Executive Order 28 (Chapters 6 & 8) is the policy document which covers eligibility, selection and appointment procedures, conditions of service, grievance procedures, summer quarter policies and other matters relating to GSSA's. For most questions regarding TA's and RA's, it is the final word.
Each student who is offered an appointment should receive, from his or her employing department, a copy of Executive Order 28. A copy may also be found in the University Handbook, Volume IV, Chapter 6, pp. 34-39.
It is important to remind students with graduate student service appointments that, they are required to carry 10 credit hours during the quarter(s) they are employed. Exceptions to this minimum credit load must be requested through a petition to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Part-time graduate student appointments in teaching and research which provide financial support for graduate students are made available each year to qualified students at the University of Washington. They include activities that are relevant to each student's own program of advanced study and also contribute to the University's teaching and research effort. At the same time, the student gains valuable experience in teaching, research, or related activities and receives a salary which assists in financing his or her graduate study. These appointments are encouraged as a matter of policy because they provide the student with valuable opportunity for in-service training in teaching, research, and related activities. A system of graduate student appointments is described in the sections which follow.
Appointments and reappointments are subject to the availability of financial support.
The University of Washington's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Affirmative Action Program apply to these categories of appointments.
In the paragraphs below, the term "graduate appointments" will be used to include any or all of the designated appointment categories (Section 2), and the term "graduate appointees" will refer to graduate students who hold these appointments. The term "teaching appointments" will refer to the appointments entitled "Teaching Assistant," Predoctoral Teaching Associate I," and "Predoctoral Teaching Associate II;" and the term "teaching appointee" will refer to a graduate student who holds a teaching appointment. Furthermore, in non-departmentalized academic units, the terms "department" and "department chairperson" will refer, respectively, to "college" or school," and "dean" or "director" or other chief academic officer.
Conditions relating to graduate student fellowship or trainee appointments are considered in Volume IV, Part IV, Chapter 8. Conditions relating to the employment of Student Assistants, Student Helpers, and other graduate or undergraduate students employed on an hourly basis and/or in nonacademic positions are considered in Vol. IV, Part IV, Chapter 9.
Policies and procedures relating to Summer Quarter are described in Section 6 below.
The official designations recognized for graduate appointments are as follows (the budget category or categories usually appropriate to each appointment are given in parentheses following the title; graduate student classifications are described in Volume IV, Part III, Chapter 3):
Teaching, Research, Staff Appointment Title and Budget Category Appropriate Graduate Student Classification Teaching Assistant (30) Premaster, Research Assistant (40) } Postmaster, Graduate Staff Assistant (40, 80) Precandidate, or Candidate Predoctoral Teaching Associate I (30) Postmaster, Predoctoral Research Associate I (40) } Precandidate, Predoctoral Staff Associate I (40,80) or Candidate Predoctoral Teaching Associate II (30) Predoctoral Research Associate II (40) } Candidate Predoctoral Staff Associate II (40, 80) Predoctoral Instructor (20, 30) (available only for teaching service) } Candidate Predoctoral Lecturer (20, 30) } Individually determined (available only for teaching service) Predoctoral Researcher (40) } Individually determined (available only for research service)
Graduate appointments are awarded to graduate students only. Students enrolled "On Leave" are not eligible for appointment. An initial appointment may be offered to a student before the student has been formally admitted to the Graduate School, but such an appointment is contingent upon the student's admission to graduate status prior to the beginning of the appointment.
Eligibility for appointment is also related to a graduate student's classification.
For teaching appointments, competence in speaking English is required. Certain tests may be required.
The general requirement of all graduate students, that they make satisfactory progress in graduate programs and satisfy the residence requirements, calls for registration for ten credit hours or more, applicable to the degree, Fall Winter, and Spring Quarter. Policies for Summer Quarter are presented in Section 6, below.
It is not necessary that graduate students be appointed to the highest category for which they are eligible. The responsibility to recommend appointment in any appropriate category rests with the chairperson of the student's department.
When the
number of applicants for reappointment exceeds the number of positions available,
reappointments should be based upon the following criteria:
(a) the applicant's academic achievement and potential;
(b) the degree of excellence in the applicant's teaching, research, and related
activities;
(c) the applicant's progress toward the degree, preference being given to the student
nearest to the highest degree offered in a program provided that departmental policy
limitations on the duration of appointments have not been exceeded.
Because of the importance of graduate student appointments as training in teaching and research it is appropriate for regular evaluation of performance to be made, analogous to the evaluation of academic performance in courses. Each department will be responsible for implementing a program of evaluation to be conducted at least annually. Evaluation of the quality of teaching done by a graduate student appointee may be based on procedures for instructional evaluation utilized by the Education Assessment Center or those developed within the department but should include evaluations by the professor responsible for the course based on at least two visits to the appointee's class or on methods previously agreed to by both parties. Evaluations of the student appointee's performance should be placed on file, available for review by the student and by the departmental chairperson as a basis for consideration for reappointment. All written evaluations of a graduate student appointee's performance which are considered in determining reappointment shall be available for the student's review and reply.
