PHD DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS

PHD DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. Purpose/Background

PhD students intending to defend must start this process not less than 8 weeks prior to their planned Public Defense. Students are encouraged to start the process as early as possible to prevent any delays in their targeted graduation. During this time, the student should begin coordinating their planned Public Defense date with their Committee.

    1. Deadlines
      1. The deadline to submit your dissertation and graduate in the same semester in which you defend is typically 3 weeks prior to the end of that semester’s classes.
        1. Thesis Office Target Dates
        2. Semester Calendar
      2. To graduate in the current semester, the Public Defense must be held at least 1 week before the Thesis Office’s Target Dates to allow time for department format review.
      3. The last day to defend in a semester is the last week day before the next semester’s classes begin.
        1. The student will graduate in the following semester if they missed the Thesis Office’s Target date.
        2. The student is not required to enroll in classes for semesters following their defense.
    2. Preliminary Review of Dissertation Format
      1. Prior to the 11th week of the semester, the student must schedule a Preliminary Review of their dissertation to the Thesis Office.
        1. The deadline to conduct a Preliminary Review is typically 5 weeks prior to the end of that semester’s classes.
        2. The Preliminary Review can be done once the student has completed at least one chapter of their dissertation.
      2. Proof of a Preliminary Review by the Thesis Office is required for Department dissertation format approval.

II. Dissertation Approval

The approval process starts when the student’s Committee Chair, typically their Research Advisor, agrees that the draft dissertation is ready for Committee Review

    1. Determination of Private Defense
      1.  A Private Defense can be used by the Committee to approve the dissertation’s content prior to the Public Defense.
      2. The Committee Chair will survey the Committee to determine if a Private Defense is required.
        1. If possible, the Chair and Committee should determine if a Private Defense will be held well in advance of the event (e.g., by division or lab policy).
        2. A Private Defense must be held if any Committee Member asks for it.
        3.  If held, the Private Defense must be scheduled within 2 weeks of the Committee receiving the dissertation.
    2. Committee Approval
      1. The student will provide their dissertation to the remaining Committee Members.
      2. The Committee is allotted 2 weeks for their review.
      3.  Regardless of whether a Private Defense is held, the dissertation review must still occur within the 2-week review period.
    3.  Dissertation Review with Private Defense
      1. The Committee Chair will coordinate the date, time, and location of the Private Defense.
      2. Committee Members are not required to attend the Private Defense, but if they do not attend, they must provide a review of the dissertation as outlined in Section II.d.
      3. After the Private Defense, Committee Members will indicate whether the student’s dissertation is Accepted, Requires Revisions, or Rejected using the PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form. 4. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
    4.  Dissertation Review without Private Defense
      1. Each Committee Member will review the student’s dissertation individually.
      2. Within the 2-week period allotted for their review, Committee Members may request to meet individually with the student.
      3.  After their review, Committee Members will indicate to the Committee Chair whether the student’s dissertation is Accepted, Requires Revisions, or Rejected.
      4. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
    5. Dissertation Revisions
      1. If the dissertation is Requires Revisions, the student has 1 week to respond to the required revisions and return a corrected draft to their Committee.
        1. After receiving the revised dissertation, the Committee has 1 week to verify the revisions.
        2. The Committee may defer to the Committee Chair to ensure that the revisions have been made.
        3. Once all requested revisions are satisfied, the student may proceed with planning their Public Defense and the Committee Chair submits a revised Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
        4. If the revisions are not satisfied, the student must make the required revisions and then begin the dissertation review process from the beginning.
      2. If the dissertation is Rejected, the student must make the required revisions and then restart the dissertation review process from the beginning.

III. Scheduling the Public Defense

    1. Announcing the Public Defense
      1. The student will coordinate their Public Defense date and time with their Committee.
      2. Students are encouraged to schedule their Public Defense as soon as possible assuming that their dissertation content will be approved.
    2. Announcing the Public Defense
      1. The student will meet with Graduate Advising and provide a Public Defense Announcement not less than 1 week prior to the defense. 2. If needed, Graduate Advising can assist the student with scheduling a location for the defense.

