How Appointments are Made

It is UW policy that an individual faculty member may not directly offer a position to a student. All official appointment offers are made by Biostatistics Graduate Program Director (GPD). 

RAs & Training Grants

• Faculty supervisor notifies the Graduate Program of an available RA position or Training Grant opening, GPA lists the description on the Department’s "Employment" page and alerts the eligible students who are in need of support.
• Students review the job postings and apply for any that are of interest by following the application instructions on the job posting.
• Applications are reviewed by the faculty supervisor and GPD. A student may be contacted, usually by the faculty supervisor, to discuss the opportunity further.
• The faculty supervisor makes employment decisions in consultation with the GPD.
• Student receives via email an official appointment offer from the GPD.
• To accept a position, the student and employing supervisor will complete a DocuSign agreement by email.

TAs

• TA preferences are gathered once a year by the Graduate Program. However, students are welcome to send their TA preferences at any time to biostgp@uw.edu. 
• TA assignments are made annually and as new opportunities arise.
  • Department determines which courses will receive TA support as well as the %FTE to be assigned (based on enrollment numbers)
  • All eligible students are considered with priority given to PhD students needing to complete their TA requirement.
  • The Graduate Program reviews the needs for each TA position, including required knowledge and experience, instructor needs, and the interests of the students enrolled in the course. As much as possible, TAs are matched to the student's area of interest, but this cannot be guaranteed.
  • GPD makes appointments in consultation with the TA instructor.
• Student receives via email an official appointment offer from the GPD.
• To accept a position, the student and employing supervisor will complete a DocuSign agreement by email.

Renewal Process

• The graduate program:
  • Reviews each student’s source of support as appointment nears its end.
  • Contacts the RA supervisor/PI or TG Director to find out if the appointment will be renewed.
  • If yes, a new appointment offer is sent to the student. If the RA job duties remain the same, no job duties form is needed.
• If the student's wishes to have a new appointment, it is their responsibility to contact the GPD and discuss.

Declining an Offer

• If a student voluntarily declines or withdraws from an offer of support, the department is no longer obligated to provide support. This does not mean the department will not try to find support for such students; the department will continue to make such efforts but with a lesser priority.
• In rare circumstances, a student may have a compelling reason to withdraw from an RA or TA. These cases must be reviewed by the GPD on a case-by-case basis. In the event that the GPD determines the student has a valid reason for leaving the position, the department will not withdraw its support obligation to that student.