Faculty Support

Graduate Research Assistant (Salary)

The principal duty of a Graduate Research Assistant is to contribute under supervision to a program of departmental or interdepartmental research. The appointment is made with the understanding that the required services will contribute to the professional training of the student. While Graduate Research Assistants are committed to performing assigned services, their work is usually suitable for and may be used as part of their report, thesis, or dissertation research to the extent approved by the faculty supervisor. Research Assistants shall engage in research as assistants to members of the faculty or administration of the University. Appointment to one of these jobs is usually made only in the student's own department or in another unit of the University where the research to be undertaken is related to the student's field of study. Appropriate service for an advanced Research Assistant may include the carrying out of independent research under the guidance of a faculty member.

Graduate Assistant (Hourly)
Duties of Assistants may include: grading papers, clerical work directly concerned with record-keeping for a class, preparing class or laboratory materials, experiments or demonstrations, non-instructional work in laboratory courses or sections, other subordinate functions directly related to a class. Duties of Assistants may not include teaching classes, giving quizzes or examinations unless the instructor is present and personally supervising, or performing general clerical or office work.

Academic Assistant (Hourly)

The job of Academic Assistant is one which involves instructional assistance of a technical or professional nature to a member of the faculty and to students under the direction and final responsibility of that faculty member. The duties of the Academic Assistant may include student conferences, supervision of voluntary or informal review or discussion sessions, evaluation of student work, classroom or laboratory assistance under the direct supervision of a faculty member in charge of the class or section, and similar duties of a professional nature. The Academic Assistant title is not to be used for those who are in charge of regularly scheduled classes, class sections, discussion sections or laboratory sections which are listed in the Course Schedule.

Instruction

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students may miss 6 MWF classes, but will fail upon the 7th absence. In MW and TTH sections, students may miss 4 classes, but will fail upon the 5th absence. Students are encouraged not to come to class if they are ill. Instead, they should communicate with you as soon as possible. You should provide an assignment to make up for the absence. If the assignment is not completed, an absence will be counted toward the total number of possible absences. 

ABSENCE/FAILING REPORTS

When a student misses multiple class meetings (or assignments — see below), file an Absence/Failing Report at https://utdirect.utexas.edu/ns/ns.unique.WBX. This will generate an official letter from the University warning the student that they are in danger of failing the class due to absences.

DROPPING STUDENTS

We will only drop a student from your class if they missed the first two class meetings AND you have a student you would like to add. We will not drop students without your authorization, nor will we drop students unless others are waiting to get into the class. If a student is on your roster and simply never shows up, send them an Absence/Failing Report. (See "Absence/Failing Reports” below.)