Departmental Policies

Below are a number of policies and requirements that you need to be aware of.  If you have questions, contact the Director of Graduate Programs.

Annual Leave and Sick Leave

Graduate assistants are considered half-time employees on a 12-month appointment and do not earn vacation or sick leave. However, reasonable provisions for scheduling time away or for medical issues are made in consultation with your advisor.

Computers

Computers (desktop and/or laptop) are provided by the student’s Advisor. If you need access to computing or specialized software, check with your Advisor.

Financial Support for Research

Materials, supplies, equipment, in-state travel, and support services required for research by graduate students will be provided by your Advisor through state funds, grants and contracts. All requests by graduate students for services and support are to be directed through their Advisors.

Office Supplies

Graduate students who need office supplies for their research related work must obtain them through their Advisor.

Outside Employment

Students on assistantship are employees and must also be enrolled full-time in courses to maintain their assistantship and GSSP benefits. The Graduate School policy is that students on assistantship should not be employed outside of the department as it often interferes with the departmental and programmatic obligations of graduate students. The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences adheres to this policy and strongly discourages outside employment.

Additionally, no University supplies, equipment, facilities, or personnel may be used in connection with outside employment. This is both policy and state law.

If you feel that you need to work outside of your departmental obligations, you should discuss this with your Advisor.

Poster Printing

The department has poster printing equipment which can be used to produce posters for presentations at conferences and meetings. This is not for personal use.

Printing and Photocopying

All research-related printing should be done on printers provided by the Advisor or on the WolfCopy equipment in 3304 Williams Hall using your Advisor’s account.

For class and personal printing and photocopying you can use equipment at the DH Hill Library. You will need All-Campus on your ID card to do this. For details see the Library Printing Resource page.

    University Vehicles

    All state vehicles are for official use only. Operators of state vehicles must abide by all state laws and regulations. Only persons employed by the University are allowed to operate state vehicles due to insurance considerations. Graduate students on assistantships meet the employment criterion; graduate students not on assistantships should check with their Advisor. Students operating state vehicles should check with their Advisors concerning procedures for purchase of gasoline, maintenance, etc.  In addition to requiring a valid driver’s license, eligibility for driving a 15-passenger van requires training (see Safety Training).