Graduate Assistant Handbook

Graduate assistantships are awarded to students with excellent academic records and scholarly promise who are enrolled full-time and who are in good academic standing. Financial support for a graduate assistantship includes a stipend, tuition scholarship, and health insurance coverage. A graduate assistantship is intended to support a graduate student as they progress through their degree requirements; it is not compensation for time spent providing teaching or research service in the assistantship role. 

Graduate assistantships are composed of Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships. Accordingly, a student who accepts an assistantship is required to provide teaching and/or research assistance, or — with approval of their academic unit’s Dean or Dean’s designee — to engage in other duties relevant to their professional development in their discipline and program. Assistantship duties should provide students with educational and professional benefits that enhance their pedagogical, research, and/or professional skills. Graduate Assistants may not be assigned duties to support the administration of the academic unit.  

• Research Assistantships provide students with educational and professional benefits by enhancing their research skills. While the academic unit or faculty supervisor might benefit from the services provided by research assistants (RAs), the rationale for supporting research assistants is centered on the role that the experience plays in graduate students’ professional and educational development. Students holding Research Assistantships devote their time to a combined program of study and research activities. The funding support received by research assistants is to support their learning. 
• Teaching Assistantships provide students with educational and professional benefits by enhancing their pedagogical skills. While the academic unit and/or faculty supervisor might benefit from the services provided by teaching assistants (TAs), the rationale for supporting teaching assistants is centered on the role the experience plays in students’ professional and educational development. Students holding teaching assistantships devote their time to a combined program of study and instructional activities. The funding support received by teaching assistants is to support their learning. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible to receive and continue to hold an assistantship pending the terms of the original appointment, the student must be in good academic standing as defined by the Graduate Assistant’s academic unit. Failure to fulfill those requirements may result in the immediate termination of the assistantship. Exceptions to these terms may be made on a limited basis with approval from the Dean.  

The University does not permit students to hold simultaneously more than one full assistantship or fellowship. In addition, the University does not permit students to hold an assistantship and hold an hourly paid position concurrently at Loyola. 

Applying for a Graduate Assistantship 

Admission to a graduate program at Loyola does not guarantee funding via a graduate assistantship. Some graduate assistantships are chosen by the graduate program from among applicants for admission and no additional application material is required. The deadline for consideration for graduate assistantships is based on the relevant admissions deadline for each graduate program. The application for admission as well as all supporting documents (e.g., transcripts and letters of recommendation) must be on file by the assistantship deadline, if applicable. 

Other graduate assistantships may be available following the student’s matriculation into their graduate program.   

For more information about available assistantships, a graduate student should contact their program's Graduate Program Director. 

Deadlines 

For assistantships offered upon admission, students have until April 15th to formally notify the academic unit of their decision regarding acceptance of the assistantship. For students who receive an offer of admission after April 15th, admitted students have until 30 days after the date of the letter to formally notify the academic unit of their decision regarding acceptance of the assistantship. To notify the Graduate School formally regarding acceptance of the assistantship, the student must accept his or her assistantship on GSPS by the applicable deadline. Other academic units that provide graduate assistantship/s should clearly specify the deadline for and method of acceptance of the assistantship in their offer.  

Selection 

Graduate assistantships are merit-based and are not based on financial need. In the case of assistantships provided by the Graduate School, the academic department or program reviews their applicants for assistantships and makes recommendations to the Graduate School.  

For incoming students, academic units may consider admission credentials submitted at the time of application, research interests, potential for success, and/or the results of personal interviews.

Acceptance of an offer of financial support* (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15th; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15th and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15th. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer. 

This Resolution was renewed October 2024. *Please Note: This Resolution applies to offers of financial support only, not offers of admission.

https://cgsnet.org/resources/for-current-prospective-graduate-students/april-15-resolution

Before the beginning of the term of the initial assistantship, the student must complete and submit the necessary documentation (this requirement applies only to first-time assistantship stipend or fellowship recipients) to the academic unit providing the assistantship. Failure to do so may result in a delay of the student’s stipend payment. 

I-9 Form 

An assistantship offer is subject to the recipient providing proof of employment eligibility as required by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Verification of employment eligibility is a federal legal requirement, and failure to comply in a timely manner will result in a delay of the student’s eligibility to perform assistantship duties and receive a stipend and tuition scholarship. 

W4 Form 

First-time stipend recipients must return federal and state income-tax-withholding (W-4) forms. W-4 forms are required only for first-time stipend recipients; however, other students may file a new W-4 to effect a change in withholding. 

Social Security Number 

A valid Social Security number is required for payment of stipends for graduate assistantships. If a Graduate Assistant is an international student in F-1 or J-1 status and does not yet have a Social Security Number, they should visit the Office for International Programs at Loyola at least a week before classes begin.  

Direct Deposit Form 

The University’s Office of Human Resources requires Graduate Assistants to participate in the direct-deposit payroll system, distinct from the direct-deposit system used by the Office of Financial Aid.  

