Funding, Finance, and Resource Information

Students are assigned to graduate assistantships or fellowships by faculty each semester based on need. Appointment letters are generally distributed to current students in early May for the following fall semester, and early December for the following spring semester.

Legally, all students with funded positions are required to be on campus and available for meetings beginning with the first day of the faculty contract date set by the Secretary of the Faculty (see https://www.secfac.wisc.edu/academic-calendar.htm). Students should thus consult with faculty supervisors as early as possible about when any meetings or other advance course preparation will occur, and should take care to schedule travel and other employment to accommodate those dates.

Graduate assistantships are typically offered at the 50 percent level (equivalent to 20 hours of expected work per week), which is a full-time appointment for a full-time student. These assistantships include full tuition remission and benefits. For information about current stipend rates, students should speak with the Graduate Coordinator.

Students with graduate assistantships must be enrolled appropriately. Detailed information about enrollment requirements can be found in the Graduate School’s academic policies: https://grad.wisc.edu/documents/enrollment-requirements/.

During the academic year and in the summer, graduate students may work on a student hourly basis. This employment may encompass a range of activities, including (but not limited to) working for a professor on research projects, working for the department in a staff-related capacity, and working as a grader for a course. In cases where student hourly employment and course grading may occur in addition to a regular appointment as a TA, PA, or lecturer, students should discuss these situations with their advisors before accepting any additional employment. Students accepting additional employment should be aware of maximum appointment levels.

The Graduate School sets the maximum levels of graduate appointments. For U.S. citizens, the maximum appointment level during the academic year is 75 percent. This means that a domestic student with a 50 percent assistantship and/or lectureship may work no more than an additional 10 hours a week as a student hourly and/or course grader.

International students with a 50 percent appointment may not accept any additional hourly or grader assignments during the academic year.

During semester breaks and the summer, students may work up to 40 hours a week combined campus employment.

For more information from the Graduate School on maximum appointment levels, see:

https://grad.wisc.edu/documents/maximum-levels-of-appointments/

Graduate assistants are provided a workload agreement each semester that specifies the amount of time and the tasks they are expected complete during their appointment. Graduate assistants report to their faculty supervisor during their appointments. Other questions about funding and appointments should be directed to the appointment’s faculty supervisor or the Graduate Coordinator. Questions about payment and benefits should be directed to the Department Administrator.

TAs, PAs, and Lecturers with appointments of 33.3% or higher (approximately 13 hrs/week) for at least the length of a semester are eligible to enroll in benefits plans, including a health insurance program. Fellows are eligible for most of the same benefits but are not eligible for any tax sheltered savings account (e.g. FSA, HSA, and 403b).

For information about health insurance options, see: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/benefits/new-emp/grad.aspx.

For information about currently monthly premiums, see: https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/state-group-health-insurance/.

Questions about health insurance may be directed to the Department Administrator.

The contract between the state and the Teaching Assistant’s Association covering TAs and PAs (http://taa-madison.org/) is no longer in force; however, the university is continuing to use the terms of the contract until final university policies are adopted. Since the TAA no longer represents TAs and PAs, sections of the contract referring to “union” rights and responsibilities are no longer in effect. TAs and PAs can find policies in the contract related to: grievance procedures; appointments; orientation, training, and evaluation; non-discrimination; termination; health and safety; and benefits, including sick leave, vacation, and leave of absence.

The Department seeks to provide desk space to all Communication Arts graduate students, realizing the desire to have an office in Vilas Hall, and the various benefits of having a work space on site.

However, sometimes we are faced with a space crunch, and have less available desks than people who want desks. In such situations, it is Department practice to prioritize students (including those based in other departments) with active teaching positions in the Department, on the grounds that we have a duty to provide space for instructors of Communication Arts courses to prepare classes, meet with undergraduates, grade, and conduct other course-related tasks.

As such, when demand for desk space exceeds supply, those who are actively teaching in the Department will be prioritized over those who are on  fellowship, who are on leave or otherwise off campus, whose assistantship position is in another department, and/or who have desk space elsewhere. In such situations, students are welcome to be proactive by arranging desk-sharing arrangements themselves with friends and peers. If necessary, the Department may be ask students without an assistantship appointment with Communication Arts to share a desk or cede it for a semester.

All graduate student offices are shared spaces, and thus all students should be mindful that their uses of the space don’t render the space harder for others assigned to that space to conduct their own work. In particular, it is important to be respectful of any ongoing teaching assistant duties (e.g. a discussion between a TA and a student in their class). Students should also remember to close doors to any shared rooms when they are the last one out, as sensitive documents and personal possessions are often stored in offices. In addition, clutter should be kept to a minimum, past student papers and exams must be disposed of in an orderly manner (UW–Madison requires these to be saved for a year, and then promptly shredded), and office hours should be decided upon in conjunction and discussion with office-mates.

The Office of Student Financial Aid (https://financialaid.wisc.edu/types-of-aid/) assists graduate students whose personal and family resources are not adequate to cover the expenses involved in attending the University. The office also provides counseling to help students manage their money effectively, information on other potential sources of financial assistance (such as employment), debt management counseling, and small short-term loans for emergency situations.

The UW-Madison Graduate School allocates some funding to departments every year which Communication Arts has largely utilized to provide fellowships to graduate students in good standing. These are then split as equally as possible between the areas, who are then responsible for distributing them amongst eligible students. Equity is an important consideration, but many other factors are considered as well. Fellowships are non-work appointments; they are usually for one semester and take the place of a work appointment. Though they are non-work appointments, they do count as a semester of support as part of the guaranteed support package.

