Graduate assistantships in the Department of Kinesiology are
available on a competitive basis. Full-time graduate assistant stipends are
$4,000 per semester. Partial assistantships, as well as summer session
assistantships, may also be available. Full-time graduate teaching assistants
are expected to devote 20 hours weekly to assigned duties. Graduate teaching
assistantship duties are a combination of both teaching and faculty research
support. Graduate assistants in the Department of Kinesiology typically provide
support to the Department's service program by teaching one semester hour
undergraduate activity courses. Typically, graduate assistants are assigned to
instruct one to four such courses per semester. Additionally most graduate
teaching assistants, depending upon teaching load, are assigned to assist
faculty research activities for between one to eight hours weekly.
Additionally, a limited number of graduate research assistantships are
available. Individuals interested in applying for a graduate assistantship in
the Department of Kinesiology should contact:
East Carolina University is committed to equality of
educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students,
or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual
orientation, or disability. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,
which accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities.
Applications:
Individuals interested in applying for a graduate
assistantship in the Department of Kinesiology should complete an Application
for Graduate Assistantship. Completed applications should be sent to Dr. Matt
Mahar, Graduate Program Director, Department of Kinesiology, 101 Minges
Coliseum, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353. Completed
applications may also be sent by e-mail to Dr. Mahar at maharm@ecu.edu.
Policies for Graduate
Assistantships:
Assistantships may only be awarded to enrolled graduate
students admitted to programs leading to a graduate degree or a certificate of
advanced study at East Carolina University. Assistantship eligibility does not
extend to students who have been admitted by the Admission and Retention
Committee in either exceptional or high-risk category, non-degree seeking
students, or undergraduates.
A full-time graduate assistantship (20 hours per week - fall
and spring semesters) averages a minimum of $8,000. Graduate assistants should
not work more than twenty hours per week during the academic year. Graduate
assistants are limited to thirty hours per week in the fall and spring
semesters in any combination of appointments - GA/RA/TA, self-help, College
Work Study, EPA/SPA. Foreign students are limited to twenty hours per week in
Fall and Spring, no exceptions. This is a federal law. During first and second
summer sessions, all students are limited to thirty-eight hours per week.
Assistantship funds will be allocated based upon each unit's established rate.
Units may opt to pay their assistants at lower or higher rates per F.T.E. if
they deem it appropriate, and use one source or multiple sources of funds. No
three-quarter or higher F.T.E. state employee may hold a graduate
assistantship.
Students are ineligible for assistantships if they are not
registered by census day. Census day is defined as the day that enrollment is
captured and, concurrently, how ECU's funding is awarded. A good rule of thumb
to follow is to make sure that anyone on an assistantship is registered on or
before the last day to add classes each semester.
In order for graduate assistants to be exempt from FICA tax,
they must have a minimum registration of 4 hours for the fall and spring
semesters and 3 hours in the summer. If the GA is registered for less than the
stated hours, FICA will be withheld. Departments paying students from sources
other than state appropriated dollars should note that the university's portion
of the FICA (7.65%) will be taken from the funding source used to pay the
assistantship and should therefore budget accordingly.
Students in a 30-hour program should not receive support for
more than six semesters, and those in a 45-hour program should not receive
assistantship support for more than nine semesters, this excludes summer
sessions.
Teaching assistants assigned primary responsibility for the
administration, instruction, and evaluation of students enrolled in courses
must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of 18 semester hours of graduate
course work in the field in which instruction is given (SACS 18-hour rule).
They must also receive in-service training, be under the direct supervision of
an experienced faculty member in the field, and be evaluated each semester. The
Graduate School requires units to submit a request for exception to hiring
non-degree or undergraduate teaching assistants. The unit should submit an
e-mail request to Dr. Paul Gemperline requesting the exception and stating that
the student has the qualifications for admission to the program and will be
admitted. The request should also state whether or not the student meets the
18-hour rule (if they are responsible for a class) and that they are being
trained and monitored.
Departments must issue a signed contract for each graduate
assistant. For teaching assistants (TA) the contract must state what course(s)
they are teaching, name the individual responsible for the course, name of the
supervising faculty, state that the TA has been/will be trained, state that the
TA will be monitored and evaluated, and name the individual responsible for the
evaluation. All other assistantship contracts must briefly describe the
graduate assistant’s duties using the description listed in the Graduate
Assistant Categories and include the name of the supervising faculty. It is
necessary that all units hiring graduate assistants have a copy of the
completed contract in the student's personnel file.
