Work assignments for students should be clear and specific and should reflect a relationship to the student’s academic program. Duties to be accomplished by any graduate assistant must be agreed upon in writing by the student and the faculty advisor (or supervisor).

At no time may a graduate assistant receive academic credit for the work assigned for the assistantship. Supervisors should make a clear distinction between the work to be performed for the assistantship and the work being performed toward completing the degree. For example, it would be unusual for time spent completing class assignments to be part of the duties of an assistantship. Hours spent on thesis or dissertation research would not routinely be considered part of assistantship duties unless the research and the assistantship are part of an externally funded research project and that research directly supports the work of the project.

Where duties require students to work outside the hours typically expected according to the appropriate University calendar (e.g., nights, weekends, holidays), the appointment letter should specifically describe these expectations.