UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND
TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS
2002-2003 GUIDELINES
FOR STUDENTS
GRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYEES UNION
All State-funded teaching and graduate assistant positions
are represented for purposes of collective negotiations by
the Graduate Student Employees Union/Communications Workers
of America, Local 1188 (GSEU/CWA). Presidential Fellows are
also members of the GSEU bargaining unit.
Except for Presidential Fellows, fellows are NOT members of
the GSEU/CWA bargaining unit. Likewise, graduate assistant
positions that are funded from non-State resources (e.g.,
the Research Foundation or other external funds) are NOT members
of the GSEU/CWA bargaining unit.
JOB POSTING
The Office of Human Resources Management posts a list of departments
and administrative units which employed GSEU/CWA represented
teaching and graduate assistants during the previous academic
year.
Under the current Agreement, units identified in the above
listing are required to have written policies describing the
application process, selection criteria, terms of appointment,
policies for renewal, and evaluation procedures for all GSEU/CWA
represented teaching and graduate assistant positions.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications for assistantships, fellowships, or tuition scholarships
should be made directly to the department chairperson in the
department where the program is offered or to the dean where
the school does not have a departmental organization. In the
case of new students, the application for an assistantship
or fellowship is included in the admissions packet.
Assistantships, fellowships, and tuition scholarships can
only be awarded to students or prospective students formally
admitted into a graduate degree program.
Inasmuch as the University at Albany is a signatory to the
following resolution by the Council of Graduate Schools, the
policy below should be adhered to as offers are received and
commitments made from graduate students.
In every case in which a graduate assistantship, scholarship,
or fellowship for the next academic year is offered to an
actual or prospective graduate student, the student, if he
indicates his acceptance before April 15, will have complete
freedom through April 15 to submit in writing a resignation
of his appointment in order to accept another graduate assistantship,
scholarship, or fellowship. However, an acceptance given or
left in force after April 15 commits him not to accept another
appointment without first obtaining formal release for this
purpose."
Likewise, after June 1, if a student has accepted an assistantship
or fellowship in one University unit, another department at
Albany should not recruit the student for a different award.
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APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES
Upon receiving written acceptance of an assistantship or fellowship
award, the appointing department should initiate and the student
should complete a Student Appointment Request (HRM-4). All
new assistantship appointments require the complete HRM-4
packet. Continuing assistantship appointments require only
the HRM-4, not the attachments. Fellowship appointments require
only the HRM-4 form (not the whole packet). Since taxes are
not withheld from fellowship stipends, withholding forms are
not needed. (Please refer to the section on Fellowships for
additional information regarding the taxability of fellowship
stipends.)
Questions concerning administrative procedures and payrolls
may be addressed to the appropriate office listed below:
- for State-funded assistants: Office of Human Resources Management
(7-4723)
- for Research Foundation assistants: Gail Redick (7-4506)
- for State-funded fellows and tuition scholarships: Office
of Academic Affairs (7-4925)
TERM OF APPOINTMENT
A student must be in good academic standing to be continued
in the appointment during the initial term. Likewise, a student
must be in good academic standing and must have satisfactorily
performed the assigned assistantship duties to be eligible
for renewal in this appointment.
A student may receive a maximum of two years of support from
State-funding while pursuing the Master's degree and no more
than an additional two years of support beyond the Master's
for those continuing in doctoral study. Doctoral students
who enter the University without advanced standing are limited
to a total of four years of State-funded support. Doctoral
students who enter the University with a Master's or beyond
are limited to three years of State-funded support.
Assistants and fellows cannot hold more than one full assistantship
or fellowship, and should not engage in additional work beyond
the assistantship or fellowship, including part-time lectureships
and outside employment, during the term of their appointment.
Exceptions based on educational (not financial) need may be
authorized by the student's department chairperson and dean
(or Provost). Approval should be received prior to the commencement
of the additional responsibilities.
Graduate assistants appointed for the 2002 - 2003 academic
year are appointed from August 15, 2002, through May 21, 2003.
Stipend checks are divided into twenty equal payments and
are subject to the lag payroll. If the appointment papers
are submitted to the Office of Human Resources by the beginning
of June 2002, the first check will be issued on September
11, 2002, and the final check on June 5, 2003.
