Purpose:  The primary purpose of graduate assistantships is to provide students with professional experience and the necessary financial resources to attend a graduate educational program and play a sustained role in research. This policy establishes the administrative processes for graduate assistantships as well as institutional requirements and expectations for work conditions and conduct.

Definitions:

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA): A graduate student who is engaged in research under a faculty member’s supervision in the course of obtaining a degree.

1. Qualifications and Student Status
   1. Appointment of GRAs
      1. Graduate Research Assistantships are expressly offered to qualified students by an academic department. GRA positions do not need to be advertised.
         1. Every Graduate Research Assistant must be under the guidance of a full-time SKC Faculty       member who assumes responsibility for assignment, direction, and evaluation of the research and related work  for which the GRA receives compensation.
         2. The length of the graduate research assistant position cannot exceed twelve (12) months. The graduate research assistant position may be expressly renewed annually pending satisfactory performance, adequate degree progress, and availability of funding.
      2. A GRA must be a registered graduate student who is:
         1. Enrolled in at least 6 credits in a degree program at Salish Kootenai College during each academic term that they hold GRA positions (Summer excepted).
         2. Demonstrating satisfactory progress toward a Master’s Degree.
         3. Maintaining a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0.
         4. GRA support ends when a student has graduated from SKC with a Master’s degree.
      3. GRAs will receive a  position description that describes position responsibilities.
      4. GRAs are subject to all college policies and procedures.
   2. Student Expectations
      1. GRAs must maintain continuous enrollment and satisfactory academic status to maintain their assistantship.
      2. GRAs must meet minimum working hours established by the department and provided in their position description within the following limits: a maximum of 20 hours per week on average during academic terms and no more than 39 hours per week during Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks.
      3. All research-related data and results and work products are the intellectual property of SKC and the GRA must request permission from their primary advisor and other SKC   collaborators to present or share outside of the College. Such permissions do not pertain to data published in the student’s thesis/project or a recognized professional publication or that appear in an unrestricted and curated public data source.
      4. GRAs will fulfill the responsibilities stated in their student position description.
      5. GRAs have the right to academic freedom to discuss ideas, knowledge, and criticism freely, but are required to understand and respect requirements governing data sovereignty, intellectual property, individual or institutional collaborative arrangements, and formal processes of institutional and tribal review. C.   Time Limits
2. Administration of Graduate Assistantships
   1. Funding
      1. The source(s) used to fund a graduate assistantship must be under the control of the College and judged by the College to be appropriate for assistantship support.
      2. The budgeted components of a graduate assistantship must include college-designated stipend as well as fringe costs for part-time employees.
   2. Evaluations of GRAs will follow college and department evaluation policies and procedures.
3. IV.  Wages and Compensation
   1. Compensation
      1. Graduate Research Assistants are paid a stipend according to the terms and conditions stated on the Graduate Research Assistant Agreement.
      2. GRAs may be supported by additional funding to defray costs of tuition and/or fees when available grant or other funds specifically provide for this. Tuition and fee payments should be itemized in proposals and grant budgets as a separate line item from the GRA stipend.
      3. GRAs are exempt from overtime pay and are not eligible for college-sponsored employee benefits such as health care.
      4. Graduate Research Assistantships may be terminated if the Assistantship is grant-funded and the grant ends for any reason
4. IV.  Outside Employment
   1. A GRA cannot work for the College in any other capacity during the periods for which they receive GRA compensation.
   2. GRAs are expected to devote their time to their students and their assistantship. While the College can not prohibit outside employment, GRAs holding outside employment must avoid the appearance conflict of interest in business relationships, research activities, intellectual property, and use of college resources, materials, and activities. Such conflicts of interest may result in termination of GRA support.

History: 

Adopted: Policy has been in place prior to April 2025
Revised:
Reviewed: