Doctoral Graduate Assistantships

PURPOSE

The School of Social Work supports a limited number of doctoral assistantships requiring either 6 or 12 weekly hours of work with a designated faculty member or project. Assistantships are usua

lly awarded for a calendar year (September-August), with the general expectation that work will be performed during the 15-week fall term, the 15-week spring term, and the 12 week summer term, for a total of 42 weeks, not to exceed 250 hours for a 6-credit tuition remission and not to exceed 500 hours for a 12-credit tuition remission.

Graduate assistant positions are designed to create mutual opportunities between graduate level students and faculty members that foster positive relationships and learning opportunities. For doctoral students, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK assistantships provide access to hands-on research and teaching skills learning. Annually, two to three doctoral students will be awarded graduate assistant positions to assist faculty members with the production of scholarly work or the design, development and delivery of their courses.

A graduate assistant may work in any area of a faculty project from conception to final product design, as determined by the faculty member. In some cases, an assistantship my be divided among two faculty members or two projects and may combine research and teaching functions.

Students who have taken several courses in the program, especially research courses, usually have more to offer to an assistantship. However, entering first year students with evidence of research experience will also be considered and are encouraged to apply.

Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the Doctoral Program Director and prospective faculty supervisors to determine fit of project needs and student capacities.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The specific job description is determined by the assigned faculty member based on project(s) needs. These duties may include, but are not limited to:

Possible Research Tasks:

• Development of literature for review through library and on-line searches
• Retrieval of articles and materials from library, on-line or community sources
• Review of relevant literature
• Generation of relevant material through community based agency contact via telephone or in person
• Creation of instruments for assessment
• Collection of data and participation in the research process as deemed appropriate by the faculty member
• Data coding, transcription, and input using computer programs
• Writing preliminary reports or documentation for the research process

Possible Teaching Tasks:

• Development of literature for review through library and on-line searches
• Retrieval of articles and materials from library, on-line or community sources
• Review of relevant literature
• Generation of relevant material through community based agency contact via telephone or in person
• Assistance with design of course syllabus/outline, including course objectives, readings, assignments, lectures & presentations, units of study and related instructional materials
• Assistance with grading MSW/BSW student assignments, including developing grading systems and templates;
• Consultation with students experiencing difficulty with the course
• Assistance with course delivery in class and online – selected lectures, online chats

Assistantship duties may not be used to fulfill doctoral practicum assignments.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

Research:

• Knowledge and development of appropriate library and on-line searches
• Knowledge of Barry University library system
• Computer technology skills including email, word processing, on-line searches, ability to learn applications of SPSS, EXCEL, SAS statistical packages and web or computer based teaching and research methods such as Blackboard, Power Point, and online survey packages
• Ability to read, understand and concisely review scholarly articles
• Ability to conduct structured research interviews
• Ability to follow directions for coding or transcription of data
• Ability to organize and deliver presentations, lectures, reports
• Ability to collaborate with faculty colleagues

Teaching:

• Knowledge and development of appropriate library and on-line searches
• Knowledge of Barry University library system
• Computer technology skills including email, word processing, on-line searches, ability to learn applications of SPSS, EXCEL, SAS statistical packages and web or computer based teaching and research methods such as Blackboard, Power Point, and online survey packages
• Ability to read, understand and concisely review scholarly articles
• Ability to organize and deliver presentations, lectures, reports
• Ability to collaborate with faculty colleagues
• Ability to work with students having difficulty with the course
• Ability to work with students who need and can use special challenges in the course.

Applicants for assistantships must complete and submit by June 15 for assistantships starting in the following fall term:

1. a Ph.D. in Social Work Application for Financial Aid

2. Graduate Assistantship Application (see below)

3. a current Student Aid Report (SAR) based on your FAFSA application (For further information on the FAFSA and SAR, please visit the How to Apply for Financial Aid page.)

4. the most recent federal income tax return

5. a 500-word statement of their qualifications and experience, which helps determine assignments, addressing the following:

a. Where are you currently in the doctoral program? (Attach your transcript to date.)

b. Have you had any social work research or any other research courses in undergraduate education or previous graduate education? Have you participated in research related projects? Have you been employed in settings where research, evaluation or grant-writing was a significant aspect of your functions? What is your comfort level with research?

c. Have you had any adult education coursework in the past? Have you done training or taught in the classroom in the past? Describe any training/teaching experiences you have had.

d. What skills would you bring to a research assistantship position? (e.g., technical writing, library search, grant-writing experience, on-line search, data

e. analysis/SPSS, data collection, survey interviewing, etc.)

f. What skills would you bring to a teaching assistantship position? (e.g., curriculum development, library research, public speaking/presentation skills, educational technology familiarity)

g. What are your limitations? (e.g., weak writing skills, limited library knowledge, limited data analysis skills)

h. Would you prefer and teaching or a research assistantship?

i. Would you prefer a 6-hour/week or a 12-hour/week commitment?

j. What makes you a good candidate for an assistantship?

k. How do you plan to fit the hours per week of work into your schedule?