Plant Biology Appointment Procedures

APPOINTMENT AND RE-APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES FOR TAs AND RAs IN THE PLANT BIOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM

a) Requests by graduate students for funding

PB students supported by TAs receive them from the Biology or Plant and Soil Sciences Departments. Students request funding through the Plant Biology Program Director. Once students have joined a permanent research lab, they are generally supported by RAs. These appointments are approved by the PIs home department. Criteria by the PI varies from each lab depending on the scientific nature of the project.

b) Deciding who will receive funding

The Biology Department Chairs (or faculty designate) will inform the PB Program Director of the target number of PB students expected to be funded by Biology TAs. The notification will be sent out in June for the subsequent Fall semester and in November for the Spring semester. Target numbers are based on agreements negotiated at the time the Program was established. The PB Program Director informs the Biology Chair of the students he/she wishes to receive TA support. For the TA in Plant and Soil Sciences, the PB Director requests funding directly from the Department Chair for the Fall semester.

c) Notifying people they will receive funding

The respective Department Chairs review the names submitted by the PB Program and informs the PB Director of TA appointments. The Program then notifies the students directly.

d) Posting of job possibilities

The PB Program notifies students of available job possibilities.

e) Assignment of TAs to courses

Approximately two weeks before the start of each semester, the Biology Chair sends a notice of specific courses needing teaching support and asks the PB Program Director to select TAs from the roster of students being appointed. Students are also notified of available courses and request their preference for specific Biology TAs or the Plant and Soil TA. Students are consulted to make the best matches of instructor to class assignment. Based on the results of these selection processes, the Department Chair matches the wishes of the instructors and TAs as much as possible and circulates tentative assignments. If problems arise with an assignment, an attempt to correct the difficulty is made.