Graduate Assistant Handbook
Welcome to the staff of LSU Libraries! Graduate Assistants (GAs) are critically important to the Libraries, and we hope that your experience here will be as rewarding to you as your contribution will certainly be to our operations. The Graduate Assistant (GA) program functions both to offer on the job training for future librarians or students in related graduate disciplines, and to provide the Libraries with part time employees, who form a useful and necessary part of the staff of the LSU Libraries.
The following are some general guidelines for GAs. We ask that you READ CAREFULLY.
DEFINITIONS
Graduate assistants are primarily students, not employees. Nevertheless, graduate assistant appointments are part-time employee-employer contracts between full-time graduate students and the University. As a result, the GA is obligated to fulfill assigned duties for the specified amount of time and is entitled to compensation within the range established by the University.
Graduate assistants are considered residents, for fee purposes only, and only for the period of their appointment. To receive this consideration, GAs must be appointed by October 1, for fall semester; March 1, for spring semester; July 1, for summer semester. As a graduate assistant, you are responsible for paying in-state tuition. Full-time (20 hr per week) assistantship appointments will receive a full tuition exemption. You will be responsible for fees. Three methods of paying resident fees are available:
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(a) payment in full during registration,
(b) deferred payment, or
(c) through payroll deduction. Students choosing payroll deduction must sign an authorization (available in the Office of the Treasurer) to withhold the required amount.
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QUALIFICATIONS
Only graduate students with acceptable academic records may be appointed to assistantships. Before an appointment can be considered in effect, a student must be admitted to the Graduate School and be registered as a full-time graduate student. To be considered full-time, students must maintain registration in a minimum of 9 semester hours in the fall or spring semester (a minimum of six hours for graduate credit), or a minimum of 6 semester hours in the summer term (a minimum of 3 hours for graduate credit). Students admitted on probation may be appointed as GAs once they have completed 9 hours of graduate-level graded courses with at least a 3.0 average. If you drop below full time or are put on academic probation, the Libraries will be instructed to terminate your assistantship immediately. Students on academic probation may not work without the permission of the Dean of their college and approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. Assistantships should not serve as impediments to the progress of graduate students toward their degrees. Likewise, GAs should not think of assistantships as providing semi-permanent employment. Accordingly, graduate assistantships are subject to the following limitations:
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(a) graduate students pursuing the master's degree in programs requiring up to
36 hours - maximum of 30 months;
(b) graduate students pursuing the master's degree in programs requiring more than 36 hours - maximum of 36 months;
(c) graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. - maximum of 72 months.
(d) graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. after having earned a master's degree in the same field at LSU - maximum of 78 months, including support while in the master's program.
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APPOINTMENTS
If you are currently a student worker at LSU and want to accept a GA position with the Libraries, we will need to carefully review your start date. We need to make sure it is after the last date of the last pay period on which you are paid as a student worker. For example, if the current period ends on 2/15, the earliest start date with the Libraries would be 2/18. You would need to request that the old department make the termination date of the student worker position no later than 2/15 so we could have a start of 2/18. Otherwise, it is likely that the GA appointment will be held up and you will not be paid on time.
The initial appointment to a GA position is usually for twelve months. The maximum appointment varies depending on the degree the graduate student is pursuing. Reappointment is dependent upon satisfactory performance. If for some reason a GA must resign before the end of the appointment, the resignation should be in the hands of the Dean of Libraries at least one month before the resignation is to take place. However, the Libraries expect the GA to fulfill the full twelve month contract.
Retaining a Graduate Assistantship is contingent upon the student remaining in good standing with the Graduate School. A GA is expected to devote essentially full-time to his/her graduate program and the responsibilities of the Graduate Assistantship. An appointment may be terminated at any time if, in the opinion of the Graduate School or the Libraries, the student is not making satisfactory progress toward his/her degree or is not performing assigned duties in a satisfactory manner.
The Libraries will not convert money from a GA appointment to a Student Assistant appointment in the summer to keep the GA on payroll though you are not registered full time in the summer. Exceptions to this may be made for grant-funded GA positions. If a supervisor has Student Assistant budget funds, s/he may hire the student in a position paid from there.
The Libraries will not hire any new GAs with a split appointment with another university unit.
The Libraries will not re-hire any student who was previously fired from a Libraries GA or Student Assistant position.
Certain rule violations in each department are grounds for immediate dismissal. Your supervisor will make you aware of such rules at the start of your employment.
