Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships
The Faculty is committed to providing assistantship funding to new and continuing students in the Master’s and doctoral programs. Normally, the Graduate Program will fund Master’s students during the first two years of their program and doctoral students for the first four years of their program. Pending availability of funds, Master’s students are initially offered a half GA (6 hours of paid service per week) and doctoral students are offered a full GA (12 hours of paid service per week).
Students should be aware that GA funds through the Graduate Programs Office are provided in return for service to the Faculty. This service may be in the form of teaching, research or other academic duties at the discretion of the Associate Dean.
Students may decline an assignment and in doing so, voluntarily reduce the level of financial support. However, when students accept an assignment, they are accountable to the Faculty for satisfactory completion of the assigned duties. Students who do not complete their duties in satisfactory fashion risk forfeiting future GA opportunities.
Each year the Graduate Students’ Association and the University negotiate the collective agreement which establishes the Regulations Governing Academic Employment of Graduate Students (AEGS). This agreement includes a payment scale for teaching and research duties and also minimum hourly payment for casual academically-related work (e.g. marking).
The first priority for assigning duties from Faculty funds is to teach laboratory, seminar, physical activity and theory courses in the Undergraduate Program. If a student has any unassigned hours, the student may be assigned to a professor to provide research assistance. Where GA funding is limited, decisions will be made based on the ability of graduate students to effectively contribute to the quality of the undergraduate program (e.g., teaching physical activity courses, labs, seminars).
Maximum Hours of Work
A student registered full-time may hold a GRA for a maximum average of 12 hours per week. A student registered part-time may hold up to a 6 hour per week GRA. There are no working hours attached to a GRAF as the fellowship is not considered employment. A graduate student can hold a GRAF and also be appointed as a GRA and/or GTA up to a maximum of 12 hours per week.
The University has a semi-monthly pay cycle so each month is divided into two equal pay periods with pay dates occurring on the 10th and 25th of each month. In the event those pay dates land on non-banking dates, the pay date is the preceding banking day. Two days prior to the scheduled pay period you can view your pay through Beartracks. If you notice any discrepancies or have any questions regarding your pay, please contact the Graduate Education Office as soon as possible.
Detailed information regarding payments and payment schedules can be found on the Human Resource Services website
Please ensure that you enter your direct deposit information through Beartracks by going to the “employee tab”. This information needs to be entered no later than 7 days prior to your first pay period. Your first pay period will be 25th of the month in which you begin your program. This tab is available once the Graduate Education office has entered your salary at the beginning of the month in which you start your program.
Spring and Summer Research Assistantships
The Faculty is committed to providing some funding for graduate research assistantships during the Spring (May-June) and Summer (July-Aug) terms. The primary purpose of these assistantships is to support qualified students in developing and completing their research. The Graduate Program Office may “partner” with supervisors to facilitate funding for as many students as possible. The general goal is to provide Canadian students with at least two months and International students with at least three months of GA funding during the May-August period. As funds are limited and vary from year to year, students and supervisors must realize that this goal may not always be attainable.
Priorities for allocation of funds from the Graduate Program Office are to support students who have provided satisfactory service to the Faculty through previous GA assignments (e.g., teaching) and/or are at “critical” points in their programs (e.g., doctoral students preparing for candidacy).
Spring and Summer Teaching Positions
Students may apply for teaching positions to teach undergraduate courses offered during the Spring and Summer Terms. The Faculty will provide details on course offerings and application procedures as soon as such details are available each year.
The Faculty is committed to facilitating financial support for as many students as possible during the May-August period. Normally, students will not be permitted to hold both a research assistantship through the Graduate Program Office and a teaching position. Students may apply for both, but will generally only receive funding from one source.