Graduate Teaching Assistant Employment Policy
The Office of Summer, Winter and Special Programs (OSWSP) has established the following policies and procedures for those academic departments that wish to hire Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) during summer and/or winter sessions. During the summer and/or winter sessions, GTAs on a 10-month assignment are eligible to work for the University up to an additional 20 hours per week beyond the 20 hours associated with their assistantship. However, employment may not exceed 40 total hours per week. Any exceptions must have the prior approval of the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. To request an exception, please complete the following form: Request for Additional On-Campus Employment for a Graduate Assistant.
Please review the GTA policies below and then submit your TA information using the new web-based GTA Employment Reimbursement Form. If you have any questions or need assistance, please submit a RT ticket to RR-Scheduling-SW.
GTA Overview
- GTAs are hired during summer and/or winter session only when there is an obvious pedagogical need to substantiate hiring additional personnel for a particular course, typically high enrollment courses or courses with justifiable instructional support requirements.
- OSWSP will provide GTA salary rates to academic departments prior to the start of the summer and/or winter session.
- GTAs assigned to specific courses are contracted and paid by their academic departments based on standard GTA salary rates.
- GTA salaries are included in the total instructional expenses of the course (which will lower the department’s net tuition distribution for the course).
- OSWSP will reimburse academic department at the end of the session for GTA salaries and benefit expenses.
- The Department Chair must approve all GTA course appointments before the start of the session.
- The Dean of the College may review all GTA course appointments.
GTA Appointments
- GTA appointments are based on academic status (master’s level student or Ph.D. student) from the preceding semester, and the weekly number of work hours required to support the course
- Graduate Assistants may be appointed for full- or part-time during the summer, the number of hours worked for a course will vary based on the length of the term the course is offered in. It is the department’s responsibility to assign hours based on the length of the class.
- Academic departments are responsible for issuing employment contracts to GTAs, and ensuring that employment obligations are met.
GTA Appointment Forms
- Academic departments are required to complete the new web-based GTA Employment Reimbursement Form with the required information.
- All forms must be submitted no later than the first day of summer session.
- At the end of the summer and/or winter session, OSWSP will review and confirm all GTA appointments submitted. Once confirmed, reimbursements will be processed. The cost of a GTA’s salary will be included in the total instructional expenses of the course. GTA’s should only be assigned to high enrollment courses or courses with justifiable instructional support requirements.
GTA Tuition Remission
- GTAs are eligible for tuition remission for a maximum of three UMBC course credits during the summer or winter session in which they are employed as GTAs.
- Inter-institution courses (INTR) taken at other campuses are not eligible for tuition remission.
- Academic departments are responsible for initiating the tuition remission process and forwarding tuition remission forms to the OSWSP for approval and account verification.
- GTA’s employed as “the instructor of record” (and paid at the instructor rank) during summer and/or winter are NOT eligible for tuition remission benefits in that session.
Updated 4/2015, Office of Summer, Winter & Special Programs