The University of Akron Graduate Assistant Acceptance Agreement and Appointment Form

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP CONTRACTS PRESENTED
BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
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Four Types of Contracts

• Graduate Assistant Contract (most common)
• Called the Acceptance Agreement Appointment
  Form and Award of Graduate Scholarship/Fellowship
• 2. Stand Alone Scholarship (first year only)
• Special Project
• Supplemental / One-Time Payment

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Graduate AssistantAcceptance Agreement and
AppointmentForm
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Graduate Assistant Contract

• Must be admitted into a graduate degree seeking
  program.
• Must register for a minimum 9 graduate credit
  hours.
• Must not have over 174 cumulative graduate hours
  to be funded by graduate school allocated money.
• TAs must demonstrate proof of English
  proficiency if their native language is not
  English. This can be done by a TSE of 50 or
  higher, pass or higher on the U-Adept or 23 or
  higher on the speaking portion of the internet
  based TOEFL.
• Contract dates cannot overlap existing contracts.

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• All contracts should be typed. Adobe Fill-Ins
  available at

• http//www.uakron.edu/gradsch/gradAssitDir.php

• Check if the student is a First Appointment or a
  Reappointment. Be sure to attach the I-9 Form and
  DMA Form for First Appointments.

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I-9 Forms

• The US Federal Department of Homeland Security
  requires I-9 forms be completed for anyone
  working in the United States. (Does not apply to
  Fellowships since the student is not working).
• http//www.uakron.edu/gradsch/pdf/I9.pdf
• Students are required to complete, sign, and date
  section 1 of the I-9 form.
• An employee of the University must review the
  students documents and complete section 2.
• STUDENTS CANNOT BE PAID UNTIL A PROPER CONTRACT
  AND PROPER I-9 FORM ARE RECEIVED IN THE GRADUATE
  SCHOOL OFFICE.
• It will take two to four weeks after receipt of
  these documents for the student to be paid.

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I-9 Form Verification Documents

• One item from List A is required (typically
  a passport or Permanent Resident Card).
• OR
• One item from List B AND List C (typically a
  Drivers License or Zip Card AND Social
  Security Card or Birth Certificate).
• Drivers License and a Zip Card are NOT
  sufficient without an item from List B.
• Please read the form carefully. All items listed
  on the I-9 Acceptable Lists of Documents are
  acceptable. The above items are the most common
  used.

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Declaration Regarding Material Assistance /
Non-Assistance to a Terrorist Organization (DMA)

• This form is issued by the Ohio Department of
  Public Safety / Division of Homeland Security.
• This serves as a declaration of the provision of
  material assistance to a terrorist organization
  or organization that supports terrorism as
  identified by the U.S. Department of State
  Terrorist Exclusion List.
• The form provides six questions and needs to be
  completed and signed by the student. This form
  and the U.S. Department of State Terrorist
  Exclusion List should be provided to the student
  with the issue of a new contract.
• Please be aware that if a student answers Yes
  to any question or a failure to answer No will
  result in denial of the graduate assistantship.

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• Type in the Date, Students Name, UA Student Id
  Number, and Address. The UA Student ID Number is
  very important since some students share the same
  name. Social Security Numbers should not be
  written anywhere on the contract.

• Check the following information in Part I.

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• Only one box should be checked. If TA is
  checked, you must also check how English
  proficiency has been demonstrated. If English is
  not the native language, you may not
  departmentally assess them.
• If the student is a TA and English is not his or
  her native language, a TSE score of 50 or higher
  is required, a Pass score (or better) on the
  U-Adept, or a 23 or higher on the speaking
  portion of the internet based TOEFL.
• If a student is going to be assigned classroom
  duties such as grading papers and is not the
  primary instructor, you may mark them as
  providing instructional support. Instructional
  Support does not require demonstration of English
  proficiency.
• Administrative Assistants cannot be paid from
  Grad School accounts 2-02XXX.

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Fellowships

• Fellowships are students who are not working on
  campus (non-service). Since they are not
  working, they do not need to complete an I-9
  form.
• Fellowships do not apply to minimum wage since
  they are not working.