International students should keep their supervisors and the GA Coordinator informed of their work permit and visa status and expiration dates.
Graduate assistantships terminate when an assistant is no longer eligible to continue as a full- time student in the Graduate School. Accordingly, a GA appointed for a fiscal year who becomes ineligible to continue at the end of the spring semester must be terminated at the close of the academic year.
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WORKLOAD
Graduate assistants are primarily students, and their appointments may not exceed 50% of full-time effort (that is, twenty hours per week) without the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. The percentages at which GAs are appointed should be calculated on the basis of 100% equaling 40 hours per week. Thus, a 25% appointment would entail 10 hours of work per week. The percentages recorded when GAs are appointed should correspond with the number of hours of work per week stipulated in their job descriptions.
All GA appointments in the Libraries are for 20 hours per week, or 50% effort.
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EVALUATIONS
During the middle of the semester, each supervisor should have an informal conference with each GA. This opportunity can be used to resolve any problems that may have arisen, as well as to praise and give other feedback.
Employing units are responsible for providing each GA with an annual written evaluation. This evaluation must be reviewed by the GA and one signed copy must be placed in the student's departmental file. Near the end of each Fall and Spring semester, the supervisor makes this formal evaluation of the GA's performance. The supervisor will schedule a conference with the GA to discuss the evaluation form and offer constructive advice to aid the GA in the future. An unsatisfactory evaluation can result in the termination of the appointment for a GA.
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PAY
The usual salary is $12,000.00 per year, for 1000 hours of work, which is $12.00 an hour. This averages out to 83 1/3 hours of work per month, or 21 hours a week. This is subject to deductions for Federal and State taxes.
GAs are paid on the last working day of each month. Pay is automatically deposited in your account. No statement is printed; you may check PAWS for recent pay statements. You may also request an automatic bank deduction of LSU fees.
Since GAs have no sick or annual leave, and are paid on salary, the GA Coordinator must be notified as soon as possible of any adjustments in schedule or hours worked so that the paycheck can be adjusted accordingly.
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SCHEDULES
LSU Libraries recognize that your school work is --and should be-- your first priority. Nevertheless, your ability to adhere to a certain schedule is a basic condition for employment. If you cannot work a given shift or need to adjust your hours in any way, you must get permission in advance from your immediate supervisor. Hours of work missed should be earned in advance. In the event of illness, the hours missed may be worked at the convenience of the department and the GA over the remainder of the semester.
The average number of hours you should work per week while class is in session is 20. International students must not work more than 20 hours per week except during intersession. GAs may work 40 hours per week during intersession, but the University does not permit overtime. If you have another job on campus besides your library job, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to see to it that during intersession periods, your COMBINED weekly hours do not exceed 40. GAs who work in excess of 40 hours in one week are subject to termination. You are responsible for working the required hours even if the month has holidays.
Each semester, you should register for classes and then contact your supervisor to schedule your hours of work. Schedules vary from department to department. Hours of work may be scheduled Monday through Sunday and may include evenings and weekends. The Libraries are open during intersession and most holiday periods, and a GA may be asked to work during these times. You are responsible for earning hours during holiday periods. Please provide your supervisor with a copy of your LSU-generated class schedule.
When the GA is hired, the letter offering the position, with its hours, pay, and other parameters, will be read and signed by the GA indicating his/her understanding of the contract. This will be kept on file by the Libraries.
When the Graduate Assistant is more than one week's worth of hours (usually 20) either ahead or behind in their cumulative hour commitment, the GA and the supervisor will submit to the GA Coordinator a plan of action to use or make up the hours, respectively. The GA Coordinator will provide a cumulative hour tally form to use to assist GAs and supervisors to keep track of the balance.
If the GA reaches more than 1 month (usually 83 hours) behind the cumulative hour commitment, the appointment and pay will be reviewed for possible termination. The hours will be made up by the GA with a plan of action agreed upon by the GA and the supervisor, submitted to the GA Coordinator and to the supervisor's supervisor.
Continuing problems in a library unit with GA hours, if an indication of mismanagement on the part of the supervisor, may lead to assignment of a new supervisor, or reassignment of the GA position by the Dean to another unit.
A GA is assigned to a department or a division for a minimum of one semester. The duties assigned will depend upon the needs of the assigned area and will often involve performing routine but necessary jobs. Every effort will be made to utilize and expand the GA's developing professional skills and expertise. However, they cannot assume that they will be instructed in every function of their assigned areas.
