Student Employment
Graduate Assistantships
Approximately 1,850 graduate students hold Clemson University appointments. These are of two kinds: (1) graduate assistantships requiring, for the most part, half-time employment and (2) fellowships or traineeships which require no service to the University.
Clemson University, as a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, subscribes to the following policy inherent in the resolution adopted by the Council regarding graduate appointments. In every case in which an appointment for the next academic year is offered to students currently enrolled in or accepted to graduate programs, the student, if acceptance is indicated before April 15, will have complete freedom through April 15 to submit, in writing, a resignation of the appointment in order to accept one elsewhere. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another appointment (at Clemson or elsewhere) without first obtaining a written release from the first party to whom a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer made after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer.
To be eligible for any graduate appointment, a graduate student must satisfy the appropriate minimum enrollment requirement described in each section below and the enrollment limit requirements. The University reserves the right to withdraw the appointment at any time because of failure to meet these requirements. Graduate students also should understand that an appointment may be withdrawn at any time for failure to maintain a satisfactory academic status including grades (see "Academic Standards"), special examinations and research efforts.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) requires that all Graduate Teachers of Record (GTR) have "earned at least 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline, be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, receive regular in-service training and be evaluated regularly" (Section 4.8.4 of the SACS Criteria for Accreditation).
The department chair has the responsibility for determining that the 18-hour requirement is met either through course work or with a memo containing documentation that the graduate assistant meets the requirement as an exception. Graduate School staff will check the GS2 form and/or memo and certify that the 18-hour requirement has been met.
Departmental Graduate Assistantships
Assistantships are available in academic departments involving primarily instruction, research or extension and in nonacademic departments involving primarily administration. Application forms may be obtained from the Graduate School or from department chairs and should be completed and filed as early as possible in the academic year before the student enrolls. Selection of assistantship recipients as well as notification of the appointment, its duration and the stipend are the responsibilities of the employing departments. All graduate assistants are granted partial remission of academic and other fees and enjoy certain other benefits provided for University staff personnel.
- Eligibility. To qualify for a departmental assistantship, the graduate
student must possess at least a bachelor's degree and be enrolled in
a graduate degree program. In addition, the graduate student must devote
10 to 30 hours of service per week to the University and be engaged
in employment that bears a recognizable relationship to his or her
major field of study. Multiple employment of graduate students by the
University (graduate appointment and/or hourly employment) is permitted.
It is the responsibility of the secondary employer to receive permission
of the primary employer and the Graduate School prior to assignment
of any additional work and to ensure that the maximum work load of
30 hours per week is not exceeded. Upper limits on academic loads as
related to hours of service per week are found in the section entitled "Enrollment
Limits."
International graduate students who are interested in receiving an assistantship should submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Written English (TWE) scores. International students seeking graduate teaching assistantships, whose native language is not English and whose secondary education (and beyond) was not taught fully in English, are required to pass the standardized exam, Test of Spoken English (TSE). Specialists in English as a Second Language administer this test at Clemson University after the students have arrived. Prospective international TAs also undergo an interview during which they are evaluated by faculty members in their respective departments. Videotaped oral presentations are utilized in some departments. Successful scores on the test, the interview, and the presentation (if required) are completed before the student can be approved as a teaching assistant.
- Minimum Stipend. The minimum graduate assistantship stipend must
be commensurate with a rate 1.2 times the prevailing federal minimum
wage.
- Minimum Enrollment. A minimum enrollment is required for appointment
as a graduate assistant. During the academic year, the minimum enrollment
is nine semester hours for all graduate assistants. Minimum enrollment
in the summer sessions is three semester hours per session. Undergraduate
credits may be included in the minimum provided they are relevant to
the student's degree program and required by the advisory committee.
Credits in GS 799 may be included in the minimum in unusual cases cleared
in advance with the Graduate School.
- Employment Schedule and Leave without Pay. Graduate students with
9-month or 12-month graduate teaching assistantship appointments work
on the same calendar as faculty with 9-month or 12-month appointments,
respectively. Duties over holiday periods for graduate research assistantship
appointments should be agreed upon in writing by the student and the
immediate faculty adviser in charge of the research program.
A graduate assistant may request up to four weeks of leave without pay per semester and one week of leave without pay per summer session from his or her immediate supervisor for illness of a close family member, death in the immediate family and personal illness or hardship. If leave is not approved by the administrator of the graduate assistantship, the graduate assistant may petition the Graduate School for approval.
A graduate assistant is eligible for up to six weeks of maternity leave without pay. The request for maternity leave must be made to the department at least one month in advance.
