Students who wish to be considered for RA, TA, or IG appointments should contact their departments.
Duties
RA, TA, and IG duties are set out in Article 19 of the MIT-GSU Collective Bargaining Agreement and are further detailed in individual appointment letters.
Time commitment
RA, TA, and IG appointments are made during each appointment period (fall, spring, and summer). While most appointments are for an entire appointment period, some appointments cover only part of an appointment period. Only resident graduate students may be appointed as RAs, TAs, or IGs.
A 100% research assistantship (RA), teaching assistantship (TA), or Instructor-G appointment requires no more than an average of 20 hours of work per week over the course of a semester. Partial appointments have pro-rated time commitment expectations. MIT recognizes that graduate students may spend additional time conducting research in support of their academic studies. International students considering an RA, TA, or IG appointment should review information regarding on-campus work from the International Students Office (ISO).
Leaves
RAs, TAs, and IGs are entitled to certain leaves of absence from their appointment obligations, as set out in the MIT-GSU Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Holidays
Student employees observe official Institute holidays without loss of pay or benefits. During a designated holiday, employees may be required to conduct work only when determined to be necessary by their supervisor, and with advance notification. The supervisor shall discuss the necessity of such work with the employee in advance, unless such work is already specified in the appointment letter.
MIT’s policy regarding student absence for religious observances also applies to student employees. If the employee cannot make up the missed time, it must be taken as vacation time or be unpaid.
Vacation
Student employees are entitled to five (5) vacation days per full appointment period (September 1 – January 15, January 16 – May 13, June 1 – August 31), up to a maximum of 15 vacation days within a 12-month period, without loss of pay or benefits. Any unused vacation days may not be carried over to the next appointment period. Vacation schedules must be requested in advance and approved by the employee’s supervisor. TAs should normally not take vacation during times when they have duties to fulfill as specified in the appointment letter. Vacation time may be used by student employees attending union conferences.
Sick time
Student employees are entitled to sick time, which can be used for illness, medical, and dental appointments, either for themselves or a family member. Employees with 100% appointments are eligible for up to 20 hours of sick time for each appointment period, with a 40-hour cap in any 12-month period. Employees with partial appointments are eligible for a prorated amount of sick time. Sick time amounts are available to employees at the start of their appointments and do not accrue.
Family and Medical leave
Student employees are eligible for a maximum of twelve (12) weeks of leave, in any twelve-month period, for the employee’s own serious health condition; for bonding with a new child within six months of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster placement; or to care for a family member of the employee who has a serious health condition. The leave may continue beyond the end date of the employee’s appointment, and runs concurrently with other leave types. Employees will not receive salary payments, unless provided by a concurrent leave type, but will continue to receive tuition remission and health insurance coverage at the same rate as their appointment would have provided.
Childbirth and Parental Accommodation
Birth parents may take up to 17 weeks of leave from employment services as follows:
- 2 months (8.67 weeks) of Childbirth Accommodation with full salary, tuition coverage, and benefits in place
- 1 month (4.33 weeks) of Parental Accommodation with full salary, tuition coverage, and benefits in place
- 4 weeks of Parental Accommodation with salary paid at state formula rate and tuition coverage and benefits in place
These benefits run concurrently with any leave time student employees may be entitled to take under Family and Medical Leave.
These benefits also run concurrently with the academic accommodation policies that provide 3 months of relief from academic and thesis research responsibilities to all graduate student birth parents within 6 months after a birth, adoption, or family placement.
Non-birth parents may take up to 12 weeks of leave from employment services as follows, within 6 months after a birth, adoption, or family placement:
- 1 month (4.33 weeks) of Parental Accommodation with full salary, tuition coverage, and benefits in place
- 4 weeks of Parental Accommodation with salary paid at state formula rate and tuition coverage and benefits in place
- 3.67 weeks (or balance of remaining 12 weeks of Family and Medical Leave) without salary, but with tuition coverage and benefits in place
These benefits run concurrently with any leave time student employees may be entitled to take under Family and Medical Leave.
These benefits also run concurrently with the academic accommodation policies that provide 1 month of relief from academic and thesis research responsibilities to all graduate student non-birth parents within 6 months after a birth, adoption, or family placement.
