Support for Graduate Students
A variety of graduate assistantships, fellowships, and funding opportunities are available to graduate students in the Rhetoric & Writing program, depending on the student's level of professional and instructional experience. Typically, PhD students are admitted with a 4-year assistantship or fellowship package. MA students are usually admitted without an assistantship package; however, the program has a strong history of success in helping MA students obtain funding support.
Beyond assistantships, financial support is available in a variety of forms – fellowships, travel and research funding, emergency funding -- both to recruit new students and to support continuing students. As a graduate student you should get in the habit of applying regularly for funding and grants; it is an important (and necessary) professional skill! For a full list of available fellowships and funding opportunities from the Graduate School, see http://www.grad.msu.edu/funding.htm.
Additionally, MSU is committed to recruiting a broadly diverse student body by providing opportunities for financial support for ALANA students, and for other students who have overcome difficult circumstances, to attend MSU. (ALANA = African American, Latino(a)/Chicano(a), Asian American, and Native American.) For a list of resources to assist ALANA students, see http://www.grad.msu.edu/alana.htm.
The most typical form of support for graduate students in the Rhetoric & Writing program is a 1/2-time graduate assistantship, either a teaching assistantship or a research assistantship, that is awarded at the time of admission to the program. (Note: 1/2-time means an average of 20 hrs of work per week.)
For additional information about graduate assistantships at MSU, see http://www.msu.edu/user/gradschl/current/gradasst.pdf. For information about the Graduate Employees Union contract, see http://grad.msu.edu/geu/agree.pdf.
Stipends. A 1/2-time assistantship pays a stipend range of approximately $11,000-12,700 per year (depending on level of teaching & professional experience) and includes a tuition waiver for up to 9 credit hours per semester and health benefits. For more information about stipends for graduate assistantships, for the current year, see the Graduate Employees Union contract agreement at http://www.grad.msu.edu/geu/agree.pdf.
Teaching Assistantships. Most TAs in the Rhetoric & Writing program teach Tier One writing in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures. The program provides a week-long TA workshop for all students teaching at MSU for the first time, arranges a regular teaching brownbag throughout the year, and provides technology workshops and brownbags as well. The teaching load for 1/2-time teaching assistants is 1-1, that is, one course per semester.
There are additional teaching opportunities at the Writing Center, in the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts & Humanities, and in the Professional Writing undergraduate major for doctoral students in the final years of their program -- see the Director of Rhetoric & Writing for more information.
Research Assistant, WIDE Research Center. This is a 1/2-time research assistantship (academic year, 20 hours per week, renewable) to help support research in the Center. Contact: Jeff Grabill, Co-Director, WIDE Research Center.
Editorial Assistant, NCTE/Erlbaum Research Series in Composition and Literacy. This is a 1/2-time research assistantship (academic year, 20 hrs per week, renewable) to assist the Series Co-editor with manuscript processing and review, as well as other editorial and composition-studies related tasks. Contact: Malea Powell, Series Co-Editor.
Fellowships and Other Funding Opportunities
FOR NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS
University Fellowships. The Graduate School offers two fellowship packages for outstanding entering students admitted to doctoral or MFA programs at MSU: the University Distinguished Fellowship (UDF) and the University Enrichment Fellowship (UEF). For 2006-07, each of these fellowships will pay a 12-month stipend of $23,000 plus health insurance (tuition and related fees will be waived). Rhetoric & Writing applicants have traditionally been successful candidates for these fellowships. (Students do not apply directly for these fellowships. The Rhetoric & Writing Graduate Advisory Committee automatically nominates prospective students for this award.) See http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/ufellows.htm for more information.
Dean's Recruitment Fellowship. The College of Arts & Letters offers a limited number of fellowships to promising entering graduate students who enroll in CAL graduate programs. (Students do not apply directly for these fellowships. The Rhetoric & Writing Graduate Advisory Committee automatically nominates prospective students for this award.)
Academic Achievement Graduate Assistantship (AAGA). This program is designed primarily for MA students. It is aimed at assisting academic units in attracting a cohort of diverse students who have not typically participated in graduate programs. (Students do not apply directly for these fellowships. The Rhetoric & Writing Graduate Advisory Committee automatically nominates prospective students for this award.)See http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/all/aaga.htm for more Information.
FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
Travel Funding. There are a variety of funds available to support graduate students in professional and research travel, within the R&W program, the College of Arts & Letters, and the Graduate School. R&W students will receive information concerning how to apply for program funding early in the fall of each semester, which includes how to apply for regular CAL and Graduate School funding.
Summer Acceleration Fellowship (SAF). This fellowship provides summer support for current students. A call for applications for this fellowship will circulate in the spring of each year. Please see the Director of Rhetoric & Writing for more information.
Emergency Funding. Limited funds (up to approximately $500) are available on a one-time basis for graduate students who encounter unusual or unforeseen emergency expenses. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/funding.htm
Educational Opportunity Fellowship (EOF). This award is intended for students who have a demonstrated need for financial assistance and who have a minimum undergraduate federal indebtedness of at least $25,000. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/all/eof.htm
CIC Foreign Language Enhancement Program (FLEP). This award provides scholarships to help graduate students take advantage of language offerings not available at their home university, but available at another CIC member university. Scholarships are intended to cover living expenses incurred while attending another CIC host institution during the summer session.
Dissertation Completion Fellowship. Fellowships are available to allow students to devote full time to writing the dissertation with the goal that the dissertation will be completed during the tenure of the fellowship. Competition of these fellowships is usually announced in the fall of each year. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/funding.htm
King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship (KCP). This fellowship is intended to increase the number of underrepresented minorities (1) pursuing academic careers in postsecondary education; (2) pursuing doctorate degrees; and (3) working as faculty in postsecondary education. It is geared for students for students who have completed their comprehensive exams but who need additional years of funding beyond what their programs have provided. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/funding.htm
Graduate Student Research Enhancement Award. Funds are available to support research activities including travel to workshops or conferences, data collection, short courses and extramural laboratory rotations. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/funding.htm
CIC Traveling Scholar Program. Enables doctoral-level students at any CIC university to take advantage of educational opportunities -- specialized courses, unique library collections, unusual laboratories -- at any other CIC university without change in registration or increase in tuition. For more information, go to http://www.msu.edu/~gradschl/cic.htm
