A. The Teaching Assistantship

1. Overview

TAs generally teach two courses per semester or perform comparable duty in the department. Initially, TAs are assigned to the College Composition Program (first-semester MA and MFA teaching assistants tutor in the Reading-Writing Center), but subsequently, as enrollment needs and funds dictate, the Department may invite advanced graduate students to teach classes in the major. A TA assigned as a research assistant (RA) or graduate assistant (GA) to a professor is still paid the same and expected to do the same amount of work as with a classroom assignment. (In practice, the Department tends to use “TA” as an umbrella term for all students w/an assistantship of any kind.)

TAs are paid stipends and provided with full tuition waivers. Students do have to pay fees (about $100/hour for out-of-state students and $75/hour for Florida residents). In addition, a $20/semester facilities-use fee is charged. (Rates are subject to change.) These fees cover many excellent amenities, including basic healthcare and wellness services (including counseling), fitness and athletic facilities, sporting events, concerts, films, lectures, an extensive library system (including private study areas available to grad students), and even circus performances.

2. Training

New TAs who don’t already have an MA or MFA in English participate in a six-week pedagogy program during the late-summer term (Summer B) preceding their appointment. Registration for the Summer B term typically opens the week before those classes begin. Please see the Registrar’s website for registration-window dates. The initial required meeting for all TAs will be held the Friday before classes begin each Fall.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

Teaching assistants must enroll in nine hours of coursework each semester. Except in special circumstances, tuition waivers (excluding fees) will be provided for a maximum of nine hours. During the first year, TAs are required to attend a one-hour pedagogy practicum, which may be taken for credit (ENG 5933). Those teaching college composition must adhere to the program guidelines outlined in the Teacher’s Guide. Those tutoring in the Reading-Writing Center must follow the guidelines set by the RWC Director. If the student is an RA or GA to a professor, that student must adhere to the guidelines provided by that professor.

During the fall and spring semesters of their first year, new TAs are assigned teaching mentors and participate in a year-long peer-mentoring program. Several times throughout the semester, small groups of TAs and their mentors meet. Mentors also meet with TAs individually. Mentors visit each TA’s class and, at the end of the semester, write a letter evaluating their work with the TA over the course of the semester.

First-year TAs in the program also attend a weekly teacher-support class, ENG 5933 (Pedagogy Workshop), where they discuss issues of concern in the first-year composition classroom. During fall semester, new TAs prepare teaching materials for the ENC 2135 sections they will teach in the spring.

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching also provides support for building teaching skills, including workshops and opportunities to have classroom performance videotaped. For more info, visit the center's website.

4. Renewal

To retain a Teaching Assistantship, students must 1) progress through the degree program on schedule, 2) complete all classes each semester (students have one semester to make up any incompletes), and 3) maintain a 3.5 GPA. Each spring the Department evaluates every student’s annual reviews and current progress. Students not in compliance with any of the above requirements will have one semester to comply with the above requirements before the TA assignment is rescinded.

As mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, all TAs and RAs must receive and sign a written annual employment evaluation. For RAs, the evaluation of work performance will be performed by the faculty member to whom the RA is assigned. For TAs, the evaluation of teaching performance will be deemed satisfactory if the fall term teaching evaluations or performance of tutoring duties in the Reading-Writing Center are satisfactory, and there have been no serious, substantiated complaints about instruction or attendance. TAs who receive a satisfactory evaluation but who still wish to discuss that evaluation should contact the ACGS no later than the end of exam week to set up a meeting. If no appointment is made, the department will proceed with the assumption that all necessary discussion of the evaluation has taken place before the TA signed the evaluation.

TAs who receive evaluations for which there are serious, substantiated complaints about performance will receive an evaluation of “official concern.” Those TAs are required to meet with the ACGS or Department Chair as well as the appropriate TA supervisor (the CCP Director for CCP courses, the RWC Director for tutors, the ACGS for all other TA appointments) no later than the deadline for reporting grades for the spring semester.

An MA candidate should not expect to be offered an assistantship for more than two years; an MFA candidate should not expect to be offered an assistantship for more than three years; PhD candidates can expect four academic years of support with the possibility of a fifth if funds permit and if they have met certain benchmarks.

