Neuroscience & Behavior Appointment Procedures

APPOINTMENT AND RE-APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES FOR TAs AND RAs IN THE NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR GRADUATE PROGRAM

a) Requests by graduate students for funding

NSB doctoral students supported by TAs (usually first-year students) typically have TAs in the Psychology or Biology Departments. Students request funding through the NSB Graduate Program Director. Second-year students and beyond join a permanent research lab and, whenever funding is available, their funding is expected to come from that research group. When funding is not available from the advisor, priority for TAs is given to students in the first four years of graduate school. RA appointments are processed by the NSB Program Manager.

b) Deciding who will receive funding

The Psychology and Biology Chairs (or faculty designate) will inform the NSB Graduate Program Director of the ‘target’ number of Program students expected to be funded by Psychology and 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 NSB Program was established. The NSB Graduate Program Director informs the Psychology and Biology Chairs of the names of students he/she wishes to have TA support.

c) Notifying people they will receive funding

The respective Department Chairs (or their designates) review the names submitted by the NSB Program Director and inform the Graduate Program Director of TA appointments. The NSB Program Director transmits the information to the students concerned.

d) Posting of job possibilities

The NSB Graduate Program lets its students know of job possibilities.

e) Assignment of TAs to courses

Approximately 2 weeks before the start of each semester, the Psychology and Biology Chairs send a notification of instructors needed from the NSB Program and asks the Program Director to select TAs from the roster of students being appointed. Students who need TA support may be consulted to make the best matches of instructor to class assignment. Based on the results of these selection processes, the Psychology and Biology Chairs (or faculty designate) match the wishes of the instructors and TAs as far as possible and circulate tentative assignments. If problems arise with an assignment, an attempt to correct the difficulty is made.