Most Biology graduate students serve as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) for courses taught and supervised by Biology faculty. Doctoral students are required to serve as GTAs for at least two semesters. In contrast, M.S. students have no GTA requirement, but may wish to serve as GTAs. Some graduate students hold Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) positions to provide research support in funded laboratories.
GTAs are an essential part of the teaching mission of the Department of Biology. Nearly all laboratory sections are prepared, taught, tested, and graded by GTAs under the direct supervision of faculty and supervisory staff. For entry level courses (100 and 200 level), a course supervisor (typically a faculty member) holds weekly prep meetings that provide instructions for lecture delivery and the management of laboratory activities. In upper-level courses (300 and 400 level), the GTA is supervised by the faculty member teaching the course.
All GTAs are responsible for meeting job expectations in a professional manner. These responsibilities are typically specific to the course and may include but are not limited to:
- Preparing for laboratory exercises carefully and as instructed by the supervisor.
- Arriving on time for class, delivering a well-prepared lecture, and providing clear instructions to the students.
- Maintaining a positive and helpful demeanor with students and coworkers.
- Grading assignments and returning grades/assignments in a timely manner.
Similarly, GRAs are an essential part of the department’s research mission, providing crucial scientific support to individual projects funded by research faculty. All GRAs are also held to professional standards for ethical conduct of research activities, including but not limited to:
- Conducting basic research:
- Project conceptualization;
- Experimental design and implementation;
- Proper storage, analysis, interpretation and communication of data/results (i.e. presentations and publications).
- Maintaining research model stocks.
- Maintaining laboratory safety and hygiene.
Like all WVU students, GTAs and GRAs are held to the code of conduct found in the WVU Conduct Code and Discipline Procedure document (please see: Student Campus Code) and Board of Governors Rule 1.6 which defines prohibited conduct and the procedures for determining whether disciplinary action is necessary and supersedes departmental policy. In addition, as paid employees of West Virginia University, all graduate students associated with the Department of Biology are expected to display professional behavior at all times.
Examples of unprofessional behavior from GTAs may include:
- Failing to prepare for the laboratory exercise or modifying it without approval of the supervisor.
- Failing to show up on time for class or for prep meetings.
- Altering earned student grades, failing to return graded material and/or post grades in a timely manner, or failing to submit grades by deadlines.
- Displaying rude, condescending, or disrespectful behavior towards undergraduate students, fellow GTAs, or the course supervisor.
Examples of unprofessional behavior from GRAs may include:
- Data fabrication/alteration/plagiarism.
- Taking credit for another person’s research.
- Negligent or unsafe handling of equipment and materials.
- Failing to perform research according to appropriate protocols.
- Displaying rude, condescending, or disrespectful behavior to peers, staff, or lab supervisors.
Responsibilities of Supervisors and the Disciplinary Process:
All course and research supervisors are responsible for communicating job expectations and providing necessary training and instruction. Supervisors are also responsible for providing timely feedback to allow graduate students to improve their job performance. Finally, in addition to the typical training related feedback described above, supervisors are required to document any disciplinary actions taken due to unacceptable (i.e. egregious) levels of performance and/or other unprofessional conduct.
Egregious or repeated instances of unprofessional behavior will be documented by the supervisor along with guidance to realign the student with expectations. This documentation will be communicated in writing to the graduate student, and a copy will be sent to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies who will place a copy in the student’s personnel file. The graduate student is expected to sign their copy accepting the document’s contents or provide a written response challenging the claims within 5 working days. This response must be submitted to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies. Without prejudice, the Graduate Committee will evaluate any counter claim and will provide a formal response. In cases of minor infractions, the supervisor may elect to internally document but not inform the department. This is appropriate for infractions within the range of “typical trainee” issues where single or isolated instances do not rise to the level of seriousness that would warrant the department considering terminating GTA support from the graduate student.
After a serious or multiple documented instances of concern that were either admitted to by the student or supported by the Graduate Committee after review, the supervisor must arrange a meeting to include the supervisor, the student, their faculty advisor, and the Department of Biology Graduate Committee. The Graduate Committee will then determine if, and under what circumstances, the student will be allowed to continue as a GTA/GRA. A written summary of the meeting outcome will be given to the student and a copy placed in their personnel file.
Should the student be allowed to continue as a GTA/GRA, any additional failure to meet the expectations associated with their position will result in the permanent loss of the GTA/GRA position with the Department of Biology. This does not imply that the student will be expelled from the program; rather, the student will be required to find alternate sources of financial support, either within or outside of the department. A letter summarizing this decision and the reasons for it will be given to the student by the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, and a copy placed in the graduate student’s personnel file.
Further guidance on WVU policy for probation can be found in Academic and Professional Standards in the Academic Catalog