Graduate Assistantships

Types of Assistantships

Cleveland State University provides two types of graduate assistantships: 1) a Graduate Assistantship with a Scholarship and 2) a Graduate Assistantship without a Scholarship.

Definitions

Both the existing GA with a scholarship and the GA without a scholarship are described below. Please see the schedule of minimum stipends.

Graduate Assistantship with a Scholarship

Includes a stipend and a scholarship for 10, 15, or 20 hours of service per week. The minimum stipends in effect will remain. Programs can exceed these minimums. Students receiving a GA with a scholarship and 15 or 20 hours of service per week must remain enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester. Students receiving a GA with a scholarship and 10 hours of service per week must remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester.

Graduate Assistantship without a Scholarship

Includes a stipend only (no scholarship) for 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours of service per week. The minimum stipends in effect will apply to this Assistantship, including a 5 hour of service per week option. Students receiving a GA without a scholarship must remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester.

Teaching Assistantships

Graduate assistants may be assigned as an instructor for undergraduate courses and 500-level graduate courses. To teach 500-level graduate courses, the TA would need graduate faculty status, Level 3 or above. Non-native English speaking teaching assistants may not be assigned direct instructional activities until they have been assessed and certified as proficient in spoken English.

Teaching assistants can also assist departments by providing Instructional Support in carrying out undergraduate instructional programs. They aid faculty members in assembling classroom materials, leading class discussion groups, supervising laboratory sessions, tutoring, evaluating student performance, and carrying out other related instructional activities. Instructional Support can also include grading, proctoring, Black Board use, etc.

Research/Professional Development Assistantships

Graduate Assistants may work under the supervision of CSU faculty and/or staff member(s) in conducting research or performing activities relevant to their degree program. These graduate assistants are mentored by faculty or staff who are working in a variety of different areas; these experiences extend the students’ research experience and professional development.

Graduate assistants also provide Institutional Support to CSU by working with university administrative functions such as recruiting, admissions, learning centers, writing labs, music performances, etc. Each assistantship is designed both to serve the needs of the University and to assist in the professional development of the student. Graduate Assistantships are regarded as apprenticeships during which, through formal instruction, interaction with faculty, classroom, research, and administrative experience, student become more effective as members of their chosen professional fields. Graduate assistants are regarded by the University as students first and University employees second. Students interested in applying for graduate assistantships should contact their graduate program directors.

In addition to graduate assistantships, limited financial aid is available in the form of fellowships, student loans, research grants. Students seeking assistance should contact the Financial Aid Office and the academic department of the program that they plan to enter for additional information. 

Note: Students who have applied for, or are receiving, federal student loans or other financial aid through the University may have their award eligibility adjusted if they receive a graduate assistantship.

Terms of Assistantships

1. Assistantships are awarded only to graduate degree-seeking students with superior academic records and who qualify at the time of their enrollment as regular graduate students, as defined in this Catalog . Students need a graduate grade-point average of at least 3.0 (where applicable), and a Cleveland State University College of Law grade point average of at least 3.25 (where applicable) to qualify for, and to retain, an assistantship.
2. Full-time GA’s with scholarship must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 graduate credits per semester in Fall and Spring. GA’s without scholarship must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 graduate credits per semester in Fall and Spring. Students do not need to be enrolled in the summer to receive summer funding.
3. Graduate assistants receive contracts with specific conditions and duties detailed, including stipend and tuition support. The information required for Graduate College funded GA contracts is:
   1. For GA’s with Teaching responsibilities, include: 1) the course number(s) and expected enrollment in course(s) and 2) the specific student teaching or instructional support duties and responsibilities. Graduate Assistants may be assigned as an instructor for undergraduate courses and 500 level graduate courses (requires graduate faculty status Level 3 or above).
   2. For supervision of GA’s with Research responsibilities the faculty research supervisor must have Level 1 graduate faculty status.
   3. For GA’s with Professional responsibilities, include: 1) the specific student duties and responsibilities and 2) a narrative explaining how duties and responsibilities contribute to the student’s education and training.
4. Each contract is approved by the academic officer authorized to initiate the appointment of the graduate assistant and by the academic officer authorized to expend funds for assistantships.
5. Graduate assistants with scholarship are provided a stipend and a scholarship (tuition) by the contracting unit. At the discretion of the unit, assistants who are not residents of the State of Ohio may, or may not, be responsible for the out-of-state portion of their tuition bill.
6. Graduate assistantships with scholarship include a stipend and a scholarship for 10, 15, or 20 hours of service per week. The minimum stipends in effect will remain. Programs can exceed these minimums. Students receiving a GA with scholarship and working 15 or 20 hours per week must remain enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester, while those working 10 hours per week must remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. Graduate assistantships without scholarship include a stipend only (no scholarship) for 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours of service per week. The minimum stipends in effect will apply to this assistantship, including a 5 hour of service per week option. Students receiving a GA without scholarship must remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. Students holding a twenty-hour assistantship may not hold any other form of employment, within either the University or off-campus, without receiving prior written approval from the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
7. The term of appointment for a graduate assistantship is normally for one or more academic term(s), with the employment period adhering to the official University calendar.  When assistantships do not follow the academic term schedule, the beginning and ending dates must be stated in the graduate assistantship contract.
8. Graduate assistants are not required to work on University holidays when the University is closed; nor are graduate assistants required to make up time that falls on a University holiday when the University is closed. However, if an office is open during a University break (Columbus Day, Spring recess, etc.) GA’s are expected to work unless prior arrangements are made with the GA’s supervisor. A GA’s work is dependent on the office/department that employs the GA so it is best for the GA to communicate with the supervisor for their work schedule.
9. Graduate assistants providing 15 or 20 hours of service per week must maintain a nine credit-hour minimum registration at, or above, the 500 level during the contract period for the academic term specified. Graduate assistants providing 10 hours of service per week must maintain a six credit-hour minimum registration at, or above, the 500 level during the contract period for the academic term specified. Courses taken on an audit basis do not qualify in meeting the credit-hour minimum registration requirement. To waive the minimum registration requirement requires the written approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Assistantship contracts are subject to cancellation if students do not maintain the minimum registration requirement. Prior approval by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies is required for contracts for more than sixteen credit hours per term.
10. Students may be retained as graduate assistants as long as they are currently registered for the appropriate number of credit hours, are in good academic standing (cumulative graduate grade-point average of at least 3.0, and Cleveland State University Law School grade-point average of at least 3.25, if applicable), are performing their duties to the satisfaction of the units in which they hold the appointment, and are making acceptable progress toward the completion of their graduate degree programs. The maximum number of semesters of Graduate College funding per student as appropriate to the discipline is normally: Doctoral, 12 semesters, plus six summer sessions and Master’s, 4 semesters, plus one summer session.
11. Minimum stipend levels for graduate assistantships, by the degree status of students, are determined by the Provost at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Maximum Work Hours

All student employees of the University, including graduate assistants, are limited to a maximum of twenty hours of service per week during the academic term. Graduate assistants and tuition grant recipients working ten hours per week must limit other University employment to ten hours per week for a total work commitment not to exceed twenty hours per week. Graduate assistants and tuition grant recipients working fifteen hours per week must limit their other University employment to five hours per week. Graduate assistants on a full-time (twenty hours of service per week) contract may not hold other outside employment without written approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies since a Graduate Assistantship is considered as full financial assistance.