Graduate Assistantship Survey
Spring 2012
I. Survey Information
· Survey emailed to 60 graduate assistants on 4/24/12
· 59 respondents = 98% response rate
II. Respondents
Department/Program / Supervisor / Hours per WeekAcademic Advising & Exploration Center / Pam Tanner / 15-20
Academic Advising & Exploration Center / Pam Tanner / 15
Academic Advising & Exploration Center / Pam Tanner / 15
Academic Network affiliated with Multicultural Affairs and Student Success / Samantha Samreth / 20
Accounting / Alka Arora / 10
Athletic Department / Joel Rollings / 20
Center for Global Education / Jessica Harmatys, Erika Cuevas / 20
Center for Students with Disabilities / Nancy Amacher / 20
Center for Students with Disabilities / Kristin Hoffmann / 20
CoBe Tech / Robert Schramm / 200
College of Education & Professional Studies-Future Teacher Program / Marijuana Sawyer-Clardy and Ellyn Dickmann / 20
Communication / Sue Wildermuth / 20
Communication / Sue Wildermuth / 20
Communication / Sue Wildermuth / 20
Communication / Sue Wildermuth / 10
Communication / Sue Wildermuth / 20+
Communication / Jim Mead / N/A
Communication Sciences & Disorders / Scott Bradley, Roxanne DePaul, Giuliana Miolo, Beth Swanson, Stephanie Woloshin / 10
Communication Sciences & Disorders / Scott Bradley / 10
Continuing Education / Greg Cook / 20
Counseling Education Graduate Program / Krista Kim, Dave Van Doren / 20
Counseling Education Graduate Program / Dave Van Doren, Don Norman, Brenda O'Beirne / 10
Department/Program / Supervisor / Hours per Week
Counseling Education Graduate Program / Krista Kim, Dave Van Doren / 20
Counseling Education Graduate Program / David Van Doren / 10
Counseling Education Graduate Program / Brenda O'Beirne and Don Norman / 10-15
Counseling Education Graduate Program / Brenda O'Beirne and Don Norman / 20
Economics / David Welsch, Jeffrey Heinrich / 10
Finance & Business Law / Kim Marino / 15
Fiscal & Economic Research Center / Russell Kashian / 20
Graduate Studies & Continuing Education / John Stone and Seth Meisel / 20
Letters & Science Advising / Debra Heiber / 20
Management / William Dougan, Kelly Delaney-Klinger, Sameer Prasad., Yezdi Godiwalla, Andy Yu, Louise Tourigny, Hung-Chung Su, Jeff Vanevenhoven / 15
Management / James Bronson / 15
Marketing / James Bronson / 15
Marketing & ITBE / Ambrose, Waldman, Zhao, Hsu, Barger, Boostrom / 15
Multicultural Affairs / Shane Staff / 10
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Sh'Nita Mitchell, Trelana Daniel, Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 25
Office of Residence Life / Terry Tumbarello / 30
Office of Residence Life / Trelana Daniel, Terry Tumbarello / 20
Office of Residence Life / Lindsay Gustin / 20
Office of Residence Life / Heather Long / 25
Office of the Registrar / Jodi Hare & Barb Housner / 20
Psychology / Barbara Beaver & Carolyn Morgan / 10
School Psychology / Christine Neddenriep / 10
School Psychology / Christine Neddenriep / 10 but worked more than 10
School Psychology / Christine Neddenriep, Joan Cook / 18
School Psychology / Tracey Scherr, Christine Neddenriep / 10
Department/Program / Supervisor / Hours per Week
School Psychology / Christine Neddenriep, Carolyn Morgan / 10
Special Education / Kathryn Casey / 10
Tennis / Frank Barnes / 20
Testing Office / Ryan Callahan / 15
University Health & Counseling Services / Whitney Henley / 20
UWW Learning Communities / Kelli Danielski / 20
Warhawk Alley / Andrea Payton / 20
Women’s Basketball / Kerie Carollo / 20
III. Survey Responses
· % Time Performing Each Task:
o Support research for faculty –mean = 26.09
o Support instruction by faculty –mean = 28.64
o Support departments administratively –mean = 22.21
o Other –mean = 34.47
· Factors in accepting an assistantship (1-4, 1 representing the most important):
o Financial Support–mean = 1.8
o Eligibility for benefits–mean = 2.71
o Work with faculty–mean = 1.88
o Other –mean = 2.72
· Extent to which GA was a learning experience:
o Not at all –0
o Somewhat – 6 (10%)
o Moderate – 6 (10%)
o A lot – 34 (58%)
o I am a different person due to it – 13 (22%)
· Extent to which GA experience contributed to the following skills/competencies:
Skills/Competencies / Not at all / Somewhat / Moderate / A lot / I am a different person due to itOrganizational Skills / 0 / 5 / 15 / 36 / 3
Management Skills / 0 / 5 / 15 / 32 / 7
Data collection skills / 7 / 10 / 18 / 22 / 2
Data management skills / 5 / 7 / 18 / 27 / 2
Library research skills / 20 / 12 / 12 / 14 / 1
Problem-solving skills / 1 / 8 / 6 / 36 / 8
Technology skills / 5 / 3 / 24 / 26 / 1
Oral communication / 2 / 8 / 10 / 30 / 9
Written communication / 3 / 10 / 11 / 31 / 4
· Other relevant Skills that developed as the result of the GA experience
o None, N/A, all were covered in the above questions (3)
o Data analysis skills and trend analysis
o Motivational skills and coaching
o People skills
o Interpersonal communication, leadership, advising, and supervising (10)
o Work with one on one with students
o Experience in my field (8)
o Event planning, survey creation and analysis (3)
o Financials of running a team and athletic department
o Better understanding of the CSD office and team working skills
