orientation for graduate assistants. Topics include effective
teaching strategies, working with a diverse student body, codes and
policies of New Mexico State University and balancing teaching and
academic life, to mention a few. The Graduate School also
collaborates with a number of units on campus to offer workshops and
support services for graduate assistants. Please contact Associate
Dean Luis Vázquez for more information on the graduate assistant
orientation workshop as well as professional development activities
that are offered throughout the year, 505 646-2736.
For departments and service units that wish to learn about the
policies and procedures of hiring and terminating graduate
assistants, please contact Darcey Comer in the Graduate School, 505
646-2834, darceyc@nmsu.edu. Ms. Comer offers graduate assistant
employment workshops. Please contact her directly for the date of
the next scheduled workshop. Departments, research centers and
service units can arrange for customized workshops.
b. Graduate Assistants
Graduate assistants are engaged in a number of professional
activities that support the research and teaching mission of New
Mexico State University. Responsibilities and expectations of
graduate assistants are stated below.
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NMSU views graduate assistants as emerging scholars, teachers, and
professionals. We encourage students to behave as professionals. We
expect students to devote an appropriate amount of time and energy
to completing work assignments. We also expect students to let
employers know when they cannot come to work. We want students to
report to work at expected times, complete assignments in a timely
fashion, and ask for help when needed. We encourage graduate
students to review all policies of NMSU. We expect graduate
assistants to maintain their academic status as students. We want
students to engage in open discussions with their faculty especially
in situations when they find themselves spending more than 20 hours
per week on their work assignments. We also encourage graduate
assistants to take advantage of professional development workshops
offered by NMSU.
c. Departments, Research Centers
and Service Units
Graduate assistants that are funded by the General Fund of the state
of New Mexico should primarily be engaged in the educational mission
of the university. They are expected to work for the assistantship.
It is not a fellowship.
We ask that hiring units, either academic departments or service
units, provide the following services to graduate assistants.
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Many of our graduate students are new to New Mexico State
University. We ask that department and service units offer an
orientation for new student employees that includes written office
policies and procedures. We request that departments, research
centers and service units conduct regular oral and written
performance evaluations to help students understand their strengths
and areas for improvement. We encourage departments to evaluate the
quality of teaching of graduate assistants. This could include
adding a section on an existing evaluation form or creating a
separate form for graduate assistants. It could also include
participant observations in a classroom or lab.
XI.
Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program
New Mexico State University offers health insurance to all graduate
assistants including teaching assistants, research assistants and
graduate assistants employed by student services and other support
units on campus. The university covers 70 percent of the cost of the
health insurance plan. Graduate assistants cover the remaining 30
percent through payroll deductions.
The insurance company for the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance
Benefit Program is called Student Resources, a division of MEGA Life
and Health Insurance Company. Student Resources is a market leader
in student insurance programs. For more information, please visit
their web site, www.studentresources.com. Please click on
“College Students”, and then, “View Policy Details”.
Under “View Brochure”, you can scroll down to find NMSU.
Student Resources also provides health insurance for all NMSU
students and their spouses and children. If graduate assistants want
health care insurance for their spouses and children, they can
enroll in a separate plan with Student Resources (see their web site
for enrollment information).
Eligibility for the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance
Benefit Program includes the following. Students must be on NMSU
payroll as a graduate assistant to be eligible for this benefit
program. Other criteria including the following: a) work at least 10
hours per week for an academic semester (.25 FTE) in a salary
position; b) are a full-time graduate student enrolled in at least 9
graded credits from NMSU; c) are in good academic standing, d)
attend one of the health insurance orientation programs for new
graduate assistants, e) complete the NMSU Graduate Assistant Health
Insurance Benefit Program enrollment form, and f) the Student
Resource health insurance enrollment form. All seven of the above
criteria must be met to be eligible for health insurance.
For domestic students, enrollment in the health insurance program is
voluntary. We realize that some students have health care insurance
through their partner’s or spouse’s health insurance plan.
International graduate assistants are required to have health
insurance. As graduate assistants, international students have two
options. They can enroll in the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance
Benefit Program, or select another health insurance plan that is
endorsed by International Programs of NMSU. NMSU will cover 70
percent of the health care insurance costs of Student Resources. If
international graduate assistants select another health insurance
plan, the student will need to cover 100 percent of the costs of the
plan.
All outpatient primary health care services are provided by
the NMSU Student Health Center for graduate assistants enrolled in
the health insurance plan. Referrals for specialty care are required
and must be approved by staff of the NMSU Student Health Center to
receive payment for services by the health insurance provider. For
emergency health care, those covered by Student Resources should
report to Memorial Medical Center or the closest emergency facility
if students are not in Las Cruces (contact the NMSU Student Health
Center Insurance Office for more information about the process of
receiving care, 505 646-5706).
Please note that full-time students including graduate assistants
that receive care through the NMSU Student Health Center do not have
to pay the $50 deductible for the office visit. The visits are free
of charge. However, students including graduate assistants will need
to pay for lab work and medicine.
To enroll in the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit
Program, students must complete two separate enrollment forms, one
for the Graduate School (NMSU Graduate Assistant Health Insurance
Benefit Program enrollment form) and one for Student Resources.
Both forms are available at the Graduate School. Enrollment will
take place at the beginning of fall and spring semesters.
Orientation workshops on the new Graduate Assistant Health
Insurance Benefit Program will be offered at the beginning of each
semester and are mandatory for new graduate assistants. The sessions
are designed to answer questions about the type of coverage, and
outpatient primary health care services of the NMSU Student Health
Center, to name a few.
More information can be found at the Graduate School web site:
/health/
We welcome your feedback on the Guidelines. Again the purpose of the
Guidelines on Graduate Assistantships is to educate faulty, staff
and students about the employment of graduate assistants. We wish to
ensure that our students have a productive experience while
completing their degree program in a timely manner.
Please email the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any
questions or suggestions,
lacey@nmsu.edu.