Compensation

Graduate Assistants (Research) may work up to 450 hours in one academic year. The Employment Supervisor and the Graduate Student must consider the hours of work and judge responsibly whether a Graduate Student’s academic program will be jeopardized by his or her additional work hours. The onus is on the Graduate Student to verify the terms and conditions of an alternate funding source to ensure compliance.

As soon as is feasible before the Graduate Assistantship is to begin, the Department Head or equivalent, or Employment Supervisor shall provide the Graduate Student with an Offer of Employment. The Graduate Student shall accept or reject the Offer of Employment in writing. Prior to the commencement of the Graduate Assistantship, unless otherwise not possible, the Employment Supervisor and the Graduate Assistant (Research) will discuss the contract and complete the assignment of duties form. In all cases, the assignment of duties form must be completed and signed within two weeks of the commencement of the Graduate Assistantship.   Within the first month of the Graduate Assistantship commencing, copies of all employment contracts will be given to the Graduate Student, with a copy sent to the University's People and Culture team (grad.contracts@ucalgary.ca) and the GSA (gsacontr@ucalgary.ca). Adherence to these provisions and general contract compliance is of the upmost importance to the GSA and the Board. It is in all parties’ interest to ensure contracts (Offers of Employment and the assignment of duties forms) are completed, signed and submitted to the University's People and Culture team and the GSA within the first month of the Graduate Assistantship commencing. 

Mandatory training time shall be included towards the fulfillment of the Graduate Assistant’s hours for the period of Graduate Assistantship and recorded on the Assignment of Assistantship Duties form.

An Employment Supervisor may terminate an employment contract in excess of forty hours of work or in excess of one month in duration without cause due to changes in operational requirements, lack of funding or poor job performance. Employment Supervisors will provide thirty hours’ notice or pay in lieu of notice. Graduate Assistants (Research) when resigning, shall provide in writing to their Employment Supervisor with a minimum of ten business days’ notice of their intention to resign.

Where a Graduate Assistant (Research) is absent from work without authorization for three consecutive working days, scheduled or normally worked by the Graduate Assistant, the Employment Supervisor may deem the Graduate Assistant to have resigned their employment without notice.