In general, assistants are expected to provide their usual
services following the academic calendar and, in addition,
to be available to assist during the examination period when
needed. However, assistants in certain administrative offices
or departments may be expected to provide services over the
entire period including the intercession recess, provided
this arrangement is stated in the notification letter at the
time of appointment.
Fellowship appointments are generally for the period of September
1, 2002, through May 31, 2003. Stipend checks are divided
into ten equal payments and are issued once a month except
in March. There are two checks issued in March. (Please refer
to the Fellowship section of these guidelines for the specific
payment schedule.)
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TRAINING
Each department should organize a program for the training
and orienting of teaching assistants. This training should
be designed to aid a graduate teaching assistant in learning
course content, preparing for classes, organizing material,
grading techniques and practices, as well as other related
responsibilities. A University-wide orientation program is
conducted through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning (CETL) prior to the start of each academic year (usually
held during the last week in August).
Ordinarily, assistants assigned to teach regular courses
should be doctoral students studying beyond the Master's degree.
Assistants studying at the Master's level may assist in the
teaching of a regular course and may teach laboratory sessions,
but should not assume full responsibility for a regular course.
International graduate students must have a TOEFL score of
600 or above and also be certified by the department chairperson
as competent to conduct classroom discussion before they can
be authorized to teach classes or laboratories where the language
of instruction is English. If their TOEFL score is less than
600 (less than 90 on the American Language Institute of Georgetown
University exam or the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency),
they must pass the Test of Spoken English with a score of
220 and be certified by the department chairperson as competent
to conduct classroom or laboratory discussion.
EVALUATION
Under the terms of the Agreement, departments which conduct
written evaluations of graduate and teaching assistants are
required to notify the assistants in writing of the procedures
used and allow assistants to comment upon these procedures.
Copies of written evaluations, where conducted, must be forwarded
to the Office of Human Resources Management.
EFFORT REPORTING
Each assistant and supervisor must certify that the assistant
has satisfactorily fulfilled the assignments and duties of
the position. The Monthly Attendance Report, Graduate and
Teaching Assistants, should be signed at the end of each month
and kept by the supervisor. At the end of each semester, this
card should be returned to the Office of Human Resources Management.
If the service commitment of graduate assistants is not fulfilled,
stipend checks will not be issued.
After the first semester of service, teaching and graduate
assistants covered by the GSEU/CWA bargaining unit are eligible
for a maximum of five leave days for personal illness with
pay. Leave may be granted in increments of one-quarter (.25)
day or greater and is subject to the approval of the supervisor.
Assistants do not have any sick leave accruals during the
first semester of the appointment. Should an assistant be
ill, the department must either arrange for the student to
make up missed time, or notify the Benefits Office ASAP that
the student should be placed on LWOP.
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TUITION
SCHOLARSHIPS
In order to apply for a tuition scholarship award, students
must complete a Tuition Scholarship Award Application form.
Departments should send this form through the appropriate
dean's (or Provost's) office to the Office of Academic Affairs.
Only graduate level course work is eligible to be covered
under a tuition scholarship award.
Applications for a tuition scholarship must be received in
the Office of Academic Affairs at least two weeks prior to
the start of a semester.
Tuition scholarship recipients who are New York State residents
must apply to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) or demonstrate
to the Office of Student Accounts their ineligibility for
TAP. In order to receive a TAP application, students must
first file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid which
is available in the Office of Financial Aid (Campus Center,
B-52). TAP ineligibility forms may be obtained from the Office
of Student Accounts (Campus Center B-26). If a student does
not receive an award notice within eight weeks of submitting
the TAP application, the student should inquire at the New
York State Higher Education Services Corporation about the
status of the award.
The Office of Student Accounts will place holds and assess
late payment fees on records of students who fail to provide
either a TAP award certificate or a statement of TAP ineligibility
by the due date of the student's first invoice.
TAP awards are applied to the total tuition liability. The
balance of tuition remaining after the application of a TAP
award is the amount eligible to be covered through a tuition
scholarship. All other fees are the student's responsibility
and must be paid by the due date of the student's first invoice.