IV. Conducting the Public Defense

    1. Minimum Committee Chair Responsibilities
      1. Open the defense session by introducing the student and their research topic.
      2. Announce any specific rules pertaining to the defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).
    2. Defense Timing
      1. The student’s oral presentation of their research generally lasts 45 minutes.
      2. After the oral presentation, a public discussion period is held, generally lasting 15 minutes.
      3. At the conclusion of the public participation, the Committee may excuse the public to conduct further questioning of the student’s research.
      4. After further questioning of the student’s research, the committee excuses the student and holds a private discussion to decide on the outcome.
      5. The outcome of the defense is reported on the PhD Public Defense Approval Form.
        1. The student will receive a “Pass” on the defense if the majority of the Committee members concur.
        2. Otherwise, the student will receive a “Fail” and must defend their research again.
      6. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the PhD Public Defense Approval Form to Graduate Advising.

V. After the Public Defense

Once the student has Dissertation Approval and Public Defense Approval, they must submit their dissertation to Graduate Advising for a format review to obtain the Department Chair’s approval.

    1.  Department Format Review
      1. Graduate Advising and Department Chair must be allotted at least one week to review the dissertation.
      2. For the format review, the student will provide Graduate Advising with:
        1. An MS Word document or .pdf of their approved dissertation.
        2. A Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. c. Proof of Preliminary Review of format from the Thesis Office.
    2. Thesis Office Review
      1. After the Department chair approves the dissertation, Graduate Advising will notify the student to submit their dissertation to the Thesis Office for approval and publication.
      2. The Thesis Once will inform the student if any format corrections are required.
      3. If revisions are required, the student should make them and resubmit their dissertation within 2 days.
      4. The student will continue to work with the Thesis Office until all formatting requirements are met.
      5. The Thesis Office will notify the student that their dissertation is approved and provide them with instructions to submit their dissertation to ProQuest for online viewing.
    3. Dissertation Approval Requirements
      1. The student’s dissertation must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than 8 months after their Public Defense.
      2. The 8-month deadline includes Department format approval, Thesis Office final approval, and the student’s upload of their dissertation to ProQuest.
      3. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the dissertation will be voided; the student will have to reenroll in class, re-submit, and re-defend their research.

VI. Degree Conferral and Graduation

    1. Graduation Clearance
      1. The student will be cleared to graduate in the current semester if they have met all requirements before the Thesis Office’s deadline to upload to ProQuest. https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/calendar.php
      2. If the student has not met the deadline to upload to ProQuest, they must apply to graduate in the subsequent semester.
    2. Degree Conferral
      1. Commencement and the College of Engineering’s Convocation occur once a year after the end of the Spring semester, generally in early May.
      2. Students cleared to graduate in Spring may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of that Spring semester.
      3. Students cleared to graduate in Summer or Fall may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of the following Spring semester.

VII. Checklist

A summary of events is shown below. All events should occur earlier when possible.

    • ☐ Thoroughly review the Thesis Office’s policies and handbook https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/handbook/index.php
      ☐ Conduct Preliminary Review with Thesis Office (before 11th week of semester)
      ☐ Obtain Research Advisor permission to send draft dissertation to Committee

      • ☐ Have Research Advisor coordinate Private Defense requirement with Committee
      • ☐ Determine time, date, and location of Private Defense if applicable
    • ☐ Send draft dissertation to Committee
      • ☐ Allot Committee 2 weeks to review and provide feedback on dissertation content
        ☐ If applicable, Private Defense occurs within 2-week review period
    • ☐ Revise dissertation content as required from Committee feedback
      • ☐ Provide revised dissertation to Committee within 1 week
        ☐ Allot Committee 1 week to review and verify dissertation revisions
    • ☐ Obtain Committee members signatures on PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form once dissertation content is approved
      ☐ Schedule Public Defense

