Assistantships and Fellowships

Graduate assistantship evaluation methods

The responsibilities of graduate assistantships and the performance evaluation method should be provided in writing to the student by the immediate supervisor at the beginning of the assistantship. An appeal process is available for students in graduate assistantships who assert they have not been fairly evaluated.

Conducting evaluations

The faculty or staff member who supervises the work of the student holding the graduate assistantship must conduct a written evaluation of the student’s performance at least once a year and provide a copy to the student and to the chair/director of the program or department for placement in the student’s file. This evaluation is separate from the annual review of student academic progress and should take the following criteria into account:

• Prompt, efficient, and accurate completion of assigned tasks.
• Independent work.
• Analysis and problem solving.
• Adequate evaluations by students for instructional and tutoring assignments in courses, laboratory, and clinical settings.
• Cooperation with mentor, director, and other assistants.
• Professional and ethical behavior in all assigned tasks and duties, including course studies and research.

Opportunities for improving performance should be outlined.

Equal treatment

The University of Missouri  is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Evaluation of student performance in a graduate assistantship must not be influenced by race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is also prohibited. In addition, evaluations must not be influenced by a student’s exercise of First Amendment freedoms of expression and association.

The academic freedom of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) is not necessarily coextensive with that of faculty. GTAs are engaged in supervised teaching or instruction activities. Supervisors are responsible for defining the nature, scope, and manner of instruction for each course. Supervisors should communicate the extent to which GTAs have discretion to introduce additional material, and GTAs should follow supervisors’ instructions. GTAs may not be penalized for expressing their own views on matters within the scope of the course, provided they adequately represent these views as their own.

Renewing assistantships

An assistantship without a fixed term specified in the initial letter of offer may, at the discretion of the academic program, be renewed if the following criteria are met:

• Funding is available
• Academic program guidelines for the funding duration or limited semesters of support of a student are met.
• The student is making satisfactory academic progress, with a GPA not less than 3.0.
• The student’s assistantship performance is judged by their supervisor to be satisfactory.
• The student’s professional and ethical behavior in all assigned tasks and duties — including course studies and research — is judged to be satisfactory.

If the renewal falls within number of years of funding specified in the initial letter of offer and the five criteria listed above have been met, the assistantship must be renewed.