New assignments are made at the beginning of each semester. Prior to that time, assignment to a particular area may be requested to the GA Coordinator; if possible, these requests will be honored. A GA may also request to remain in his/her present assignment. Summer assignments, in most cases, will continue through the fall semester. It is not unusual for Graduate Assistants to be assigned to one department for their entire assistantship.
Your supervisor is prepared to adjust your work schedule during exam weeks. As with any schedule modification, be sure to make arrangements with your supervisor in advance.
LSU Libraries allow a 15-minute paid break to GAs working three or more continuous hours. Breaks may not be taken at the beginning or end of your shift. Your supervisor has the authority to schedule your break. Break rules for those working full-time during intersession periods are 15 minutes for every four hours worked, to be scheduled by your supervisor.
Remember to sign your time sheet to indicate the time you take off for lunch. Lunch is NOT a paid break. If you work six or more continuous hours, you must take a lunch break of at least one half hour.
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TIME SHEET RULES
| GAs fill out time sheets indicating the hours worked each day, or use time cards at the discretion of the supervisor. Your supervisor will show you how to fill out your time sheet. It is imperative that you and your supervisor sign your monthly time sheet, and fill out the cumulative time sheet for hours worked thus far in your contract year, after you have worked your last day in a month. At the end of each semester, the exact number of hours called for on the cumulative time sheet should have been worked. Hours in excess of the number needed for that date may not be transferred to a new department. Hours under the total needed must be made up in the present department before going to a new assignment. At the end of an assignment, if the total number of hours were not completed, the final paycheck will be adjusted to reflect the hours actually worked. Employee timesheets should be completed for hours actually worked. Supervisors are required to approve employee timesheets and are responsible for ensuring the timesheets are accurate. Submitting time for hours not actually worked is payroll fraud. Payroll fraud is illegal and serious consequences attach to those who are caught. |
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TELEPHONES, PHOTOCOPIERS, FAX
These are for business use. If you must use one, get your supervisor's permission and make it brief.
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COMPUTERS
Use of the computers by GAs is limited to library business use only. This includes reading email from the LSU Libraries listserv. We will subscribe you to this list with your PAWS account, thus you are required to have a PAWS account, and you must not forward this mail to another email account. Personal use for homework, email, and browsing the internet is not permitted on work time.
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STAFF LOUNGE
You are permitted to use the Library staff lounge while on break and/or during lunch. The lounge is not to be used as a study hall. Please be considerate of others by leaving the area you use clean and tidy.
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VISITORS
GAs are not permitted to receive visitors during working hours.
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DRESS
Appropriate dress is required throughout the library but some departments have more specific requirements. As members of the staff, GAs represent the Libraries and should take care to present a neat and well-groomed appearance. Ask your supervisor for departmental rules.
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ID BADGES
All staff members, including GAs, must wear identification badges while on duty. You should report to Administrative Services (30 Middleton) to have your badge made during your first week of employment.
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REFERENCES
GA supervisors are often asked by potential employers to provide references for present or past GAs. Even when there is little relation between the skills required for your library job and your future career, your library job will provide you with many experiences valuable to other employers. Dependability, ability to work with others, initiative, problem-solving ability, and attention to detail are critical to almost any profession. Don't overlook this valuable resource in your future job hunt.
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OTHER BENEFITS
Because they are classified as full-time graduate students, GAs are ineligible for such benefits as annual leave, sick leave, or staff parking privileges. They receive the benefit of full student status which includes University housing, student programs, and the use of the student health service. Graduate Assistants are entitled to a ten percent discount at the LSU Bookstore upon presentation of a copy of the fee bill. GAs within the LSU Libraries are invited to join the Library Staff Association.
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SERVICE
The LSU Libraries' mission is to provide patrons with the information they need. This is a SERVICE organization. As a representative of the Libraries, you should always make an effort to be courteous and helpful to patrons. If you cannot answer a question, find a staff member who can. Even if you never deal with patrons face to face, remember that the care and accuracy you put into your work will help patrons find what they need. Serving patrons is the most important thing we do.
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CONTACT
For any additional information, contact:
Dawn Zaske, Coordinator, Personnel Services,
295 Middleton Library, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA 70803,
phone: (225) 578-2217, fax: (225) 578-6825, email: dzaske@lsu.edu
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