"Graduate Assistant" is a formal title, defined in the University of Wisconsin system Administrative Policy 1276 TITLE DEFINITIONS (appendices 1 and 1a) as a graduate student employed by and assigned responsibilities in an instructional department. Graduate Assistants (GAs) are approved and processed by the Office of Graduate Studies, which requires hiring units to abide by all Graduate Studies, UW-Green Bay, UW System, and State of Wisconsin policies, guidelines, and laws. GAs are unclassified, salaried, exempt employees hired under a fixed-term, terminal contract.

Graduate Assistants are awarded on a competitive basis to graduate students who best meet the requirements of the position and listed below. The assistantship should not interfere with the student's educational goals; rather aid in the prompt and successful completion of the degree program while supporting the hiring department. GAs not only make progress toward an advanced degree, they also receive work experience in their profession under the supervision of graduate faculty. Typical duties include serving as a classroom assistant in a laboratory or discussion section, assisting in a center or institute, serving as a research assistant, and other duties as assigned by the program chair.

Note: graduate students can be employed as Student Assistants or Project Appointments - hourly employees - but Student Assistants and Project Appointments are not GAs even though they may be a graduate student. 

Eligibility for Employment

Graduate Assistantships are competitive, and finanical need is not the basis for a hiring decision. A graduate student must statisfy all the minimum requirements and conditions listed below.

• Admitted in full academic standing in a UW-Green Bay graduate degree program (the graduate degree is conferred by UW-Green Bay). Graduate Special, certificate students, and degree students admitted provisionally, on academic probation, or academic suspension are not eligible.
• Enrolled in a minimum 6 graduate degree credits each academic term, and a maximum of 15 credits each academic year of employment.
• Maintains a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. 
• Shows satisfactory academic progress toward degree completion, as defined by the graduate program.
• Is within the length of time-to-degree for graduation (i.e. masters students have five years to complete their degree; doctorate students have seven years to complete their degree).

Conditions of Employment

• Students must apply online for a GA position or express interest when asked by the Office of Graduate Studies or faculty supervisors (such as returning GAs).
• GAs must work a minimum of 13.5 hours per week to qualify for fringe benefits, and can work a maximum of 20 hours per week as a GA.
  • Domestic students may be hired into a GA postion and an hourly position at the same time, for a maximum of 40 hours per week, total.
  • International Students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week in any combination of on-campus employment. The Office of International Education will assist with obtaining a Social Security Number.
• GAs cannot hold a GA in an academic department in which they were denied admission to their graduate program.
• GAs cannot have responsibilities pertaining to a course in which they are enrolled, with the exception of laboratory preparation. 

Additional Considerations

• GAs enrolled in study abroad courses are not entitled to salary during study abroad activity, except when: (1) student joins a study abroad activity as a research assistant, but does not register for the course, or (2) GAs make up for the missed time within the dates of the contract period and at the discretion of their supervisor.
• Non-resident and International GAs qualify for a waiver of the non-resident portion of their tuition if their contract is for a minimum of 13.5 hours per week.
   

For more information on the application process, please visit:  https://www.uwgb.edu/graduate/students/assistantships/