      • ☐ Provide PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form to Grad Advising
        ☐ Determine time, date, and location of Public Defense
        ☐ Provide Defense Announcement to Grad Advising at least 1 week before the scheduled date
    • ☐ Conduct Public Defense
      • ☐ Obtain Committee members signatures on PhD Public Defense Approval Form
        ☐ Provide PhD Public Defense Approval Form to Grad Advising
    • ☐ Allot 1 week for department Format Review
      • ☐ Provide copy of approved dissertation, Grammarly report, and proof of Thesis Office’s Preliminary Review to Grad Advising
        ☐ Revise dissertation formatting if required
    • ☐ Submit department approved dissertation to the Thesis Office
      • ☐ Obtain e-signatures from Committee members and Department Chair
        ☐ Correct any indicated deficiencies and return revisions within 48 hours
        ☐ Upload Thesis Office approved dissertation to ProQuest

VIII. Example Pathways

A. Complete Process Overview

B. Pre-determined Private Defense with No Issues

C. No Private Defense with Two Revisions

by Mark Fehlberg

Departmental Listings

by Davey Stevenson

Student resources/Support groups

Student Resources

RESOURCES AROUND CAMPUS

The University is divided into several different departments, each with their own focus and specialized knowledge. It is the student’s responsibility to know who to go to for specific assistance. Table 7 describes some of the most common on-campus resources. More resources can be found via the University A-Z Index.

Table 7: Common On-Campus Resources

Enquiry Resource Web Address Contact Method
Tuition rates and bill estimates Income Accounting https://fbs.admin.utah.edu/income/ Call: (801) 581-7344

Visit: 165 SSB
Tuition bill – view and pay CIS http://www.cis.utah.edu Web Address
Projects and funding Individual professors https://www.mech.utah.edu/directory/faculty/ Varies
Paycheck/stipend amount ME EN Admin Manager http://www.cis.utah.edu Visit: 1561 MEK
Coursework recommendations, requirements, and approval Your faculty advisor or the Director of Grad Studies https://www.mech.utah.edu/directory/faculty/ Varies
I-20 matters International Admissions http://admissions.utah.edu/international/graduate/index.php Visit: 250 SSB
Visa matters International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) https://isss.utah.edu/ Visit: 410 Union
Forms and deadlines ME EN Graduate Advisor https://www.mech.utah.edu/academics/grads/current-students/forms/current-student-forms/ 1568 MEK

Departmental Resources

Graduate students can reserve conference rooms, study rooms, and equipment such as microphones, cables, adapters, Surface Pros, cameras, tripods, and speakers by making an online reservation https://www.mech.utah.edu/reservations/ and picking up the item or keycard in MEK 1550.

Graduate School Resources

Events

Event & Workshop Calendar: https://gradschool.utah.edu/events-calendar

Events & Workshops Description: https://gradschool.utah.edu/upcoming-events

Administrative & Records

Graduate Records Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/graduate-catalog/graduate-records-office

Electronic Graduate Record File: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/electronic-graduate-record-file-tutorial

Awards & Fellowships

Graduate Fellowship Opportunities: https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/graduate-fellowship-opportunities

Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduate-student-travel-assistance-award

Early Career Professional Development Program: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduate-student-travel-assistance-award

Thesis & Dissertation Awards: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/awards

Advocacy

Graduate School Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/

Graduate School Dean: dean@gradschool.utah.edu

Training & Workshop Programs

International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP): https://gradschool.utah.edu/ita

Three Minute Thesis Training & Competition: https://gradschool.utah.edu/3MT

Past Workshops & Trainings: https://gradschool.utah.edu/resource-library/workshops-videos

