Welcome to Fall 2026, The Graduate School is glad to have you as part of the Graduate Assistantship Program. The GA & Supervisor Newsletter is a learning resource and support to GAs and their supervisors on various professional development topics and will be sent out monthly by The Graduate School.
Onboarding Guide: Completion of a project or a milestone requires organization, time management, and consistent review of implementation plans. Graduate assistants and their supervisors require concrete plans on project management; therefore, supervisors are required to mentor their graduate assistants and follow up on assigned projects using available project management tools and regular check-in meetings. Utilization of these tools will help facilitate understanding of the project’s progress and allow for troubleshooting in case there are challenges in implementation. Supervisors should also encourage graduate assistants to utilize the Earned Sick Time Act for sick leave and wellness as directed by the University.
Core Practices for GAs and Supervisors:
Active Project Tracking
Utilize institutional tracking tools such as The Graduate School Project and Time Tracker (linked below).
Weekly / Bi-weekly Check-in Meetings and Feedback Sessions
Reference Resources:
GVSU has a Earned Sick Time Act page with all the information on sick leave for employees.
The Graduate School has formulated a Project and Time Tracker that can be utilized to monitor projects timelines and milestones, and track hours worked and calculate ESTA hours earned.
Reminder: New graduate assistants are required to complete a mandatory online orientation in their Workday Learning environment before beginning their position.
