Graduate Assistants - Appointment Type Summary

Employee Type ID: GAT

Definition: Position designed to facilitate a graduate student’s development of academic experience by assisting with the instructional responsibilities of departments - including teaching or instructional service, lecturing assistance, laboratory supervision, being available for office hours, grading assignments, providing tutorial direction, and assisting in the preparation of demonstration and instructional aids.

The GSA Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all Graduate Assistants. See Article 5.1 - Categories of Appointment for more information.

Graduate Assistant (Teaching) payments consist of two components: 

• scholarship (one-half)
• salary (one-half)
• This split of half scholarship, half salary is coded by payroll and does not need to be input by the hiring administrator

See Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement for full details. 

Recruitment Requirements:

• Hired via the Assistantship Template in the Template-Based Hire (TBH) form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My Work)
• Can be hired full time or part time as per article 5.3b of the GSA CA
• No probationary period

Work Schedule: GSA Collective Agreement - Article 5.3

• Appointments correspond with the academic Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms.
• The normal hours of work assigned to a full-time appointment is 12 hours a week during the Fall and Winter terms, may be longer during the Spring and Summer terms, and may vary from week to week.
• Part-time appointments will have the normal hours of work pro-rated. 

Benefits Eligibility: 

• No entitlement
• Students may be eligible for benefits through the Grad Students Association

Pension Eligibility: No entitlement

Special Leave Entitlements: GSA Collective Agreement

• Medical Leave – Article 7 - 100% for a period of up to ten business days and 70% for the duration of disability or until contract ends, whichever is earlier.
• Maternity Leave - Article 8.1 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the birth of the child are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the rate of remuneration outlined in Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement.
• Adoptive Leave – Article 8.2 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the child being placed with the adoptive parent are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the rate of remuneration outlined in Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement.
• Partner Leave - Article 8.3 - Spouse or domestic partner is entitled to 5 business days of paid leave.
• Bereavement - Article 9.1 - Entitled to up to 5 business days of paid leave
• Compassionate Care - Article 9.2 - Entitled to up to 8 weeks of unpaid leave

Vacation: GSA Collective Agreement Article 6.3

• Receives payment in lieu of vacation

Employee Type ID: GANT

Definition: Position designed to facilitate a graduate student’s development of academic experience by performing work directly related to areas of a department's academic discipline and teaching responsibilities. The Graduate Assistantship shall not include routine duties commonly associated with secretarial, clerical, technical or administrative work not directly related to the GA's teaching or research duties. The duties, distinct from the graduate student's program of study, may include collecting research data, interviewing research subjects, conducting bibliographic work, performing general research services, and carrying out academic projects.

The GSA Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all Graduate Assistants. See Article 5.1 - Categories of Appointment for more information.

Graduate Assistant (Non-Teaching) payments consist of two components: 

• scholarship (one-half)
• salary (one-half)
• This split of half scholarship, half salary is coded by payroll and does not need to be input by the hiring administrator

See Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement for full details.

Recruitment Requirements: 

• Hired via the Assistantship Template in the Template-Based Hire (TBH) form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My work)
• Can be hired full time or part time as per article 5.3b of the GSA CA
• No probationary period

Work Schedule: GSA Collective Agreement - Article 5.3

• Appointments closely follow the academic Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms.
• The normal hours of work assigned to a full-time appointment is 12 hours a week during the Fall and Winter terms, may be longer during the Spring and Summer terms, and may vary from week to week.
• Part-time appointments will have the normal hours of work pro-rated.  

Benefits Eligibility:

• No entitlement
• Students may be eligible for benefits through the Grad Students Association

Pension Eligibility: No entitlement

Special Leave Entitlements: GSA Collective Agreement - Articles 7 - 9

• Medical Leave – Article 7 - 100% for a period of up to ten business days and 70% for the duration of disability or until contract ends, whichever is earlier.
• Maternity Leave - Article 8.1 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks
• of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the birth of the child are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the rate of remuneration outlined in Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement.
• Adoptive Leave – Article 8.2 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the child being placed with the adoptive parent are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the rate of remuneration outlined in Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement.
• Partner Leave - Article 8.3 - Spouse or domestic partner is entitled to 5 business days of paid leave.
• Bereavement - Article 9.1 - Entitled to up to 5 business days of paid leave
• Compassionate Care - Article - 9.2 - Entitled to up to 8 weeks of unpaid leave  

Vacation: GSA Collective Agreement Article 6.3

• Receives payment in lieu of vacation

Employee Type ID: GAR

Definition: Position designed to facilitate a graduate student's development of academic experience by assisting with a research project, not directly related to the student's area of study. The duties may include collecting research data, interviewing research subjects, conducting bibliographic work, performing general research services, and carrying out academic projects.

The GSA Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all Graduate Assistants. See Article 5.1 - Categories of Appointment for more information.

The remuneration of a GAR consists of only an hourly salary.

See Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement for full details.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System.

Recruitment Requirements:

• A GAR may be hired for periods of up to 12 months
• Hired by graduate coordinators or administrators on behalf of faculty members via online Template-Based Hire (TBH)

Work Schedule: GSA Collective Agreement - Article 5.4

• GAR may work up to 450 hours in one academic year. (September 1 - August 31) 

Benefits Eligibility:

• No entitlement
• Students may be eligible for benefits through the Grad Students Association

Pension Eligibility: No entitlement

Special Leave Entitlements: GSA Collective Agreement

• Medical Leave – Article 7 - 100% of the daily average of earnings over the preceding ten (10) business days for a period of up to ten business days and then 70% of the daily average of earnings in the preceding twenty (20) business for the duration of disability or until contract ends, whichever is earlier.
• Maternity Leave - Article 8.1 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the birth of the child are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the daily average of earnings in the 20 business days preceding the commencement of the leave.
• Adoptive Leave – Article 8.2 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the child being placed with the adoptive parent, are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the daily average of earnings in the 20 business days preceding the commencement of the leave.
• Partner Leave - Article 8.3 - Spouse or domestic partner is entitled to 5 business days of paid leave.
• Bereavement - Article 9.1 - Entitled to up to 5 business days of paid leave
• Compassionate Care - Article 9.2 - Entitled to up to 8 weeks of unpaid leave

Vacation: GSA Collective Agreement Article 6.3

• Receives payment in lieu of vacation.