Research Communication: https://gradschool.utah.edu/science-communication

Writing & Manuscript Editing

Thesis Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis

Grammarly: https://gradschool.utah.edu/grammarly

University Resources

Graduate Writing Center & Graduate Student Reading Room

More information: https://writingcenter.utah.edu/grad-student-services.php. The Graduate Writing Center is located in the Marriott Library in the Graduate Student Reading Room. To access the Reading Room, students must fill out a Graduate Resources Access Form, found at https://lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php. eTutoring for Graduate Writing is also available. Students can sign up for this service at https://writingcenter.utah.edu/graduate-services/e-tutoring.php

University Libraries

In addition to the research offerings, the Marriott Library has events and programs specifically for graduate students. Check https://lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php for schedules and more information.

Professional Development

Career & Professional Development Center Graduate Student Career Coaching: https://utah.craniumcafe.com/group/graduate-student-career-coaching

Graduate Student Teaching Training from Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence: https://ctle.utah.edu/events/ctle_events.php

Higher Education Teaching Specialist Program: https://ctle.utah.edu/hets

Student Health, Wellness, & Recreation

Student Health Center: https://studenthealth.utah.edu

University Counseling Center (including Mindfulness Center): https://counselingcenter.utah.edu

John and Marcia Price College of Engineering Counseling Services: https://www.price.utah.edu/students/current/counseling

Center for Student Wellness: https://wellness.utah.edu

Campus Recreation Services: https://campusrec.utah.edu

John and Marcia Price College of Engineering Counseling Services: https://www.price.utah.edu/students/current/counseling

Online Mental Health Screenings:  https://screening.hfihub.com/utah

Huntsman Mental Health Institute (Formerly UNI): https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/programs/crisis-diversion

SafeU: https://safeu.utah.edu/

Student Mental Health Resources: https://studentaffairs.utah.edu/mentalhealth/

Veterans Support Center: https://veteranscenter.utah.edu/

Leadership & Dispute Resources

Dean of Students Office: https://deanofstudents.utah.edu

Faculty Ombudsman: https://academic-affairs.utah.edu/office-for-faculty/facultyombudsman

Graduate School: https://gradschool.utah.edu/contact-us

Support Groups & Services

Center for Disability & Access: https://disability.utah.edu

International Student & Scholar Services: https://ic.utah.edu

Veterans Support Center: https://veteranscenter.utah.edu

by Davey Stevenson

Student Awards/Fellowships/Travel

Student Awards

Department-Specific Awards

The Department of Mechanical Engineering awards Dissertation of the Year, Teaching Assistant of the Year, Researcher of the Year awards to graduate students once per year.

College/University Fellowships and Awards

The College of Engineering gives out a Teaching Assistant and Dissertation of the Year award annually.

The Graduate School awards, fellowships, and scholarships can be found here: https://gradschool.utah.edu/funding/fellowships-scholarships-awards/grad-school-administered/index.php

External Fellowship & Award Opportunities

The University of Utah College of Engineering Fellowships Office is designed to help you find, compete for, and win national and international fellowships and scholarships.  (Note: For information on local / university scholarships, check out the COE scholarships website.) Within the above website, you will find a database of opportunities, guidance on how to build a winning application, as well as information on upcoming events and a list of previous winners.  Note that you can stop by the Office of Fellowships in person and view example winning applications from previous years that students have contributed.

A list of external fellowships is available at https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/external-opportunities, and students also have access to Pivot, a new tool for finding foundation funding. https://osp.utah.edu/news/pivot.php

Student Travel Assistance

There are travel awards offered through the Graduate School - the Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award (GSTAA) and the Early Career Professional Development Program (ECPDP). More information on these awards is available here.

by Davey Stevenson

Access to Common Dept/University resources

Student Access to Physical Resources

Departmental Resources

Graduate student mailboxes are located in MEK 1671. The administrative office staff in MEK 1550 updates the mailboxes every semester. Students can obtain 24/7 MEK building and specific lab access by filling out a building access form at the front desk.

