[Sshagradstudents] Priority for guaranteed funding packages AY 2022-2023

[SSHA Associate Dean]

Dear SSHA Graduate Students,

This memo provides guidance and a reminder about funding commitments for teaching assignments.
Teaching Assistantships are considered a valuable part of students' educational experience, developing a variety of academic and teaching skills. Most graduate students are supported by funding packages, which could be an annual or multi-year guarantee.

Beginning in 2017, as part of recruitments and employment, SSHA offers five-year guaranteed funding packages for graduate students. This funding is in the various forms:


  *   Teaching Assistant/Teaching Fellow
  *   Graduate Student Researcher Assistantship
  *   SSHA and/or Graduate Program Fellowship
  *   Or, a mix of all of these


These funding guarantees are priority in staffing teaching assistant and fellow appointments.
Eligibility is distinct from a funding commitment. Eligibility for funding is anchored in systemwide policy in APM 410[1] 410.17c:
“The total length of service rendered in any one or any combination of the following titles may not exceed four years: Reader on annual stipend, Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, and/or Associate. Under special circumstances, the Chancellor, upon recommendation of the department chair and the dean of the school or college, may authorize a longer period, but in no case for more than six years.”
Please note with pandemic transitions and for this upcoming year, 14 rather than 12 semesters are the TA term total appointment limitation. This TA term eligibility does not translate into a guarantee of funding, rather it is eligibility if funding and enrollment allows.
This is a reminder of a few planning steps to take at this time, with Fall 2022 graduate student appointments being in progress and set by May 15, 2022:

  *   Check your funding letter, as a reminder about guarantees versus eligibility
  *   Engage in continued academic progress with your advisor

Being beyond a guarantee simply means that additional review is needed to affirm planning, which all graduate program and departments are engaging with support from SSHA. From a program standpoint, several standard criteria relate to assigning teaching assistantships to students beyond these guaranteed funding packages: (1) teaching qualifications associated instructional demand and (2) normative time to degree policy. Support beyond a guarantee is a continued and shared priority, where possible.
This summary is to bring awareness to how funding packages are supported and organized, as we move forward with review and planning. We support your progress and continued successes.

________________________________

[1] APM 410 is located at https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-410.pdf

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