2012-13 Fall/Winter GA Resources and Support

In order to support you as you work with the new system, the Dean’s Office has provided the following resources:

A Word version of the application form. It may be helpful for supervisors to complete this form before using the new online system. Once on the system, you can copy and paste the information from the Word document into the online system.
Wendy Mauzeroll and Susan Hall will have drop-in times on July 9 & 16, 10-3. If you are unable to attend one of the training sessions, you may drop in at either Wendy’s office (12-105) or Susan’s office (12-139) for one-on-one support.
All users of the GA online system must have a UTORid. You can test out whether you have a valid UTORid by logging in at weblogin.utoronto.ca. It is recommended that you do this before attending a training session.
Each department has appointed a point person to answer any departmental questions. The departmental point person is usually the Graduate Liaison.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Who can edit/delete a job posting once it’s been submitted?

Only the Chair and Chair’s designate has the authority and ability to edit and/or delete a job posting once it’s been submitted. During the job posting process, the system will ask the faculty member to review and confirm the job posting before it is submitted. Faculty members will be able to make changes up until the time they “submit” the job posting. Once they submit the posting, they must contact the Chair or Chair’s designate to make any changes or delete the posting.

Who can delete a students’ application once it’s been submitted?

Like a paper-based system, if an applicant decides to withdraw their application after submitting it for a job, they must contact the Graduate Liaison officer in their department. The Graduate Liaison officer will have access and the ability to delete applications for students.

How will I know if my job was approved?

Faculty will have access to all the information that they need on their GA homepage. On this page, faculty will able to view the jobs that they have posted and whether they are “submitted”, “approved”, “pending”, or “not approved”.

“Submitted” means that the Chair has not yet reviewed it. This will appear next to every position that has been submitted successfully.
“Approved” means the job has been approved and will appear online on August 7.
“Dept. Priority” means that it has been approved as a departmental priority.
“Pending” means that the approval has been put on hold. You can view the reason by clicking on the edit icon (looks like two people) under Actions on your homepage. You must resolve the issue and re-submit the job before it can be approved.
“Not Approved” means that the job has not been approved

I’m going to be away and won’t have access to the internet, how can I ensure that my job is posted?

Only the Chair and Chair’s designate has access and the ability to post a job for faculty members. You can access the system from anywhere in the world through the website. If you are travelling and will not have access to the internet, you should make arrangements with your Chair or Chair’s designate before leaving.

How will faculty members and students know if they have been matched?

All information pertaining to the faculty’s job postings will be available on their GA homepage. We recommend that faculty members visit their GA homepage for important information including jobs that have been submitted and approved, the applicants that have applied to their jobs, and whether they have been matched with a student.

Specifically, faculty should ensure that they check their GA homepage after each matching phase (i.e., Phase 1 - August 27, Phase 2 – August 30, Phase 3 - September 4) to determine if they have been matched with a student. If an applicant has been offered their job, “Offered” will appear next to the applicant’s name. If “Offered” does not appear next to any of the applicants’ names after Phase 3 (September 4), it means that their job was not filled for 2012-13.

Why are the timelines so short between the posting and matching phases and the signing of the contracts?

Because Graduate Assistants are part of CUPE Bargaining Unit 3907, we have strict guidelines on when we can post jobs. Since the posting date for 2012-13 is August 7, we want to work quickly to ensure that students are placed in GA positions as early as possible into the fall session to maximize the time in which they may complete their hours of work.

Who should I go for help?

Each department will appoint a point person to whom you may ask for help. Any question that can’t be answered by the point person, Chair or Chair’s designate should be directed to Susan Hall (susan.hall@utoronto.ca) in the Dean’s Office by the point person.

What kinds of tasks can faculty ask the GA to do?

All work assignments must clearly reflect the basic criteria upon which assistantship applicants are ranked; namely, their ability to assist in research and/or field development activities.

