At the start of each semester, the graduate student employee should establish working hours with the work supervisor. For the graduate student, flexible work hours are both a necessity and a privilege, and should not be abused. Graduate students do not punch a time clock and are expected to be highly task-oriented. The terms one-half, three-quarter, and full-time graduate assistantships designate a minimum of 20-, 30-, or 40-hour workweeks, respectively. A reality of graduate studies is that at times, all students work more than the minimum time. They also occasionally work at night, on holidays, and on weekends to effectively conduct a research project or to complete their coursework.
As part-time employees, students are not eligible for benefits such as accrual of annual (vacation) or sick leave. Thus, excused sick and personal absences are a departmental courtesy. Personnel management policies include the granting of time for graduate student recreational and personal activities, provided this does not interfere with the student’s academic and/or research responsibilities. Graduate students should schedule any absences with their major professor and/or work supervisor to ensure that their absence will not conflict with their research or teaching activities. Holidays are established and annually published by the administration. Student employees on salary may observe the same holidays as other University personnel. Graduate student employees are to notify the Department Office when they are required to be absent due to illness or personal tragedy.