Bereavement leave
Employees may be absent without loss of pay or benefits for up to five (5) business days when called for by a death in the family. In circumstances of logistical difficulty, severe emotional distress, or religious observance, a longer unpaid absence may be requested. However, if an employee has vacation available, they may use this time in order to be paid. Such requests for use of vacation will not be unreasonably denied.
Personal leave
Leaves of short duration for personal reasons may be granted at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor and are to be negotiated in good faith on a case-by-case basis. The duration of a leave will typically be up to two (2) weeks and shall not exceed four (4) weeks. During such leaves of absence, employees retain all salary and benefits.
Professional development leave
Student employees may, upon approval by both their research supervisor and academic advisor, take unpaid leaves of absence for reasonable educational or professional development opportunities that advance their education goals. These may include, but are not limited to, full-time professional internships or short-term teaching or research appointments at another institution. Doctoral students may apply for nonresident thesis research status during this time, if appropriate, rather than take a temporary withdrawal.
Immigration leave
Employees may be absent for up to three (3) business days per twelve-month period, without loss of pay or employment benefits, in order to attend appointments and/or hearings scheduled with federal immigration officials or the US Department of State with respect to immigration or citizenship status of the employee or the employee’s family. A longer unpaid absence may be requested. However, if an employee has vacation time available, they may request to use this time in order to be paid. Such requests for use of vacation will not be unreasonably denied.
Jury duty
Employees summoned to serve on a jury, or required by subpoena to appear as a witness in court are paid by the Institute the difference between any fee received from the court and the employee’s normal base pay, up to the employee’s total regularly scheduled hours per week, for the time period involved. In order to receive this pay differential, the employee must have been hired prior to receiving notice to appear in court, must inform the supervisor of their intention to be absent from work, and must present a certified statement of earnings from the court for the period of service.
As court duty often does not require a full-time commitment, employees are expected to report to work on days or reasonable portions of days when attendance in court is not required. An employee is not paid for witness duty when they are a party to the action.
Military leave
Student employees are entitled to request leaves of absence for U.S. National Service.
Renewal
Appointments cease at the end of a designated period. Non-reappointment or the decision not to offer an appointment shall not be considered the same as discharge from an appointment and may not be grieved.
Cancellation
If an RA appointment has to be canceled by MIT before the end of the employment period, for reasons outside of the employee’s control, MIT will make reasonable efforts to reassign the employee to another RA or TA appointment for which the employee is qualified. If reassignment is not possible, MIT shall provide funding until the end date of the original appointment period or until a new appointment is available, whichever happens first. MIT shall notify the employee two (2) weeks in advance of, or as soon as practicable before, any cancellation of an RA appointment
If a course or section assigned to an employee appointed as a TA is canceled by MIT due to insufficient enrollment or any other reason outside of the employee’s control, the department or unit shall notify the employee two (2) weeks in advance of the cancellation, or as soon as practicable under the circumstances. In such cases, the department will make reasonable efforts to reassign the employee to an alternative course or section that the employee is qualified to teach and that has not been assigned to another individual, or where appropriate to an equivalent RA position (which may be outside the academic department) for which the employee is qualified. If no other course or RA assignment can be made, the employee shall be guaranteed funding until the end date of the original appointment period or until a new appointment is
available, whichever happens first.
Termination
A student employee’s appointment may be terminated (discharged) for reasons relating to job performance or misconduct. MIT’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MIT GSU details the conditions for employee discipline and discharge (Article 6).
A student employee’s appointment may also be terminated if the student has been denied further registration at the Institute by the Graduate Academic Performance Group due to unsatisfactory academic performance or progress.
Special cases
Military service members
Active service personnel who are admitted to MIT for graduate work continue to receive their full military pay. Thus, by law, they are ineligible to receive additional payment from any federally funded research contract or other federal funding resource administered by MIT. Active service personnel are also restricted by the MIT-GSU collective bargaining agreement from holding RA appointments funded by industry sponsors or TA appointments that provide tuition remission only. However, these students may receive fellowships from MIT that cover tuition.
Supplemental payments
Students who hold full fellowships, traineeships, or other awards from MIT, or outside sources, cannot be appointed to full time graduate student staff appointments.
Supplemental payments (exclusive of tuition and fees) exceeding the guidelines established by the Academic Council must be approved by the Office of Graduate Education.
