Departmental Information
Below are a number of policies and requirements that you need to be aware of. If you have questions, contact Dr. Mike Mullen.
Graduate Assistantships. Graduate assistantships awarded through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) are limited to 2 years for the Master of Science degree, 3 years for the Doctor of Philosophy degree for students with a Master’s, and 4 years for the Doctor of Philosophy degree for students who enter the Doctoral program from the Baccalaureate degree. In the latter case, the stipend for the first year must be at the Master’s level and may be increased to the Doctoral level at the beginning of the second year. The time limitation begins with initiation of the graduate program. The eligibility requirement for a CALS research assistantship is a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater, which is the same as the eligibility for Special Talent Certification and graduation. Graduate assistants may not be reappointed during a period of academic probation.
Teaching Requirement. All Soil Science graduate students on an assistantship are required to assist in the teaching program within the department. Master’s students are required to assist in the equivalent of two sections of the 3-hour laboratory of the introductory soils course (SSC 200); Doctoral students are required to assist in the equivalent of three sections of the SSC 200 laboratory. Assignments to other courses are based on equivalent contact hours. The assignments will be made by the Associate Head in consultation with the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. As soon as the assignments have been made, students should contact the instructors with whom they will be working.
Academic credit for teaching can be gained by registering for Mentored Teaching (SSC 685 or SSC 885). Graduate students who are not on assistantship also can receive credit for Mentored Teaching by participating in the teaching program.
Professional Meetings Graduate students are encouraged to attend professional meetings to present their research. If an oral or poster paper is presented, students should seek support from their faculty Advisor. Additionally, the student may apply for partial financial support from the NC State Graduate Student Association Travel Awards program. An out-of-state travel authorization must be processed and approved prior to the trip to provide Workmen’s Compensation coverage. Travel by university vehicle is encouraged for students on graduate assistantships.
University Vehicles. All state vehicles are for official use only. Operators of state vehicles must abide by all state laws and regulations. Only persons employed by the University are allowed to operate state vehicles due to insurance considerations. Graduate students on assistantships meet the employment criterion; graduate students not on assistantships should check with their Advisor. Students operating state vehicles should check with their Advisors concerning procedures for purchase of gasoline, maintenance, etc. In addition to requiring a valid driver’s license, eligibility for driving a 15-passenger van requires training.
Financial Support for Research. Materials, supplies, equipment, in-state travel, and support services required for research by graduate students will be provided through State and Federal funds or from grants and contracts. All requests by graduate students for services and support are to be directed through their Advisors.
Safety Training. The advisor will determine the safety trainings (e.g., biological, nuclear) required for their students. Graduate students must receive safety training according to the Safety Plan for each laboratory. If a student is going to work in a laboratory that does not belong to his/her advisor, that student must receive the required training for that laboratory space. In some cases the user must receive training from the University in addition to the safety training for the lab.
Annual Leave and Sick Leave. Graduate assistants do not earn vacation or sick leave; however, reasonable provisions for such absences may be arranged with the Advisor.
Outside Employment. Outside employment that interferes with the Departmental obligations of graduate students is prohibited. Additionally, no University supplies, equipment, facilities, or personnel may be used in connection with outside employment. You should discuss outside employment with your advisor.