Graduate Assistantships

A Graduate Assistant is a graduate student appointed as a University employee in a position that provides the student with an apprenticeship experience. Such appointments may include the waiver of graduate tuition, housing waiver, stipend, and/or other financial support for graduate education. West Liberty University recognizes student employment as a Graduate Assistantship only under the definitions, conditions and categories below. Student employment outside these parameters will not be deemed a Graduate Assistantship.

Three categories of Graduate Assistantship:

1. Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): The duties of the GTA are primarily instructional. These individuals are selected based on past teaching experience or academic promise as effective instructors in their field of study. A GTA may be assigned responsibility for a self-contained class, for a laboratory or discussion class accompanying a faculty-taught lecture class, or for assisting a faculty member with teaching-related tasks such as lecturing, leading discussion groups, serving as an assistant to laboratory classes, advising students, proctoring examinations, preparing class materials, assisting during class, grading tests and papers, and providing general assistance in the instructional process. GTAs who teach courses for credit and/or assign final course grades must meet the faculty qualification standards established by WLU Policy.
2. Graduate Research Assistant (GRA): GRAs are selected for excellence in scholarship and promise as researchers. They may be employed by any of the University’s academic, research, or administrative offices. They engage in part-time research as a portion of their training under the direct supervision of regular faculty members, or support the research initiatives of the institution. The nature of the assistance they provide may vary by discipline and can involve a variety of activities, such as library work, proposal writing, data gathering, and data analysis. While placement of GRAs within their program of study is a priority, some GRAs may be appointed to units outside their academic discipline.
3. Graduate Service Assistant (GSA): The title GSA refers to graduate students who are employed to aid faculty or staff members with functions of the unit in which the appointment is made. Any academic or nonacademic unit may establish service assistantships. The GSA is responsible to a professional member of the unit who supervises and trains the student in the service role. Duties vary depending on the needs of the unit.

*For more information refer to WLU Procedure 254 at http://westliberty.edu/human-resources/university-policy-procedure/