University Resources

University ID Card

 University card information

TRAX Pass

UTA University pass

TRAX Schedules & Maps

Wireless Connections

Onboard to Utah wireless

Software

Grammarly Access

New Student Guide to Digital Resources

Office of Software Licensing

Campus IT Help Desk

Hardware

University Bookstore

Surplus & Salvage

Paychecks & Direct Deposit

HR Paycheck Information

Housing

Graduate Student Housing Resources & Options

Libraries

J. Willard Marriott Library

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Meals & Food

Utah Meal Plans

Credit Union

UFirst Credit Union

Arts & Entertainment

Arts Pass

by Davey Stevenson

Research Policies and Training

Research Policies & Training

The Office of Research Education (REd) provides “comprehensive training and learning opportunities and resources for faculty, students and staff engaged in responsible conduct of research at the University of Utah.”  The objectives for REd are to:

  • Offer up-to-date classes and workshops that enhance knowledge about research integrity
  • Facilitate an interactive learning environment for adult learners to apply ethical skills in decision making about current and future research endeavors
  • Provide adult learners with access to resources and tools to implement best practices across the research spectrum

Research Education Courses

The Office of Research Education offers synchronous and asynchronous classes. See more information here: https://education.research.utah.edu/red_classes/index.php

Grant Writing Portal
https://education.research.utah.edu/grant-writing-portal/index.php

Research Mentorship
https://education.research.utah.edu/research-mentoring.php

The Office of the Vice President for Research has additional research resources available: https://www.research.utah.edu/resources/

IRB

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with the review of all research projects that involve humans to ensure they comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as the high ethical standards set forth in University policy. If you are working with human subjects in your research, you should be familiar with and compliant to IRB rules. More information here: https://irb.utah.edu.

Export Controls

There are a number of United States export laws that directly affect University research, specifically they include:

  • The Export Administration Regulations (EAR) controlled by the Department of Commerce,
  • The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) managed by the State Department
  • The sanction regulations governing the transfer of assets governed by the U.S. Department of Treasury through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

If research involves technological, biological, and chemical and military-related technologies, the government may exert control and supervision of the research and require the University to obtain a license or find and record an exception to the law before allowing foreign nationals to participate in the research, before partnering with a foreign company, or before sharing research results in any manner (including by publication or presentation at conferences) with persons who are not U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. Licenses are not easily obtained and require careful preparation and an inordinate amount of lead-time.

More information: https://osp.utah.edu/policies/export-controls.php

Radiation Safety

Working with radiation sources at the University of Utah requires appropriate authorization, training, and oversight. All work with radiation sources must be performed under a radiation work permit which is under the jurisdiction of a Responsible Users (RU). https://rso.utah.edu

Occupational Safety

Information about general workplace and office safety, fire safety, laboratory safety, and environmental issues can be found here: https://oehs.utah.edu

Research Misconduct

See the University’s research misconduct policy here: Policy 7-001: Policy for Research Misconduct

Intellectual Property Policies

The university IP policy states that the university owns inventions, discoveries, and improvements made by faculty, staff and certain graduate students as a result of either university employment or through the use of university resources. For additional information, please refer to university policies which can be found here.

Below are links to certain University of Utah policies and guidelines for technology commercialization. Please contact TVC at (801) 581-7792 with any questions.

More information: https://tvc.utah.edu/inventor-resources/inventors-guide

Reporting Safety Issues

All injuries, incidents, accidents, unsafe conditions, and near misses must be reported to your supervisor as well as to EHS (https://oehs.utah.edu/incidentnear-miss-report).