An assistantship offer is subject to the recipient providing proof of employment eligibility as required by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Verification of employment eligibility is a federal legal requirement, and failure to comply in a timely manner will result in a delay of the student’s eligibility to perform assistantship duties and receive a stipend and tuition scholarship.

As full-time student trainees, Graduate Assistants may seek reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities that impact their performance from the Student Accessibility Center. 

Assistantships can be awarded for a twelve-month appointment, for the academic year, on a semester (Fall or Spring) basis, and/or for the summer sessions. Students should carefully review the terms of their assistantship when considering acceptance. Some schools may have alternative schedules for academic terms, and students should verify the duration of their appointment based on the school in which their program resides.

The period/s of appointment for Graduate Assistants over the course of the academic year are as follows:  

Fall and Spring Semesters 

During the Fall and Spring semester, the University classifies Graduate Assistants as full-time students. Graduate Assistants are expected to serve as a research or teaching assistant for a maximum of 19.5 hours per week for each of the weeks of the academic semester.  However, Graduate Assistants may engage in research activities extending beyond those hours when they are necessary and/or beneficial for their timely degree progress. 

Summer Sessions 

Students may serve as Graduate Assistants over the period composed of the University’s summer sessions. Graduate Assistants are expected to serve in that role for a maximum of 19.5 hours per week for up to twelve weeks during that time. However, graduate assistants may engage in research activity beyond those hours if they are beneficial for good academic standing and/or timely degree completion. 

If Graduate Assistants are not enrolled in coursework over the summer, the University does not classify them as full-time students, and – upon approval of the Dean – they also can hold an hourly work position on campus for up to an additional twenty hours per week.  

Note:  

For any semester in which a student serves as a Graduate Assistant, a student cannot be asked to make up missed hours in the following semester or summer session. A student should work with their supervisor to determine how best to compensate for missed hours during the semester. Students with concerns about the terms of their appointment as a Graduate Assistant should reach out to their Graduate Program Director. 

The specific duties of a graduate assistantship are assigned by their supervisor. Graduate Assistants may not be assigned both research and teaching responsibilities in the same semester, unless there are training benefits for the student in so doing. Graduate assistants may not provide administrative support. These assistantships are to provide students with educational and professional benefits, enhancing their pedagogical or research skills. All graduate assistantship activities must be supervised by appropriate faculty or staff. 

Teaching Assistantships

Depending on the student’s experience and departmental needs, a Teaching Assistantship consists of a graduate student either serving as a Primary Instructor (Instructor of Record) for a course or serving as a Teaching Assistant to a faculty instructor for a course.

In the role of Teaching Assistant, typical activities undertaken at the direction of the faculty instructor include: Consulting with faculty instructor on course pedagogy, syllabus design, assessment, and student engagement; Engaging in preparation of instructional material; Attending lectures; Reading syllabus material; Grading course assignments; Holding office hours; Working with students in a laboratory class; Leading discussion groups; Mentoring; Tutoring; Proctoring examinations; Teaching an occasional class; Responding to emails.

In the role of Primary Instructor, typical activities include: Determining course pedagogy, syllabus design, assessment, and student engagement; Leading lectures and/or laboratory classes and discussion groups, holding office hours, responding to student inquiries; Grading course assessments.

A Primary Instructor has the responsibility of:

• Providing a syllabi for the class no later than the first class meeting of each academic term
• Informing students of the criteria and methods they will use to calculate final grades
• Conducting their assigned classes at scheduled times
• Adhering to established examination and reading periods
• Evaluating students’ work in a timely fashion, providing appropriate feedback, and submitting grades by the established deadlines

If a Primary Instructor becomes aware that a student has significant academic or behavioral problems, the Primary Instructor should promptly report him/her to the student’s Dean following established school/college guidelines.

In cases where a Primary Instructor is too ill to conduct class or has an emergency which necessitates their absence from class, the Primary Instructor should follow established departmental and/or school guidelines so that students may be promptly informed.  The Primary Instructor is responsible for holding regular office hours and publishing those hours for their students. A reasonable effort should be made to accommodate students whose schedules conflict with the Primary Instructor’s normal office hours.

The Policy on Students with Graduate Assistantships in the Graduate School Serving as Primary Instructors outlines the conditions under which a graduate student, in receipt of a graduate assistantship (“merit award”) from the Graduate School, may qualify to serve as a Primary Instructor. 

In either role, a student holding a Teaching Assistantship must receive semester-long guidance from a mentor -- either the faculty instructor for the course or an assigned faculty mentor. The mentoring structure supports the pedagogical and professional development component of the Teaching Assistantship experience.

Given the instructional rhythm of a semester, there will be some variation in the actual number of hours spent on instructional activities per week. Faculty mentors should develop a general plan of action with their TAs to plot out and monitor the number of hours spent over the course of the semester.