The postings must clearly describe the duties that will be performed by the assistant. For example: If the duties include a "review of the literature", the area of the review should be referenced;
Work that involves analysis of data should include a statement regarding the type of analysis as well as any specific skills/background that may be required;
Positions that involve editing should indicate whether a substantive background is required;
Duties such as planning the future activities of a particular organization should make reference to the "development" aspects of the activity.
Jobs that are solely or predominantly clerical or administrative in nature are not acceptable; if the work does involve some clerical or administrative tasks, the proportion of time required for these duties must be indicated.
OISE graduate assistants cannot perform duties that include the teaching, grading or supervision of other students, preparation of course materials, and/or tutoring for courses.

How much is a GA worth?

The GA for 2012-13 is worth $12,352* for a full GA and $6,176* for a half GA. These totals include 4% vacation pay.

2012-13 Fall/Winter GA Resources and Support

In order to support you as you work with the new system, the Dean’s Office has provided the following resources:

A Word version of the application form. It may be helpful for supervisors to complete this form before using the new online system. Once on the system, you can copy and paste the information from the Word document into the online system.

Wendy Mauzeroll and Susan Hall will have drop-in times on July 9 & 16, 10-3. If you are unable to attend one of the training sessions, you may drop in at either Wendy’s office (12-105) or Susan’s office (12-139) for one-on-one support.

All users of the GA online system must have a UTORid. You can test out whether you have a valid UTORid by logging in at weblogin.utoronto.ca. It is recommended that you do this before attending a training session.

Each department has appointed a point person to answer any departmental questions. The departmental point person is usually the Graduate Liaison.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Who can edit/delete a job posting once it’s been submitted?

Who can delete a students’ application once it’s been submitted?

Like a paper-based system, if an applicant decides to withdraw their application after submitting it for a job, they must contact the Graduate Liaison officer in their department. The Graduate Liaison officer will have access and the ability to delete applications for students.

How will I know if my job was approved?

Faculty will have access to all the information that they need on their GA homepage. On this page, faculty will able to view the jobs that they have posted and whether they are “submitted”, “approved”, “pending”, or “not approved”.

“Submitted” means that the Chair has not yet reviewed it. This will appear next to every position that has been submitted successfully.

“Approved” means the job has been approved and will appear online on August 7.

“Dept. Priority” means that it has been approved as a departmental priority.

“Pending” means that the approval has been put on hold. You can view the reason by clicking on the edit icon (looks like two people) under Actions on your homepage. You must resolve the issue and re-submit the job before it can be approved.

“Not Approved” means that the job has not been approved

I’m going to be away and won’t have access to the internet, how can I ensure that my job is posted?

How will faculty members and students know if they have been matched?

Why are the timelines so short between the posting and matching phases and the signing of the contracts?

Who should I go for help?

Each department will appoint a point person to whom you may ask for help. Any question that can’t be answered by the point person, Chair or Chair’s designate should be directed to Susan Hall (susan.hall@utoronto.ca) in the Dean’s Office by the point person.

What kinds of tasks can faculty ask the GA to do?

All work assignments must clearly reflect the basic criteria upon which assistantship applicants are ranked; namely, their ability to assist in research and/or field development activities.

The postings must clearly describe the duties that will be performed by the assistant. For example: If the duties include a "review of the literature", the area of the review should be referenced;

Work that involves analysis of data should include a statement regarding the type of analysis as well as any specific skills/background that may be required;

Positions that involve editing should indicate whether a substantive background is required;

Duties such as planning the future activities of a particular organization should make reference to the "development" aspects of the activity.

Jobs that are solely or predominantly clerical or administrative in nature are not acceptable; if the work does involve some clerical or administrative tasks, the proportion of time required for these duties must be indicated.

OISE graduate assistants cannot perform duties that include the teaching, grading or supervision of other students, preparation of course materials, and/or tutoring for courses.

How much is a GA worth?

The GA for 2012-13 is worth $12,352* for a full GA and $6,176* for a half GA. These totals include 4% vacation pay.