Article 16 – Appointments

TEACHING ASSISTANT (TA) APPOINTMENTS

The Employer shall make the decision as to the number of graduate student appointments within the Bargaining Unit, and the qualifications required for each appointment.

A full TA appointment is considered to be no fewer than 130 hours in an academic term. Letters of appointment will specify the number of hours to be worked during the academic term. Where a Department or College predominantly offers pro-rated TA appointments, they shall provide the Union reasons in writing for doing so.

A written commitment of Employment as a TA for a defined duration over the course of a graduate student’s program may be given at the time a graduate student applicant is offered admission to a graduate program. The graduate student applicant may elect not to accept such employment and forgo the associated salary.

A graduate student Employee may elect not to accept an appointment at any point during their graduate program and forgo the associate salary. An Employee who declines an offer of appointment shall not prejudice their future appointment opportunities in any way.

TA appointments will be made to qualified graduate students, as identified by the hiring department or college. Appointments will be made considering the qualifications, skills and ability of the candidate(s) and may include: academic merit, related experience (prior TA appointments within the department), demonstrated efficiency, the career and/or pedagogical value that the experience in a particular position will provide the graduate student.

Priority will be given to qualified graduate students that received a commitment of a TA appointment as part of the funding offered by the Employer at the time of admission to the graduate program.

The current practice concerning the use of undergraduate TAs shall be maintained. The Employer shall prioritize hiring of graduate students as TAs, and undergraduate TAs shall not be used to undermine the bargaining unit.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT AND STUDENT ASSISTANT APPOINTMENTS

Employment as a RA or SA can be offered by a graduate student’s Faculty Supervisor or a member of their Supervisory Committee without posting.

RA and SA positions which are not offered under the provisions of Article 16.05 above shall be awarded to a suitable candidate, as determined by the hiring faculty member or department, taking into account the following considerations:

1. the qualifications and ability of the candidate(s) based on academic merit and/or related experience;
2. other sources of graduate student financial support being received, with particular consideration given to students receiving less than $16,000 as a funding commitment provided or administered by the Employer;
3. the career and/or pedagogical value that the experience in a particular position will provide the student.

Letters of Offer

All successful candidates shall receive a letter of offer that shall contain, as a minimum, the following information: course (if applicable), general location of work, start date, end date, total hours of employment, name of Supervisor, rate of pay, average hours of work per day and/or week, and a general outline of duties and responsibilities. The letter shall also include the web address of the current Collective Agreement, the web address of the current University policies and procedure, the web address of the PSAC Local 400004 website and a statement encouraging the candidate to provide a copy of the letter of offer to PSAC Local 40004.

The employer will make reasonable efforts to provide letters of offer at least one (1) week in advance of the appointment beginning. However, where this is not possible, the Employer shall ensure all successful candidates receive letters of offer before their appointment begins.

Candidates who decline an offer of appointment shall not prejudice an Employee’s future appointment opportunities in any way.