Research Assistantships

The following include best practices for departments who have research assistants that support faculty research, research activities, and instructional activities. Depending on the student’s experience and departmental needs, typical assistantship activities include Participation in research team meetings; Recruitment of research participants; IRB protocol submissions; Design of research studies; Data collection, data cleaning, and data management; Maintenance of data bases; Data analyses; Supervision/Mentoring and training of undergraduate research assistants; Literature searches; Manuscript preparation/writing; Preparation of conference presentations; Grant writing; Developing own program of research; Maintaining project-related web site; Archival Research. All of these activities occur under the guidance of a mentor, typically the faculty member who is working most closely with the student on the research project(s) assigned.

Graduate Assistants are not responsible for covering the cost of equipment or supplies required to perform their assigned duties, as determined by the academic unit. They are also not responsible for replacing items that are damaged or broken while carrying out approved or authorized assistantship related tasks. All equipment or supplies purchased or provided by the University for these purposes remain the property of the University.

Graduate assistantship concerns related to academic disputes, including dismissal from a program as well as those that arise from matters involving scholarly competence and ethical scholarly behavior are the jurisdiction of their academic program and/or school; thus, questions regarding evaluation of students, falsification or misrepresentation of research data and plagiarism should be addressed through the student’s academic unit. For all other concerns, please refer to our Resources for Student Concerns page.

As students, Graduate Assistants cannot be asked to serve in this role on university holidays. There may be exceptional circumstances (such as with specialized maintenance, data collection from research animals, or when an experimental protocol runs over months and cannot be interrupted or suspended to allow time away) when graduate assistantship activities must be conducted during university holidays/closures and/or immediately prior to or after the end of a semester/session and those tasks cannot be delegated to other individuals. In such circumstances, pending the policy of the academic unit, the equivalent amount of compensatory time away from the assistantship position on a non-holiday weekday during the semester/session must be arranged in exchange. In addition, Graduate Assistants should be made aware prior to the start of the assistantship appointment of the schedule for the assistantship position, be informed of the amount of compensatory time away, and be able to participate in the determination of the schedule for that compensatory time away. 

Graduate Assistants should seek medical treatment at their campus’ Wellness Center if injured at any of our campuses. Depending on the scope and severity of the injury, Wellness Center medical staff may not be able to provide the proper and thorough medical care needed for more serious injuries. Those individuals would be referred to local primary care facilities and/or hospitals. Graduate Assistants should be aware of these restrictions before seeking treatment as well as the Wellness Center operating hours as these details could affect the decision of where to go for immediate treatment.   

International Students 

International students are subject to additional rules established by the federal government. International students are strongly advised to seek the guidance of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services when applying for a graduate assistantship. 

Provisions include: 

• International students may only work on campus if allowed by their visas. 
• International students with assistantships are not allowed to work more than 19.5 hours a week while classes are in session.
• International students with assistantships must maintain full time status for immigration purposes. 

All Teaching Assistants with native languages other than American English are required to take an English Proficiency test on campus during the week before school begins. Based on the results of this test, teaching assistants may be required to take one or two ESL courses during their first semester at Loyola. This requirement is designed to ensure the ability of teaching assistants to communicate effectively in spoken and written English. 

As graduate students, Graduate Assistants may take a leave of absence as outlined by the policy of their academic unit (graduate assistants also may take a Short-term Leave, as outlined below). Official leaves of absence are intended for students who wish to discontinue temporarily their graduate studies due to special circumstances (e.g., medical, personal or professional reasons). Students who are on a leave of absence may not use university resources, including faculty time. A leave of absence postpones all deadlines concerning completion of degree requirements for the duration of the leave of absence. 

For the Graduate School, the Leave of Absence form is available through the Graduate Student Progress System at https://gsps.luc.edu/. Please log in to create this form for approval. Graduate Assistants in other schools should consult with their Graduate Program Director for guidance. 

Decisions regarding the approval of leaves of absence rest with Dean or Dean’s designee. In the case of the Graduate School, when reviewing requests for a leave of absence, the Graduate School may require additional information or documentation from the student and the Graduate Program Director. In cases where the Graduate Program Director recommends that the leave of absence not be granted, the student may petition the Graduate School to consider her/his request. International students admitted to the United States on temporary visas must also receive approval from the University's Office of International Programs for information regarding eligibility for a leave of absence. 

Leaves of absence are limited to a period of one full academic year. If a student is not prepared to return to active status after one year, the student may request a renewal of the leave of absence for a period of up to one year. For the Graduate School, in such cases the Graduate Program Director and the Associate Dean will review the student's record and future plans to determine whether an additional leave is in the best interests of the student, the program and the Graduate School. 

In order to be reinstated to active status, the student must notify the Dean or Dean’s designee in writing upon returning from a leave of absence. Unless the student is granted a renewal of a leave of absence, the student must return to active status in the semester following the expiration of a leave of absence; failure to do so may result in dismissal from the program.  If a student does not return from a leave of absence after two consecutive years, they must reapply for admission to the program. 

