10. Expectation and Responsibilities of Graduate Associates/Assistants
Students serving as graduate assistants in the School of Music carry the title Graduate Associate. They are classified by the University as Graduate Student Employees. In accepting the appointment as a Graduate Associate, the student becomes an integral part of the School’s professional personnel. As such, they are obligated to support the standards and policies of the School and University. Furthermore, Graduate Associates must uphold the General Expectation of Baylor Students and Professional Conduct policy statements under sections 3.1 and 3.2 above.
The attitude, appearance, and conduct of Graduate Associates are expected to be on a high professional level. Inappropriate conduct—including, but not limited to, fraternizing with students under their supervision, failing to follow the faculty supervisor’s instructions or perform assigned tasks satisfactorily, being tardy or absent for assigned duties, or exhibiting disrespectful or other inappropriate behavior toward students, staff, or faculty—will trigger the disciplinary procedures described in section 11 below and will be treated very seriously by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.
Renewal of the Graduate Associate appointment and its accompanying stipend and tuition scholarship for subsequent semesters is dependent upon adequate academic performance and progress in the degree major while maintaining an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0, satisfactory performance of assigned duties, and appropriate professional behavior. Through the procedures described in sections 3.6 or 11, Baylor may terminate the Graduate Associate appointment and its accompanying stipend at any time for unsatisfactory performance of duties, for misconduct, or for poor academic performance.
Graduate Associates must be enrolled in full-time status as defined by the School of Music in section 3.4 above. Tuition remission for Graduate Associates covers all graduate coursework required for the degree.
MM Graduate Associates typically will be assigned 12 hours of work duties per week with faculty in the School of Music; doctoral students or holders of endowed positions might be assigned up to 15 hours per week. The pay period for stipends begins the first day of classes each semester. To earn the full stipend amount, all hours must be worked and reported each biweekly pay period throughout each semester.
Graduate students receiving a stipend must have an I-9 Form on file in the Office of Student Employment as required by the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration, and Naturalization Service before they can receive a stipend/paycheck. The student must present proper identification: (1) a valid passport, or (2) a U.S. state-issued driver’s license with a photograph and an original Social Security card.
The duties of Graduate Associates will vary depending upon the requirements of the area in which the position is awarded. Responsibilities may include assisting faculty with teaching or research, classroom or private teaching, tutoring, accompanying, grading, staffing labs, office or recording studio work, etc. Graduate Associates may not serve as Teachers of Record until their second year unless they previously have completed 18 hours of graduate study or are majoring in pedagogy and have prior teaching experience. With the exception of special events such as off-campus concerts approved by the School of Music, work duties should not conflict with the Graduate Associate’s regularly scheduled classes, and supervisors should not expect regularly scheduled classes to be missed in order to perform work duties.
If Graduate Associates have concerns about the type or amount of work they are being asked to perform, whether too much or too little, or about class conflicts created by their work schedule, they should first address those concerns with the faculty supervisor. If a satisfactory resolution is not found, then the Graduate Associate is encouraged to bring those concerns to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.