Graduate Resident Assistantships
Part-time employment on the program staff of the residence halls is available to qualified graduate students. Preference is given to those who have had a successful undergraduate experience as a residence hall assistant. In general, 20 hours of service per week are required, and compensation for such employment amounts to a room or apartment, partial remission of academic and other fees, and approximately $1,000 per semester. Graduate resident assistants are subject to an enrollment limitation, and the required minimum enrollment is coincident with that of departmental graduate assistants. Interested applicants should apply directly to the Housing Office. A personal interview is required prior to final selection.
Assistantship Appointment Process
All appointments for assistantships (teaching, research, laboratory, administrative and grader) must be processed on the Graduate Assistantship Tuition Remission. All Graduate Administrative and Graduate Extension Assistantships (new and continuing) must be approved by the Graduate School before they are offered to the students. Work assignments for students should be as specific as possible and should be developed to reflect the relationship to the student's academic program. The work to be performed must also be above the paraprofessional level.
Administrative units hiring graduate administrative assistants will need to form a partnership with an academic department or departments. Two signatures will be required: (1) the employing supervisor and (2) the student's academic adviser. The department shall provide a brief description of the expectations of the employer, the anticipated beginning and ending dates, stipend amount, average hours of service per week, work schedule (where appropriate) and the conditions for reappointment, if any. In addition, the assistant must be apprised of the financial penalties that may be incurred regarding academic fees should the assistantship start after the beginning or be terminated before the end of the semester or sessions.
Termination of Assistantships
- Termination of Assistantship by Student. Normally an assistantship
is offered on an annual or on an academic year basis. A student may
terminate an assistantship at the conclusion of a semester or summer
session without penalty. However, if the student terminates his or
her assistantship during a semester, the student may be liable, calculated
on a prorata basis, for the difference between the normal academic
fees and the reduced fees assessed as a result of the assistantship.
If, in the opinion of the immediate supervisor of the assistantship,
the termination was justifiable, the administrator may recommend to
the dean of the Graduate School that no additional charge be made to
the student.
- Termination of Assistantship for Cause. If, in the opinion of the
immediate supervisor of the assistantship, a student is not carrying
out the duties of the assistantship in a satisfactory manner, the assistantship
may be terminated and the student held liable, calculated on a prorata
basis, for the reduction in academic fees assessed as a result of the
assistantship.
The procedure to be followed before terminating an assistantship for cause follows:
The immediate supervisor should first discuss the problem with the student and try to resolve the problem. A record of this conversation is placed in the student's departmental file. If the performance of the student remains unsatisfactory, a signed written warning from the department chair is sent to the student by certified or registered US mail detailing the nature of the problem. The graduate dean shall be notified. If the performance of the student remains unsatisfactory, the department chair gives the student a written notice of termination. At least two weeks should elapse between the written warning and the notice of termination. The graduate dean shall be notified. The student has the right to file a grievance with the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Committee.
- Termination for Academic Requirements. The assistantship may also be terminated
for dropping below the minimum credit hours required as described on this
page or for failure to meet other academic requirements.
- Termination of Assistantship because of Unexpected Loss of Research Funding. A sudden or unexpected loss of external funding may result in a termination of an assistantship. The policy described below will be used to calculate any tuition and fees required by a graduate student. A department chair may request an exception to the policy with appropriate documentation (see Graduate Assistantship Prorata Tuition Policy.)
International Student Employment and Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available to Clemson's international graduate students through instructional and research assistantships. Assistantships are awarded by individual academic departments, and students should contact their departments directly regarding the availability of assistantships. The department will notify the student if and when an assistantship is awarded. Applicants who hope to receive instructional assistantships must submit satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE).
Special employment regulations for international students are determined by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Off-campus employment generally is unavailable to international students during the first academic year and should not be considered as a means of support. Students with F-1 visas may apply to the INS for limited off-campus work authorization after their first year of study. Nonacademic employment opportunities are available on campus on a first-come basis. Applications are made directly to the hiring source upon arrival on campus. No special authorization, beyond a valid I-20, is required. Further information is available in the Office of International Services and Diversity Programs (ISDP), E-303 Martin Hall, telephone +1 864 656 2357.
Hourly Employment
Employment on an hourly basis for a portion of a semester or session is possible in some departments. The maximum credit load is the same as that for graduate assistants found under "Enrollment Limits." Enrolled graduate students (exclusive of full-time University employees) may not be employed by the University for more than 30 hours per week (graduate appointments and hourly employment combined), and no portion of the hourly employment shall be used to qualify students for benefits afforded those on graduate assistantship appointments.