Loyola University Chicago allows students participating in required military duties to be excused from class and/or other student-based responsibilities (including graduate students serving in the role of graduate assistant). Military duties covered under this policy include but are not limited to military deployment, required annual military training, ROTC activities and civilian deployments in support of federal operations. For service members holding Reserve and National Guard status, weekend duty (drill) requirements should not interfere with normal school schedules. However, if a situation arises that requires absence from class due to duty/drill requirements, this absence can also be excused if the required absence is verified by the commanding officer or other affiliated Guard leader.  

Students who have been called into the armed services of the United States and who are consequently withdrawing from the University before the end of the withdrawal period will receive a refund of all tuition and fees paid for the period in question but no academic credit. If they withdraw after the end of the withdrawal period, they will receive full academic credit for the semester with grades as of the date of withdrawal but no refund of tuition.  

Graduate assistants who are to become a parent or take on the commitment as the parent of an infant or young child may qualify for Parental Leave. Qualifying students must be the primary caregiver, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the direct care and supervision of the child.  Either parent is eligible.

As a Graduate Assistant, a qualifying student will receive their full stipend for up to 60 calendar days (the equivalent of 8 work weeks).

A Graduate Assistant should consult their Graduate Program Director to learn more about this policy.  In the case of Graduate Assistants in graduate programs on the Lakeside Campuses of the Graduate School, the procedure for parental Leave are as follows:

Qualifying students hold graduate assistantships funded by the Graduate School and/or by extramural agencies and are to become a parent or take on the commitment as the parent of an infant or young child.

Either parent is eligible. If both parents are graduate assistants at the Lakeside Campuses, both students may submit an application, but with the understanding that only one parental leave is allowed at a time (e.g., maximum total of 60 calendar days) and therefore can be divided but not duplicated.

Notification

1. The Graduate Program Director:

First, the student who plans to make an application for a Parental Leave must establish a meeting with their Graduate Program Director (GPD) at least four months in advance of the planned leave, barring special circumstances (e.g., sudden notice of the adoption or an emergency situation). This allows the GPD sufficient time to arrange for a student substitute to fulfill the student's research and/or teaching activities. It is also important for planning the continuance of the student's program upon his or her return.

The Graduate Program Director will arrange a student replacement for a Research Assistant for the duration of the leave and the substitute will receive a pro-rated stipend from the Graduate School.

The Graduate Program Director, or department chair, will arrange a student replacement for a Teaching Assistant (including a Graduate Assistant serving as a Primary Instructor). The student substitute will receive a pro-rated stipend from the Graduate School.

2. Professors Affected by the Leave:

The Graduate Program Director communicates to the supervisor affected by the student's leave. In the case of those professors in whose classes the student is presently enrolled, the ways and timeline by which course requirements will be fulfilled will be discussed. Faculty assisted by the student in research and/or teaching will be notified by the GPD about the intended leave and the plan to provide a substitute for the duration of the Graduate Assistant's absence.

3. International Students (if Applicable):

International students with a student visa must notify Loyola's International Students and Scholars Services of their plan to obtain a parental leave since a leave from their academic program may affect their visa status.

Application

1. The Associate Dean for Student Academic Services:

Four months prior to the intended leave, and immediately after meeting with the Graduate Program Director, the student applies to the Associate Dean for Student Academic Services. It is the responsibility of the Associate Dean to examine the academic performance of the student to ensure that the student is in good standing, and following consultation with the Graduate Program Director, to assess whether the student will be successful in completing the program upon his or her return from the leave.

2. Extramural Funding Agencies (if Applicable):

Students who are funded by extramural sources will notify the funding agency(ies) immediately and make application to the outside funder(s) for parental leave.*

*Note: Students funded solely by extramural agencies who do not allow for full stipend support during the period of parental leave may petition the Dean of the Graduate School for a full or partial stipend. Further questions should be directed to the Graduate Assistant’s Graduate Program Director.

Graduate Assistants are able to continue their enrollment and associated financial support while absent for limited periods of time from their graduate assistantship role due to personal illness. With the exception of Graduate Assistants who are supported by extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (and so subject to NIH policy), the University permits Graduate Assistants to be absent due to personal illness from their graduate assistantship role for up to (but no more than) seven calendar days (consecutive or non-consecutive) per semester. 

Graduate Assistants are expected to inform their faculty mentor as soon as possible about their need for an absence from their graduate assistantship role due to illness, but in any event no later than the beginning of the period of the absence. Graduate Assistants who miss coursework due to illness are still held to normal course and grading policies for the relevant department(s) or course instructor(s). Graduate Assistants who must be absent from their graduate assistantship role due to illness for more than fifteen consecutive days should ordinarily request a medical leave of absence from the University. 

Graduate Assistants must register no later than the last date of registration of the semester of their assistantships. Graduate Assistants must be registered full-time during the fall and spring semesters of their assistantships. Failure to comply may result in the cancellation of the assistantship. 

Should a Graduate Assistant's performance of their assigned activities be deemed unacceptable by the supervisor, the supervisor should inform the student in writing that his/her assistantship activities are unsatisfactory. The letter should include information about the deficiencies and a remediation plan of action. Additionally, the letter should include a date for re-assessment. If the student fails to improve his or her performance in the time specified, the assistantship will be withdrawn.  

Students must be in good academic standing in order to receive an assistantship. As such, students who are placed on academic probation will have their assistantship reviewed for withdrawal, contingent on the policy of the academic unit. In the case of the Graduate School, please see the policies on probation and dismissal in Graduate School Standards and Regulations, published in the University Catalog.  

In very specific instances, such as violations of university policies, academic dishonesty, or violations of ethical or professional code of conduct, the assistant may have their activities suspended immediately and a departmental/program recommendation of withdrawal made to the school. The process of appeal is subject to the policy of the academic unit. In the case of the Graduate School, non-renewal/withdrawal appeals, just as all other student appeals, should first be made at the departmental level before moving to the Graduate School. The stipend will be stopped at the date of the withdrawal. 

Academic units and faculty supervisors depend on the services of Graduate Assistants for the period of appointment. A Graduate Assistant should follow the policy of their academic unit to submit timely notification of their relinquishment of their assistantship. 

In the case of the Graduate School, if the Graduate Assistant must relinquish his or her assistantship during the course of the academic year, the student must follow these steps:  

1. Discuss the intent to relinquish their assistantship with the Graduate Program Director well in advance of the actual date so appropriate plans to award the position to another student can be made. 
2. Submit a formal letter explaining the reason(s) for and date of the withdrawal. A copy of this letter should be sent to the Graduate School. 
3. Return of any keys and teaching-related materials to the department.  

The Graduate Assistant’s stipend will be ended upon receipt of the letter of relinquishment. 

The short-term leave provision supplements the broader Leave of Absence policy. As part of the University’s commitment to an equitable and supportive environment for graduate education, this short-term leave policy is designed to outline expectations of and for Graduate Assistants and to foster effective communication between Graduate Assistants and the faculty members and graduate programs responsible for their degree progress. 

A graduate student appointed on an assistantship who for personal reasons (e.g., medical appointment, bereavement, military service, family issue) needs a short period of time away from assistantship responsibilities may arrange such time away in the form of a short-term leave.   

In seeking short-term leave, Graduate Assistants must be mindful of their assigned duties and how they fit into the faculty supervisor’s and/or academic unit’s responsibilities and operational needs. Every effort should be made to prevent disruption of those operational needs. Service requirements of assistantship appointments may constrain the number of days that can be taken consecutively as leave, or the specific timing of the leave (e.g., a multi-day leave may not be available during the time that critical lab experiments are being conducted). Academic responsibilities of the student towards degree progress also may constrain their capacity to take or the timing of their short-term leave (e.g., requirements for courses in which the student is enrolled, thesis/dissertation research needs).  

Unless otherwise specified by their academic unit, Graduate Assistants are expected to coordinate their request for short-term leave with their faculty supervisor, copying their Graduate Program Director or Associate Dean, as far in advance of their absence as feasible so that coverage can be arranged for the assistant's duties. Students serving as teaching assistants cannot take short-term leave during times that interfere with teaching obligations, including class time, assessment periods, and planning meetings.  

Within such parameters, the University’s policy is that all Graduate Assistants have access to short-term leave.   

Students with a 12-month assistantship may take short-term leave up to ten working days over the period of the appointment.  

Students with a 9-month assistantship (Fall and Spring semesters) may take short-term leave up to seven working days over the period of the appointment.   

Students with a single semester assistantship may take short-term leave up to three working days per semester.   

The provision of short-term leave must be taken during the time of the assistantship and may not be rolled over or accumulated across multiple years, unless otherwise specified by their graduate program. 

The period of permitted short-term leave is in addition to the standard Loyola University Chicago holidays and break periods. In general, Graduate Assistants are expected to serve in the role of Graduate Assistant from the start to the end week of the Fall and/or Spring academic semester and/or, as relevant, from the start date to the end date for each of the University’s two summer sessions. In addition, graduate students cannot be asked to serve as a Graduate Assistant on university holidays, as well as during Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break, as specified in the university calendar. However, Graduate Assistants may engage in research activities during those periods when they are necessary and/or beneficial for their timely degree progress. 

The period of permitted short-term leave is in addition to the University’s Personal Illness Absence Policy and Parental Leave Policy for Graduate Assistants.   

Time away from the responsibilities of the assistantship position for reasonable and appropriate professional development activities (e.g., academic conferences, workshops, interviews, etc.) shall not be count as short-term leave.  

Graduate Assistants who seek to take a longer-term leave from their assistantship position should consult their academic unit’s policy concerning Leave of Absence for all graduate students and should reach out to their Graduate Program Director or Associate Dean. Unauthorized additional periods of absences may result in a pro-rated withholding of a student’s compensation for serving in the role of Graduate Assistant. 

The terms of this policy may be superseded by the terms governing leave for graduate students serving as research assistants with extramural funding.   