o Teaching peer and students (5)
o Interdepartmental functioning & skills (7)
o IBM SPSS test analytics, and advanced excel skills (3)
o Flexibility and critical thinking
o Knowledge about regulations on visas
o Knowledge of different assessments and scoring (3)
o Knowledge of research performed (4)
o Great learning experience
o Developing relationships (3)
o Learning to multi-task and networking skills
o Crisis management and difficult situations (2)
· Overall satisfication with GA experience
o Very dissatisfied –1 (2%)
o Somewhat dissatisfied–0 (0%)
o Moderate –2 (3%)
o Somewhat satisfied –11 (19%)
o Very satisfied –45 (76%)
· Additional comments:
o Working in student affairs was an excellent opportunity for me as a graduate assistantship. At times, it felt like this role was more of a learning experience than the graduate program itself.
o Why doesn’t graduate assistantships don’t cover tuition anymore
o My direct supervisor Krista Kim is incredibly supportive the best supervisor I've ever had. She has helped me to grow professionally and personally. I am so grateful to have had this graduate assistantship experience.
o The faculty within the Marketing Department was a pleasure to work with for the academic year! I will truly miss them!
o I found a lot of the professors to be non-confrontational and passive-aggressive. Last year, they told me that it was a possibility that my hours as an assistant would be reduced because my assessments skills weren't strong enough to grade materials for professors the following year. While they talked vaguely with me about this possibility, they were already offering my position to another student. I ended up finding out about all of this from my classmate.
Generally, I found this whole chain of events to be unprofessional. Interactions like this make the work environment very uncomfortable. I certainly expect professors to act in a more honest and professional manner.
o The work environment was not the best because there were so many changes in the office (some people left the position and director was also interim) Also, the receptionist/financial specialist in our office is a very difficult person to work with for many members in the office. Overall, I had very good experiences from the graduate assistantship and was able to gain some skills and knowledge.
o This has been a great experience and I feel that it has been so applicable to what I am learning in the classroom!!
o Although I find the overall experience very rewarding, the workload in combination with my personal course load verges on unmanageable at times. In addition, I find the overall compensation to be lacking for the amount of work I am doing. The pay itself would be acceptable if there was some form of tuition remission, however currently there is no tuition remission which would make the position even more appealing.
o I am so grateful for this wonderful experience!
o While the graduate assistantship does help to defer costs of graduate school, it does not cover all cost. On paper the amount that we are told we will get paid is much more than what we actually make after taxes, which is difficult to make up the difference when already having to work as a graduate assistant and going to school full time. A larger salary would be greatly appreciated.
o I was taken in by the faculty and staff and treated as part of the department. I was also given an office and offered support at all times. I also felt that the service I provided to the department was appreciated and seen as useful. The students who participated in the Spanish for Counselors classes joined because they are aware of the need for counselors with Spanish speaking abilities; most of the feedback was that it was good for the program to offer these classes
o I would just like to thank them for the opportunity and I know that they will be people I will communicate and have a relationship with for the rest of my life. They have definitely shaped me into a person that feels coaching is definitely the field in which I am supposed to be a part of for the rest of my life.
o Thank you for the opportunity
o Samantha Samreth did a great job as my supervisor and mentor. She taught me a lot of valuable skills and helped me become a better writer. She challenged me with several projects and gave me the encouragement I needed when taking on difficult task. I really valued this experience and felt it gave me the confidence I need to pursue a job in higher education administration.
o The graduate assistantship has been a great opportunity for me to grow as a person and develop into a more confident person. I enjoyed my work environment and the different people I had the opportunity to get to know and work with. I think my first year was a great way to get my feet wet, and I can't wait to take advantage of the opportunities in place for the following year.
o It has been a wonderful experience.
o Working in student affairs was an excellent opportunity for me as a graduate assistantship. At times, it felt like this role was more of a learning experience than the graduate program itself.
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