TA/RA Funding Policies

Below are CSE policies for the funding of graduate students.  Refer to the TA home page for further information on teaching assistant responsibilities, remuneration levels, and application procedures. 

    1. Funding in the form of a Teaching Assistantship or a Research Assistantship is guaranteed to students in their first three years subject to satisfactory progress toward the degree and satisfactory performance of TA/RA duties. When Research Assistantships are not available, the default is a Teaching Assistantship. 

    2. Funding Levels
      • RA/TA = pre-quals
      • RA1/TA1 = post-quals
      • RA2/TA2 = post-generals

    3. Students holding fellowships will be supplemented to the RA level of their academic status if their fellowship stipend is below that level. (Schedule 2/3)

       

    4. NSF institutional awards ($500 per fellowship holder) will no longer be passed on to the CSE department from the Graduate School. Consequently, the $500 will no longer be passed on to the NSF fellowship holder, as has been the practice in the past.

       

    5. Summer Funding

      Teaching Assistantship positions are 50% (20 hrs. per week) for two months (four pay periods, from June 16 to August 15), as budgeted by Summer Quarter. Summer TA positions also include a 20% supplemental salary, per union contract.

      Research Assistantship positions during the summer quarter are traditionally 100% (40 hrs. per week) for 2.5 months, but variants may be possible based on funding availability and negotiations between the faculty member and the student. (Schedule 1)

    6. Funding Options

      • RA/TA Split. Students work 10 hrs. per week as RA, 10 hrs. per week as TA. (Schedule 1) 
      • RA/TA Option. Students work 15 hrs. per week as RA, 10 hrs. per week as TA. (Schedule 1) The student is paid 25% of the TA rate for 10 hrs. per week and 37.5% of the RA rate for 15 hrs. per week, for a total of 25 hrs. per week.

      CSE has a special standing waiver for the TA/RA option, which is a graduate appointment that is greater than the 50% (20 hrs. per week) maximum allowed by the Graduate School during the regular academic year.

    7. Fellowships and TA or RA Appointments

      Students holding a fellowship may also have a TA appointment concurrently to fulfill their graduation requirement. These appointments will be occasional, so annual TA appointments concurrent with a fellowship will not be allowed. The TA salary will be paid on Sch. 2, since tuition and health insurance is usually covered by the fellowship.

      Students holding a fellowship may also have a 50% RA appointment during the summer quarter. Occasional RA appointments may be allowed during the academic year. The RA salary will be paid on Sch. 2, since tuition and health insurance is usually covered by the fellowship.

 

Last changed Fri, 2012-02-24 13:23