Task Force FAQs

FAQs regarding the 205 Graduate School funded GA’s, i.e. “positions”

2. Were any new positions provided?

Additional money was not provided to create new graduate assistantships, but rather to increase stipends in GA lines centrally managed by the Graduate School.

4. I know there are centralized GA funds going to the colleges, but what has changed?

Historically, the Graduate School transferred money for the centrally supported GAs to the Colleges in a lump sum. Beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, each of the 199 centrally funded GAs have a unique position number that supervisors will enter in eGA with a Graduate School fund code, and the Graduate School will individually review and approve each position. Key Takeaway: Stipend dollars for these centrally funded GAs will no longer transferred to the academic Colleges but managed in the Graduate School.

6. What do you mean by GA position?

Unique to the administration of the 199 centrally funded GA positions next year is that each graduate assistantship has been assigned a unique position number and MAY be afforded certain fringe benefits (resident tuition and health insurance), as long as the position is funded at the baseline compensation, is for 20h/wk, for the academic year, and has one supervisor (each semester).

8. What about in academic year 2020-2021 (FY21)?

Beginning in 2020-21, the 199 centrally funded GA positions must follow the model outlined in #6 above.

10. What is the baseline compensation for a centrally funded GA position?

The baseline compensation for centrally funded GAs is $18,500 for doctoral students and MARCH students, and $14,000 for master’s students; the GAs may be topped-off to provide a higher stipend with another fund.

12. What happens if the student holding the position leaves or resigns the position?

If a student with a position graduates, or otherwise leaves the University, that position can be re-allocated to a different student in January. If it is not used by the program for a semester, the funds remain with the Graduate School and are not available for other uses that semester.

14. How are GA positions assigned to faculty?

This is still up to the program faculty (and the graduate program director), however this new model may require a shift in how faculty are awarded GAs to assist them. A competitive process may be necessary to determine which faculty member has a GA so that the effort by the student is sound. As a reminder, following is the definition of a graduate assistant as outlined on the Academic Affairs, Office of the Provost, website:

The goal of graduate education is transformation of the student into a professional and/or a scholar, and graduate assistantships at UNC Charlotte are conceived to facilitate this transformation. Whether the assistantship duties are performed in the classroom, the laboratory, or a University office, they provide valuable experience in teaching, research, or administration that is an integral part of the student’s graduate education. The major goal of the assistantship is two-dimensional: to promote the student’s progress toward a graduate degree and to provide additional resources to accomplish the mission of the University.

Graduate assistants receive financial support for their contributions to the teaching, research, and service missions of the University. However, the quality of their supervision, the kind of work they are assigned to do, and the outcomes expected of them distinguish graduate assistants from other employees–even those of the same educational background who receive similar pay.

The University makes a commitment to students supported through assistantships — regardless of the source of the funding. A part of this commitment involves maintaining the synergistic relationship between the student’s studies and assistantship responsibilities. Because these activities must be mutually reinforcing, the student’s supervisor has the responsibility both to assure that assigned duties contribute to the student’s graduate education and to guide the assistant through the assigned duties.

16. Is there a time limit for the duration that a student can hold one of the 199 Graduate School administered positions?

Five years for a Ph.D .student, and generally two years for a master’s student.