The academic unit is responsible for ensuring the provision of training to Graduate Assistants. Graduate Assistants should consult with their Graduate Program Director to learn more. 

For graduate students on the Lakeside Campuses of the Graduate School, first-time assistants are required to attend the annual New Teaching and Research Assistant Workshop one week prior to the start of classes in Fall semester (see the Graduate School orientation page for more information). The Graduate School also provides a self-paced training for new Teaching Assistants via Sakai. Students also should seek pedagogical training appropriate for their discipline from their department or school. 

In the Graduate School, Teaching Assistants who are serving in the role of Primary Instructor for the first time are required to either take the Teaching Effectiveness Seminar or engage in course-based training from their department/program as well as receive faculty mentorship.  

Research Assistants should seek training appropriate to the safe and ethical conduct of research in their discipline from their department/school and research mentor. 

The boundaries of academic honesty extend to all activities of graduate students, including their assistantships. Policies on Academic Integrity can be found in the University Catalog Graduate School Standards and Regulations.  

The Graduate Assistant must be in good academic standing, as defined by their academic unit, and must be enrolled full-time in order to serve as a Graduate Assistant. Graduate Assistants are responsible for following all applicable university level codes of conduct.

Loyola University of Chicago is committed to ensuring that all its faculty and students have the opportunity to be properly trained in the ethical and responsible conduct of research and scholarly integrity and are held to the highest possible ethical standards. 

Principle Investigators are responsible for adding Research Assistants to any relevant research protocols. 

All students of Loyola University Chicago are expected to uphold the Community Standards (Loyola's Student Code of Conduct). Students are expected to abide by all university policies, including but not limited to the policies outlined in this document. All students have the responsibility to familiarize themselves with the Community Standards, as they will be held accountable to them. The Community Standards provide a simple baseline for acceptable student conduct. It is the hope of our entire university community that students will far exceed these minimum standards for just, respectful, and caring conduct towards one another. 

Loyola University Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that the University operates, and is required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and 34 CFR Part 106 (collectively referred to as “Title IX”) not to discriminate in such a manner. This requirement extends to admission and employment. 

The University’s Title IX policies are published within the Comprehensive Policy and Procedures for Addressing Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation (“Comprehensive Policy”), which includes information and instructions on how to submit a report or file a formal complaint of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX at Loyola can be directed internally to the Title IX Coordinator and/or externally to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Education. 

FERPA 

Graduate Assistants who have access to student academic information for other students must abide by regulations of the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regarding protection of that information. 

HIPAA 

Graduate Assistants who have access to healthcare information for any individual must abide by regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regarding protection of that information. 

These policies are subject to change and should be reviewed on an annual basis.  

A Graduate Assistant receiving a stipend payment for the first time will need to fill out new assistantship paperwork (see General Information > Assistantship Documents section above).

For students receiving an assistantship, stipend payments are made once a month or around the 15th of each month. If a Graduate Assistant does not receive their stipend payment on this date they should notify their school representative immediately. Stipends, tuition, and other funding, such as health and dental insurance, are taxable unless exempt under the Internal Revenue Code (www.irs.gov). Additional information may be found in IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education. 

Graduate Assistants should consult a tax advisor regarding the taxability of this support under the Internal Revenue Code. 

Questions about the required, university-wide stipend rate should be directed to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Along with stipend payments, graduate assistantships come with a tuition scholarship. A tuition scholarship pays the tuition for only those courses that count toward the fulfillment of degree requirements and are limited by the number of credit hours required for the student to complete the program's degree requirements (e.g., if a student is in a program that requires 60 credit hours of graduate coursework, once the student has completed the 60-credit-hour degree requirement, the tuition scholarship normally will not pay tuition for additional credit hours). 

Recipients of tuition scholarships must register for classes no later than July 1st for the fall semester and January 1st for the spring semester. 

Valid Courses 

Only those courses that will count toward the fulfillment of graduate degree requirements are eligible for coverage by a Loyola tuition scholarship. In addition, the number of credit hours of tuition eligible for a tuition scholarship are limited by the number of credit hours required of the student by the degree program. It is the student’s responsibility to register for and satisfactorily complete appropriate courses while receiving a graduate assistantship; the student is responsible for paying tuition for any courses not eligible for payment by the assistantship.  

Additionally, tuition support will not be provided for course taken for audit. Recipients of tuition scholarships must register for classes no later than July 1st. The student should consult the school’s website, the program’s student handbook, and their academic advisor for detailed information on degree requirements. 

Disbursement of Scholarships 

Tuition scholarships are disbursed to fall semester charges in August and to spring semester charges in January. Please note that tuition scholarships do not cover university student fees (e.g., the University Services and programs, CTA U-Pass, Late Registration, and Late Payment fees). It is the student’s responsibility to check their LOCUS account summary on a regular basis and to notify their school’s representative if there are questions. 

Full-time graduate assistantships come with health, dental, and vision insurance coverage for the student. Students may purchase supplemental insurance for a spouse/significant other or family, rates and additional information can be found on Office of the Bursar webpage. 

