Graduate Assistantship

The graduate student who wishes to be considered for a graduate assistantship in the department should complete the required department application form. All applications are considered for available assistantships. Applicants must have all required enrollment documents submitted by the deadline to be considered for available assistantships.

During the review of application materials, the graduate faculty considers the completed applicant files for assistantships. The faculty ranks applicants, and the Director of Graduate Studies attempts to secure informal commitments from applicants chosen. The official letter offer of any assistantship position must come from the Office of the President.

All first-time GTAs must attend a teaching assistant orientation in August. This orientation is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma Graduate College. International GTAs must also attend an orientation organized by  International Student Services. Finally, there are several days of orientation in the department that students must attend, depending on their specific assistantship duties. 

Salaries are paid to graduate assistants in monthly checks, to which standard deductions apply. Graduate assistants with a 0.50 FTE will receive a tuition remission waiver for the number of hours required for their degree.  The graduate assistant is responsible for all fees. They must enroll in a minimum of 5 credit hours per semester (fall or spring) to receive this tuition waiver.

Arrangements for medical insurance, social security, income tax deductions, and any other available benefits should be made in the University of Oklahoma’s Human Resources division.

As one of the primary purposes of becoming a graduate assistant is to aid the student in the successful completion of a graduate program, graduate assistants may not be appointed for more than one-half (0.5 FTE) employment without special permission of the Graduate Dean. The department must submit written justification for all appointments greater than 0.5 FTE. In most cases, graduate assistants in the Department of Communication are assigned to teach two sections of a lower-division course in communication.

A 0.5 FTE graduate teaching assistantship normally involves 20 hours per week. This includes time spent in the classroom, preparations, and office hours. In general, it is expected that three office hours per week be scheduled for each course taught. Thus, 0.5 FTE GTAs will generally hold six office hours per week.

A syllabus covering the content of certain courses is issued to all instructors at the beginning of the semester. The director of the large section courses (COMM 1113 & COMM 2613) also holds regular meetings to facilitate coordination and quality control of the course. Any GTA assigned to teach a course will be under the supervision of a faculty member. That faculty member must approve syllabi and selection of texts.

Other duties may be assigned in lieu of teaching. Research assistants’ nonteaching duties should occupy approximately 20 hours per week for a 0.5 FTE nonteaching assistantship. Note that the Department of Communication will not adjust to a schedule of convenience for the student whose outside commitments conflict with university and department schedules.

The primary responsibility of the GTA is to the University of Oklahoma Department of Communication. If anything interferes with this primary responsibility, his or her assistantship can be terminated. Any outside employment is strongly discouraged. If performance issues arise, then a person’s assistantship will not be renewed.

The graduate assistant’s academic course load for each term should ensure that he or she is making satisfactory progress toward the degree. However, the minimum enrollment for fall and spring semesters is six hours. Exceptions to this regulation are very rare and must be approved by the Graduate College Dean.

If the performance of duties by the graduate assistant does not meet the requirements of the assignment, the Departmental Chairperson, course coordinator, or project director will advise the assistant both orally and in writing. An attempt to work with the graduate assistant in improving his or her performance will be made before the department begins action toward termination. When grounds for termination exist prior to the end of the contract period, notice will be given in writing to the graduate assistant, and a copy of the notice will be sent to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Provost. Procedures for termination are outlined in the university’s Graduate College Bulletin.

A graduate assistant working toward a Master’s degree may not be appointed to an assistantship for more than the number of semesters required to complete the degree, up to, but not to exceed, two years. Students working toward the Ph.D. may not be appointed to an assistantship in the department for more than the number of semesters required to complete the degree, up to, but not to exceed, four years. A graduate student completing both the Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in the department is limited to five years of appointment.

International students for whom English is a second language must demonstrate oral and written English proficiency before they can be awarded an assistantship involving instruction. This is both a university and state of Oklahoma requirement. Assessment is provided by the English Training and Certification Services office. Note that the test involves a fee that students are responsible for covering.