Accepting Your Assistantship
Once you have completed a successful application and/or job search, there are several steps before graduate students may officially begin their assistantship.
Initial Offer and Acceptance
Students may first be offered their assistantship as part of their admission letter and/or after a hiring process that involves application and interview. In either scenario, the student must first accept the initial assistantship offer. This can be done by email, in person, or over the phone to begin the process of starting an assistantship. A few more steps need to be completed before the assistantship is made official and work may begin.
Graduate Assistantship Contract
There are two parts to the official offer. Once an initial offer has been accepted, the hiring department will initiate a Graduate Assistantship Contract form in Docusign, which will send a notice to the Graduate Assistant’s campus email when it is ready to sign. The second part of the official offer is facilitated by the hiring department and NDSU Human Resources; more information can be found below under "Official Offer and Hire."
Be sure to read your contract before signing to confirm your understanding of the appointment, expectations, and other obligations, including the Tuition Waiver Agreement if you are receiving a tuition waiver as part of your assistantship appointment. If you have any questions about your specific appointment, reach out to your recruiter or assistantship supervisor.
Once you have signed your contract, save a copy of the contract for your files for future reference.
Background Check
If the appointment requires a background check to be completed, the Graduate School will initiate a background check invitation via S2Verify for the prospective assistant to complete and a notice with details about the background check process. The company will send a background check request to your campus email account or your off-campus email account with directions in the email. You may complete your background check up to three months prior to the start of your assistantship. All official offers for positions that require a background check are contingent upon the student receiving a successful background check. Not completing the request will result in a delay of processing your hire and will affect your start date.
Official Offer and Hire
After the initial hire and the completion of the Graduate Assistantship Contract, there are a few more steps to complete the hire and begin your first day as an NDSU Graduate Assistant. This includes completing an information request and completing onboarding paperwork.
Official Offer
After the contract is complete and you, as the prospective assistant, are made aware of your appointment details and responsibilities, the hiring department will submit paperwork to NDSU Human Resources. You will then receive an email from NDSU HR with a request to provide information as part of the final process for new hires.
Completing the Hire
You will then need to complete an I-9 before your first day. You will receive an email from i9complete@trackercorp.com with a link to complete Section 1 of the I-9 online form; Section 2 will be completed in person by HR and/or Payroll or approved department representative. If a student is transferring positions, additional paperwork is not required. Once this step is completed and processed by NDSU HR and Payroll, you are officially hired as a Graduate Assistant.
For more information on Accepting an Official Offer and Completing I-9 Paperwork, Click Here
Navigating Required Trainings
New and returning graduate assistants must maintain their trainings, as well as other aspects of their eligibility and expectations. Please explore the tabs below for more information on maintaining training compliance.
Overview
All assistantships require employment trainings as part of the appointment, and some appointments may require additional training based on the position responsibilities. New Graduate Assistants should complete trainings within the first 30 days of their appointment, and assistants in renewed appointments should complete trainings within 30 days of their renewed start date. Failure to complete the requirements can lead to sanctions, including revocation of your tuition waiver and/or termination of the assistantship. Training is available after your start date and may not be completed prior to working. You will receive an email from the Graduate School with instructions.
Required trainings are indicated on the contract form prospective assistants will review and sign via Docusign alongside the appointment responsibilities. If you are unsure of which trainings you need to complete, reach out to your supervisor and the NDSU Graduate School at ndsu.gradschool.asst@ndsu.edu.
All trainings except for in-person Equal Opportunity and Title IX and Initial Waste Handling are available in Vector Solutions. Assistants must first have a Vector Solutions account, which is generated by NDSU HR upon official hire.
The required trainings for the assistantship appointment are based on employment requirements; some trainings may overlap with separate academic trainings required to maintain ethical conduct and research.
General Required Trainings (All Assistants)
- Annual Notice of Policies and Designated Medical Provider Form
- Baseline Safety Training (first session in-person)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Equal Opportunity and Title IX Training (in-person)
Laboratory Trainings (Based on Appointment)
- Laboratory Safety Training (NDSU Version)
- Radiation Safety Training
- Biosafety & Bloodborne Pathogens Training
- Nanomaterial Safety Training
- Initial Waste Handling Training (in-person)
- Waste Handling Online Refresher (by semester)
Graduate Assistants will start work on the start date approved by NDSU HR and not prior. As part of the first day and within the first 30 days of work, assistants are expected to complete required trainings and forms. Assistants may not complete these trainings prior to their employment. All Graduate Assistants are expected to complete the following trainings and forms:
- Annual Notice of Policies and Designated Medical Provider Form
- Baseline Safety Training (first session in-person)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Equal Opportunity and Title IX Training (in-person)
Depending on the appointment, Graduate Assistants may be required to complete additional trainings, such as Lab Safety training modules.
If a current student is transferred from a different position to an assistantship, current completed trainings may be reviewed and considered for compliance in the applicable semester(s).
Assistantship appointments may last as long as one calendar year, which includes three adjacent academic semesters. To have an assistantship renewed, assistants must first have a satisfactory performance review. Once this criterion has been met, renewal of assistantships are at the discretion of the hiring department based on department needs and availability of funding.
Prior to starting an appointment renewal, a renewal contract must be completed and approved by the Graduate School. Upon renewal, assistants must complete their trainings within 30 days of the renewal start date.
Vector Solutions
Graduate Assistants can complete the following trainings on Vector Solutions. Please see the provided instructions for accessing your account. A Vector Solutions account will only be generated after the official hire has been processed; prospective assistants may not complete trainings in advance of their hire without an active Vector Solutions account.
Access Vector Solutions for NDSU Here
Equal Opportunity and Title IX (In Person Version)
Equal Opportunity and Title IX Training is available through the Equal Opportunity and Title IX Compliance Office. Assistants must register in advance to attend an in-person or Zoom session and be present for the entirety of the 90-minute session to complete the training. Completions will be tracked by the Equal Opportunity and Title IX Compliance Office and through Vector Solutions. This training is valid for 3 years and must be completed every 3 years to maintain compliance.
Register for Equal Opportunity and Title IX Training Here
Initial Waste Handling
The NDSU Safety Office provides Initial Waste Handling Training. This is an in-person only course and is required only one time for an NDSU career. If an assistantship appointment required waste handling training, this training should be completed prior to working in the workspace, including labs, that require this training. Each registration option will include the date, time, and campus location where the training will take place.