(12) Resignation and Termination
If, for any reason, a GA finds it necessary to resign from the assistantship, a letter of resignation must be submitted to the GA’s supervisor and to the Office of Graduate Studies as soon as possible. If the resignation takes place prior to the end of the contracted period, the GA’s salary or stipend will be prorated accordingly.
After consultation with the graduate program dean, the supervisor may terminate an assistantship if the GA: fails to adequately perform the assigned duties and responsibilities specified with the job; exhibits unprofessional behavior; or fails to meet the minimum GPA or enrollment hours required each semester. Since a graduate assistantship is a service scholarship, GAs who are terminated or resign are not eligible to receive unemployment compensation.
A GA may be terminated for any one of the following reasons: (a) the GA is found to have engaged in sexual harassment; faculty and graduate students should familiarize themselves with the University policy regarding sexual harassment, (b) the overall GPA for graduate courses at Middle Georgia State University falls below 3.0, (c) the semester course load falls below the minimum required load of 6 credit hours, (d) an allegation of academic or scientific misconduct such as cheating, plagiarism, or falsification of data has been investigated and verified, or (e) suspension or dismissal of a graduate student from the University for disciplinary reasons has occurred. In all instances of termination, except in cases of an immediate threat to safety, the process should be fair, methodical, and clearly communicated to all parties after full consultation among the dean, the faculty member/supervisor, and the GA, who has a right to be heard by the program dean.