Graduate Council Policy on Graduate Student Support
Ohio University has the goal of mounting a select set of high quality Ph.D. programs and a diverse array of high quality masters programs in both academic and professional areas. The number and type of such graduate programs depends on the financial resources of the university. Graduate student support in the form of stipends and tuition scholarships plays a crucial role in the development of these programs. At the present time inadequate levels of such support hinders the recruitment of sufficient numbers of high quality students in many disciplines. In addition, recent actions by the Ohio Board of Regents significantly restrict the use of tuition scholarships without a service obligation as a means of graduate student support. This combination of factors leads to a multifaceted strategy to sustain and improve graduate student support levels.
- The seeking of increased external funds to enhance graduate student support levels. This effort includes increasing external grant support levels, enhancing endowments supporting graduate students, targeting of incremental state funds to graduate student support, and the possible reallocation of some university resources to better realize high quality graduate programs.
- The creation of new or refocused quality masters programs, especially professionally oriented ones, which can attract fee-paying students. These programs may involve distance and off-campus components that open new markets for students. This endeavor needs to be accompanied by efforts to make it possible for the funds and FTEs generated by these programs to directly benefit the originating department and college.
- The establishment of a set of graduate student support policies that enable the departments to recruit students comparable to or better than those recruited by a set of benchmark institutions. These institutions should have programs at the level at which Ohio University wishes to compete in that discipline area. They should be selected by the department with the approval of the college.
With this strategy in mind, the following policies regarding graduate student support are established.
Ohio University offers three kinds of graduate student financial support - graduate stipends and tuition scholarships.
Graduate Stipends
Graduate stipends are payments made to graduate students for services rendered to the university. If a graduate stipend matches or exceeds the university’s minimum graduate stipend level it automatically generates a tuition remission. Graduate stipends are taxable and generally necessitate a service component of 15-20 hours per week. Under limited and special circumstances units may be authorized to give graduate stipends below the university minimum (partial graduate stipends) that generate a partial or full tuition remission. The conditions under which partial graduate stipends can be given and the procedures for attaining authorization are indicated below.
Graduate Stipends - Minimum Level or Above
Graduate stipends that match or exceed the university’s minimum graduate stipend level automatically generate a tuition remission. This practice provides incentives to departments and colleges to seek additional graduate stipend funds knowing that the creation of new graduate stipends will generate a concomitant tuition remission. Graduate stipends at the minimum level or above are computed on a quarter-by-quarter basis. Thus, if a student receives a graduate stipend for a quarter that is one third (or higher) of the university minimum level, that student will receive a full tuition remission for that quarter.
Graduate Stipends - Below the Minimum Level (Partial Graduate Stipends)
Partial graduate stipends that are accompanied by partial or full tuition remission can be given under the following conditions:
Conditions
The granting of partial graduate stipends must be shown to be consistent with the support pattern found in a set of benchmark institutions with which the department and college would like to compete for students.
The level of support is appropriate for the service provided by the student.
The procedures for attaining authorization are listed below.
Procedures
Once every two years, departments wishing to use partial graduate stipends accompanied with partial or full tuition remission should:
- provide the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies with a list of three to five benchmark institutions with programs recognized to be at the level at which the department and college wish to compete in this discipline area. A brief, but convincing rationale is to be presented for the appropriateness of these benchmark institutions.
- provide evidence that the proposed level of partial graduate stipend support is consistent with the support level at these benchmark institutions. If a department wishes to offer support at a level that differs from these benchmark institutions, a detailed rationale should be presented.
Following consultation with the dean of the applying program’s college, the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies will approve or disapprove these requests.
Tuition Scholarships
Under limited and special circumstances units may be authorized to give tuition scholarships. A tuition scholarship is a remission of tuition without an accompanying stipend. The conditions under which tuition scholarships without a stipend can be given and the procedures for attaining authorization are listed below.
Conditions
Tuition scholarships may be given:
- as part of a negotiated international agreement. These agreements generally assume an exchange of equivalent benefits between institutions. Information about such agreements is maintained in the Office of Graduate Studies and such awards are approved by that office.
- to support the recruitment and retention of students who have been awarded external scholarships such as Fulbright, Muskie, or Laspau awards. There are a limited number of tuition scholarships for this purpose. Applications for these tuition scholarships are to be made to the Office of Graduate Studies on or before May 15 each year.
- in exchange for service provided by supervisors of practicum and internship placements, or supervisors of student teachers for which an agreement has been approved between the Office of Graduate Studies and a department or school to support supervisors on site.
- in support of professional training activities for Ohio University students which are part of degree requirements and which consist of approved on-campus or off-campus internships and practica at off-campus sites for which an agreement exists between the Office of Graduate Studies and department or school to support students at specific sites.
- in exceptional circumstances to support the recruitment and retention of unusually talented individuals. In such cases, the department requesting such a scholarship must present a detailed and documented argument for granting it. There are a limited number of tuition scholarships for this purpose. Applications for these tuition scholarships are to be made to the Office of Graduate Studies on or before May 15 each year.
Procedures
Departments wishing to offer tuition scholarships consistent with the above conditions should submit their requests with their college’s approval to the Office of Graduate Studies. These requests should include supporting information relevant to the specifications noted under the conditions above.
Following consultation with the dean of the applying program’s college, the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies will approve or disapprove these requests.
