Professional Development Grant

See article 7.1.

If you are unable to work due to illness or injury, you should first notify your employment supervisor or your Department Head with the expected duration of your leave from work.

After ten days of illness or injury, a Graduate Assistant will receive 70% remuneration until the end of the disability or the end of the term (whichever is earlier).

Note that there is no item in the Collective Agreement that indicates a Graduate Assistant is responsible for finding their own replacement or that they should complete any work missed during a sick leave at a later date.

See Article 5.1

Graduate Assistants (Teaching)
A Graduate Assistant (Teaching) is an appointment to assist with the instructional responsibilities of departments. The duties involved in this appointment may include 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.

Graduate Assistants (Non-Teaching)
A Graduate Assistantship (Non-Teaching) is an appointment made out of funds normally held by the Department Head or equivalent to assist departments and/or academic staff with research responsibilities. 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.

Graduate Assistant (Research)
A Graduate Assistantship (Research) is an appointment made out of funds held by a Researcher to assist with his/her research responsibilities. 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.

Business and Administrative Units may receive an exception to the funding restrictions noted above – please refer to the Letter of Understanding RE: Graduate Assistant (Research) Appointments in Business and Administrative Units.

See Schedule A

The payment schedule for Graduate Assistants (Teaching) and Graduate Assistants (Non-Teaching) is indicated in Schedule A of the Collective Agreement. The remuneration of a Graduate Assistant (Teaching) and Graduate Assistant (Non-Teaching) consists of two components:

• scholarship (one-half)
• salary (one-half)

From Schedule A: GSA Collective Agreement 2020-2022

In exceptional cases, Graduate Assistants may receive a one-twelfth appointment.
The period of work refers to the semester.
Graduate Assistants (Research) will be paid hourly. The minimum hourly rate of compensation is $18.03 per hour. Graduate Assistants (Research) may be paid above the minimum hourly rate.

See Article 5.2(a)

The table below describes the number of hours for the total period of work, i.e. the semester.

The normal hours of work assigned to Graduate Assistants is 12 hours of work per week during Fall and Winter terms for a full-time appointment, though this may vary from week to week. Hours should not exceed this amount without advance notice and consultation with the Graduate Assistant. Completing the Assignment of Assistantship Duties Form along with the Instructor or Researcher will help you plan for the hours of work each week.
Part-time appointments will have the normal hours of work pro-rated. Spring and summer appointments will require more hours per week because of the shorter period of the appointment.
In exceptional cases, Graduate Assistants may receive a one-twelfth appointment. Please refer to the Letter of Understanding for details.

Graduate Assistants will receive an Offer of Employment and must accept or reject the offer in writing. Prior to the beginning of the appointment, the Department Head/Researcher or Course Instructor will discuss the Employment Contract and complete the Assignment of Duties form, unless otherwise not possible.
The graduate student will receive copies of the employment contract. The contract consists of two components; the Offer of Employment and the Assignment of Duties form.
A copy will be sent via email to Human Resources (gsahr@ucalgary.ca) and the Graduate Students’ Association (gsacontr@ucalgary.ca).

See Article 5.2 (b)
Graduate Assistants (Research) may be hired for periods of up to twelve months. Contracts may be extended or renewed, but carry no implication of extension or renewal.

See Article 5.2(b)
Graduate Assistant (Research) contracts shall not exceed 450 hours. Assistantship contracts may be combined, however, the onus is on the graduate student to verify the terms and conditions of other funding sources to ensure compliance.

See Article 2.3
The amount of 0.5% will be deducted the from the scholarships and salaries payable to all Graduate Assistants covered by the Collective Agreement. The levy is paid to the Graduate Students’ Association for the administration of the Collective Agreement contracts and labour relations initiatives.

See Article 13
The specific steps to follow are outlined in Article 11: Grievance Procedure.
It is important for Graduate Assistants to follow the procedures outlined for addressing issues related to the violation of the Collective Agreement or grievances, and to act promptly to seek resolution and/or to submit a grievance.
Graduate Assistants can contact the Labour Relations Committee of the GSA (lrc.gsa@ucalgary.ca)  to seek advice or guidance about issues pertaining to the Collective Agreement. All inquiries will be confidential.

See Article 13
You should track your hours throughout your contract to ensure that any trends in working higher hours than expected is caught early. As soon as you notice that you are working more hours than included in your contract, you should seek clarification and resolution with the Course Instructor or Researcher.
The GSA may act as an advocate for you in these matters, don’t hesitate to reach out for support!

See Article 6.3
The remuneration for all appointments includes payment in lieu of vacation. Speak with your Course Instructor or Researcher as soon as possible, ideally at the beginning of the contract when completing the Assignment of Assistantship Duties Form, to discuss times you may need to be away and how that may be accommodated. Typical accommodations often include making up the hours or taking work (such as grading) with you, however there is no requirement for the Course Instructor or Research to accommodate your time away.

Your graduate funding package may be made up of a combination of scholarships and pay from Graduate Assistantships. This means that you may receive a consistent amount of pay each month, but during a term or semester that you have a GA contract, the funds will come from different sources.
If you have questions about your funding package, you should contact your GPD, GPA, and/or supervisor. If you believe your funding package is not being properly applied, please contact vpa.gsa@ucalgary.ca.

See Article 5.2. (g)
It is important to discuss the assigned duties at the beginning of your contract when completing the Assignment of Assistantship Duties Form. This is the best time to raise your concerns about the duties assigned to you. Keep in mind, you are entitled to receive any training necessary for you to complete your duties.
If the tasks have changed, or your ability to perform them have changed, you should follow the process outlined in Article 13. In the first instance, seek clarification and resolution in consultation with the course Course Instructor or Researcher. It is important to do this as soon as you become aware of the situation. Keep in mind, you are entitled to receive workplace accommodations if necessary. See https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/work-compensation/working-ucalgary/workplace-accommodations for further information.

See Article 5.1
Yes, as long as it is directly related to your teaching or research duties. Graduate Assistant duties shall not include routine duties commonly associated with secretarial, clerical, technical or administrative work - unless it is directly related to the Graduate Assistant’s teaching or research duties.