Afro-American Studies Appointment Procedures

Procedures for Appointment/Reappointment of Teaching Assistants In the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies

Eligibility

All regularly enrolled full-time doctoral students, during their first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years in the program, are considered by the Department to be equally eligible for support, either through scholarships, fellowships, Teaching Assistantships, Mentorships or other forms of support. To the extent possible, the Department will support all students at the same level of funding. No student who is not a full-time doctoral student is considered eligible for funding until all full-time doctoral students have been fully funded.

Selection

No ranking or comparison of graduate student performance plays any role in the selection of Teaching Assistants. If a student is in good standing in the program, and is in his or her first through fifth years of study, then he or she is automatically selected to receive a share of such funding as is available. The Department attempts to offer scholarships, rather than Assistantships, to all first-year doctoral students.

Funding

The Graduate Program Director does everything in his power to raise enough money from all sources to support all students at what in this context, but not in real life, is considered full funding. This means an amount equal to whatever the University and the Graduate Student Union determine to be a full Teaching Assistantship stipend.

Assignment

The Chair and Associate Chair, in consultation with members of the Department, determine which courses will require the services of Teaching Assistants, which programs require the services of Mentors, and what other opportunities there are for graduate student support within the Department. Assignments are made in such a way as to meet the pedagogical needs of the program while taking account, insofar as possible, of student preferences. The Chair or Associate Chair keeps students informed of teaching opportunities, and solicits expressions of preference.

Triage

If the Graduate Program Director is unable to raise sufficient funds, from all sources, to provide every eligible student in the program with at least enough support to trigger a waiver of tuition and fees, then the Department will convene and decide what to do. Graduate students will be included in the discussions.