Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Welcome to the Graduate School at The University of Texas at El Paso and Student Orientation On-line! This orientation provides important information to help you during your student employment as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or Assistant Instructor. Please stop by the Graduate School, Academic Services Building Room 223, with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your graduate studies.

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Assistantships at UTEP Eligibility Admitted without conditions to a degree or certification program Full-time enrollment in courses required for the degree or completion of the certification program (9 hrs Fall and Spring, 3 hrs Summer) Good academic standing; 3.0 or above An approved Preliminary Degree Plan (PDP) on file at the Graduate School TAs, RAs, GAs and stipend recipients must be registered for 9 credit hours a semester. Masters students are limited to two years of support as a TA, RA, or GA and may not work more than 50% time. Doctoral students are generally limited to four years of support and may not work more than 50% time unless approved by the graduate school dean. International Students may not be appointed if they do not meet official TOEFL Score of

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Job Responsibilities The department or program will provide you with a clear statement of responsibilities and expectations A fundamental responsibility of the graduate assistant is to work closely with the faculty supervisor in carrying out any assigned duties while making progress toward completion of the degree program Maintain standards of academic integrity and honesty in labs, classrooms, offices, etc and report violations to faculty supervisor Stay informed of departmental, college, and institutional regulations and follow them consistently Keep careful records of any work assignments so that progress and problems are fully documented Discuss expectations and assessments of the work experience with the faculty supervisor on a regular basis. Articulate goals early and work with the supervisor to achieve them

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Defining Your Role It is important to discuss with your supervising professor your role in the class as well as relevant policies and procedures. Other matters to discuss include the following: Goals of the course Methodology for the course Additional materials to read to help assist the students Procedures for handling student complaints about grades, student difficulties with the course, handling instances of plagiarism or cheating Exam and assignment types Grading policies Office hours In your position as both teacher and student, you can help your professor adjust his/her teaching techniques to meet student needs as well as relate your professors goals of the class to the students. For more information: Portals/40/Assistantships%2520at%2520UTEP.doc+leading+discussion+session s&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8 Portals/40/Assistantships%2520at%2520UTEP.doc+leading+discussion+session s&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8

Academic Integrity Welcome to the University of Texas at El Paso! We're glad youve joined our family and look forward to meeting you. Our vision is to create an environment where everyone flourishes and becomes an integral part of the community. Presentation prepared by: Catie McCorry-Andalis, Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Associate Dean of Students

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Academic Integrity Principles of Academic Integrity (McCabe & Pavela, 2004) Encourage student responsibility for academic integrity Clarify expectations for students Develop fair and creative forms of assessment Reduce opportunities to engage in academic dishonesty Help define and support campus-wide academic integrity standards

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Academic Integrity For more information about the academic dishonesty policy at UTEP: See the Handbook of Operating Procedures: See the University of Texas System Regents Rules and Regulations:

Student Services Direct Deposit Student Health Services Safety and Parking

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Student Services Direct Deposit Services Employees may elect to have their paychecks credited directly to their bank account. Direct Deposit Forms are available on-line in both English and Spanish formats, and at the payroll office. Please attach an original deposit slip or voided check from your bank and return to the Payroll Office for processing. Any questions can be addressed by , or you may call us at (915) EnglishSpanish

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Student Services Student Health Center Services Available to all UTEP Students Minor injury care Mens & Womens Health Nutrition Counseling Lab & Vaccinations (915) Student Health Center is across the street from the library

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Student Services Safety and Parking Decal is necessary even after hours Student Covered Parking (Sunbowl Garage) - $255 Student Deck Parking (Sunbowl Garage) - $205 Perimeter Lots Premium Parking - $180 Perimeter Lots - $130 Remote Lots - $80 Motorcycle Perimeter - $75 Motorcycle Remote - $75 Miner Village - $75 Campus Shuttle Service

Health Insurance

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Benefits Eligibility You work at least 20 hours per week; and your appointment is expected to continue for at least 4½ months Basic Coverage/Supplemental Coverage 31-Day Benefit Election Period (from initial date of benefit eligibility/Hire Date) International students (excluding students from Mexico) are required to have health insurance. Waivers must be submitted at the beginning of each semester, before census day.

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Health Plan Options United Health Insurance UT Select BCBS with Medco RX plan Delta Dental Term Life Accidental Death and Dismemberment Superior Vision Short Term Disability Long Term Care Pay Flex

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance United Health Care Insurance Co. Employee$ 0.00 Dependents (rates available through carrier) UT Select Monthly Premium Rates Employee only$ Employee & Spouse$ Employee & Child(ren)$ Employee & Family$

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance United Health Care Medical Benefits $ deductible Medical Health – Sickness & Injury 80% upto $ 100,000 (in-network) 60% (non-network providers) RX plan pays upto $ 1,000.00

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Medco RX Plan Retail Pharmacy Co-Payment $10 Generic $30 Preferred Drug $45 Non-Preferred Drug Note: See the Employee Group Benefits Guide for a complete plan outline at 90-Day Supply Per Prescription $20 Generic $75 Preferred Drug $ Non-Preferred Drug UT Select BCBS Medical Benefits $ Deductible-Inpatient/Outpatient surgery Physician Co-pay$25 Specialist Physician co-pay $30 Inpatient co-pay $100/day ($500 maximum per occurrence) Outpatient Surgical copayment$100 ER co-pay$100

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Delta Dental Monthly Premium Rates Employee only$ Employee & Spouse$ Employee & Child(ren)$ Employee & Family$ 84.09

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Assurant Dental Monthly Premium Rates Employee only$ Employee & Spouse$ Employee & Child(ren)$ Employee & Family$ 30.15

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Superior Vision Monthly Premium Rates Employee only$ 7.36 Employee & Spouse$ Employee & Child(ren)$ Employee & Family$ 18.90

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance UT Flex UT FLEX Accounts Medical Reimbursement Account Dependent Day Care Reimbursement Account UT Flex provides tax saving on health and dependent care expenses You save taxes on: FICA (Social Security Tax) = 7.65% Federal Income Tax = 10% to 35%

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Health Insurance Helpful Hints Schedule appointment by September 26, 2008 to enroll Health Plan information for UT-Select BCBS Health Plan information for United Health Care Contact the Office of Human Resource Services via at for information or questions regarding graduate student

Office of Institutional Compliance

Equal Opportunity Office (EO)

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Equal Opportunity Office (EO) RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES As GAs/TAs/RAs/AIs, you must fully understand your rights and responsibilities under the Universitys Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment policies. ASSISTANCE Contact EO office with questions or concerns about discrimination/harassment (including sexual harassment) in the academic or employment environment. Phone: Web: TRAINING Complete the Compliance Training Module (issued by the Institutional Compliance Office) entitled Employment Discrimination Prevention Training by September 30th to meet state training requirements. (You will be notified in mid-September when the modules are assigned to you.)

Graduate Student Professional Development Programs Graduate School Co-Sponsored by:

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Professional Development It is critical that graduate students begin thinking about their professional development while in graduate school Choosing a Departmental Mentor Developing a strong mentoring relationship with a faculty member in their field has been shown to have a positive influence on graduate students when it comes to meeting departmental expectations, completing their work, and successfully negotiating the job market. When choosing a mentor, (formally or informally), it is important to take into consideration a number of factors: Has shared research interests Has time or interest in becoming a mentor and a history of effectively mentoring other graduate students Has a personality that is comfortable for your academic style and needs Is current in the field and has an understanding of job opportunities for students in the field The chosen professor should be someone who is planning to be at the University during the time you will be pursuing your degree

Graduate School Student Employee Orientation Professional Development Open to all graduate students Wide Range of Graduate Student Professional Development Topics