UAF Graduate School

 

STAFF MANUAL

 

                                                    

Or

 

Everything You Wanted to Know About the UAF Graduate School

But Didn’t Know What Questions to Ask

 

Or

 

How I Can Make My Job Easier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings! 

 

Often, the role of the Administrative Assistant, Coordinator, Executive Secretary, etc. is not clear when is comes to helping graduate students succeed in their academic programs. Hopefully, your department head and/or dean has given you some direction about your responsibilities toward our students. We feel that it is important that you be familiar with the general rules, policies, guidelines, and requirements of our office so that we can give the best service possible to our students.

 

If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

 

Laura Bender, Manager           474-7319         fnleb@uaf.edu

Lillian Misel                            474-5960         fnlaa@uaf.edu

 

UAF Graduate School

3^rd Floor Signers’ Hall

Phone:  907/474-7464

Fax: 907/474-1984

Email: fygrads@uaf.edu

www.uaf.edu/gradsch

 

 

This handbook has been prepared to acquaint you with information, procedures, and policies with regard to our degree programs.  It has been prepared in tandem with the Graduate Student Handbook. Together with the UAF catalog, this handbook will provide you with details about the degree requirements and responsibilities of our students.  Please note that the UAF catalog is the “ultimate authority”.  This handbook does not supercede the UAF catalog.  Please use this as a reference and if you cannot find an answer to a specific question, please do not hesitate to call us.[1]

 

Expectations

            Graduate students are fully responsible for knowing and complying with all of the regulations and requirements for admission to graduate study and for the completion of the graduate degree requirements.  However, students (and faculty) often rely on their assistants/coordinators (you) for guidance and information. For this reason, it would be helpful if you became familiar with the policies and regulations outlined in this manual, the UAF catalog, and on the Graduate School website (www.uaf.edu/gradsch).

 

Department responsibilities

Admissions:

• When a potential student contacts the Graduate School (either by phone or email), we refer them to the specific department so they can get the most complete information about the graduate program they are interested in. Please respond to all requests. The Graduate School does not send out application materials, although we do advise students they can apply online.
• The recommended deadlines to be considered for departmental assistance are February 15^th for fall semester and September 15^th for spring semester. At the latest, applications for graduate school with all supporting documentation should be received by June 1^st for the fall semester and December 1^st for the spring semester. Are your departmental deadlines different? You will want to make sure that any other deadlines prospective students need to meet are well outlined in the information that you give them.
• The application deadline for INTERNATIONAL students is March 1^st for the fall semester and September 1^st for the spring semester.
• A student sends all of the application materials to the Office of Admissions. A graduate application packet includes:
• Graduate application for admission (with a $50.00 fee)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Test results (some departments require the GRE exam, MBA program requires the GMAT). Results of the GRE exam are required for all students whose undergraduate GPA is below a “B” (3.0). If a department decides to waive the GRE requirement the department MUST submit a completed “GRE Exception Waiver” form to the Graduate School.
• Resume/Vitae
• Statement of Academic Goals
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Other materials that may be required by specific departments (e.g. writing sample for creative writing program).

 

• The Office of Admissions sends the completed packet to the departments where they go through the departmental review process. Please track your applications and make sure they are reviewed in a timely manner.  If you notice that a review committee, or department head has been holding on to an application, please find out why and encourage them to complete the process. Each application is a potential student waiting to hear whether or not they have been accepted. If there are mitigating circumstances, please stay in touch with the student and with the Office of Admissions, and keep them abreast of the situation. We have had departments hold on to applications for months (even years…really), and this is unacceptable. (If your office closes for the summer, please make sure all your applications have been reviewed and decisions have been made prior to closing.)
• When a decision is made the “Admission Recommendation for Graduate Applicant” sheet (aka the “Outpending” sheet), needs to be completed and signed by the Dean of the college or school.
• If the applicant is denied, there must be a reason included in the remarks/conditions section.
• If a GRE requirement is requested to be waived a “GRE Exception Waiver Form” must be attached.
• If the application is for an international student, the funding section must be filled out completely.
• If a TOEFL requirement is waived, a completed “TOEFL Waiver Form” must be attached.

