January 1, 2014
Student Name
Dear <NAME>
Congratulations! You are accepted into the (M or D) program in the Department of Community Sustainability. We look forward to having you in our program. Your temporary academic advisor is Dr. <NAME>. You may contact her/him in her/his office: (517) ------or email:
For information on housing, please visit www.liveon.msu.edu
A mandatory orientation program for all new (international or domestic) students begins on Monday, August 25th, 2014, so please make your travel plans accordingly. Your classes start on Wednesday, August 27th, 2014.
GA appointments for Fall 2014 are August 16 – December 31st. Spring 2015 are January 1, 2015 to May 15, 2015. Summer is May 16 to August 15, 2015
I am pleased to offer you a [quarter/half/three quarter]-time appointment as a research assistant in the Department of Community Sustainability. Your appointment will begin August 16, 2014 and end December 31st, 2014 (or May 15th, 2014). The stipend for this period will be <$$>, per bi-weekly pay period. You will be expected to work an average of [10-20-30] hours a week during the length of the appointment. You will receive student health insurance and a tuition waiver equal to up to 9 credits for each of the fall and spring semesters. (up to 5 credits for the summer session(s)—if appointed for summer). For information on the student health care insurance plan and health care options, please visit the MSU Human Resources website: http://www.hr.msu.edu/students.htm. (Note: to opt for the dental plan you must enroll by calling Delta Dental at 1-800-971-4108
(FOR NEW HIRES) In order to be compliant with federal employment requirements, every employee must have an I-9 form on file. This form is completed by you and your department if you are a domestic student or by you and the Office of International Students and Scholars if you are an international student. It requires that you be present on campus to present documents verifying your right to work within the United States within 3 business days of the start of the appointment. If you will not be on campus within 3 business days of the start of the appointment period, the appointment start date will be amended to reflect your actual starting date (and will affect the first pay period).
(FOR NEW HIRES) MSU policy requires a criminal background check for every employee, including those on assistantships.You will need to sign a HireRight paper consumer disclosure and authorization form (page 3) that is included with this letter. Please return it to us along with this signed letter if you accept the appointment. You must complete and submit this form to initiate the background check. Your appointment as a RA will be contingent upon satisfactory results. If you have questions about this process, please contact Human Resources Staffing Services at 517-353-3720.
As long as you are making satisfactory academic progress in your program, I anticipate providing assistantship and/or fellowship support to you for <X> years (or until the completion of your program). {LANGUAGE VARIES BY UNIT)
Please be aware that this offer is contingent upon continued adequate funding and satisfactory performance. The Department of Community Sustainability may or may not have funding to support all or part of the position offered and reserves the right to solely determine the extent of available funding and, if necessary, withdraw or adjust the terms of the assistantship.
This appointment provides for a limited employment commitment. All graduate assistant appointments have a specific termination date. The University has no obligation to provide reappointment or extension of a graduate assistant appointment beyond the ending date. You may be dismissed prior to the expiration of the period set forth above for cause, including but not limited to, incompetence, serious personal or professional misconduct, failure to carry out your assigned duties, theft or misuse of University property, acts of moral turpitude, insubordination, intellectual dishonesty, use of professional authority to exploit others, or violation of law and/or University rules and regulations.
Your assignment for the [xxx] semester(s) will be [name of course(s), if known; if not, insert appropriate language.] Dr./Professor [name] has been assigned to serve as your faculty supervisor. [If the supervisor is unknown at the time the letter is written: You will be assigned a faculty supervisor and s/he will outline your specific duties and responsibilities, including attendance at required orientation, Monday, August 25th, 2014. Classes begin on Wednesday, August 27th, 2014. S/he also will be responsible for submitting a written evaluation of your performance at the end of each semester of your appointment.
To continue your assistantship, the Department of Community Sustainability requires that you maintain a 3.0 GPA, satisfactorily perform your RA duties and responsibilities, and be making satisfactory progress toward completion of your degree.
You will have access to the following office/workspace [office number or area here], and you will have access to [details of employee’s access to unit’s equipment and supplies, including phones, the Internet, and copy machines].
Please sign the bottom of this form and return to me as soon as possible to accept this assistantship offer.
Sincerely,
Michael D.Kaplowitz,
Chair and Professor
Department of Community Sustainability
MDK/nks
Signature______Date:
I accept the offer of this assistantship and agree to abide by the terms stated in this letter.