(a) Announcements of the availability of graduate student appointments (especially of teaching appointments) effective the next academic year shall normally be made by the department chairperson, by posting notice on departmental bulletin boards or by other appropriate methods, before February 1. Insofar as possible, the announcement shall state: (1) the approximate number, type, duration, and description of available appointments; (2) application procedures; (3) the criteria, priorities, and other factors affecting selection; and (4) the dates by which the appointments shall be made (if known). Copies of the announcements shall be made available on request to all interested persons.
(b) Application forms for graduate student appointments shall be available to all enrolled or prospective graduate students. Formal written applications for specific appointments should be submitted to the department chairperson no later than March 1; or, if the announcement of an available position is made after February 15, within two weeks of the announcement. The applicant is responsible for keeping the department chairperson advised of a current address at all times.
(c) After appropriate departmental review of the applications received, formal offers of appointment should be tendered to selected applicants no later than April 1; or two weeks after the closing date for receipt of applications. Each offer of appointment shall be accompanied by a copy of this Executive Order 28 concerning graduate student appointments, by a copy of the Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants of the Council of the Graduate Schools in the United States, and by a copy of the departmental policy statements concerning reappointment as specified in (3) Reappointments, above. Alternate appointees shall also be notified of their status no later than April 1, and shall receive copies of the same documents.
(d) Departments shall prepare alternate lists with appropriate ranking for possible appointments, should vacancies occur. These lists shall be composed from the pool of approved applicants.
In the event that the number of approved applications is insufficient or if the alternate list has been exhausted the departments shall, insofar as possible, announce the availability and offer the position according to procedures similar to those outlined in (a), (b), (c), and (d) above.
(e) The response by the applicant to the offer of a graduate student appointment shall be made by letter to the department chairperson and shall be postmarked no later than April 15, or 2 weeks after the offer of the appointments, whichever is later. If the offer is accepted, the appointee is expected to hold to that decision unless he or she requests and is granted release in accord with the procedures agreed upon and set forth in the previously mentioned Resolution of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States.
(f) If the applicant declines an offered appointment or fails to notify the department chairperson of an acceptance by the above specified date, the appointment shall revert to the best qualified alternate. This alternate shall be notified immediately of appointment and must dispatch a formal letter of acceptance or rejection within 15 days of the date of mailing of the formal offer. The same procedure shall be followed in determining any appointments which are not accepted by the first alternate to be notified.
(g) On or before June 1, the department shall prepare an official list of all graduate appointments which have been made for all or part of the coming year. Copies of this list will be made available, on request, to all applicants and to University officials.
(h) Graduate appointments ordinarily shall be made for the academic year covering the period September 16 through June 15. There may be circumstances under which appointments become available for other periods during the year. These appointments shall be filled from the ranked alternate lists if the alternates are suitably qualified for the position. (See Section 3.D.5. for appointment periods.) Executive Order 28 applies to graduate students holding appointments for the academic year and those holding quarterly appointments.
(i) For graduate appointments which may become available for individual quarters during the year, the announcements, applications, reviews, offers of appointment, and responses to offers should be made in accordance with an orderly schedule similar to the one outlined above insofar as this is possible. In particular, for Summer Quarter, it is recommended that the call for applications for appointment be made no later than January 10 and that offers of appointment must be mailed no later than May.
(j) A Personnel Action Form (PAF) and/or a Personal Data Form (PDF) for recording a new, continued, or revised (e.g., by promotion) appointment shall be originated in the appointee's department and transmitted to the dean of the appropriate college or school. It is then transmitted directly to the Payroll Office.
Eligible students who perform meritoriously in their graduate programs and in their graduate programs and in their teaching, research, and related activities may normally expect to be promoted in the course of their service. Regularly, at the time of reappointment, graduate students shall be considered for promotion to appropriate higher ranks. At this time departments shall apply criteria consistent with those listed above for reappointments, namely, (1) the appointee's academic achievement and progress toward degree, (2) the appointee's graduate classification, and (3) the merit of the appointee's teaching, research, and related activities.
Graduate appointments are usually terminated only at the end of a designated period of appointment. However, in the event that a graduate appointee becomes ineligible for continued appointment through unsatisfactory progress toward the completion of a degree, failure to maintain the minimum required credit hours per quarter, or failure to continue registration as a graduate student, or in the event that, in the opinion of the department chairperson or other faculty or staff supervisor, the student is performing unsatisfactorily in the appointment, the appointment may be terminated at any time. Normally, prior to the initiation of formal proceedings for termination for cause, the student shall be notified in writing by the department chairperson or by the supervisor that grounds exist for the termination of appointment. The notification shall clearly state the nature of such grounds and shall specify that actions, if any, would be required to rectify the deficiency which is the basis for termination.
If the deficiency which is the basis for the anticipated termination for cause is not satisfactorily and promptly resolved, the chairperson or supervisor shall make a written request for termination to the dean of the appropriate college and to the Dean of the Graduate School. If the causes for complaint are serious the chairperson may suspend a graduate appointee immediately. However, termination for cause does not become final until it has been approved by the dean of the appropriate college and by the Dean of the Graduate School. Should the graduate student appointee believe that such action is without just cause, she or he may invoke the complaint and appeal procedures prescribed in Section 5 below.
