Graduate Degree Program Description

Master Of Arts, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

Master of Arts Graduate Handbook

Policy Statement Concerning Graduate Associates

Introduction

The Department of NELC employs a number of Graduate Associates (GAs) each year. Since the majority of these GAs serve as instructors of beginning and intermediate courses, this document deals primarily with Graduate Teaching Associates (GTAs). Other appointments, i.e., Graduate Administrative Associates (GAAs) and Graduate Research Associates (GRAs), are dealt with in Section XII. below.

In accordance with the stated policy of The Ohio State University, discrimination against a GA on the basis of race, color, national origin, religious creed, political views, sexual orientation, or handicap is specifically prohibited (See Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities,1979-80).

This policy statement conforms to the Graduate School Handbook (approved by the Graduate Council in 1973 and revised in 1984).
Appointments

Every GTA employed by NELC must be a full-time graduate student and pursuing a graduate degree at The Ohio State University (seven or more hours of graduate credit per quarter). The GTA must be in good academic standing and maintain reasonable progress toward a graduate degree at the time of the appointment, and must have accumulated no more than 260 total quarter hours of graduate credit enrollment at this University.

GTAs who begin appointments in the Autumn Quarter are normally given three quarters of fifty percent appointment. Occasionally, unexpected circumstances make it necessary to offer some seventy-five percent appointments.

Where short-term needs arise, NELC cannot obligate itself to more than one- or two- quarter appointments. In these instances, the short-term nature of the appointment is conveyed in writing to the student. GTAs who have previously held short-term appointments are given strong consideration for positions which are unexpectedly vacated during the academic year.

Every graduate student who is granted an associateship for the full academic year receives a letter of offer. This letter, which is signed by the Department Chairperson, sets the general terms of the proposed appointment--workload, salary, additional training requirements, deadline for acceptance or refusal, etc.

The criteria for selecting new GTAs are the following:
1. Competence in the field or language of instruction
2. Previous academic performance
3. Previous experience in teaching, if any
4. The field of graduate studies which the candidate plans to pursue (Preference is given to candidates pursuing graduate studies in NELC or in programs closely related to Near Eastern, Judaic, and Hellenic languages and literatures, linguistics, foreign language education, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, etc.)
5. Projected needs of NELC and availability of funds
Reappointments

A decision concerning the renewal of a GTA's appointment is made after considering the following factors:
1. Academic performance at The Ohio State University Graduate School
2. Teaching performance as a GTA in NELC
3. The number of quarters the student has served as a GTA in NELC. GTAs working toward the M.A. degree will not be appointed for more than two academic years; GTAs working toward the Ph.D. degree (or toward both a M.A. and Ph.D.) will not be appointed for more than a total of four academic years
4. Projected needs of NELC and availability of funds
The procedure for reappointments, except for deadlines (see Section VI. below), is identical to that of initial appointments (see Section II. above).
Summer Appointments

Because of the limited number of courses offered by NELC in the summer, the Department usually offers a very small number of teaching associateships for the Summer Quarter.

Summer appointments are usually given to experienced GTAs. Therefore, the selection of candidates for summer appointments is made according to the criteria stated in Section III. above.

No letters of offer are issued for summer appointments.
Early Termination of Appointments

The following reasons may cause early termination of a GTA's employment:
1. The GTA is no longer enrolled as a full-time graduate student at The Ohio State University
2. The GTA is registered for fewer than seven graduate credit hours
3. Mutual agreement between the GTA and NELC
4. Incompetent teaching or grave neglect of duties
5. Lack of funds
6. Cancellation of classes due to lack of student enrollment
Deadlines

Letters of offer for initial GTA appointments are usually sent sometime during the latter part of spring quarter for the next academic year. In rare cases (such as late admission of a student to the Graduate School or a GTA position which is created late because of unexpected needs, etc.), letters of offer for initial appointments are made during Summer Quarter.

Letters of offer for the renewal of current GTA appointments are usually issued during the Spring Quarter.

Notices to current GTAs whose appointments will not be renewed for the next academic year are given during the spring quarter. Reasons for non-renewal are also given at that time. During the two weeks following the notice of non-renewal the GTA has the right to initiate an appeal regarding this decision to the Chairperson (Cf. Section XI. below).

A student who receives a letter of offer for a new appointment or for reappointment for the following academic year, and who agrees to the terms set in that letter, must send a written letter of acceptance. The letter of acceptance should reach NELC no later than one calendar week after receipt of the letter of offer.
Stipends

Stipends are determined according to the GTA's level of teaching experience. The stipend is specified in the letter of offer.

In addition to the stipend, the GTA's general and instructional fees and out-of-state tuition (if applicable) are waived for quarters in which the appointment is in effect, and for the summer quarter for graduate students who held GTA appointments during the preceding autumn, winter, and spring quarters, but who do not hold an appointment for the summer quarter.
Workload

Most GTAs in NELC hold fifty percent appointments. A GTA assigned to teach a course in NELC usually has full responsibility for its conduct, subject to supervision by the appropriate faculty coordinator. Generally, this responsibility includes not only teaching in the classroom, but also attending staff meetings, daily preparation for class, grading and returning papers on schedule, holding office hours, submitting final grades, and performing other tasks incidental to teaching a university course. A GTA holding a fifty percent appointment is expected to invest a total of twenty hours per week in performing these duties.

NELC assumes that a GTA's teaching appointment and study load constitute a full-time occupation. The Department also assumes that involvement in any additional work will eventually have a negative effect on the GTA's performance as a teacher and/or student.
Facilities

Each GTA is provided with a desk and chair, file space, mailbox, and access to a typewriter, office duplicating equipment, and a telephone.
Evaluation of Teaching Performance

The GTA's teaching performance is evaluated in two ways:

Class observation--classes taught by GTAs will be visited by the coordinator for the appropriate course area or by any other faculty member assigned by the Chairperson. The coordinator will then discuss the teaching performance with the GTA and make recommendations for improvement, if necessary.

Student evaluation--NELC strongly encourages its GTAs to allow their students to evaluate their teaching, since class observation alone cannot yield a true picture of the GTA's teaching performance.

The coordinator will file a written report at the end of every quarter (except the summer quarter) on the performance of the GTA.
Grievance Procedures

In the case of grievances involving GTAs, the following procedures will apply:

The GTA will discuss grievances with the appropriate coordinator and try to resolve the problem.

If the grievance cannot be resolved, the GTA and the coordinator will attempt to resolve the problem in consultation with the Chairperson.

If a resolution cannot be found after taking the aforementioned steps, the Graduate School's grievance procedures will apply (see the section "Grievance Procedures" in Section 11-8 of the Graduate School Handbook).
Graduate Administrative and Graduate Research Associates

Appointments of GAAs or GRAs are subject, where relevant, to the aforementioned employment policies. Additional qualifications for such appointments are determined by the appropriate administrative or research supervising faculty member. The work load and stipend of GAAs and GRAs are comparable to those of GTAs and will be specified in the letter of appointment.

The experience gained by GAAs and GRAs in administration and research, respectively, should contribute to their academic growth.

NOTE: All of the procedures, conditions, and stipulations outlined above are general in aspect. Contact Stafford Noble, Graduate Program Coordinator, for further information.