Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)
Graduate students at Nipissing University may be offered a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) as part of their funding package in a given academic year. GTAs are assigned internally through the School of Graduate Studies and the corresponding graduate program. Note that funding packages change from year to year. One year, a student may have a GTA and the next they may not.
Working under the supervision of the course instructor, Graduate Teaching Assistants provide valuable contributions to undergraduate teaching at Nipissing University while also giving the opportunity to share their knowledge in their area of expertise. Being a Graduate Teaching Assistant offers students meaningful professional development and work experience in teaching, facilitation, supervision, and evaluation.
Some duties of GTAs may include:
- Leading undergraduate course discussions, tutorials, or labs
- Participating in teaching an undergraduate course
- Assisting in undergraduate student evaluation and assessment
- Proctoring exams
- Conducting field trips
- Learning how to use various teaching software and tools such as Blackboard
- Mentoring undergraduate students and enhancing their learning experience
Eligibility and Requirements:
- Only full-time graduate students within their time to completion window are eligible to hold a GTA position at Nipissing University.
- GTA positions are for a maximum of 10 hours per week (see the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies' Principles for Graduate Study at Ontario's Universities).
- GTAs are considered employment income by the university and tax deductions are made at source.
- A T4 will be issued for tax purposes.
Graduate Research Assistantships are separate from Graduate Teaching Assistantships.
Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)
GRAs support academic research at Nipissing University. Research assistantship support is administered by Research Services, the School of Graduate Studies and by faculty members who hold research grants or externally funded research contracts.
All graduate assistantship work is considered to be diversionary from the student's main MRP or Thesis research, and therefore graduate students are limited to a maximum of 10 hours of GTA/GRA work per week while enrolled in a full time program of studies (see The Principle of Timely Completion formerly known as "The 10 Hour Rule").
These payments are considered employment income by the university and tax deductions are made at source. A T4 will be issued for tax purposes.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships are separate from Graduate Research Assistantships.