 

• The entire application packet with the completed “Outpending” sheet and other required documents (GRE or TOEFL waivers) is sent to the Graduate School (NOT ADMISSIONS), for the Graduate Dean’s approval.
• After the Graduate Dean has signed the outpending sheet, the original and any waivers are given to the Office of Admissions who completes the admissions process. The Graduate School keeps a copy of the outpending sheets, and any waiver forms and then sends the application packet with copies of the signed outpending sheet and other waivers back to the department.

 

Conditional Acceptance

• Qualified applicants can be accepted for admission while enrolled in their last semester at another college. The acceptance is conditional, however, pending receipt of the final transcript indicating satisfactory completion of work in progress and the completion of graduation requirements prior to enrollment at UAF. The Office of Admissions tracks these conditions and will not allow a student to register until this condition has been completed.
• If a department requires that the GRE or TOEFL exam be taken as a condition to being admitted, then the Graduate School will track this requirement for one semester. If a student fails to take the required exam by the start of the semester, they will not be allowed to start classes.
• International Students cannot be admitted conditionally.
• If a department requires that the GRE, TOEFL or other exam or class be taken during the first semester or year that the student is in residence as a condition of acceptance, it is the department’s responsibility to make sure the condition is met. Neither the Office of Admissions, nor the Graduate School will track these kinds of conditions.

 

Postponing Admission

• Acceptance is valid only for the semester that the student applied. If student wishes to postpone admission until a later semester, the Office of Admissions must be notified. If your department receives notification from a student that they wish to postpone their acceptance (and it must be in writing), please forward the request to Libby (fnofe@uaf.edu). The Office of Admissions will then resend a new outpending sheet to the department for approval. If the postponement is approved, the student will receive a new acceptance letter.
• Postponing acceptance is valid for up to one calendar year as long as they have not attended another school outside the University of Alaska system.

 

Assistantships

Types of Assistantships

• Teaching Assistant (TA): a graduate teaching assistant may include lecturing, leading discussion groups, serving as an assistant to laboratory classes, counseling students, proctoring examinations, grading tests and papers, and providing general assistance in the instructional process.
• Research Assistant (RA): a research assistant performs research part-time under the direction or supervision of regular faculty members or supports the research initiatives of the institution.
• Fellows: this category is reserved for students who receive a fellowship, such as a Graduate School Fellowship, NSF Fellowship, or IGERT Fellowship that provides salary and tuition to the student. Fellows who receive a portion of their salary from another source (i.e. a research grant) are still classified as a Fellow.

 

 Work Hours and Employment Restrictions

• Graduate assistantships may be awarded for any number of hours up to 20 hours per week during the academic year. During the summer and school breaks (Christmas, and spring break), graduate students may work up to 40 hours per week.
• Graduate Assistants with a full-time (20 hours a week) assistantship are NOT allowed to work as a part-time instructor, take another student position, or work in any other capacity for UAF or an outside entity, unless an exception is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, through the student’s advisory committee, department chair, and dean, prior to the work being performed. 
• Graduate students MUST BE full-time (9 credits or more) to be eligible for an assistantship; audited classes do not count toward full-time classification. There are no exceptions to this policy.
• Graduate students cannot serve as a principal investigator on an appointment or grant. If a graduate assistant writes a research, service, or instructional proposal that is funded by an external agency, a UAF faculty or staff member must serve as the principal investigator.

