Graduate College

The Graduate College
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5242 USA
(269) 387-8212

Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation

Congratulations on your assistantship with Western Michigan University!

We are proud to have you as a member of the WMU community, where teaching, research and scholarship are central to the mission of our institution. The Graduate College, the Graduate Student Association (GSA), graduate faculty, advisors and staff are all committed to supporting your success and creating a community that is welcoming, respectful and inclusive. 

At Western Michigan University approximately 20% of graduate students are on a Graduate Assistantship (GA) appointment and serve many  important roles at the university. Holding a GA position provides an excellent opportunity for  professional development in that you gain new skills that enhance your academic work, build valuable work experiences and develop your career network, in addition to having the financial support that comes with the appointment.

We have three types of Graduate Assistantships: 

1. Research Discovery Assistants (RDs) are research assistants who perform duties related to research and scholarship for their appointment. 
2. Research Application Assistants (RAs) includes all other professional work in the unit accepted as appropriate and germane to the student’s educational goal.
3. Teaching Assistants (TAs) serve in a role related to teaching; some are instructors of record (meaning they are the one primarily responsible for a course); some are instructors of lab sections; and some assist the instructor in some support capacity (such as grading or holding discussion sessions). TAs are part of the Teaching Assistants Union. 

Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation

To support and familiarize all newly appointed Graduate Assistants with their role and responsibilities, the WMU Graduate College requires you complete Graduate Assistantship (GA) Orientation, as well as type of appointment type specific training (RD, RA, or TA), and department-level training, if available. Please click the menu below based on the type of appointment you have been assigned to review the training requirements.

 

Research Discovery Assistants (RDs) are research assistants who perform duties related to research and scholarship for their appointment. 

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College is holding Graduate Assistant Orientation, a mandatory training session for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2025 semester. Register to attend one of the synchronous virtual training sessions offered on:

GAs do not need to attend multiple sessions, as the information presented will be the same with live sessions adding the benefit of a question-and-answer period with Graduate College staff. Additionally, the training video is available here to view at your leisure. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2) Research Discovery (RD) Training:  Research Discovery-specific virtual training will be held as synchronous (real-time) virtual session on Monday, Aug. 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Click here to join the training session at the appropriate time (no pre-registration needed, simply join at the appropriate time). Training session information will also be emailed to your WMU email account. 

3) Review the Research Discovery Assistant (RD) training Booklet

4) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

5) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation

For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students. 

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program. Click here to view a video about the RCR requirement. 

Academic Year 2025-2026 deadlines:

  • Fall 2025: December 17, 2025
  • Spring 2026: May 6, 2026
  • Summer I 2026: July 8, 2026
  • Summer II 2026: August 26, 2026

Research Application Assistants (RAs) includes all other professional work in the unit accepted as appropriate and germane to the student’s educational goal.

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College is holding Graduate Assistant Orientation, a mandatory training session for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2025 semester. Register to attend one of the synchronous virtual training sessions offered on:

GAs do not need to attend multiple sessions, as the information presented will be the same with live sessions adding the benefit of a question-and-answer period with Graduate College staff. Additionally, the training video is available here to view at your leisure. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2) Review the Research Application/Service Assistant (RA) Training Booklet

3) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

4) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation
For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students. 

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program. Click here to view a video about the RCR requirement. 

Academic Year 2025-2026 deadlines:

  • Fall 2025: December 17, 2025
  • Spring 2026: May 6, 2026
  • Summer I 2026: July 8, 2026
  • Summer II 2026: August 26, 2026

Teaching Assistants (TAs) serve in a role related to teaching; some are instructors of record (meaning they are the one primarily responsible for a course); some are instructors of lab sections; and some assist the instructor in some support capacity (such as grading or holding discussion sessions). TAs are part of the Teaching Assistants Union.  

1) Attend GA Orientation
The Graduate College is holding Graduate Assistant Orientation, a mandatory training session for newly appointed GAs for the Fall 2025 semester. Register to attend one of the synchronous virtual training sessions offered on:

GAs do not need to attend multiple sessions, as the information presented will be the same with live sessions adding the benefit of a question-and-answer period with Graduate College staff. Additionally, the training video is available here to view at your leisure. The training video will take approximately 20-minutes to view. Click here to view the Power Point slide deck.

2)  Teaching Assistant (TA) Training
Mandatory virtual live training for teaching assistants, facilitated by the Office of Faculty Development (OFD), will take place on Monday, August 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (ET). Please click here to join the session at the appropriate time.

3) Review the Teaching Assistant (TA) Training Booklet 

4) Familiarize yourself with several important policies:

5) Complete Graduate Appointee Training Verification form

Reminder - Watch the Fire Safety Training Video
The State of Michigan requires fire safety training for anyone who will be teaching. Please click here to watch the fire safety video.

Reminder - Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course is required to comply with requirements from national funding agencies and ensures that all graduate students at WMU are working to the highest possible standards of integrity. All new WMU graduate students admitted to WMU  are required to complete the RCR course by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. There is no fee for the course, and no credit hours are earned. Completion of this course is a university-wide requirement and is not directly associated with any specific graduate program. Click here to view a video about the RCR requirement. 

Academic Year 2025-2026 deadlines:

  • Fall 2025: December 17, 2025
  • Spring 2026: May 6, 2026
  • Summer I 2026: July 8, 2026
  • Summer II 2026: August 26, 2026

Optional - Complete Graduate Student Online Orientation
For those who are new to WMU, we recommend you first complete the WMU Graduate Student Online Orientation available to all new graduate students.