Graduate Assistants
Step 1:
The student applies for a graduate assistantship through the hiring department.
- A copy of the application can be found at
http://www.westga.edu/assetsDept/graposting/APPLICATION_FOR_GRADUATE_ASSISTANTSHIP(3).pdf
Step 2:
The department makes the decision to hire a student as a GA, GRA, or GTA. The department completes the PAR and other required paperwork and sends it to the Dean’s Office.
- For GAs and GRAs
- At this point the department is offering the position -- The faculty supervisor gives the student an Initial Hiring Packet for GRAs & GAs* along with instructions to go to HR to fill out the I-9 form. They must bring appropriate ID documents (see the Acceptable Lists of Documents Page 5 of this form. For information on the I-9 click Here.)
- The department submits a PAR (include Chantrice above the "Initiated By" field)
- The department retains the forms in the Initial Hiring Packet for GRAs & GAs as indicated on the forms.
- The PAR is forwarded by the Dean's Office to Jessica Wiggins in Financial Aid
- For GTAs
- At this point the department is offering the position -- The faculty supervisor gives the student an Initial Hiring Packet for GTAs** along with instructions to go to HR to fill out the I-9 form. They must bring appropriate ID documents (see the Acceptable List of Documents Page 5 of this form. For information on the I-9 click Here.) This information will also be included in GTA notification from Chantrice.
- The department submits a PAR (include Chantrice above the "Initiated By" field) along with the Initial Hiring Packet for GTAs (the department retains the Assistantship Acceptance Form and the Privacy Agreement for their own records as indicated on the forms)
- The PAR is forwarded by the Dean's Office to Jessica Wiggins
- Documents in the Initial Hiring Packet for GTAs are forwarded by the Dean's Office to Alicia Hargraves
- The department submits Official Transcripts (Dean's Office forwards to Alicia Hargraves)
- The department submits a Vita (Dean's Office forwards to Alicia Hargraves
- Budget documents - Budget Transfers (and copies of Critical Hires if necessary) - are routed to:
- Budget if the Department or the Dean’s Office is funding the hire
- Lucretia if the Provost is funding the hire
- Patty Jiles if Honors is funding the hire
- Budget documents - Budget Transfers (and copies of Critical Hires if necessary) - are routed to:
Step 3:
Jessica Wiggins confirms the student’s eligibility (e.g., enrollment hours and GPA), sends the PAR to the Budget Office, and submits the student’s name to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office (Donna Haley) applies the tuition reduction and notifies the Bursar’s Office of the tuition reduction.
Step 4:
The Budget Office processes the Hiring PAR and sends it to Payroll. This step may take approximately one week.
Step 5:
Jessica Wiggins notifies PAR initiator and Chantrice that the student has been processed in Payroll.
Step 6:
Chantrice Copeland generates the Graduate Assistantship Notification and mails it to the student.
Step 7:
The student reports for work to the hiring supervisor in the hiring department.
*The Initial Hiring Packet for GAs & GRAs includes two forms:
- The Assistantship Acceptance Form (retained in the department)
- The Privacy Agreement (retained in the department)
**The Initial Hiring Packet for GTAs includes six forms:
- The Security Questionnaire
- The Authorization Form for Consumer Reports
- The Banner Form
- The Verification of Qualifications Form
- The Assistantship Acceptance Form (retained in the department)
- The Privacy Agreement (retained in the department)
- Official Transcripts