Measuring Graduate Assistant Productivity

Document Type

Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2015

Abstract or Description

Presentation given at the Georgia Southern University Research Symposium.

Opportunity to work closely with faculty members and undergraduates in teaching, research and service are integral parts of producing an effectual graduate assistantship experience. Graduate Assistants (GAs) are invaluable resources when they have all the necessary tools, skills and motivation to complete assigned tasks. These students gain further expertise in their field, enhance their research skills, acquire academic administrative experience and enjoy collaborations with advisors and peers (Nyquist & Wulff, 1995). The College of Education Curriculum Foundations and Reading department is committed to ensuring that GAs are assigned tasks that will increase their research skills, enhance their productivity, and support their overall professional development. This presentation will describe the types of activities our GAs complete, how GA productivity is measured, how GAs are evaluated and their involvement in professional development activities.

There is a growing focus on increasing research and optimizing GA productivity at Georgia Southern. While there are several ways to collect compelling data and measure GA productivity, in this presentation we will share how we have devised our measurements. These data can be used as a descriptive tool to determine how much time is spent during GA hours in various activities. Also these data could be used comparatively to show how much time a GA is focused on completing one task compared to others. Next, these data also compare among the GAs in the department to measure how each student is using their hours. As an example, Figure 1 illustrates one semester of hours calculated for six GAs within our department and how their time was used. The activities are categorized into five areas: Professional Development, Teaching, Research, Service and Academic Development (homework). By measuring the productivity of our GAs we could better prepare graduate assistants for professional challenges and address specific individual needs in the work place.

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

Georgia Southern University Research Symposium

Location

Statesboro, GA

Source

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2015/2015/170/

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