Teaching appointees with no previous teaching experience shall attend an introductory departmental program which shall include training appropriate to the type of teaching expected of the appointee. In addition, close supervision of new teachers by the appropriate department is expected.
Teaching appointees who will be aiding professors in the teaching of a particular course shall attend introductory and planning discussions called by the professor sufficiently in advance of the beginning of the quarter to prepare for the teaching of the course and to gain an understanding of what constitutes satisfactory performance in the appointment. They and their supervisory professors are encouraged to collaborate insofar as possible in planning the structure and content of the course so as to make the cooperative teaching effort profitable for all concerned. Procedures for establishing this collaboration and an appropriate degree of supervision shall be worked out between the teaching appointees and the professor and shall be maintained throughout the period of the course. It is expected that the professors responsible for the course shall maintain close communication with the teaching assistants and associates and shall advise and help them to improve their teaching performance.
Teaching appointees are encouraged to give comments to the faculty in their department concerning the courses offered and how these offerings might be improved.
Each Teaching Assistant or Predoctoral Teaching Associate I shall be under the guidance of a particular professor designated by the appropriate departmental chairperson. This professor shall supervise the official activities of the Teaching Assistant or Associate to make certain that they are carried out effectively and responsibly, and to assist and encourage the Teaching Assistant or Associate to develop excellence in teaching. Although increased responsibility in the supervision of laboratory or classroom work is desirable for graduate students as they acquire teaching experience and advance in their studies, Teaching Assistants shall not be placed in overall charge of courses.
Terms and conditions with respect to eligibility, activities, salary, tuition and frees, appointment periods, etc., are the same as for other graduate appointments.
In making teaching assignments, factors such as course difficulty, necessary class preparation time, as well as the number of in-class hours should be considered. The number of hours of activity mentioned below is meant to signify the total time spent in preparation for class, in class, grading, office hours, etc. The University will endeavor to provide teaching appointees with the facilities needed for satisfactory conduct of their duties, e.g., office space, access to telephones, etc.
A student who desires to hold a graduate student appointment under conditions different from those described in this executive order should address a petition to the chairperson or administrator of the graduate unit explaining what is desired, what are the exceptional circumstances, and why departure is desirable from the point of view of progress toward his or her degree. The petition is reviewed by the departmental chairperson or comparable administrative officer who may deny the petition or recommend approval to the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School shall approve or deny the petition.
It is the intent of the University that every student who applies for or holds a graduate student appointment and is currently enrolled at the University of Washington shall have the right to a fair hearing regarding any complaint which may arise out of an interpretation or application of this executive order. In order to facilitate a timely resolution of a graduate appointee's complaints, the complainant is encouraged to discuss the problem as soon as possible after the occurrence thereof with the appropriate faculty member or with the chairperson of the appropriate department. [NOTE: In Oceanography, a TA should contact the Director of the School, and/or the Faculty TA Coordinator.] Every effort should be made to effect a mutually acceptable resolution of the problem by using informal procedures on the department level.
If the parties are unable to resolve the problem informally within a reasonable period of time, the complaint may then be stated in writing by the complainant, giving all pertinent facts of the case as clearly and concisely as possible, including a statement of the desired outcome. This written complaint may then be submitted to the appropriate college dean for resolution in accordance with procedure described below. (The procedure for appeal of termination of appointment is stated under C. below: Appeal of termination of appointment.)
A
representative of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and of the Graduate Faculty
Council may be present as observers at the committee hearing upon the invitation of the
student.
Any graduate appointee may appeal the termination of his or her graduate student appointment within ten days after the date of termination. The appeal should be made in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will appoint an ad hoc committee to consider the appeal, as outlined in paragraph B.2 of this section. Termination of the appointment will not become final until this committee's report and recommendations have been jointly reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate School and the dean of the college involved, as described in paragraph B.4 of this section.
During the Summer Quarter, as during the rest of the academic year, holders of Graduate Student Appointments are expected to continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree programs, and also are expected to be registered for the number of course credit hours which properly reflects the student's use of the University's academic resources. However, in recognition of the fact that significant differences exist between summer and other quarters of the academic year, and that available resources and needs vary considerably in different sectors of the University, the policies and procedures covering graduate student appointments and registration during Summer Quarter have been modified as described below. In all other respects the provisions of Executive Order 28 continue to apply during the Summer Quarter.
Executive Order No. 28 of the President, revised February 1, 1973; April, 1975; January 16, 1978; June 25, 1979; October 1. 1982; October 3, 1983; July 1, 1986; June 5, 1987.
The titles Graduate Fellow - Stipend and Graduate Trainee - Stipend are used for students receiving fellowships and traineeships supported by funds provided by federal or private sources. While funding source guidelines must be followed in making these appointments, two University policies also apply:
Executive Order No. 30 of the President, June 1, 1972; revised November 20, 1975; October 1, 1982; July 1, 1986.