Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships (TAs) are awarded by the Department of History in order to financially support graduate students and provide professional development in the form of teaching and research assistance. The TA consists of a tuition waiver and accompanying salary. TAs in the department of are highly-competitive and awarded once per year. For more detailed information regarding salary and tuition remission, tax implications, privileges and benefits available to graduate appointees, please consult the WMU Graduate College Assistantship information webpage.

The term for TAs in the department is one academic year (fall semester and the following spring semester). TAs are not provided during the summer sessions. New to the university graduate students who are offered a TA are guaranteed appointments for two academic years (master's) or four academic years (doctoral) from the date of enrollment in the program, pending available funding, satisfactory performance in teaching, and satisfactory progress in their program of study. TAs beyond these time periods are neither promised nor guaranteed. While appointed, the student must enroll in at least six graduate credit hours.

New and returning students are welcome to express preference for specific work assignments, but the final assignment is determined by the department's graduate studies director and chair. 

To be eligible for an assistantship in the department of History, a student must first be formally accepted to or currently enrolled and taking courses in either the PhD or MA program for the term(s) that the award is given.

• Program of study: Teaching assistantships typically awarded to students enrolled in any of the PhD or MA History/Public History programs.
• Grade point average: Teaching assistantships are preferentially awarded to graduate students with a GPA of 3.5 or above.

Satisfactory progress in the program of study: TAs must receive a “satisfactory” evaluation in their audit letter for each semester of study that they hold the position. If a TA receives a “mostly satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” audit, they will have one semester to attend to any outstanding items noted in the audit letter. Receiving a less than “satisfactory” evaluation in the audit letter for two consecutive semesters will be grounds for revoking the TA. The graduate studies director is responsible for auditing the progress of all students at the end of each semester. Both the student and their advisor will receive a copy of the audit letter.

Satisfactory performance in teaching. TAs are expected to:

• Adhere to all University policies, regulations, directives, guidelines and student codes of conduct.
• Attend and participate in all course-related meetings, as required by the supervising course instructor.
• Attend and assist with class sessions as required by the supervising course instructor.
• Communicate any absences to the supervising course instructor.
• Start and end all class sessions on time.
• Interact with students in a positive, ethical, attentive and professional manner.
• Grade student work consistently and fairly, and return all work in a timely fashion.
• Post weekly office hours in the course syllabus, and be available to help students at the stated office hours.
• Conduct end-of-semester WMU course evaluations; performance will be noted and taken into consideration in future awards.
• Adhere to any performance requirements specified in the current TAU Agreement in addition to those specified above.

TAs are also expected to comply with any employment restrictions as noted in their appointment letter.

Each semester, TAs will receive an evaluation by their course supervisor or laboratory coordinator using the criteria stated above. The graduate studies director is responsible for obtaining the teaching evaluation forms from faculty, and for communicating the performance rating to each TA. TAs must receive a “satisfactory” or better teaching evaluation  for each semester for which the student is a TA. They will have one semester to attend to any outstanding items as noted in the teaching evaluation letter. Receiving a less than “satisfactory” rating in the teaching evaluation letter for two consecutive semesters will be grounds for revoking the TA.