 

Tuition Awards (aka Tuition Waivers)

• Only courses directly related to a student’s degree program will be covered by a tuition award (e.g. recreation classes, etc. are not covered). Any exception to this policy must be in writing from the student’s major advisor to the Dean of the Graduate School.
• Teaching assistantships includes a payment of tuition made by the University:
• If the workload is 15-20 hours a week, tuition will cover no more than 10 graduate credits.
• If the workload is 10-14 hours a week, tuition will cover up to 5 graduate credits.
• If the assistantship is for less than 10 hours a week, it does not include a tuition waiver.
• And, the assistantship appointment begins on or before the first day of instruction and ends on or after the last day of final exams for the semester.
• Research assistantships include a payment of tuition by specific grants/contracts:

o      If the workload is 15-20 hours a week, tuition will cover no more than 10 graduate credits.

o      If the workload is 10-14 hours a week, tuition will cover up to minimum of 5 graduate credits.

o      If the assistantship is for less than 10 hours a week, it does not have to include a tuition waiver, although it can if the grant/contract has tuition money available.

 

Stipend Amounts

• The Graduate School sets minimum rates of pay for graduate students. Departments can set their own rates as long as the minimum rates are met.
• Masters student                                                          $11.50/hr
• Ph.D. student before advancement to candidacy
• Without prior masters degree                         $11.50/hr
• With prior masters degree                               $12.60/hr
• Ph.D. student after advancement to candidacy          $13.70/hr

 

[GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP CONTRACT LETTER TEMPLATE]

 

 [Date]

 

[Student Name]

[Address]

 

[Dear]

 

On behalf of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Chancellor Jones, I am pleased to offer you a  [select one:  Teaching  /Research/Teaching and Research] Assistantship in the [College/School/Institute] of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  Under this assistantship your duties will involve                                                                                                                                                                                                        .

 

This [select one:  Teaching/ Research/ Teaching and Research] Assistantship will be effective _________ through ___________ at ______ hours per week paid  $_______________ bi-weekly for the term of the appointment, up to a total stipend amount of $____________.  This assistantship includes a tuition award, but does not include payment of fees [See note to PPAs at bottom of template].  The tuition award will cover only courses directly related to your degree program.  Courses listed on your Graduate Study Plan or Advancement to Candidacy Forms are covered, as are others approved by your Advisory Committee Chair or Dept. Chair. The Graduate School will post the tuition award to your account upon receipt of the signed contract letter and after you have completed full-time registration.

 

This assistantship includes a tuition payment by the UAF for no more than 10 credits to cover three courses during each semester if the workload is 15-20 hours per week.  If the workload is 10-14 hours per week, no more than five credits will be included.  No tuition will be included if the workload is less than 10 hours per week.   To be eligible for a tuition award, your stipend must begin on or before the beginning of the semester and end on or after the last day of final examinations (16 or more weeks).

 

This assistantship and continued support are contingent upon being a full-time graduate student (9 credits per semester), maintenance of satisfactory scholastic standing in a graduate degree program, satisfactory performance of assistantship duties as stated above, progress toward your degree, and availability of funds. If you do not perform the required duties or if you complete or leave the program before the specified end date, your assistantship may be adjusted or terminated immediately. The stipend and/or tuition awarded with this assistantship will be voided or rescinded if, at any time, the eligibility requirements outlined in this contract are not met.  This includes maintaining the minimum enrollment hours required. 

 

Students who receive an assistantship will not be permitted to engage in other remunerative activities and each student is limited to a 20-hour workweek during the academic year.  Requests for exception to this policy should be made prior to employment and submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost, through the chair of your graduate advisory committee, department chair, dean, and director (for RAs if applicable).

 

Any assistantship and continued support are subject to a satisfactory criminal background check at the option of the University and may be canceled upon arrest, indictment, conviction or formal charging of a criminal charge which, in the opinion of the University, creates an unreasonable risk or danger to safety of the University or its students, employees, invitees or the public.  Any falsehood or failure to disclose convictions or other requested information may result in denial, loss or cancellation of assistantships and other benefits, or even of standing as a student. 

 

Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a traffic or juvenile offense? (Yes/ No).  If so, specify the nature of the offense(s), the date(s) they occurred, the name and location of the court(s) and the sentence(s) imposed:    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

If you accept this assistantship, please sign and return this letter and its attached copies within ten days to this office and retain one copy for your records.  If you have any questions, please contact [Department/College/School] at [phone number and/or email address]. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Dean/Director

 

I accept the Graduate [select one:  Teaching/ Research/ Teaching and Research] Assistantship as outlined above. I affirm that the information above (including criminal background) is true and correct and I consent to a criminal background check.