To receive student health, dental, and vision insurance benefits, students must be registered for classes no later than July 1st for the Fall semester of the upcoming academic year. To accept the coverage, students must "Fast-Track" into the plan by logging into LOCUS and clicking on the "Student Health Insurance" link in the "Campus Finances" section. Fast-tracking into the insurance confirms accepted coverage, activates enrollment into the plan, and generates an insurance ID card. 

If a Graduate Assistant has health insurance coverage, they must waive out of student health insurance coverage. To waive out, Graduate Assistants must log on to LOCUS and click on "Student Health Insurance" in the "Campus Finances" section by October 1st of the academic school year. 

Click for the most up-to-date information regarding health insurance and dental insurance from the Office of the Bursar. 

Upon appointment of the Graduate Assistant, the academic unit is responsible for assigning a supervisor to the Graduate Assistant as soon as possible so that both the Graduate Assistant, supervisor, and the academic unit may plan effectively. Graduate Assistants are under the supervision of faculty who are experienced and knowledgeable in their field. Supervision of Graduate Assistants includes the following of this handbook’s policies, along with providing appropriate training prior to and during the assistant’s assumption of responsibility for assigned tasks.

Whenever possible, each academic unit should provide an orientation or other on boarding for Graduate Assistants. Supervisors should assist Graduate Assistants in securing access to applicable resources and facilities. The academic unit must also follow all health and safety laws and regulations and educate Graduate Assistants about them. The academic unit is responsible for ensuring that the assigned assistantship duties and workload are academically appropriate.

The academic unit is expected to extend to Graduate Assistants the respect and courtesy associated with being a professional in their chosen field of study.

Graduate studies and assistantship responsibilities should complement each other. Assistantships serve graduate students and the University when they are used as an integral part of graduate education. This extensive experience is a valuable part of the professional development of graduate students. Guidelines for determining assistantship duties and work assignments for Graduate Assistants include the following:

1. Assistantships should not detract or distract a graduate student from pursuing his or her graduate education.
2. Graduate Assistant assignments are to enhance the graduate student’s education by exposing them to advanced professional activities and concerns of their discipline, involving them in university activities related to their academic and professional interests, and giving them opportunities to work closely with faculty and other university professionals.
3. Graduate Assistantships are divided into Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and/or — with approval of their school’s Dean or Dean’s designee — to engage in other duties relevant to their professional development in their discipline and program. Assistantship duties should provide students with educational and professional benefits that enhance their pedagogical, research, and/or professional skills. The academic unit is responsible for ensuring the intentional assignment of assistantship duties that will cultivate students’ skills and knowledge of teaching and research skills over the course of their graduate program.
4. Graduate Assistants may not be assigned duties to support the administration of the academic unit. 
5. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to provide Graduate Assistants with careful directions regarding their assistantship assignment and responsibilities, as well as to monitor assistants’ performance.
6. Program advisers or supervisors are not to expect a Graduate Assistant to exceed the number of hours of work permitted by the University or to ask the assistant to perform tasks as part of an assistantship that are not appropriate.
7. When shortcomings or weaknesses in performance are identified, Graduate Assistants will be immediately advised and recommendations for improvement will be provided. A record of this communication must be maintained by the supervisor and shared with the academic unit.
8. Graduate Assistants must be notified in writing of all decisions pertaining to or affecting the status of their assistantship.
9. Graduate Assistants have the right to respond when concerns are raised.
10. Graduate Assistants must receive as much advance notice of reappointment procedures as practicable.

All academic units with Graduate Assistants must have an active plan to evaluate their performance overseen by the Graduate Program Director (or commensurate position), who is responsible for ensuring the process is applied appropriately to all graduate assistants in the unit. Performance evaluation should be an ongoing process of documented communication between the Graduate Assistant and faculty supervisor. It is critical that the Graduate Assistant, the academic unit, and the supervisor have a shared understanding about expectations of the duties and responsibilities and how performance evaluation will take place.

At a minimum, each unit is responsible for a process each semester that includes making sure:

• Each Graduate Assistant schedules, at the beginning of each term, a meeting with their supervisor to discuss the responsibilities, goals and communication expectations for the semester. When necessary, the Graduate Program Director will coordinate the student’s performance evaluation.   
• Supervisors are expected to engage in assessment of and provide feedback to the Graduate Assistant of their performance throughout the semester. The supervisor should be clear at the start of the semester/year how and when this process will take place.  
• Each faculty supervisor provides feedback to the Graduate Assistantship at the conclusion of the semester and submits the performance evaluation form for inclusion in the department’s graduate assistant records at the end of the semester. For example, on the Lakeside Campuses of the Graduate School, a semester review form is available from the Graduate School. At the start of the semester, the supervisor should read the document with the TA or RA, answer any questions, and clarify as needed so that everyone is on the same page. Upon completion of the semester review form, the supervisor should share and discuss the review with the Graduate Assistant. A supervisor with a concern about the performance of the Graduate Assistant should reach out to the Graduate Program Director. 
• Each academic unit maintains a performance evaluation file as part of their records for the graduate student.
• The Graduate Program Director is responsible for monitoring faculty supervisors’ reports and for ensuring that any issues are addressed in a prompt manner.
• Should a Graduate Assistant's performance of their assigned activities be deemed unacceptable by the supervisor, the supervisor should inform the student in writing that his/her assistantship activities are unsatisfactory. The letter should include information about the deficiencies and a remediation plan of action. Additionally, the letter should include a date for re-assessment. If the student fails to improve their performance in the time specified, and after consultation with the academic unit, the assistantship may be withdrawn.  

