Teaching assistantships (TAs) are awarded on the basis of academic and artistic merit, as well as departmental needs. Accomplishments in a student's specialty, previous experience, teaching effectiveness, course enrollments, and other relevant skills are considered.
Teaching assistants are normally appointed for one year; however, in some graduate departments partial TA appointments are common. Reappointment depends on the student showing competence in the position and maintaining a semester GPA of 3.0 or better, remaining in satisfactory artistic standing, and fulfilling the responsibilities of the teaching assistantship.
If a teaching assistant in Mason Gross School of the Arts has more than one incomplete grade on his or her record at any time during employment as a teaching assistant, the appointment will be terminated.
Teaching assistantships, when available, are allocated by the dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts in areas of a program's stated needs. These needs are determined through consultation between the dean and the graduate program directors. The dean is responsible for final decisions concerning the placement and number of teaching assistants in each program.
The dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts approves criteria for appointing teaching assistants as well as the qualifications of potential appointees.