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Signature                                               Date                              Student ID #

 

cc:  Graduate School

 

 

 

 

* [NOTE TO PPAs:  Normally, payment of fees is not part of a research assistantship.  However, when a PI will cover fees in addition to the tuition award, please fill out above exemption/detail code information for both the tuition award and the RA payment of fees.  Provide the total dollar amount to be charged for approved fees.] 

 

 

Helping Students with Registration

New Graduate Students

• New graduate students need to print their registration form at http://uaonline.alaska.edu.
• They need to log in using their student ID number and PIN (birth date)
• They check their registration eligibility under “Registration”
• They review and update their information on UAOnline
• Have student select their courses and complete the registration form
• Student meets with major advisor and goes over coursework.
• Major advisor signs registration form

o    Student turns in registration form at the Office of the Registrar (102 Signers’ Hall) or 194 or 308 Natural Science Facility.

o    Student completes registration on the web according to the web registration instructions.

 

Returning Graduate Students

• Students who have continually registered every semester:
• Returning graduate students do not need to print off their registration form and get it signed by the major advisor. They can go directly to the web and register online.
• Students who have a break in registration:
• If a student did not register in the preceding semester, they may discover that they are unable to register on the web. To fix this, the student or staff should contact the Registrar’s Office and asked to be “re-pinned”. The Registrar’s Office will check to see if the student is in good standing and had been registered for at least 6 credits the prior year.
• If a student did not register for the required six graduate credits per academic year, nor filed a leave of absence form, the student will be required to file a request for reinstatement to graduate school.

 

 

Tuition and Fee Payment

Graduate Students who do not have a tuition award can:

• pay their tuition and fees online at http://uaonline.alaska.edu
• pay by mail (UAF Business Office, PO Box 757640, Fairbanks AK  99775-7640)
• Pay in person during the scheduled fee payment dates.

 

Graduate Students who have a tuition award must:

• bring their tuition award to the Graduate School for processing. Staff (you) or the student can bring their letter to our office in person or can fax it to us. The student must sign it before we can post their tuition. Please do not fax us letters that have not been signed.

• The Graduate School will certify that the student is:
• eligible for the tuition award
• in good standing
• taking only courses relevant to their degree program

• The Graduate School will post the tuition award and payment of fees directly to the student’s account. Any tuition or fees that are not covered can be paid by the student either by paying online at:  http://uaonline.alaska.edu, or by going through fee payment. Our purpose is to eliminate many of our graduate students from having to physically go through fee payment.

 

Academic Standards (from UAF catalog)

Registration requirements

• Full-time graduate students:
• Must be registered for 9 credits – 3 must be graduate credits (600 level)
• Audited courses do not count toward workload
• Graduate students may enroll in up 14 credits without special permission
• Maintaining good standing:
• A graduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Be registered at UAF for at least 6 credits per academic year (fall, spring, summer), in graduate or 400-level courses relevant to the graduate degree, while actively working toward a degree, unless on approved leave of absence.
• Have a current graduate study plan or advancement to candidacy on file with the Graduate School by the student’s second year of graduate study.
• Have on file with the Graduate School by May 15^th of each year an annual report from the graduate advisory committee, certifying satisfactory progress.
• Students must be registered for at least 3 GRADUATE (600 level) credits in the semester in which they plan to graduate.