These processes are the minimum standard for the performance evaluation of a Graduate Assistant. Faculty supervisors and academic units may choose to include processes in addition to this minimum, as long as those additional processes are applied to all Graduate Assistants in the unit. Assessment of the quality of performance is the sole responsibility of the academic unit, based on academic and professional judgment. As students, the performance evaluation of Graduate Assistants is not conducted by Human Resources or the Graduate School, though the Graduate School may conduct periodic departmental audits of performance evaluation processes to ensure compliance.

Graduate Research Assistant Evaluation

Graduate Teaching Assistant Evaluation

Accommodations 

Loyola University Chicago categorizes Graduate Assistants as Student Trainees, not as Student Employees or Student Workers. The status of Graduate Assistants as student trainees has consequences for any graduate student with disabilities. All Graduate Assistants with disabilities should work with the Student Accessibility Center to request reasonable accommodation for their role as a TA or RA that will be shared with you as their mentor. Faculty supervisors must be informed of reasonable accommodations by the student and must respect those reasonable accommodations. Faculty supervisors are not in a position to determine what qualifies as a disability requiring accommodation and they should not request documentation and/or cannot seek information about the disability status of a RA or TA.  

Assistantship Hours and Period of Appointment  

As a student, a graduate assistantship should constitute up to a maximum of 19.5 hours per week. Hours per week may vary due to the precise nature of the position but it cannot exceed an average of 19.5 hours per week over the course of the semester, except for university holidays. Graduate Assistants may engage in additional research activities when such efforts are necessary and/or beneficial for their timely degree progress. 

There may be exceptional circumstances where graduate assistantship activities must be conducted during university holidays/closures and/or immediately prior to or after the end of a semester/session and those tasks cannot be delegated to other individuals. In such circumstances, the equivalent amount of compensatory time away from the assistantship position on a non-holiday weekday during the semester/session must be arranged in exchange, pending the academic unit’s relevant policy. During the academic semester, faculty mentors should recognize and respect that Graduate Assistants, as graduate students, have other obligations (coursework, research, and wellness, for example) in addition to their role as a RA or TA.  

Communication and Setting Expectations  

The supervisor and the Graduate Assistant should be clear on preferred modes of communication (telephone, meeting, email, etc.) as well as ideal response times for both parties. The supervisor must make sure to let the student know how they would like to be informed of unplanned absences due to illness or emergency, how to engage in Short-term Leave as relevant, and how they will be informing the student likewise when they will not be present.  

The supervisor should be clear about their preferred style of communication to avoid uncertainty.  

The supervisor should remember that the process of negotiating expectations not only helps to produce a productive relationship with the Graduate Assistant, it also teaches the graduate student how to have similar conversations as they proceed towards their professional goals.  

Equipment

Graduate Assistants are not responsible for covering the cost of equipment or supplies required to perform their assigned duties, as determined by the academic unit. They are also not responsible for replacing items that are damaged or broken while carrying out approved or authorized assistantship related tasks. All equipment or supplies purchased or provided by the University for these purposes remain the property of the University.

Professional Development  

The rationale for supporting Graduate Assistants is centered on the role that the experience plays in the graduate student’s professional and educational development. Supervision of a Graduate Assistant is centered on the student not simply completing assigned tasks but gaining an understanding of and engagement in the broader rationale for, design of, and execution of the instructional activity or research project. A supervisor must manage the tension of their seniority and supervision with the mutual goal of the student’s trajectory towards independence and autonomy.  

Sharing University Resources  

Taking on the position of a Graduate Assistant entails a new set of responsibilities for graduate students, often involving authority over undergraduate students. The supervisor must be sure to orient the Graduate Assistant to the university resources available to them in this role, including pedagogical and/or research support and the offices and services available to undergraduate students so that a Graduate Assistant can share with undergraduate students in their class or lab as needed. A list of relevant university resources is posted on the Graduate School’s Orientation webpage. 

Supporting Graduate Students in Crisis  

If a supervisor becomes aware that the Graduate Assistant is experiencing a crisis, they are required to ensure that the graduate student is knowledgeable of and has access to the appropriate resources. The supervisor may consult with the Graduate Program Director or reach out to the Dean of Students’ Office for guidance and direction. Faculty supervisors are obligated to report Title IX violations as a responsible campus partner.