The faculty senate approved a new position on the faculty affairs council and discussed some changes to the graduate student assistant job requirements at their meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Faculty senate vice-chair Terry Grieb introduced a faculty senate handbook revision that would recognize the addition of the vice-provost of faculty as a non-voting member of the faculty affairs council.
This change means that anyone in the position of vice-provost of faculty will automatically be appointed to the faculty affairs council without needing to be voted in like the other members of that council.
Grieb, representing the faculty affairs council explained that this change is meant to create an “open communication line between administration and faculty.”
The motion was voted on and carried with no dissent from any members of the senate.
Jerry McMurtry, the dean of the college of graduate studies, gave an update on changes that are planned for the teaching assistant and research assistant programs on campus.
McMurtry informed the senate that graduate students who are of poor academic standing can no longer serve as graduate assistants.
He introduced a new option for graduate student employment besides teaching assistant and research assistant. This third work position is being called support assistant. Support assistants will be able to work in related academic areas that are not teaching or research, McMurty said.
The amount of time graduate students can work on campus outside of their assistant positions has been set to ten hours a week.
Finally, graduate students must be enrolled full time to serve as a teaching assistant, research assistant, or support assistant.
Liz Brandt, the faculty senate secretary, voiced concerns that she said had been voiced to her by students. Brandt said that that some graduate students who are just starting out or taking difficult courses and working graduate assistant jobs may struggle staying above the 3.0 GPA that is required to remain qualified for those jobs.
McMurtry responded that Brandt’s concern had been talked about when the graduate student council decided to make these changes. He said that graduate students who fall below that line will have a chance then to focus on their classes bring their GPA back up and then reapply for those jobs. He also said that for students on academic probation there will be a method to petition for the opportunity to remain in an assistant position.
Gavin Green can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @gavingreenphoto