Job-related injuries and illnesses must be reported to Workers Compensation by completing HR Form 122 (https://www.hr.utah.edu/forms/lib/E1.pdf )

by Davey Stevenson

Important Forms/Links to Forms

by Davey Stevenson

Student/Faculty Code

Student & Faculty Code

Code of Conduct

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is committed to fostering excellence in our community of scholars and leaders. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams are most likely to produce creative and impactful scholarship, and are eager to ensure that each member of our academic community is respected and valued for their unique contributions. This Code of Conduct upholds the department’s commitment to conduct graduate education according to the highest ethical and professional standards in compliance with all applicable University, state, and federal regulations

The department is committed to providing a safe, harassment-free environment for everyone. Harassment includes offensive comments or denigrating jokes related to nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or veteran status; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention and harassment through social media.

The department is committed to an environment free of discrimination at all levels and one that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

All University faculty, staff, and students are expected to comply with the applicable anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and scientific and professional ethics laws and policies in effect at the University of Utah and at the institutions where they may be visiting.

Report a Violation

Members of the University of Utah community who wish to report a violation of this Code of Conduct are encouraged to speak to or contact the appropriate administrator or Dean, including the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean of Students, or the University’s Title IX coordinator.

Informal Dispute Resolution

Students should first attempt to resolve disputes with the party(ies) involved. If unable to resolve the issue on their own, students should next contact the department's Director of Graduate Studies for conflict resolution. Students are also able to contact the Graduate School regarding complaints or concerns that cannot be resolved within the department (info@gradschool.utah.edu or 801.585.5529).

Formal Dispute Resolution

A student who engages in academic misconduct may be subject to academic sanctions including but not limited to a grade reduction, failing grade, probation, suspension or dismissal from the program or the University, or revocation of the student’s degree or certificate. However, if the student believes that academic sanction given by the faculty member is arbitrary or capricious, they should discuss the academic sanction with the faculty member and attempt to resolve the disagreement. If the student and faculty member are unable to resolve the disagreement, the student may appeal the academic sanction to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee in the college. The student must submit their appeal to the college’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sneha Kumar Kasera at kasera@cs.utah.edu.

A student who believes that an academic action taken in connection with academic performance requirements is arbitrary or capricious should discuss the academic action with the involved faculty member and attempt to resolve the disagreement. If unable to resolve the disagreement, the student may appeal the action to the department chair. If the student or the faculty member disagree with the department chair’s decision, they could appeal the decision to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee by submitting their appeal to the college’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sneha Kumar Kasera at kasera@cs.utah.edu.

Please refer to Policy 6-400: Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for more details especially the timeline of the appeals process.

Title IX

The Office of Equal Opportunity And Affirmative Action (OEO/AA) is a professional resource dedicated to the University of Utah’s commitment to provide a fair and equitable environment for individuals to pursue their academic and professional endeavors and to equally access University programs.  In order to further this commitment, the OEO/AA is responsible for ensuring University practices and nondiscrimination policies are in full compliance with all federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws, and provide processes to fairly and effectively resolve complaints, provide reasonable accommodations, and to make appropriate corrections.  The OEO/AA acts as a point of contact with state and federal agencies that enforce anti-discrimination laws.  In addition, the OEO/AA assists the University in meeting its commitment to achieving a truly integrated and diverse work force by preparing the University’s Affirmative Action plans, monitoring and reporting on their effectiveness, and by acting as a resource for University department’s in their recruitment processes.

The Director of the OEO/AA, serves as the University’s Title IX Coordinator and is responsible to oversee the University’s response to reports and complaints that involve possible sex discrimination to monitor outcomes, identify and address any patterns, and assess effects on the campus climate so the University can address issues that affect the wider school community.

The Director of the OEO/AA serves as the University’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator and is responsible to oversee the University’s efforts to comply with the ADA and Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; to ensure that University programs and facilities are accessible for faculty, staff, and student employment, as well as for public access for University health care,  services, and programs; and to provide prompt and equitable processes for responding to requests for reasonable accommodations and for resolving complaints.

by Davey Stevenson

Financial support

Financial Support

Financial support for graduate students comes primarily from one of three separate sources: Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and fellowships. Additional support is provided through the Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities & Policies

Faculty research advisors make TA requests. The TA assignments are made by the department.

