Criteria for Appointment of Graduate Assistants

  1. Admission to the Graduate School and enrollment in graduate courses must precede an appointment to a graduate assistantship. 
  2. The student must meet the minimum enrollment requirements to hold a graduate assistantship: 

    1. 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 0.25 and 0.50 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 TWU 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 five (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. 

  3. The student must be in good academic standing at TWU. A student who is on academic probation may not hold a graduate assistantship.
  4. A student must live in the state of Texas to hold a graduate assistantship at TWU.
  5. A student may not hold a graduate assistantship at TWU concurrently with an assistantship at any other college or university.
  6. Graduate Assistants may not hold a full-time job at TWU.
  7. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as adjunct faculty.
  8. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as student assistants/student workers. In rare cases, the Dean of the Graduate School may approve an exception when the academic component leader submits a request in writing via TWU email with a rationale explaining why an exception should be made. (Not to exceed 0.50 FTE cumulative.) 
  9. A student is not permitted to work more than 0.50 FTE (20 hours per week = Full-Time) at TWU in any combination of graduate assistantship (wages or salary), graduate teaching assistantship, or graduate research assistantship.
  10. Request for In-state Tuition:

    An out-of-state graduate assistant is entitled to register by paying the tuition and other fees or charges required for Texas residents without regard to the length of time the assistant has resided in Texas if the following criteria are met:

    1. The graduate assistant is enrolled in a minimum of five (5) semester credit hours.

    2. The graduate assistant is employed at least one-half time (0.50 FTE).
    3. The graduate assistant is working in a position that relates to their degree program.

  11. The student should digitally complete the Request for In-State Tuition Form for Graduate Assistants, signed by the component leader, and forward it to the Graduate School via TWU email as an attachment. The form must be submitted by the 12th class day of long semesters, the 4th class day of summer sessions, and the 2nd class day of the 13-week, 3-week, and 7-week sessions. Refer to TWU's Academic Calendars. The Graduate School will verify that the student meets the requirements for in-state tuition, approve the request for in-state tuition, and forward the request for in-state tuition form to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar's Office will make the adjustment to the student's account.  

  12. Special criteria for Graduate Teaching Assistantships assigned primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and assigning final grades to include the following:
    1. The student must have completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching field. Preferably, the student will have had teaching experience in the specialty area. 
    2. The specific courses taught must be listed if the student is hired as a GTA. At the time of the appointment, the component leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) or the hiring department administrator must digitally complete and submit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form, listing the coursework that qualifies the student to teach the course/s they are assigned: University, Course Prefix & No., Course Title, Semester Credit Hours, Date & Grade, and Field. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School before the student's graduate assistantship assignment is submitted to the Graduate School and before the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) appointment can be approved and processed. Note: The Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form should be submitted only once. If the student continues to teach in subsequent semesters, the department does not need to resubmit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form.
    3. The component leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) must complete the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form and send it to the Graduate School at the time of appointment.
    4. Each GTA must be assigned a mentor. The mentor is responsible for guiding the GTA in their assigned teaching duties and assessing the GTA's teaching performance each semester. Component leaders should ensure that each GTA is evaluated by the mentor each semester.
    5. The student whose primary language is not English should have demonstrated proficiency in English as mandated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. International students must demonstrate English speaking proficiency through one of the following in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship:
      1. A score of 26 or higher on the TOEFL iBT speaking section
      2. A score of 7.5 or higher on the IELTS Speaking Test
      3. A score of 53 or above on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
      4. A score of 4 or higher on the MELAB Speaking Test
  13. International students must also follow the guidelines of International Student and Scholar Services.