Hiring Process

 

Base Budgeted GAs (typically graduate teaching assistants)

  1. Fill out GA Justification Form 
  2. When GA requests are approved to be base budgeted, the Graduate College will inform departments of their number of GAs.
    1. The department will extend offers to prospective students
  3. The department will fill out GA Hiring Form (note that this is not a second level of approval, but is documentation of all information needed to process the GA request and create the contract)
    1. This will trigger the contract and GA letter to be created and sent to the department and the student

 

Department and Grant Funded GAs (typically graduate administrative and research assistants)

  1. Fill out the GA Position Approval Form
  2. The Graduate College will inform the department of whether the position is approved or needs revisions
  3. Once the Graduate College approves a position, the department can post the position (Handshake is the preferred NMU student hiring site)
  4. When a department selects the student for that position, the department will inform the graduate office of their selection by completing the GA Hiring Form.  
    • The information from the form will be used to initiate the GA position and contract

 

Graduate Assistant Hiring

 

GA Rates and Benefits:

Stipend $10,800 (2021-2022 Fall and Winter Semesters)

Tuition 8 credits/semester, 16 credits/year + fees  (You can view the estimated tuition amount here)

Parking Pass

Laptop

Fees (except DNP fees)

Access to the NMU Health Center

                                   

Job Description:

  • GAs work 20 hours per week during the school year. Their job should be attainable in 20 hours. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  • Label the job: Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) teach a course or lab, Graduate Administrative Assistants (GAAs) work in an office setting, Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) work on a research project with faculty
  • GAs are expected to be more responsible and take more initiative than a regular student worker, but less than a full-time employee. Job tasks should reflect this.
    • A GAA/GRA job description should list tasks where the GA assists/coordinates with/works under the direction of a full-time worker.
  • A  GA cannot take the job of a unioned worker. Their tasks must be different from those of employees.
  • GAA and GRA job descriptions must be related to the GA’s field of study. You can list graduate programs that are compatible with the skills needed for and learned in the GAship on the job application.

 

Job Description Examples for GAA/GRAs: 

Examples of appropriate tasks: GAs typically work on individual projects, help to run small scale events and meetings, compile and process data, communicate with students, staff, and community members, assist a full-time employee with tasks. 

Examples of inappropriate tasks: writing policy and guidelines, being the only person ‘in-charge’ of events or meetings, tasks that cannot flex around their class schedule, tasks that will take more than 20 hours per week, anything that is written in the job description of a current employee or an open union employee position.

>>Tip: look at recently filled positions on Handshake to see what other offices have done.

 

GA Hiring Best Practices:

  • All GAs must be students in good standing, meaning that they cannot be a recently admitted student who is admitted with GPA probation status or a continuing student who is on academic probation
    • If you are not sure if a student you are interested in hiring is eligible, contact Graduate Studies to check. This is best done before the interview stage. 
  • GTA positions can be extended to students who are admitted to the program
  • GAA and GRA jobs can be posted by the department on Handshake. Graduate Studies will also post the position on their GA page. The posting department can choose to post the position in other venues as they wish.
  • The materials requested for GA applicants are up to the hiring department. Most places ask for a resume, cover letter, and sometimes letters of recommendation. There is a graduate application form available here. This form is not required, but some departments find it useful.
  • The hiring department will review applicants and interview those best qualified. Before offering the position to an applicant, the department must ensure that the student is eligible for a GA position. GAs must be admitted to a graduate program in good standing. Graduate Studies can verify that the student you want to employ meets that criteria.
  • GA contracts run during the academic year. If you wish to hire your GA as a graduate student worker during the summer, that is still done through the EPAF system and goes through HR.

 

For more details about GA rules and regulations, review the GA Handbook.