Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships provide outstanding students with financial resources to help them complete their degrees. Assistantships offer varying educational and professional benefits.
Graduate assistantships provide outstanding students with financial resources to help them complete their degrees. Assistantships offer varying educational and professional benefits.
A graduate assistantship is not required to attend graduate school, but is used as a tool to gain valuable experience and cover costs of tuition. All assistantships are determined by the issuing department or office. Students must work with department directly to obtain an assistantship and complete the appropriate paperwork to receive payment.
- Graduate Teaching Assist (GTA) — Primary duty of teaching, tutoring, instructing or lecturing. Requires "face time" (zoom or in person).
- Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) — Primary duty is to work in collaboration with faculty involved in ongoing research. Research may or may not be directly related to thesis/dissertation research.
- Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA) — Primary duty is to complete administrative tasks typically within an office setting. Job duties do not meet definitions of a GRA/GTA.
- 25% time assistantship = seven credits (Spring, Summer, Fall)
- 49% time assistantship = five credits (Spring, Summer, Fall)
For financial purposes, students need to be enrolled in at least five credits regardless of semester of study. Students with financial aid questions should email the Financial Aid Office or visit the Financial Aid Office.
Key Things to Know Regarding Assistantships
- All graduate assistants must register for a minimum of one credit (including summer) in order to receive an assistantship.
- GTA or GRA appointments and on-campus hourly appointments cannot be held in combination.
- Assistantships are not the form of compensation for the time graduate students spend on their thesis or dissertation research.
- Students on research assistantships are expected to work on their own research over and above the time for which they are compensated.
- GAs must not total greater than 49% effort in a single appointment or in combination with any other assistantship appointment. GA appointments greater than 49% will be granted ONLY with proper justification.
- Graduate students who are awarded a graduate assistantship and otherwise qualify shall, in addition to wages, will have all tuition and fees waived with the exception of the General Activity Fee (GAF). The GAF will be charged per credit hour.
Graduate Assistantship Opportunities
Please contact your adviser or department program coordinator to inform them of your interest in a graduate assistantship position when they become available and follow the .
Digital and Video Engagement Graduate Administrative Assistant
Position Summary
The Digital and Video Engagement Graduate Administrative Assistant will implement stewardship and engagement with our alumni and donor base. The position will aid in the operation of the SDSU Foundation’s Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center (JPC) and Student Engagement Officer (SEO) program. This role will help connect alumni and prospective donors with the university, utilizing digital platforms to educate and inspire others through the importance and impact of giving.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Uphold SDSU Foundation Standards
- Responsible for upholding the standards of the SDSU Foundation especially pertaining to quality control and other elements that impact relationships with donors and use of data and information.
- Digital and Video Production for Student Engagement Officer Program
- Record, edit and produce various types of videos and digital content for fundraising and donor engagement.
- Assist and mentor students in the video and editing process to be used on various digital platforms including email, social media and text messaging.
- Brainstorm with Student Engagement Officers on developing new ideas for content.
- Ensure content is clearly communicated.
- Provide support to distribute content to our alumni and donor base.
- Manage the operation of our engagement pools in partnership with our Pipeline and Loyalty Giving Graduate Administrative
- Assistant, specifically overseeing our monthly content calendar and planner.
- Meet with students every week to create action plans.
- Assist with communications for the Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center.
- Run our student leadership and student employee monthly meetings.
- Assist with our mass mailer process.
Other Digital Efforts
- Assist with crowdfunding efforts by helping to set up project pages on our Rabbit Raisers platform, assist with videos (as needed), and work with student groups on marketing strategies, such as social media posts and ways to advertise projects.
- Assist with digital components during One Day for STATE including managing text messaging and sending out stewardship videos on that day.
- Assist our Student Engagement Officer group with digital components for video.
Working with our Student Engagement Officer group to send out stewardship text, videos, email and mail.
Other Duties
Other duties may be assigned to meet the organization’s needs.
Education Requirements
Candidates must be qualified for unconditional admission to Graduate School at South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University. Experience in graphic design or content creation are a plus, but not required.
Additional Qualifications
- Qualified individuals will possess the following:
- Working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite including Adobe Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Dreamweaver.
- Some experience with video editing tools such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Canva or CapCut.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Planner and Teams is a plus, but not required.
- Familiarity with social media.
- Highly effective writing skills for multiple audiences and channels.
- A high level of interpersonal skills, both in person and by phone, to handle sensitive and confidential situations with varied internal and external constituencies.
- Customer service skills requiring clear communication in person, on the phone, and in writing are essential.
- A high level of integrity, including the ability to treat confidential information with discretion.
- Ability to be organized and resourceful to locate and compile information and accomplish projects with minimal supervision.
- Consistent attention to detail in composing and proofing materials, establishing priorities, and meeting deadlines.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
- Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative team environment with professional demeanor, self-reliance and resourcefulness.
- Dependability and punctuality.
- High energy, positive attitude, and high degree of initiative.
- Proficient experience using the most recent versions of computer software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software (i.e. MSWord, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Compensation
In addition to an hourly rate, includes a special tuition rate (waiver of tuition costs, university support fee, and program fees for state-support and self-support courses).
Work Schedule
This assistantship requires a commitment of 20 hours per week and is based in Brookings, SD. The work schedule may vary based on class schedule.
Pipeline and Loyalty Giving Graduate Administrative Assistant
Position Summary
The Pipeline and Loyalty Giving Graduate Administrative Assistant will help manage and execute materials for the Pipeline Strategy team and Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center to support the efforts of South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University. The position will aid in operating the SDSU Foundation's Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center (JPC) and Student Engagement Officer (SEO) program. This role will help manage the operations of the Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center including backend operational support, manage and support student staff, and help manage engagement with our alumni and donor base.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Uphold SDSU Foundation Standards
Responsible for upholding the standards of the SDSU Foundation, especially on quality control and other elements that impact relationships with donors and use of data and information.
Hiring, Education, and Training
Participate in the interview process and work with Human Resources and the Loyalty Giving leadership on the hiring process including onboarding and training plans.
Manage student schedules and ensure students are meeting shift requirements.
Oversee and lead professional development for both our leadership team and our Student Engagement Officer team.
Mentorship for Students and Supervisors
Work with Loyalty Giving leadership on continual professional development trainings and activities for students.
Educate students to respond to donor and alumni inquiries with accuracy and high-quality customer service.
Support student supervisor staff in leadership development and student management.
Meet with students every week to create action plans.
Ensure students are staying on task.
Pipeline and Student Engagement Officer Program Support
Run reports from Blackbaud Guided Fundraising including gift reporting and demographic updates.
Run other reports as needed for Pipeline Strategy and Loyalty Giving.
Assist with our mass mailer process, including overseeing our IRA mailer.
Work with the Gifts and Pledges team on gifts that come through the Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center.
Manage the operation of our engagement pools in partnership with our Digital and Video Engagement Graduate Administrative Assistant.
Track the progress of projects and work with students to meet project deadlines.
Assist in the donor stewardship process.
Run our student leadership and student employee monthly meetings.
Other Duties
Other duties may be assigned to meet the organization’s needs.
Education Requirements
Candidates must be qualified for unconditional admission to Graduate School at South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University.
Additional Qualifications
Qualified individuals will possess the following:
A high level of interpersonal skills, both in person and by phone, to handle sensitive and confidential situations with varied internal and external constituencies.
Customer service skills requiring clear communication in person, on the phone, and in writing are essential.
A high level of integrity, including ability to treat confidential information with discretion.
Ability to be organized and resourceful to locate and compile information and accomplish projects with minimal supervision.
Consistent attention to detail in composing and proofing materials, establishing priorities, and meeting deadlines.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative team environment with professional demeanor, self-reliance and resourcefulness.
Dependability and punctuality.
High energy, positive attitude, and high degree of initiative.
Proficient experience using the most recent versions of computer software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software (i.e. MSWord, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Compensation
In addition to an hourly rate, includes a special tuition rate (waiver of tuition costs, university support fee and program fees for state-support and self-support courses).
Work Schedule
This assistantship requires a commitment of 20 hours per week and is based in Brookings, SD. The work schedule may vary based on class schedule. We encourage engagement with our Jackrabbits Philanthropy Center’s calling hours of operation, which may include some weekend and evening shifts.
Purpose
The primary purpose of a graduate assistantship is to provide students with professional experience and the necessary financial resources to attend a graduate educational program. A GA is first a degree-seeking student and second, an employee of the university whose assigned duties may assist the university with completions of tasks, but more importantly substantially contribute to the student’s academic and professional development.
Eligibility
A Graduate Student may be eligible for a graduate assistantship if the student is:
- Admitted into a graduate degree program (degree-seeking).
- Registered for one or more credit hours.
- Maintains a cumulative greater or equal to 2.75.
Graduate students who are awarded a graduate assistantship and otherwise qualify shall, in addition to any required wages, have an incentive tuition rate of zero percent (0%) and program fees of zero percent (0%), except the General Activity Fee shall be paid one-hundred percent (100%), in accordance with SDBOR Policy 5:22.
- The incentive tuition rate begins the semester the student is appointed to a Graduate Assistantship and not before.
- A GA’s first GA appointment may begin 30 days prior to the graduate student’s first semester at the university, so long as the graduate student is admitted and registered in a graduate program that begins within that 30 day period.
- Graduate Assistants seeking to enroll for the summer semester who do not receive a sufficient stipend to meet minimum requirements for the incentive tuition rate for the summer semester may receive the rate, provided they received a qualifying graduate assistantship for the preceding Fall and Spring semesters. Continuation of the graduate assistantship during the summer semester requires registration for the required minimum number of credit hours during the summer semester.
- If a graduate assistantship is terminated, or the student resigns prior to the withdrawal date, the student is responsible for the prorated full tuition rates for the current term. Full tuition rates shall be assessed in all subsequent terms in which the student is not awarded a graduate assistantship.
- Graduate Assistants who are eligible for this incentive tuition rate will receive the same benefit for courses taken at other SDBOR institutions. The incentive tuition rate shall also be applied for all distance, off-campus and center courses taken.
- A GA must be awarded and receive at least the minimum stipend set annually by the University in accordance with SDBOR policies. GAs are expected to work a full semester to receive the full semester compensation and incentive tuition rate. The minimum compensation may be prorated according to the term of appointment in accordance with the provisions contained herein and in SDBOR Policy 5:22.
Time Expectations
- GA appointments greater than 49% effort will be granted only with proper justification.
- GTA hours to determine ACA compensable time are calculated as: 2 ¼ hours of service per week for each credit hour of teaching or classroom time, plus one hour of service per week for each additional hour outside of classroom duties the GTA spends performing other required duties.
- GRA and GAA hours are counted as they accrue. Percent time is counted as: 100% representing 40 hours/week; 95% = 38 hours/week; 75% = 30 hours/week; 49%= 20 hours/week and 25% = 10 hours/week.
- GTA or GRA appointments and hourly appointments cannot be held in combination. GAAs, however, may have additional hourly appointments.
- Support activities, such as time spent in required meetings, office hours and other related activities, are considered as part of the time expectations.