 

Probation

• Probation in UAF graduate degree programs
• Probationary status indicates a student in not in good standing. When a student is placed on probation, the dean of the school or college and the advisory committee will tell the student what requirements are necessary to be returned to good standing. If a student does not return to good standing by the end of two semesters, the student may be dismissed from the program.   
• Academic Probation
• Students who have a GPA slightly below 3.0 and who have reasonable prospects for achieving a 3.0 GPA will be placed on academic probation, but are allowed to continue in their program.  However, students with a cumulative GPA less than 2.7 after their first year (or 18 credits for part-time students) of graduate study are advised that their chances of successfully completing the graduate program are poor, and that withdrawing is likely their best option.  (A GPA of 2.67 for 18 credits would be the result of 2 C’s and 4 B’s for 6, 3-credit courses).  Students with a GPA less than 3.0 after their second year of graduate study, or after one year of academic probation, whichever is later, will be academically disqualified from the your academic program in which they are enrolled.

 

• Assistantship probation
• A graduate student with a GPA of less than 3.0 for one semester will be allowed to petition to continue as a graduate assistant for the next semester. A maximum of one semester exception will be allowed per student. The student’s advisory committee chair, the department chair, dean and Graduate School Dean must approve the petition by the student.

 

Academic Dismissal

If recommended by the department chair, graduate advisory committee and dean of the college or school, and approved by the dean of the Graduate School, a student will be dismissed because of unsatisfactory performance. Unsatisfactory performance is deemed as one or more of the following:

• Exceeding maximum time limit for degree.
• Not being registered at UAF for a minimum of 6 credits per year unless on approved leave of absence.
• Having less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA for courses taken since admission to graduate school.
• Being on probationary status for more than two consecutive semesters.
• Violating the Student Code of Conduct.
• Lacking progress as judged by the advisory committee and documented on the student’s annual report.
• Having substantive inaccuracies in the original application for admission.

 

Student Paperwork

Required Forms to the Graduate School

• All required forms can be found on the Graduate School’s website: http://www.uaf.edu/gradsch. 
• We recommend that departments make copies of all forms before sending them to the Graduate School.
• Please check to see that all required signatures have been obtained on forms before sending them to the Graduate School.
• Only copies of forms that the Graduate Dean has signed are sent back to the department with her signature (e.g. Advancement to Candidacy, Leave of Absence).
• Faxed signatures are acceptable on all forms (HOWEVER, only original signatures will be accepted on the thesis/dissertation signature page).

 

List of Forms

• Appointment of Advisory Committee Form:  Students should submit the “Appointment of Advisory Committee” form and have an initial meeting with their graduate committee before the end of their first year of enrollment.  At this meeting the committee should discuss the “Graduate Study Plan” (GSP), and agree on its content.
• The Appointment of Advisory Committee form is also used when there has been a change to a graduate student’s committee.
• Annual Report: Students should meet formally with their committee at least once per year and it is required that an “Annual Report” be on file in the Graduate School by May 15^th of each year for a student to remain in good standing.
• Graduate Study Plan:  The Graduate Study Plan (GSP) outlines the curriculum of study and timetable to be followed by the graduate student in meeting graduate degree requirements and must be on file with the Graduate School by the end of their second semester in a UAF graduate degree program.


• Advancement to Candidacy:  Advancement to Candidacy formally establishes the student’s specific degree requirements and it is in the best interest of both the student and the advisory committee that the student applies for candidacy as soon as they qualify. At the latest, the Application for Advancement to Candidacy form must be submitted at least one semester prior to applying for graduation.
• A “Graduate Student Petition” form is used to request any changes to the Advancement to Candidacy once it has been approved.  This form must be sent through the advisor, program head, and dean, to the Office of the Graduate School.

• Report on Examination:  After the completion of any examination (comprehensive exam, thesis defense) the student must submit a “Report on Examination” signed by the committee chair, committee members, the department chair, and Dean (and, for Ph.D. candidates, the outside examiner).  It is the student’s responsibility to see that this form is completed.  However, many departments submit this form on behalf of the student. The original should be sent to the Graduate School. 
• Request for Outside Examiner: All Ph.D. students must submit a request for an outside examiner at least two weeks before an oral comprehensive exam or dissertation defense. Outside examiners are not required for master’s students.
• Leave of Absence: If a student needs to temporarily suspend studies while earning a graduate degree, they must submit an approved Leave of Absence form to the Graduate School.
• Graduate Petition Form: The Graduate Petition Form needs to be used for
• Substituting required catalog courses that are or will be listed on the Graduate Study Plan and the Advancement to Candidacy form.
• Deleting or adding courses to a submitted and approved Advancement to Candidacy form.
• Extension of the time limits for completion of degree.
• Changing research (698) credits to thesis (699) credits or the reverse.