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Next, complete the following
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• Complete part II

IMPORTANT
ALL STIPENDS MUST BE LISTED IN BI-WEEKLY AMOUNTS
ONLY
Count the number of weeks in the contract period.
Divide by 2. Use this number to divide the
total amount you intend to pay.
Academic Year 37 weeks / 2 18.5 Total 7,000
/ 18.5 378.38 Bi-Weekly Fall Only
16 weeks / 2 8 Total 3,500 / 8 437.50
Bi-Weekly Spring Only 17 weeks / 2 8.5
Total 3,500 / 8.5 411.76 Bi-Weekly
12-Month 52 weeks / 2 26 Total 10,000 /
26 384.62 Bi-Weekly
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Start Date ______________ End Date_______________
mo day yr
mo day yr
Check one ? ? ?
? ? FALL
SPR ACAD 12 MO OTHER
YEAR
REMEMBER? What you check must match the start
date and end date
Appointees of academic year contracts will work
while classes are in session, including exam
weeks. They do not work during break times.
Appointees of all other contracts will work from
the start date to the end date of the contract,
with the exception of spring break.
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• Complete part III

The following contingencies or conditions shall
be met
This is where you specify any special
requirements that you may have. Example You
need the student to work during break time and
they are on an academic year contract. Specify
this contingency and the arrangement to adjust
the hours during the semester to be equivalent to
20 hours per week taking into account the total
hours they will be required to work during the
break time.
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• Complete part IV

The appointee shall provide 20 hours service per
week under the direction of the department
head/school director or grant director named
above, as assigned and/or specified as follows
(not applicable for Fellows)
You should type a brief description of the
students duties or indicate duties as assigned.

• Complete part V

The undersigned appointee hereby certifies that
all terms and conditions, including those on the
reverse side hereof, have been read and
understood. Further, the appointee hereby agrees
to abide by all said terms and conditions.
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Signatures

• Students must read, sign, and date all applicable
  pages of the graduate contract.
• If the service department and the students
  academic department are the same, the
  director/chair should sign to the right of the
  students signature.
• If the service department and academic department
  are different, both directors/ chairs must sign
  the contract.
• After the contract is completed and signed, it
  should be forwarded to the Graduate School
  (2101) for processing.

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Graduate Remission .

• Graduate remission is the payment of the
  students graduate tuition by the University or a
  grant.
• If a student works over spring semester, he or
  she is automatically entitled to receive summer
  remission.
• For example, a student works 10 hours spring
  semester. The student will receive 8 hours of
  graduate remission for spring and another 8
  credits of remission over summer.
• The student must be full time (9 credits for fall
  / spring 6 credits for summer) for any period
  in which they are being paid.

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Graduate Remission

• Includes tuition, general service fees, and
  course fees only. Does not include undergraduate
  or audit tuition, facility, library, technology,
  add/drop, or late fees.
• For example, a student is offered a full contract
  from 7/1/05 through 6/30/06. The student
  qualifies for remission for Summer 05, Fall 05,
  Spring 06, and Summer 06.
• On the remission form, the Other should be
  filled out to include Summer 05. This is the
  only time Other should be used on the contract.

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Other Conditions

• If the student is on a partial contract, the
  number of hours of remission should be noted on
  the form.

• If the Graduate Scholarship Recipient drops below
  the minimum required graduate credits at any time
  during the contract period, the scholarship is
  forfeited.

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If stipend is paid by a grant, is tuition to be
cost shared? (check one) ______Yes ______No
(Refer to Transmittal Form 2.i. and 2.j.)

• If a stipend is being paid by a grant, you must
  indicate if the tuition is to be cost shared as
  part of the grant.
• The cost share information can be found on the
  Transmittal Form (items 2.i. and 2.j.) which was
  completed when the grant was submitted. The
  principal investigator of the grant should have
  this information.
• The cost share is the portion of a project or
  program cost that is not borne by the sponsoring
  agency. It is the Universitys share of the cost
  of research.

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Repayment of Graduate Scholarships Upon
Resignation

• The Graduate Scholarship Recipient is not
  required to repay any scholarship award if he or
  she withdraws from all classes at the time of
  resignation. However, if he or she continues as
  an enrolled graduate student at The University of
  Akron after resignation from the scholarship
  award, then he or she must repay the scholarship
  based on a percentage of the number of weeks
  remaining in the semester or session.
• Examples
• 1. If the student resigns in the ninth week of a
  16-week semester, the repayment will be 7/16 or
  44 of the fees required in that semester.
• 2. If the student resigns in the second week of
  a five-week summer session, the repayment will be
  3/5 or 60 of the fees required in that summer
  session.

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Partial Contracts

• Students may be offered less than full contracts
  (20 hours per week). Please use the partial GA
  contract for both the stipend and the fee
  remission. Complete the number of hours the
  student will be working and the number of hours
  of fee remission that will be received.
• For example, a student may be offered a 10 hour
  per week contract (half contract). The student
  would receive only 8 graduate credits. Here are
  other examples
• 20 hours / week 15 credits of remission
• 16 hours / week 12 credits of remission
• 12 hours / week 9 credits of remission
• 10 hours / week 8 credits of remission
• 8 hours / week 6 credits of remission
• 5 hours / week 4 credits of remission
• 4 hours / week 3 credits of remission
• REMEMBER All recipients must be registered for
  a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours to hold any
  contract.

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Partial Contracts

• If a student is offered a partial contract, the
  student, with the home department and service
  departments permission, may work up to a
  combined 20 hours per week and earn up to 15
  graduate credit hours of fee remission.
• For example, a Polymer student has a 10 hour RA
  contract with Polymer Science. He has also been
  offered a 10 hour TA contract with Chemistry. He
  will qualify for a full 15 credits of graduate
  remission.
• All University employment can total a maximum of
  20 hours per week.

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Student Employment

• Students cannot work more than 20 hours per week
  with a graduate contract. If a student has a
  half (10 hour per week) contract, the student may
  work 10 hours or less per week for Student
  Employment.
• For example, a student has a 16 hour contract
  with their home department. She may work up to 4
  hours per week for student employment.
• Students with Fellowships may work up to 20 hours
  a week for Student Employment.
• Students with Academic Year contracts (who do not
  work over winter break), may work over winter
  break for student employment for as many hours as
  student employment will allow.

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Outside Employment

• Students with full contracts (20 hours per week)
  are required to take a minimum of 9 graduate
  credit hours. If a student wishes to work
  outside the university (up to 8 hours) the
  student may with written department approval.

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Sexual Harassment

• All students working on campus (does not include
  non-service Fellowships) are required to attend
  the Sexual Harassment seminar. This seminar is
  offered during the Graduate Student Orientation.
  If unable to attend, the student should contact
  Training and Development Services at extension
  6411 to schedule a seminar session.

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Stand Alone Scholarship (First Year Only)
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Stand Alone Scholarship

• For first year students only.
• Provides 1,000 for fall, spring, and 500 for
  summer.
• May not be combined with other assistance.
• If a partial or full contract is later offered,
  the tuition scholarship is automatically
  cancelled.
• Fill in all areas of the form and obtain the
  appropriate signatures.

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Special Project
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Special Projects

• Used to grant specific credit hours.
• Typically used for special projects such as
  workshops.
• May be used on students who are not seeking a
  Masters or Doctoral degree.
• Must have Graduate School approval prior to
  awarding special project fee remission.

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Supplemental / One-Time Payment
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Supplemental / One-Time Payment

• Supplemental contract to pay additional monies to
  a student already under contract.
• One-Time payments to pay students for a one-time
  assignment.
• Can be in addition to Graduate Contract or
  Student Employment.

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Change PAF and Termination PAF
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PAF Forms

• There are two types of PAF (Personnel Action
  Forms) that the Graduate School uses -
  termination changes.
• If a student contract is being terminated or
  changed, e-mail (klc_at_uakron.edu) and give all
  information (students name, ID number,
  termination date, or changes) and the Graduate
  School will prepare the PAF.

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Contact Us

• www.uakron.edu/gradsch
• Coordinator 972-6310
• Grad Assistants 972-5858
• Mail code 2101

• Polsky Building
• Room 469