Graduate Assistant Appointment Procedures

Graduate Assistantships are offered throughout the university, and students are hired by departments. The Graduate School does not hire graduate assistants. Graduate assistantship jobs are posted on TWU Connect, and applicants apply through Handshake. To find an available Assistantship, students should visit Career Connections to search for assistantship opportunities. Students should also contact their department for an assistantship opportunity, a department related to their field of study, or a university support services office. Students seeking an assistantship may also visit the TWU Careers website to search for an available assistantship.

Students apply for an assistantship through TWU Connect and Handshake. Candidates offered an assistantship will apply through Oracle. 

Please note that admission to the Graduate School and enrollment in graduate courses must precede an appointment to a graduate assistantship. 

Graduate Assistant Appointment Schedule

Applications for graduate assistantships should be submitted through Oracle by the academic components on the following schedule:

Fall - June 1 for an assistantship for the fall semester

Spring - November 1 for an assistantship for the spring semester

Summer - April 1 for an assistantship for the succeeding summer session.

Appointments for graduate assistantships are issued for an academic year (Sept. 1 - May 31), semester, or summer session (6/1-8/31). Appointment dates follow the fiscal calendar and include the following periods:

Fall - September 1 through January 15

Spring - January 16 through May 31

Summer - June 1 through August 31

Depending upon the period of appointment, a GA is entitled to official university holidays and the same work period as the faculty unless exceptions have been agreed upon in writing in advance by the GA and supervisor. 

Departmental Contract Letter

The hiring department will issue a contract letter to each student they employ as a graduate assistant. The contract letter will provide details of the assistantship appointment.

Processing Graduate Assistantship Assignment Appointments

The academic component leader or department administrator will process graduate assistant appointment assignments through Oracle, which will be approved and signed by the Academic Component Leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) and forwarded to the Graduate School for approval through Oracle. The Graduate School will verify the applicant's admission status, salary level, workload (FTE - Full-Time Equivalency), and dates of employment. Students who do not meet the minimum enrollment requirements will not be approved, and their assignment will be rejected and returned through Oracle to the academic component for appropriate action. Once approved, the Graduate School will forward the graduate assistant appointment assignment to the Office of Academic Financial Services for approval. Once the Office of Academic Financial Services approves, the graduate assistant appointment assignment will be forwarded to Human Resources to complete the hiring process. 

Enrollment Requirements

Semester Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled during long semesters is five (5) semester credit hours for both a .25 and .50 FTE (Full-Time Equivalency). Departments may require a greater minimum number of hours. For enrollments of less than five (5) hours, a request in writing via email from the academic component leader with a detailed rationale explaining the need for enrollment in fewer hours is required. Students in thesis, dissertation, professional paper, practicum, or internship/clinical hours may register for a minimum of three (3) hours. (Note: Students enrolled for less than 5 hours must pay FICA tax unless enrolled in their last semester.)

Summer Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled for summer is five (5) semester credit hours for a 0.50 FTE (Full-Time Equivalency.) Students may be enrolled in three (3) semester credit hours with an FTE (Full-Time Equivalency) of 0.25, up to 0.49. Note: Summer enrollment includes enrollment any time during summer I, summer II, and/or summer III terms (6/1-8/31). Summer enrollment must be semester credit hours of graduate coursework.

Note: Graduate assistant appointment assignments for students who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be approved, and their assignment will be rejected and returned through Oracle to the academic component for appropriate action. 

Graduate Assistant Payroll Information

Graduate assistants are paid monthly on the 1st business day of the month and the 16th business day of the month, or the first business day thereafter. 

For a Graduate Assistant to receive a paycheck, the graduate assistant appointment must be approved and in the Office of Academic Financial Services and the Office of Human Resources by the published payroll deadline. Payroll deadlines vary monthly; schedules are available in the Office of Human Resources. Graduate Assistants must complete certain forms in the Office of Human Resources by the payroll deadline before receiving the first paycheck. Therefore, graduate assistants should go to the Human Resources Office as soon as their graduate assistant appointment applications are approved to complete the necessary forms and provide proof of citizenship, usually by a driver's license, Social Security Card, or passport.

Graduate Assistant Reappointment

Graduate Assistantships are not guaranteed semester after semester. Reappointment to an assistantship is contingent upon the student's performance, departmental research and teaching needs, and available funds. The number of years a student may hold a graduate assistantship depends on the level of the student's degree program. For a student at the master's level, the maximum number of years will be three. For a student at the doctoral level, the maximum number of years will be six. Only under extenuating circumstances and with a rationale and support from the head of the student's component leader, may an extension of an appointment be granted (not to exceed one year). Ensuring academic success is of the highest importance. Students admitted provisionally who end up on academic probation and students lacking progress (thesis or dissertation) will lose their graduate assistantship.