Graduate Handbook

Financial Support

Several forms of financial support are available through the Department of Computer Science and the Graduate College. These include graduate assistantships (both teaching and research assistantships), scholarships, and, for exceptional entering students, University of Iowa Presidential Graduate Fellowships. Competition for these positions is quite keen.

The Department typically commits to provide financial support to full-time PhD students as long as the student continues to make appropriate progress. This progress is measured by timely completion of qualifying, comprehensive, and final exams, research, grades, and performance of assistantship duties (see Assistantship Job Expectations).

Doctoral students who are employed by the Department will receive base stipend increases when achieving program milestones – 2% at the qualifying exam, and an additional 3% at the comprehensive exam.

A student must be formally admitted to the Graduate College before being tendered any form of graduate appointment. Scholars, fellows, and research and teaching assistants must be registered as students in good standing in order to hold such appointments. Appointments will be terminated when registration and/or student status is terminated.

Stipends and Tuition Scholarships

In the Computer Science Department, pay ranges from $16,277 to $17.566 for half-time (50%) teaching and research assistants (2007-08 academic year figures).

Graduate assistants holding appointments of 25% or greater are assessed tuition at the resident rate. In addition, students holding at least a 25% appointment and enrolled for 9 or more semester hours of coursework will receive a tuition scholarship of $1,962 per semester (2007-08 academic year figure; not including summer session). The tuition scholarship is prorated if the student is enrolled for fewer than 9 semester hours.

English Proficiency Incentive

Beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, the Computer Science Department will provide a financial incentive to students whose first language is not English to achieve high ratings on the TA preparation exam for oral competency. Those students achieving a B-level certification will receive a $200 base stipend increase for the academic year. Those students who achieve an A rating after having a B rating will receive a $400 base stipend increase for the academic year. Those students achieving an A-level certification will receive a $600 base stipend increase for the academic year. Native English-speakers will be assumed to have an A rating. Stipend increases will take effect immediately for entering students, and in the fall semester following re-taken exams that result in higher ratings. Incentives are applicable to both PhD and MCS students, and to those holding either teaching or research assistantships.

Assistantship Job Expectations, Performance Review and Work Load

All RAs and TAs will receive written notification of their assistantship expectations and general guidelines as to the time needed to perform each task within their job description. Feedback from faculty supervisors and teaching evaluations will be used to conduct regular performance reviews. NOTE: Renewal of assistantships is always subject to satisfactory performance of assistantship duties, not withstanding any explicit or implicit promise of support at admission.

A quarter-time (25%) assistantship carries a responsibility for an average of 10 hours of work per week; a half-time (50%) assistantship means an average of 20 hours per week. Except in unusual circumstances and when prior approval has been obtained, appointments or combinations of appointments exceeding 50% are not permitted.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships are the most common form of financial aid, generally given to graduate students in their first two years of the program. Teaching assistantships serve two purposes: assistance in the instructional program of the University and the preparation of future college teachers. In order to achieve both aims, scholastically superior graduate students who show exceptional promise as teachers are selected for teaching assistantships.

TA Application Process

All graduate students wishing to receive financial support as a TA must formally apply for an award before the specified deadline. Notices describing how to apply for support will be sent to all graduate students in October (for the spring semester) and March (for the summer session and fall semester).

Absence Policies

All absences, except for illnesses or family emergencies, must be pre-approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or the DEO (it is not sufficient to get an absence “ok’d” by other TAs or your course supervisor). TAs must report to their faculty supervisor if they will be absent from class or unable to perform their TA duties due to illness. TAs are not expected to make up for time missed on an hour-for-hour basis. Rather, they are expected to complete their work assignments in a timely and professional manner; for example, scheduling an extra class or holding additional office hours if necessary. Note that the first day of the TA appointment is the third business day before classes begin. Unless pre-approved, failure to report by that time may result in loss of appointment or pay deduction. Please refer to the 2007-08 Computer Science Teaching Assistant Handbook for more information on this policy, or see the Departmental Administrator if you have any questions.

Research Assistantships

For many students, support after the second year should come substantially from sources other than teaching assistantships, typically as research assistants. Research assistantships are awarded by faculty to qualified graduate students to participate in scholarly research. In awarding research assistantships, faculty members often give preference to PhD students and those who demonstrate strong potential for research. RA positions should be sought via individual faculty; the Department does not award RA positions directly.

Absence Policies

All absences, except for illnesses or family emergencies, must be pre-approved by the faculty supervisor. Unusual absences (e.g., of long duration) must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or the DEO. RAs are not expected to make up for time missed on an hour-for-hour basis. Rather, they are expected to complete their work assignments in a timely and professional manner.

Registration Requirements

Full-time students are normally expected to take at least 9 semester hours during the fall and spring semesters (exception: MCS students in their final term may register for less than 9 semester hours). Part-time students are generally not eligible for TA positions.

On rare occasions, pre-comprehensive-exam PhD students holding assistantships and actively involved in research may be permitted to take as few as 6 semester hours; such students must have prior approval from the Director of Graduate Programs, and must file a "short hours" form with the Registrar's office (additional constraints may apply to international students seeking reduced hours). Post-comp students are considered full-time while working on their dissertation, with registration of at least two semester hours.

Note that students holding research assistantships or fellowships in the summer must be registered for a summer session course if the supporting funds are from the Graduate College. At the present time, TAs need not be registered in a summer session if they were registered during the preceding academic year.

Full-Time vs. Part-time Status

Students should be aware of consequences when dropping courses result in part-time status. Full-time status for graduate students is 9 semester hours or more; half-time status is 5-8 s.h.

• Visa status is affected by anything less than full-time status for international students during the academic year. Forms must be submitted to OISS at the beginning of each applicable semester. Use the form, Part-Time Enrollment Authorization for F-1 and J-1 Students, available on the OISS website.
• If a student has been in the U.S. more than five years, they must be at least half time to be exempt from Social Security and Medicare paycheck deductions.
• Students must be at least half time for purposes of loan deferment.
• Students must be full time to be covered by parent’s health insurance. However, those covered by GradCare or SHIP need only be registered.

If applicable, the Registrar’s “short-hour form” is available from the Graduate Program Administrator, or the Registrar’s Service Center, 17 Calvin Hall.

Dismissal of Graduate Assistants

A policy defining procedures to be followed in the dismissal of assistants has been approved by the Board of Regents. Copies of this policy are available in the office of the Dean of the Graduate College.

COGS

Specific terms and conditions of employment for graduate assistants are largely governed by the collective bargaining agreement between The University of Iowa and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America union, Local 896, more commonly known as COGS. The COGS contract may be viewed either from the University website http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/relations/Cogs/cogs.pdf, or directly from the COGS website http://www.cogs.org.

Last modified: September 7, 2007