Feb. 4, 2003
GW Investing $1.5 Million in Graduate Assistant Support,
Doubles Contribution for Health Plan
Strategic Initiative Aims Additional Resources for
Specific Programs
By Greg
Licamele
By the end of 2004, GW will have invested $1.5 million in additional
graduate assistant support, raising minimum stipends (independent of
tuition) to at least $15,000 an academic year for a majority of graduate
assistants and targeting additional funding for graduate assistants
in specific programs. GW also has doubled its contribution for graduate
assistants who enroll in the Universitys student health plan from
$500 a year to $1,000. These investments in graduate assistants derive
from the Universitys strategic initiative, which in part calls
for GW to join the top ranks of educational institutions by attracting
the best graduate students.
We have to realize that if we want to compete with the very best
schools for the very best students, we must continue to do what we can
to offer attractive and competitive support packages, says Donald
R. Lehman, executive vice president for academic affairs.
Lehman says $750,000 has already been invested in the baseline budget,
noting that these are additions and not one-time expenditures. The final
$750,000 will be appropriated from fall 2003 through fall 2004. These
resources, Lehman explains, come from a combination of reallocated funds
and additional revenue from graduate tuition.
GW currently has about 400 graduate assistants in three categories:
graduate teaching assistants (GTA), graduate research assistants (GRA),
and graduate administrative assistants (GAA). Approximately 220 students
are now being targeted in the minimum stipend plan and all graduate
assistants will be eligible for the increased health plan contributions
from the University.
We have a big group of assistants, says Carol Sigelman,
associate vice president for research and graduate studies. Some
are on limited assignments with smaller awards. Our focus at this stage
is on those who receive full tuition and at least $8,000 in financial
support now.
Lehman says seven selected academic programs have been targeted for
additional support, including new graduate assistant positions: transportation
safety and security, public policy and public service, Sigur Center
for Asian Studies, political science, history, biomedical engineering,
and human evolution. In addition, doctoral programs that have gained
or have strong potential to gain national or international stature will
receive additional funding for graduate student support.
Were trying to focus on a group of programs that bring national
recognition and are ranked nationally for the University, Lehman
says. In order to do that, we have to continue to have top-notch
students in those programs.
In these selective academic programs, multiyear and super
packages
will become available, too. Sigelman says multiyear packages will award
five years of guaranteed support in selected programs that are in the
humanities and social sciences, while two or three years of support
will be offered in selected science and engineering programs. Sigelman
says science and engineering students typically receive external support
in the final years of their research from organizations such as the
National Science Foundation.
Lehman says guaranteeing multiyear awards began about eight years ago
at Washington University in St. Louis, which decided to offer these
packages for its humanities and social sciences doctoral students.
What they found is that the time to complete the degree dropped
and because of it, they were able to attract better graduate students
than they had ever attracted, Lehman says. Im motivated
by such results since they match with our strategic aims for GW.
The University is looking to attract the best graduate assistants, Lehman
explains, because many will play a key role in supporting classroom
learning at the undergraduate level and many will eventually partner
with faculty members on research projects.
William Frawley, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences,
says his school, which has the largest number of graduate assistants,
fully supports these initiatives.
Increased stipends and other benefits will enhance the research
and teaching environment substantially at GW, attract, retain, and place
the best students and, as a consequence, attract and retain the best
faculty, Frawley says. Its a win-win situation all
around.
One area that has received additional graduate assistant support is
public policy and public administration. Hal Wolman, director of the
public policy program, says the University provided three new packages
this semester, with three more awards scheduled for this fall. He also
cites an additional investment of a staff position to assist faculty
in preparing proposals for external funding for policy-related research.
Externally funded policy research not only gains visibility and
recognition for our faculty, but it also allows us to contribute the
expertise at GW to the national policy debate, says Wolman, also
noting public policy and public administrations recent top 20
ranking in US News & World Report. In addition, externally
funded research frequently includes funding for graduate research assistance
that provides both needed funding and experience for our graduate students.
Sigelman says not only have GW graduate teaching assistants benefited
from additional health plan contributions, increased stipends, and full
tuition, but also from new ways to develop their teaching abilities.
Sigelman, in partnership with Kristin Williams, director of graduate
student enrollment management, initiated a plan for GTAs to participate
in an orientation session and then take a one-credit online preparation
course taught by Lisa Rice, assistant professor of teacher preparation
and special education.
The online class is a big step forward in being able to offer
GTAs more ideas in making the classroom more interesting, stimulating
discussion, and grading assignments, Sigelman says. Were
hoping it will help make them more competent in the classroom, help
them see how important their role is in supporting the education of
undergraduate students, and contribute to their own professional development.
Lehman, who is executive vice president for academic affairs and the
Gamow Professor of Theoretical Physics, says he has enjoyed graduate
students who were intellectually strong, permitting them to work together
with him as true collaborators.
You want to have a graduate student who can come in and have a
real dialogue with you, one who has the ability to critique ideas with
you on an equal basis, Lehman notes. Thats why its
so important to have intellectually and academically strong graduate
assistants. We are very proud of our graduate assistants and look forward
to attracting an even stronger group in the future.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu