• Enrollment Criteria:

Graduate Fellows must be enrolled full-time. Full time is defined as 9 credits for MS students and 12 credits for MPH students. MPH and MS students completing their last credits and who may not fulfill the full-time load will still be eligible for GFA. For MPH: last credits refer to credits remaining in the program that exclude the practicum. The semester in which the last credits are taken should not include the practicum. For MS, the thesis is covered by GFA. Applicants who are registered as full time including ILE (1 or 2) and working full time might not be considered for GFA.

• Academic Standing:

a.The applicant should not be on probation.
b.A minimum GPA of 3.2 or greater, depending on availability of funds and the number of applicants.
c.The average grade of the candidate is calculated as follows:
– For new students: the cumulative average for their undergraduate degree
– For continuing students: the average of the last fall/spring semester for students.

• Performance of Prior GFA:

Unsatisfactory evaluations from the GFA supervisor from the previous semester will affect the decision to grant GFA.

• Any Disciplinary Action:

Any disciplinary action on the student’s file will prevent them from being eligible for GFA. As per the AUB Student Code of Conduct, students might be denied GFA as a secondary disciplinary measure

New students may apply for a Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship when applying to graduate programs at FHS. Students who stop the program and apply for a GFA upon rejoining will be considered for GFA granting based on the distribution of the covered credits for the remaining semesters in the program. Students who were admitted on probation will be eligible for GFA once they remove their probation after completion of 9/10 credits with a GPA of 3.5 or above. For more information, refer to FHS policy on Financial Assistance.

The type of tasks that GFAs are assigned may vary and include teaching, research, community service or administrative work, depending on the nature/need of the unit in which the GFA is assigned, with clerical work, such as filing and photocopying,.. etc kept as a bare minimum.  Duties may include and are not limited to: literature review, web and library search, data collection, data entry and data analysis, organizing and summarizing articles, lab work, assisting in teaching, preparation of course material, working on project development, materials development, organizing and leading teams, developing forms, writing reports and grant proposals, preparing tables, communication materials, recruitment activities, and administrative duties as requested by the faculty member supervising the GFA.

1. A GFA shall meet with the assigned supervisor to discuss the mode of work, type of tasks and work ethos.
2. The GFA shall follow the assigned schedule or complete the assigned tasks to the best of their ability.
3. The GFA shall report regularly to the supervisor about the work progress and keep track of hours worked so not to exceed or work less than the necessary number of hours.
4. In agreement with the supervisor, a GFA can request time off GFA work with prior notice (for study related or other reasons) and make up for this work loss during vacations, weekends or holidays.

A GFA facing problems in keeping up with the duties assigned [the load of work does not reflect the time allocation] or the kind of work requested [the GFA does not feel he/she gaining valuable experience or has the necessary skills] shall discuss his/her concerns with the supervisor and consult with their department chairperson either orally or in writing. In case of GFA termination within the semester by the supervisor and the chairperson, the GFA has the right to appeal within 10 days of receiving the termination notice. Students can terminate their GFA allocation by sending a letter to the department chairperson stating the reasons with a four-week notice. Please refer to the section on termination in this document and the  AUB GFA policy for more details.

The supervisors shall call for a meeting with the GFA allocated to work with them as soon as the GFA allocation is announced. In this first encounter, supervisors introduce themselves to the GFA, discuss the type, tasks and mode of work expected of the GFA, while ascertaining that the GFA has the necessary skills to successfully implement these tasks. The supervisors agree with the GFA on deliverables and dates if ready, and provide tasks as they come. Supervisors also need to communicate issues or problems with the work if the need arises and resolve them with the GFA.

Supervisors refer to this document, AUB GFA policy and share its content with the GFA.

The Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship is evaluated by both the GFA and the supervisor towards the end of each semester in two ways:

• Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship Evaluation: The supervisor fills an evaluation form for each Graduate Fellow that assesses the GFA’s performance during the semester.
• Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship Satisfaction: The Graduate Fellow fills a separate evaluation form that assesses his/her satisfaction as a Graduate Fellow during the semester.

The results of both forms are used by the GSC in future considerations of a Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship for the student. In case of unsatisfactory evaluation of the GFA performance by the faculty supervisor, the GSC will solicit additional input from the GFA’s registration and academic advisor to assess the situation. Based on the overall assessment of the GFA performance the student may be prevented from continuing receiving GFA, or the % GFA to which he/she is eligible may be reduced.

In the instance when the student or the faculty supervisor indicated that they prefer to work with another supervisor/student in the following term, the Graduate Officer will either allocate the GFA to another department or share with the chair of the department the preference of the student/supervisor.

 GFA evaluation process are confidential and not shared with the student or the GFA supervisor.

If the student clearly demonstrates unsatisfactory performance in assigned GFA duties, the supervisor and the department chairperson should first advise the student, orally and in writing, to try to improve her/his performance before proceeding with the termination.

A GFA may be terminated by the supervisor with a four-week written notice due to performance related reasons or funding constraints, without affecting the tuition waiver as per the Fellowship and Assistantship Letter.

A GFA allocation may be terminated immediately for academic misconduct (please refer to the student code of conduct for details). In such cases, the student may be suspended from responsibilities pending the outcome of an investigation.

The reasons for termination should be documented in writing by the department chairperson; the termination should be approved by the Dean and shared with the Graduate Council. Within 10 days of the receipt of the notice of termination, the student may appeal the decision.

Students can terminate their GFA allocation by sending a letter to the department chairperson stating the reasons with a four-week notice. Students who terminate their GFA allocation or withdraw from the university after the drop and add period will be required to reimburse the university for the covered tuition prorated based on the time during the term, except if they secure a pre-approval based on justified reasons.

In such cases, tuition and stipend support is terminated.

1. Graduate Fellows should take their work seriously and are required to work for the specified number of hours and not less.
2. They shall communicate effectively and ethically with the supervisors and their team where applicable.
3. They should maintain confidentiality of student grades, if assisting in teaching and confidentiality of research participants if assisting in research.

For further details, refer to AUB GFA policy which has all the relevant information.