Graduate assistantships are limited in number and are awarded on a competitive basis, subject to criteria such as grade point average, test scores, skills offered by the applicant, needs of the college or department, and order in which the assistantship application was received. When awarding assistantships, priority will be given to graduate students who do not hold a 40 hr. per week position. To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, a graduate student must complete the following procedures:

1. Complete an application for an assistantship, available from the School of Graduate Studies website www.saumag.edu/graduate/forms/ga, which describes previous training and experience supported by at least three references. The applicant may indicate an area of preferred placement on the application. The deadlines to apply for an assistantship: July 1st for fall, December 1st for spring, and April 1^st for summer. The application for an assistantship must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, who will verify that the student has met all criteria established below and forward the application to the department/director granting the assistantship. Applicants who visit campus offices (other than the School of Graduate Studies) requesting a position may not be considered for an assistantship.
2. Be fully admitted to the School of Graduate Studies at SAU.
3. Enroll in a minimum of six and a maximum of nine hours of graduate work (three/six per summer session). If the student’s enrollment drops below six hours (three hours each summer session), any unused portion of the assistantship and all fee reductions must be forfeited. The effective date for forfeiting unused portions of the assistantship will be the date in which the student withdraws from a course and thus falls below the minimum course load requirement. Please keep in mind that graduate students must be enrolled in nine hours to be officially considered full-time according to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education definition.

D. Meet criteria established by the department/director offering the assistantship. Each department/director establishes the minimum competencies required for the assistantship in that area.

E. Be available to work 20 hours/week in assigned duties.(Including holiday weeks)

• 15 weeks for the fall and spring semesters (total of 300 hours per semester)
• 5 weeks each summer session (total of 100 hours per semester)

F. Maintain academic standards:

• Have a grade point of at least 3.00 on all graduate coursework.
• Have no grade of C or lower in a graduate course.

A graduate assistant failing to uphold these academic standards forfeits the Graduate assistantship and will not be eligible to re-apply. Any exceptions to this policy require written approval of the College Dean or Program Director and the Vice

President for Academic Affairs, with justification forwarded to the Graduate Dean for a decision on the request. Any final appeal may be made to the VPAA.

Graduate Assistant Compensation and Responsibilities

1. Tuition: Students who reside outside of Arkansas can complete the Graduate Assistant Waiver of Non-Resident Tuition to waive the out-of-state fee. If you wish to pay tuition and fees out of your stipend, please visit student accounts prior to the payment deadline to set up a payment plan.
2. Stipend: During the fall and spring semesters, students will receive four paychecks of $1,000 each for a total of $4,000 per semester. During summer terms, students will receive one paycheck of $1,320 per semester.
3. Timesheets: It is the responsibility of the graduate assistant to submit timesheets to the School of Graduate Studies by 5 p.m. on the day they are due. Failure to follow this procedure repeatedly will cause a delay in receiving a paycheck.
4. Evaluations: The supervisor and the graduate assistant should meet at the end of each month to complete an evaluation. Completed evaluations should be submitted to the graduate office.

V. Renewal Process: It is the responsibility of the graduate assistant to request renewal of a semester or summer session contract, if desired. To be considered for renewal, the graduate assistant must:

• Have a grade point average of at least 3.00 on all graduate hours taken.
• Have no grade of C or lower in a graduate course.
• Enroll in a minimum of six and maximum of nine hours of graduate work (three/six per summer session).
• Satisfactory ratings (average score of 3) for all evaluations received the previous semester.

Students may hold an assistantship for a maximum of two years.

A graduate assistant who fails to uphold the guidelines will be required to report to the graduate dean. If problems persist, Southern Arkansas University reserves the right to terminate the contract.