Duties

TAs may run laboratory sessions, give classroom lectures, hold office hours, and be involved in grading. The Department classifies classroom assistant positions into three categories:

    • Lab TAs are typically responsible for all aspects of laboratory sections associated with certain undergraduate courses. Duties may include the set-up of experiments, lectures to undergraduate students on particular experiments, supervising undergraduate students during the data acquisition phase of experiments, and grading lab reports.
    • Course TAs typically assist with course instruction. Duties may include conducting problem sessions, occasional lecturing, and grading of student homework and projects.
    • Graders have limited interaction with undergraduate students and are primarily responsible for grading homework.

Stipend Amount

Expected Workload and stipend information for each type of TA position is given in the table below.

Title

Tuition Benefit Support Level

Workload

(hr/week)

Student Contact

Lab TA

100%

20

Yes

Course TA

0%*

10

Yes

Grader

0%*

5

No

*Course TAs and Graders can receive 100% support if their workload totals 20 hrs/week, such as combined TA and RA funding.
Current support level amounts can be found at the Tuition Benefit Program website.

International students and TA positions

In order to qualify for a TA position, international students must attend the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) workshop in their first semester. The Graduate School requires all non-native English-speaking graduate students to be cleared by the ITA Program in order to be eligible for a tuition benefit for teaching assistantships. The clearance process includes screening for oral English proficiency and either online or in-person training ang workshops to prepare ITAs for their teaching assignments. Ongoing training and support is offered throughout the academic year in the form of graduate-level English classes, one-on-one and group tutorials, classroom observations with follow-up consultations, mid-semester student evaluations, and seminars on topics of interest to ITAs.

Summer teaching positions

Occasionally, instructor positions are available each summer semester for advanced Ph.D. students. The graduate student/instructor is given full responsibility for a course, including lecture preparation and delivery, test creation and grading, student advising on course material, and all course administration. The graduate student/instructor is provided a mentor from the regular faculty who provides advice and guidance on all aspects of course management. These positions provide the opportunity for Ph.D. students interested in an academic career to gain experience in teaching. Stipends are based on the class level and number of students registered for the class.

Research Assistant Responsibilities & Policies

RA positions are available to students working on grant-funded research programs. Awards are made directly by the faculty involved in the research. Full-time RA positions are generally 20 hrs/week. Partial RA positions may be awarded by faculty with a corresponding decrease in hourly expectations. The amount of the RA stipend is determined by the funding faculty member. Availability of research funds varies from semester to semester and graduate students are encouraged to discuss potential research projects with faculty.

Fellowships

The Graduate School has both internal and external fellowship listings available to graduate students on a competitive basis. Complete information regarding these fellowships can be found on the Graduate School fellowship web page.

Tuition Waivers/Tuition Benefit Program

The Tuition Benefit Program (TBP) provides tuition waivers to graduate students through assistantships and/or fellowships. All students receiving a tuition benefit must meet minimum financial support requirements paid through the University of Utah for each semester that a benefit is received.

No tuition benefit is granted to students receiving less than the 100% level of support for the semester. The required minimum support level is annually indexed to general salary increases to prevent gradual erosion of established graduate student salaries and stipends. Further information on the Tuition Benefit Program may be found at the Graduate School website.

Tuition benefit does not cover

    • Differential tuition
    • Fees outside of mandatory fees (specialized program fees, lab fees, course fees, e-book/materials fees, etc.)
    • Undergraduate courses
    • Repeated courses outside of courses required for degree to be repeated (namely thesis/dissertation credits)
    • Enrolled credits more than then maximum coverage of 12 graduate credits
    • Non-credit/continuing education courses
    • Withdrawn courses
    • Audited courses
    • International student surcharges

How to Participate

  1. First-time employees must also fill out new hire paperwork.
  2. Students meeting the minimum stipend amount must fill out a Tuition Benefit Enrollment form at the beginning of each semester.
  3. After the department enters their information, students must accept their Tuition Benefit in CIS. Failing to complete this step can result in loss of waiver and a retroactive tuition charge. Please note, students may need to accept their Tuition Benefit multiple times if changes are made by the department.