Tuition scholarship recipients do not receive tuition which
would substitute for TAP. Therefore, students should exclude
the value of their tuition scholarship award on the TAP worksheet
where the instructions specify that institutional awards that
are limited to the difference between tuition and TAP should
not be included in this application.
Graduate students who are non-NYS residents and who have
been at the University for a minimum of 12 months will be
supported at the in-State tuition rate providing they are
United States residents. (Departments should note on the Tuition
Scholarship Award Application form "in-State rate only.")
Students who are not residents of the US are not eligible
for NYS residency and may therefore continue to receive tuition
support at the out-of-State rate.
In order to expedite the processing of tuition scholarship
awards for externally funded assistants or fellows (e.g.,
assistants or fellows paid from the Research Foundation or
other external resources), the Office of Academic Affairs
should be informed of the terms of these awards. Units should
forward a memorandum along with the tuition scholarship request
listing the award title, the academic year or semester stipend
associated with the award, the source of funding (including
the grant number), and the duration of the award.
If a tuition scholarship award recipient leaves the program
or is terminated from an assistantship or fellowship position
prior to the mid-semester date, the tuition scholarship will
be terminated, and the student held liable for the tuition
charges.
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RESIDENCY
Proof of New York State domicile is based upon an intention
to make New York State a permanent home and the existence
of facts tending to confirm such intention. In cases of discrepancy,
a declared intention will yield to a reasonable conclusion
drawn from evidence of current conduct. In determining domicile,
all surrounding circumstances, in addition to expressed intent,
must be considered. Factors relevant to a determination of
domicile include:
- residence of parents, spouse, and children;
- place of voter registration;
- residence for personal income tax purposes;
- financial independence, business pursuits, employment,
and income sources;
- sites of motor vehicle and other personal property registration;
- sites of real and personal property.
An applicant for New York State resident status for tuition
purposes need not prove the existence of all of these indicia
to support a domiciliary determination nor is this list exhaustive.
Rather, such a determination depends upon a composite appraisal
of all of the facts presented in each case.
Applications for New York State residency are available in
the Office of Student Accounts. Questions concerning eligibility
should be addressed to the Office of Student Accounts.
All newly appointed assistants and fellows must meet the
requirements of the immigration law by presenting the documents
(I-9 Form) required by law. Residents and permanent residents
need only complete this form once. Non-resident aliens must
re-submit this form each year.
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BENEFIT
INFORMATION
See the Office of Human Resources Management, Employee Benefits,
for more information about graduate assistant benefits.
Graduate fellows are not covered by a comprehensive health
plan. Fellows may purchase protection through the Student
Health and Accident Insurance Policy. Participants may obtain
coverage for their spouses and/or dependents.
Students appointed through the Research Foundation may elect
to participate in the Graduate Student Employees Health Plan
(GSEHP). GSEHP is a different plan from SEHP. Like fellows,
Research Foundation assistants are not eligible for SEHP.
J1 Visa holders must enroll for coverage under the State
University of New York Medical Insurance Program for International
Students and Scholars subject to the coverage requirements
of federal regulations. The State pays the major cost of this
plan, contributing 90% toward individual coverage and 75%
toward dependent coverage for those who meet the salary qualification.
F1 Visa holders who meet the eligibility requirement for
an employer contribution must enroll in the Graduate Student
Employees Health Plan (SEHP).
Since full-time student status is required to hold an assistantship
or fellowship, assistants and fellows have generally been
considered ineligible for Unemployment Insurance.
Graduate assistants and fellows are eligible for the Employees'
Retirement System. This applies only to State-funded assistants
and fellows.
Generally, graduate assistants funded by the University are
excluded from Social Security coverage and payments. However,
graduate assistants who are members of a New York State public
retirement system are subject to Social Security payments
during periods when they are not enrolled and attending classes.
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PATENT POLICY
The patent policy (Article XI, Title J, Section 1 of the Policies
of the Board of Trustees) of the State University of New York
states that:
"All inventions made by faculty members, employees,
students, and all others utilizing University facilities
at any of the State-operated institutions of State University
shall belong to State University and should be voluntarily
disclosed or shall be disclosed to State University upon
request of the University. The inventor or inventors shall
make application for patents thereon as directed by State
University and shall assign such applications or any patents
resulting therefrom to or as directed by State University.
