Guidelines for Writing Graduate Assistant Job Descriptions

Title: Provide a "title" for the position that is descriptive of where and what the graduate assistant will be doing. If there are multiple graduate assistantships with the same responsibilities, indicate the number of such positions after the title.

Terms: Indicate (1) whether the assistantship position you are describing is for a full-time (20 hour per week) or half-time (10 hour per week) position; (2) the typical beginning and ending date for the position; (3)whether you would intend this position (if half-time) to be offered to a full-time or part-time student; and (4) if part-time, provide a rationale for offering an assistantship to a part-time student.

Responsibilities: Describe the types of responsibilities that this assistant will be asked to carry out, with an indication about what percentage of time will be given to each area of responsibility. Discuss how you expect this assignment to enhance and/or expand the student's academic experience and/or how it will build on advanced skills of a graduate student.

For clerical and administrative assignments in particular, indicate how this position and these responsibilities benefit the student educationally. Graduate assistantship positions are not intended to provide primarily clerical support.

Qualifications: List the type of skills and prior academic and work experiences desired. Note that admission to a master's degree program at GVSU is a prerequisite for a graduate assistantship.

If there are advanced skills required, please describe them. Describe other skills that are desired, even though not required.

Indicate which graduate students are eligible for consideration (e.g., will it be made available only to your own program or a single program, if applicable, or is it open to students from a number of programs?)

Work Station: Describe briefly where the graduate assistant will work/ the work station: the facilities/space/computers that your unit provides to this graduate assistant in order for her/him to complete the assigned responsibilities. If multiple students must share the same workstation, address how that is handled, so that each student has sufficient access to an a workstation to carry out the terms of their appointment and their responsibilities (10 or 20 hours per week).

Orientation: Describe briefly how you orient supervisors to their responsibilities with graduate assistants and the types of factors you cover in an orientation for graduate assistants. When will students be expected to undergo orientation. How will their performance be evaluated.

Supervision: Include information on how the graduate assistants are supervised, how this supervision contributes to their graduate education, how frequently they receive performance guidance and reviews, and how is their performance assessed.

Contact Information:

Name of primary contact

Title, phone, e-mail

Name of secondary contact

Title, phone, e-mail

Selection Process:

Attach a description of the application process; materials required such as application form, reference letters, resume, brief description of how GA applicants will be screened (Graduate Coordinator, Graduate Committee; is it based on the application materials only or is there also an interview process).