Student Health Insurance

Health insurance is available to graduate students via two plans: the Graduate Subsidized Health Insurance Program (GSHIP) and the Voluntary (Unsubsidized) Plan. Enrollment is mandatory for international students. Enrollment is optional for domestic students.

Subsidized Health Insurance

Full-time RAs and TAs (20 hr per week assignment) on Tuition Benefit are eligible to enroll in the Graduate Subsidized Health Insurance Program, which provides a 100% subsidy of the annual premium for the student insurance plan offered by the University of Utah. The plan allows students to add a spouse and/or children at the student’s own expense. Further information on the insurance plans is available at the GSHIP page.

How it works

  1. Eligible RAs and TAs elect to enroll in the health insurance when they submit the Tuition Benefit Enrollment form.
  2. Students desiring to add family members or to increase coverage need to fill out additional paperwork. See Grad Advising for more details.
  3. The Graduate School will pay 100% of the premium for single-student coverage at the time of enrollment.
  4. Fall insurance coverage is from 8/16-12/31. Spring/Summer coverage is from 1/1-8/15.

Unsubsidized Health Insurance

The same level of coverage available to RAs and TAs is also available to all graduate students through the Voluntary Health Insurance Plan. This health insurance is unsubsidized, meaning students must pay the entire premium themselves. Students can find more information at the Student Health Center website.

Uninsured

Uninsured students may be eligible to receive discounted health services at the Student Health Center. Charges and Fees can be found here.

Residency

Non-resident students participating in tuition benefit are exempt from paying non-resident tuition.

  1. Graduate tuition benefit is posted to tuition bills at the resident tuition rate.
  2. Tuition and fees not covered by the tuition benefit (see above) are the student’s responsibility.
  3. Domestic non-resident graduate students should apply for Utah residency upon fulfilling 40 graduate credit hours.
    1. A student’s ability to establish residency will not affect eligibility of a tuition benefit.
    2. Visit the Admissions Office website for details on how to apply and qualify for residency reclassification.

Financial Resources

by Davey Stevenson

Important Deadlines/Links to Deadlines

Important Deadlines

Departmental Deadlines

  • Submission of Tuition Benefit forms
    • Due to Grad advising by first Friday of each semester
    • You must submit a Tuition Benefit form every semester that you are eligible for Tuition Benefit, even if your job remains the same
    • Tuition Benefit Enrollment Form
  • Program Declaration
  • Preliminary Program of Study
  • Qualifying Exams
    • Registration forms are due to Grad advising by first Friday of each semester
    • Exams are held during the 12th week of Spring and Fall semesters (counting Spring/Fall break as week)
    • Exam results are provided within 2 weeks following the exams
    • Qualifying Exam Handbook
  • Public MS and PhD Defenses and Proposals
    • Proposal and defense manuscripts must be provided to your Research Advisor at least 3 weeks before the event
    • Proposal and defense manuscripts must be provided to your Supervisory Committee at least 2 weeks before the event
    • Defense and Proposal announcements due to Grad Advising 1 week before the event
    • Signed Defense and Proposal forms due to Grad Advising by 1 week after the event
    • To obtain department approval for your manuscript, you must meet with your Grad Advisor for a format review
    • To graduate in the current semester a Defense must be held at least 1 week before the Thesis Office’s deadline (see below)
      • Defending before the deadline does not guarantee the Thesis Office will have time to clear your manuscript in time for you to graduate in the same semester
      • To streamline your manuscript submission process, work with your Grad Advisor on your manuscript format well before your defense
    • The last day to defend in a semester is the Friday before the next semester’s classes begin
    • Link to Department Forms

University Deadlines

by Davey Stevenson