Policies Governing DA and TA Awards

During February of every year, the Graduate Committee evaluates graduate program applications and ranks those applications prior to offering admission to prospective students.  Once admissions decisions are finalized, the Graduate Committee uses the rankings, in combination with an understanding of the Department’s financial means and teaching needs, to award Teaching Assistantships and Doctoral Associateships.  Because the Department’s budget and teaching needs vary from year to year, there is no set number of awards available in any given year.

Students who have been admitted into a graduate program without an award may re-apply for a TA or DA award for any subsequent year by alerting the departmental Administrative Assistant of their wish to be considered and by updating their file.  Decisions regarding the TA or DA awards for current students will be announced at the same time as all other departmental awards during the Spring semester.

Once a student has signed his/her contract, he/she is bound to the terms of that contract for the upcoming academic year.  At the end of each year, if the student has carried out his/her duties to the satisfaction of the Chairperson, he/she will receive another contract which covers the next academic year.

MA and MAET students are offered awards for two (2) years; MFA students are offered awards for three (3) years; PhD students are offered awards for four (4) years.