To receive top priority for fifth-year funding, PhD candidates must have 1) passed their preliminary exams before the end of the spring of their third year, 2) submitted an approved dissertation prospectus to the English Graduate Office before the end of the fall semester of their fourth year, and 3) completed 24 dissertation hours by the end of the spring of their fourth year. Students who miss a benchmark may still apply but will receive funding only if the department has both the funds and the curricular need. Applications for fifth-year funding are due in the spring of the fourth year; specific deadline is announced each year.

B. Fellowships

Most University fellowships are administered by the Graduate School. Information on those available for prospective students can be found here; those available to current students are described here.

Each year, one incoming PhD student in Literature, Media, and Culture receives the Pridmore Scholarship, a $4,000/year award for all five years (with fifth-year funding guaranteed). There is no application process for this.

In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences provides merit-based scholarships (usally three $3,000/year awards for prospective PhD students and six $3,500/year awards to rising-third-year, post-prelims PhDs). Within English, this process is overseen by the ACGS and the directors of the CRW, LMC, and RC Programs (typically in consultation with faculty members from their respective programs). There is no application process for the prospective-student award; the ACGS puts out a call each spring for eligible current students to self-nominate.

Finally, current students may apply for a Kingsbury Writing Award, conferred to those graduate students who demonstrate “excellence of thought and expression, creativity, and originality.” A call to apply for these goes out each year from the English Department Chair (or that person’s designee).

C. Loans

Contact Office of Financial Aid or Federal Student Aid for a list of lending opportunities.

D. Other Support

Students should refer to the English department graduate page for a list of available grants and resources.

In addition, the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards assists current FSU students in identifying and applying for external fellowships, scholarships, grants, and awards. OFGA also offers presentations and workshops, but its core mission is one-on-one support for grad students.

Students should also be aware of the extensive database of FSU funding opportunities at FS4U. and of FSU Financial Aid. The Federal Student Aid Information Center at is also helpful. Check the financial aid section of Career Key in the FSU Career Center Library as well. Students might also consult the following books available in Strozier library: Directory of Research Grants, Annual Register of Grant Support, and The Grants Register.

E. Health Insurance and Benefits

1. Health Insurance and Immunization Requirements

New full-time, main-campus graduate students carrying at least nine (9) graduate credit hours are required to show proof of health insurance. Affordable student health insurance is available through the Health Center. The staff of the Health Center understands that insurance can be a complex issue. To simplify things, they have put together answers to some of the most common health insurance questions. If a question is not answered on their website, contact the insurance office at (850) 644-3608 or visit http://www.studentinsurance.fsu.edu/.

Note: students must also provide proof of immunization to the Student Health and Wellness Center Immunization Department before they will be allowed to register.

2. Health Insurance Subsidy for TAs and Fellows

TAs and fellows receive a health-insurance subsidy toward the purchase of the university-sponsored plan. The subsidy will be disbursed by semester (fall/spring/summer) and arrives after the semester has started. Click here for more information.

3. University Counseling Center

The University Counseling Center is a student service agency within the Division of Student Affairs. The major goal is to provide support services that help each student grow and develop emotionally, interpersonally, and intellectually. As individuals, students have unique concerns and needs. The Student Counseling Center offers various counseling methods tailored to meet those needs. For more information, visit http://counseling.fsu.edu.

4. Psychology Clinic

A mental health service, training, and research center operated by the Department of Psychology. Services are provided by doctoral-level student therapists in the Clinical Psychology PhD program, under the close supervision of faculty members. The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The clinic offers affordable outpatient mental health services provides confidential and personalized services that are sensitive to issues of diversity and specializes in therapies that are supported by research (empirically-supported therapies).

5. Center for Couple and Family Therapy

Student therapists at the Center for Couple & Family Therapy work with clients with a wide range of concerns from a broad spectrum of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The Center collaborates with state and community agencies to provide counseling services. Fees are determined on a sliding scale based on income; sessions range from $20 to $85. For more information or to make an appointment, visit their website.