Students with fellowships payrolled through the University may hold concurrent graduate assistantships and/or student hourly appointments up to an allowable maximum. Questions about concurrent work along with a fellowship may be directed to the Department Administrator.

When there are additional fellowships aimed at incoming students, all eligible incoming students will automatically be considered.

Dana-Allen Dissertation Fellowship: Awarded by the UW-Madison Institute for Research in the Humanities, the Dana-Allen Fellowship provides one semester in residence at the Institute. The fellowship includes a one-semester stipend plus tuition and fringe benefits. Office space at the Institute is provided. Fellows participate in the interdisciplinary activities of the Institute including the weekly seminars. Fellows also prepare a seminar presentation based on their dissertation project. Applicants must have defended their dissertation proposal and have written at least one chapter of the dissertation. Application is by department nomination only, so interested graduate students should contact their area representative on the Graduate Committee.

For more information about the Dana-Allen Fellowship, see: https://irh.wisc.edu/irh-fellowships/.

The Graduate School administers a number of additional fellowships on campus, including: the University Fellowships, Chancellor’s Fellowships, Mellon-Wisconsin Fellowships, the Dickie Fellowships, as well as a variety of external fellowships. If you have questions about these fellowships, please contact the Office of Fellowships and Funding Resources: https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/fellowships/.

The Graduate School encourages all students to seek out and apply for funding from sources external to the university (e.g., federal agencies, professional organizations, private foundations). The Graduate School supports selected federal/private fellowships through the provision of tuition support and health insurance (see https://kb.wisc.edu/grad/73571). Students should be aware that fellowships and awards from external sources each have unique terms and conditions that the student should take time to understand. Questions on external fellowships can be directed to the Office of Fellowships and Funding Resources.

To find information on sources of external funding and fellowships, see: https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/fellowships/ and https://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/c.php?g=177724&p=1167562.

The Grants Information Collection (GIC) on the 2nd Floor of Memorial Library is a great collection of print and on-line resources to help students find external fellowships and scholarships. Students can learn how to set up a personalized profile on several on-line funding databases, and get regular notices of relevant funding opportunities. Students should remember that the timetable for identifying, applying for, and receiving such external funding is generally quite long. Students should plan on 9-12 months between the time they start a search and the time they may receive funding.

The Department of Communication Arts provides an annual award of up to $1000 to support students who will be delivering a paper or presentation at an academic conference. The funds can be used flexibly to support one or more conference trips during the academic year. Depending on endowment yield, and the number of overall requests, students traveling to a conference outside North America can request, but are not guaranteed, an additional $500. For more information see XI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER PLANNING.

The Graduate School provides a limited amount of funding for graduate students presenting at a conference each year, preference is given to dissertators and final year MFA students. For more information, see:

https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/grants-competition/

The Graduate School runs a competition twice/year for funds to support travel related to dissertation/thesis research. Students must be dissertators or final-year MFA students. For more information, see:

https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/grants-competition/

Elliott Dissertation Scholarship: Given to students who have successfully defended their dissertation proposal, this award is designed to facilitate progress on researching and writing the dissertation. Students also must be in Good Standing to receive an Elliott Dissertation Fellowship. (see section VII. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS). Students in Communication Science, Media and Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture should provide their approved prospectus—signed by their advisor—to the Graduate Coordinator no later than 12 months after they have passed preliminary exams. Students in Film should provide a signed prospectus form and a copy of their prospectus to the Graduate Coordinator no later than 12 months after they have passed preliminary exams. (The prospectus form can be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator). After submitting the required materials, students in Good Standing will receive a letter from the Director of Graduate Studies confirming receipt of the award and listing its payment details and amount.

Marilynn R. Baxter Research Awards are awarded on a rolling basis to students looking for assistance with research costs associated with a dissertation chapter or other publication. To apply, please see: https://commarts.wisc.edu/graduate/graduate-handbook/professional-development-and-career-planning/

The Communication Arts Department offers a variety of awards, which come with monetary prizes, to graduate students. Sometimes called the spring awards, the awards are typically decided by the Graduate Committee in the spring. Nominations for the awards are generated by the faculty in the four areas of graduate study in the Department. To be eligible for consideration for these awards, graduate students must be continuing in the program, must be making satisfactory progress towards their degree, and must not have any incompletes on their transcript. The monetary prize associated with each award varies every year by the number of recipients awarded and the availability of funds. The awards are:

Wackman Award: Awarded to residents of the State of Wisconsin for outstanding scholarly work (either completed or in progress). Residency is determined by the following: having been born in Wisconsin; or having graduated from a Wisconsin high school; or having a life partner who was born in Wisconsin. An individual may receive this award more than once.

Helen K. Herman Award: Awarded to graduate students who demonstrate academic ability, need, and participation in extra-curricular activities.

Risser Award: Awarded to outstanding female graduate students.

Weaver Award: Awarded to an international student to recognize outstanding efforts in research, teaching, and service.

Frankenburger Award: Awarded for scholarship in speech.

Pearce Award: Awarded for the purpose of funding student research or encouraging and improving performance skills.

Wickhem Award: Awarded for achievements in media production.

Kepley Teaching Award: Awarded for excellence in Communication Arts.

Kepley Dissertation Research Award: Awarded to dissertators who propose to use the funds in a transformative manner to conduct research on their projects that otherwise would not have been possible

Sharon Sites Award: Awarded to female graduate students concentrating in Film and Media and Cultural Studies

Lloyd Bitzer Essay Award: Awarded to a student in the Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture concentration to recognize excellence in rhetorical analysis and/or theory development