• Reinstatement to Graduate Degree Status: Students who do not meet registration requirements and fail to file an approved leave of absence may request reinstatement to their graduate degree program. A “Reinstatement to Graduate Degree Status” form must be filled out and signed by the appropriate department head, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. There is a $50.00 reinstatement fee that must be paid to the UAF Business Office.

 

Thesis Submission

• Students who have questions regarding formatting their thesis should refer to the “Thesis Format Workbook”. It is on the Graduate School website and all students (and committee members) should be encouraged to read the workbook and attend a Thesis Format Workshop (held twice each semester).
• Students defend thesis or dissertation
• Ph.D. students must submit a “Request for Outside Examiner” form to the Graduate School at least two week prior to the dissertation defense.
• All science related departments should contact Barb Hameister at bhameister@iarc.uaf.edu, to have all thesis/dissertation defenses listed in UAF Weekly Science Calendar.
• Students turn in one copy of completed thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School by the appropriate date.
• Students are required to complete a “Thesis Submission Form” .
• Students collect journal vouchers from department (if applicable).
• The Graduate School pays for the two library copies for Ph.D. students, and we will provide the journal voucher.
•  Student takes the Thesis Submission Form to the UAF Business Office and pays for thesis binding.
• Student brings Thesis Submission Form, any journal vouchers and receipt of payment from UAF Business Office to the Graduate School with at least one signed signature page (which must be on thesis paper with all original signatures), and a copy of the thesis (which is NOT on thesis paper).

• The Graduate School does a format check on thesis and emails a list of any necessary corrections to the student.
• The student makes the corrections, and brings the back to the Graduate School the exact number of copies of the thesis student has requested (on Thesis Submission Form) to be bound. One copy MUST be on thesis paper.
• After the Graduate School receives the copies of the thesis they send a “final clearance” to the Graduation Office. At this point, the student has completed all of the Graduate School’s requirements to graduate.
• When the Graduation Office receives the final clearance paperwork they change the students thesis (699) grades from DF to P in the system.
• Departments must submit a “Change of Grade” form to change any research (698) credits from DF to P. The Graduate School does NOT do these changes.

• The Graduate School sends the copies of the theses to the Rasmuson Library. The library sends the theses to the University of Washington to be bound. This process usually takes 8-12 weeks. The bound copies are returned to the library, who distributes them according to the address(es) that the student put on the Thesis Submittal Form.
• The contact person in the Rasmuson Library is Asha Lal at x7403, fnal@uaf.edu).

 

• Extensions to the published Graduate School thesis submittal deadlines must be requested by the committee chair (not the student) and the committee chair must also confirm that the rest of the committee, the department chair and the school or college dean will adjust their deadlines correspondingly. Note that the Graduate School’s agreement to a deadline extension places no obligation on department chairs or deans to extend; it is up to them. At the Graduate School level, 1-day extensions are usually automatic (but the chair needs to ask). 1-week extensions are often granted but on a first come, first served basis, and 2-week extensions may be granted in special circumstances, but are strictly limited because they require a very quick turnaround for format review. We cannot grant extensions beyond the two-week period.

 

 

 

Student Resources at UAF

There are a variety of resources available to graduate students at UAF.  For hours and information about services provided, students should contact the department directly.

 

Career Services: UAF Career Services provides career counseling, career and graduate school literature, and job search assistance for students, alumni, staff, and faculty.  The staff can critique resumes, cover letters and are available to conduct practice interviews.  A job listings/internships board is available both in the Center and at their website: www.uaf.edu/career

 

Rural Student Services:  Rural Student Servic