Graduate College

Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation

Congratulations on your assistantship with Western Michigan University!

We are proud to have you as a member of the WMU community, where teaching, research and scholarship are central to the mission of our institution. The Graduate College, the Graduate Student Association (GSA), graduate faculty, advisors and staff are all committed to supporting your success and creating a community that is welcoming, respectful and inclusive. 

At Western Michigan University approximately 20% of graduate students are on a Graduate Assistantship (GA) appointment and serve many  important roles at the university. Holding a GA position provides an excellent opportunity for  professional development in that you gain new skills that enhance your academic work, build valuable work experiences and develop your career network, in addition to having the financial support that comes with the appointment.

We have three types of Graduate Assistantships: 

1. Research Discovery Assistants (RDs) are research assistants who perform duties related to research and scholarship for their appointment. 
2. Research Application Assistants (RAs) includes all other professional work in the unit accepted as appropriate and germane to the student’s educational goal.
3. Teaching Assistants (TAs) serve in a role related to teaching; some are instructors of record (meaning they are the one primarily responsible for a course); some are instructors of lab sections; and some assist the instructor in some support capacity (such as grading or holding discussion sessions). TAs are part of the Teaching Assistants Union. 

Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation

To support and familiarize all newly appointed Graduate Assistants with their role and responsibilities, the WMU Graduate College requires you complete Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation, as well as type of appointment type specific training (RD, RA, or TA), and department-level training, if available. Please click the menu below based on the type of appointment you have been assigned to review the training requirements.

 

Research Discovery Assistants (RDs) are research assistants who perform duties related to research and scholarship for their appointment. 

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College will host a virtual Graduate Assistant Orientation session on Monday, August 31 from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, September 1, from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. This training is mandatory for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2026 semester. An invitation will be emailed to you in July. You may also view a pre-recorded session here. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2) Research Discovery (RD) Training:  Research Discovery-specific training is hosted by the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) Mandatory training will be held on September 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. An invitation to this training will be emailed to you in July. Click here to review the two training presentations on research compliance and funding resources.

3) Review the Research Discovery Assistant (RD) training Booklet

4) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

5) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation

For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students. 

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program.  

Academic Year 2026-2027 deadlines:

  • Fall 2026: December 19, 2026
  • Spring 2027: May 1, 2027
  • Summer I 2027: June 30, 2027
  • Summer II 2027: August 20, 2027

Research Application Assistants (RAs) includes all other professional work in the unit accepted as appropriate and germane to the student’s educational goal.

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College will host a virtual Graduate Assistant Orientation session on Monday, August 31 from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, September 1, from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. This training is mandatory for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2026 semester. An invitation will be emailed to you in July. You may also view a pre-recorded session here. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2) Review the Research Application/Service Assistant (RA) Training Booklet

3) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

4) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation
For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students. 

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program. 

Academic Year 2026-2027 deadlines:

  • Fall 2026: December 19, 2026
  • Spring 2027: May 1, 2027
  • Summer I 2027: June 30, 2027
  • Summer II 2027: August 20, 2027

Teaching Assistants (TAs) serve in a role related to teaching; some are instructors of record (meaning they are the one primarily responsible for a course); some are instructors of lab sections; and some assist the instructor in some support capacity (such as grading or holding discussion sessions). TAs are part of the Teaching Assistants Union.  

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College will host a virtual Graduate Assistant Orientation session on Monday, August 31 from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, September 1, from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. This training is mandatory for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2026 semester. An invitation will be emailed to you in July. You may also view a pre-recorded session here. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2)  Teaching Assistant (TA) Training
Training will be held on Monday, August 31, from 9 a.m. - noon. An invitation and more details will be emailed to your WMU email address in July. Please reference this site for teaching resources.

3) Review the Teaching Assistant (TA) Training Booklet 

4) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

5) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Reminder - Watch the Fire Safety Training Video
The State of Michigan requires fire safety training for anyone who will be teaching. Please click here to watch the fire safety video.

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program. 

Academic Year 2026-2027 deadlines:

  • Fall 2026: December 19, 2026
  • Spring 2027: May 1, 2027
  • Summer I 2027: June 30, 2027
  • Summer II 2027: August 20, 2027

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation
For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students.