Work Responsibilities
A graduate assistantship (GA) includes a work commitment of 20 hours per week. GAs are expected to be present in their assigned work space in the Fritzsche-Gibbs building and available to do any work assigned for 20 hours each week.
Each GA is assigned to a single primary faculty member to whom he/she must report each work day. Each GAs assigned supervisor and primary work tasks are listed on the GA Assignment sheet.
In most cases, GAs are also expected to assist one or more other faculty members with other work tasks besides those assigned by the primary supervisor. GAs should check in with the other faculty members to whom they are responsible each time they report for work.
Work Schedule
GAs on an academic year assistantship work from the start of fall semester (mid-August) through the end of spring semester (mid-May). GAs do not earn sick leave or personal leave, nor are they required to work on student holidays or breaks.
Each GA's work schedule (specific days/times you work) will be decided based on class schedule, the needs of the person(s) supervising them, and GA's personal preferences. Each GA should complete the Graduate Assistant Work Schedule form at the start of each semester, and provide a copy to the faculty supervisor(s) and to the Department secretary, Belynda Brock.
Accounting for Time Worked
During working hours, each GA must sign the in/out sheet in the department office when arriving or leaving the work station. If going somewhere on campus, GAs should sign in/out and indicate destination.
GAs must check in each day with the person(s) supervising them when arriving for work. If the supervising person is not in the office, check in with the Department secretary.
GAs must complete a biweekly time sheet, recording specific work hours each day. Have the timesheet reviewed and signed by the person(s) providing supervision, and turn time sheets in to the Department secretary, Belynda Brock, on Fridays ending each biweekly pay period.
When not able to report for work due to illness, GAs should call their direct supervisor at her/his office number. If not able to reach the supervisor, call the Department secretary at 601 266-5377. GAs should call in either before or by the time scheduled to report for work, unless an emergency prevents this.
Personal Work during Work Hours
When working on university time, the GA's primary responsibility is to complete any work assigned by the departmental supervisor. If all assigned work has been completed, GAs may do personal work, such as coursework, during assigned work hours. This is a privilege extended to GAs that should not be abused by neglecting assigned tasks in order to work on class assignments.
Office Etiquette
Each GA shares work space with other GAs. GAs should be courteous and considerate of each other's needs for privacy and quiet work time. Cell phones should be turned off or kept on vibrate in the work area. When answering a department phone, please answer, "Department of Nutrition and Food Systems, may I help you." Remember that anyone who calls is o customer, and we are here to serve students and others contacting our department. When taking a message please make it complete and readable.
Office Attire
Any office worker, including graduate assistants, should dress appropriately for an office setting. Clothing should be presentable, in good taste, and in good condition. Clothing that is revealing or inappropriate for the workplace is unacceptable. Inappropriate dress may include the following:
- Garments with holes
- Off-the-shoulder tops, tank tops, crop tops, halter tops
- Tops or hip hugger pants that allow midriff to show
- Baggy pants worn below the waist
- Logo T-shirts
- Hats
- Short skirts or shorts
- Sweats
Personal Hygiene
Every student worker should observe good personal hygiene. Good grooming and neatness are expected at all times. Avoid excessive amounts of perfume or cologne - they may harm co-workers with allergies.
Use of Computers and the Internet
GAs share work space and use of computers in the work space with other graduate assistants. When using departmental computers, GAs are subject to the university policy on information technology use and security. This policy can be found at http://www.usm.edu/infosec/policy.php. GAs may use an office computer for personal use only when it will not interfere with someone else completing assigned office work. Since you will not have a single computer for your use only, please do not store any personal files on computers. Use a floppy disk, cd, or flash drive. Do not download programs or games or use instant messenger.
Use of Office Equipment and Supplies
Office equipment and supplies are for the work of the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems. Printing, copying, and faxing should generally be confined to work related documents only.
Pay Schedule
Our assistantships are funded from different funding sources, each of which has a different pay schedule. Rate of pay is the same for all M.S. graduate assistantships in the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems. Some graduate assistants will receive bi-weekly pay checks, whereas others will receive monthly paychecks at the end of each month from September through April.
Performance Evaluation
GA work performance will be evaluated by the work supervisor and the Department Chair. Performance evaluations become a part of the permanent employee file. Keep in mind that potential future employers may be interested in the quality of your work performance here at Southern Miss when you provide your employment history in a future job application.
Teaching Responsibilities
If assigned classroom teaching responsibilities, GAs must review the Handbook for Instruction found on the College of Health website, at http://www.usm.edu/colleges/coh/.