...an invention made by an individual wholly on such individual's
own time and without the use of such University facilities
shall belong to the individual even though it falls within
the field of competence relating to the individual's University
position."
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FELLOWSHIPS
Fellowships are grants to students who are engaged in full-time
study. NO work obligation is associated with these awards.
If a student is in an academic program that requires all students
to perform ancillary teaching, research, or practicum duties,
the student should register for independent study or practicum
credits, and this activity should be clearly differentiated
from the fellowship award. The same arrangement should be
followed for fellows who desire teaching and research experience.
Fellowship stipends are reportable income even though taxes
are not withheld from the stipend checks. Generally, only
the portion of the stipend used to pay for books, supplies,
or equipment which are required for classes and for which
the student has receipts can be considered tax exempt. Fellows
should consult the local Internal Revenue Service with specific
questions about the taxability of the stipend. There are no
Form 1099s issued for fellowship stipends. However, upon request,
the Office of Academic Affairs will generate a tax letter
indicating the total stipend received during the previous
calendar year. It is the recipient's responsibility, where
applicable, to report the stipend to the IRS.
LEVELS
Fellowship stipends may range from $5,000 to $14,000 annually.
Study: Full-time registration (a minimum of 12 graduate credits
per semester) in course and seminar work each session of the
award.
Tuition Scholarships: Graduate students with this type of
award may qualify for a tuition scholarship of up to 12 graduate
credit hours per semester following the application of TAP.
STIPENDS
The following table indicates the dates when fellowship checks
will be issued during the 2002-2003 academic year. . In most
cases, checks are available through the Dean's or department
chair's office. Students should contact their school to confirm
the appropriate pick up location.
PAYMENT 1 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2002
PAYMENT 2 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2002
PAYMENT 3 WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2002
PAYMENT 4 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2002
PAYMENT 5 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2, 2003
PAYMENT 6 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2003
PAYMENT 7 WEDNESDAY MARCH 5, 2003
PAYMENT 8 WEDNESDAY MARCH 26, 2003
PAYMENT 9 WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2003
PAYMENT 10 WEDNESDAY MAY 7, 2003
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ASSISTANTSHIPS
Graduate assistants are those who receive stipends in association
with assignments in teaching, research, administration, professional
assistance, clinical duties, and specialized services. Assistants
cannot receive academic credit for assigned assistantship
duties. This policy includes research performed by research
assistants.
Like fellowship stipends, assistantship stipends are considered
to be taxable income even where there is a specific requirement
for training for all students in a particular program. All
assistantship stipends are subject to federal taxation which
also means that they are taxable under New York State law.
Assistants may not ordinarily file as "tax exempt"
on their W-4.
LEVELS:
FULL ASSISTANTSHIPS WITH STIPENDS AT OR ABOVE $7,000 (.25
FTE)
Assistantships at .25 FTE with annual stipends at or above
$7,000 are considered standard full assistantships. Students
holding these assistantships are expected to devote approximately
one-half of their time to the academic program and one-half
to the assistantship. Usually, an assistant will need one
and one-half to two years in order to complete a one-year
Master's degree.
Study: Graduate students should register for a minimum of
9 graduate credits in course and seminar work each semester
of the academic year.
Duties:
(a) Teaching assignment: teaching up to 5 credits (1 or
2 courses each session).
(b) Laboratory teaching assignment: two or three sections
each session.
(c) Non-teaching assignment: 15-20 clock hours per week.
Tuition Scholarships: Graduate students with this type of
award may qualify for a tuition scholarship of a minimum of
9 graduate credits per semester.
HALF ASSISTANTSHIPS (.125 FTE)
Students holding assistantships with annual stipends of $3,500
to $6,999 and appointed to .125 FTE lines are expected to
register as full-time students and provide half the professional
assistance of full assistants.
Study: Full-time course study. A minimum registration of 12
graduate credits per semester is required to be a full-time
student.
Duties: Equivalent to about ten hours a week for awards with
academic year stipends of $3,500 to $6,999.
Tuition Scholarships: Graduate students with this type of
award may qualify for a tuition scholarship of up to 50% of
the registered graduate credit hours in the semester.
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