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Academic Affairs

Academic Programs

Academic Assessment (OATS)

For information on Academic Assessment (OATS) please follow the link below.
http://www.oats.gatech.edu

Academic Program Review

For information on Academic Program Review please follow the link below.
www.apr.gatech.edu

Curriculum Committee Procedures

For information on Curriculum Committee Procedures please follow the link below.
www.icc.gatech.edu/

International Academic Programs

For more information on International Academic Programs please follow the link below.
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/

Admissions

Graduate

For information on Graduate Policies please follow the link below.
www.grad.gatech.edu

Lawful Presence

For information on Lawful Presence please follow the link below.
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/lawful-presence

Undergraduate

For information on Undergraduate Policies please follow the link below.

http://www.admission.gatech.edu/

Faculty Handbook

For more information on the Faculty Handbook please follow the link below.

http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty_handbook

1. Introduction
2. Faculty Governance
3. Faculty Status
4. Support of Education
5. Faculty Affairs
6. Campus Use Procedures
7. Transitional Sections of the Faculty Handbook

Georgia Tech Catalog

The Georgia Tech Catalog at http://www.catalog.gatech.edu contains information on the following topics:

  • General Information
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Archived Catalogs
  • Financial
  • Regulations

Graduate Student Policies

Allocation of Tuition Waivers for Non-sponsored Assistantships

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
January 2015
Last Revised: 
May 2015
Review Date: 
May 2021
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Bonnie Ferri
Contact Title: 
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
Bonnie.ferri@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

To establish how non-sponsored tuition waivers are allocated in the Georgia Tech budget and budget process.

Policy Statement: 

The Institute maintains a budget to account for tuition revenue foregone when tuition waivers are used for non-sponsored GTA (graduate teaching assistant) and GRA (graduate research assistant) positions. These are positions in which state funds are used to pay the stipends. As with GRA or GTA work on sponsored projects, the Institute covers all tuition for these students beyond the $25 required by the Board of Regents.

In the tuition waiver budget, each college is permitted to use an established number of non-sponsored waivers. The permitted number is affirmed or expanded each year in the Institute budget process, through a request from each Dean and decision by the Executive Leadership Team.

Scope: 

All colleges and non-college units.

 

Definitions:

Non-sponsored assistantship An assistantship in which the stipend is paid from state funds.
Tuition waiver Part of tuition not charged to the student.
Academic faculty member As defined in the Faculty Handbook. A faculty member who supervises a GRA or GTA assignment must be appointed in an instructional unit and cleared as instructor of record by the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Procedures: 
Using the Waivers
In the colleges Under this system, non-sponsored tuition waivers are approved and controlled by the academic units. The home department or school and the hiring unit (if different from the home unit) must certify that the assignment contributes to the student’s graduate education, and an academic faculty member must provide supervision for the educational aspect of the work, through registration for GRA or GTA credit with that faculty member.
Outside the colleges Non-academic units, while they are not allocated non-sponsored tuition waivers, are permitted to employ graduate research or teaching assistants, if the work is directly related to the student’s graduate program. If non-academic units want to employ a GRA or GTA, they must request the waiver to accompany the position from the home unit (department or school) of the student who will be hired. A faculty member from the home unit should oversee the academic aspects of the work of the GRA or GTA student in the non-academic unit to ensure the quality and relevance of the work to the student’s academic work. All graduate research or teaching assistant hires in non-academic departments must be approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development (VPGEFD).

Forms:

Title Link
Request for GRA or GTA outside an academic unit Send email to vpgefd@gateh.edu, giving the name and GTID of the student, the nature of the assignment, and the faculty member supervisor.

 

Responsibilities: 

Deans request tuition waivers in the budget process and monitor their use.

Executive Leadership Team determines the allocation of waivers in the Institute budget process.

Home schools enter the waivers for students with GRA or GTA positions that meet the Institute requirements (see Graduate Assistantship Enrollment and Employment policy).

Non-academic units request tuition waivers from the home schools of students they want to hire there and locate academic faculty members willing to supervise the academic aspects of the work.

Enforcement: 

Use of waivers beyond the established number will create a budget deficit in the College and thus trigger a discussion with the Provost’s office. Students given GRA or GTA positions that do not meet the policy are subject to cancellation of tuition waiver.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Related Information: 
Graduate Student Enrollment and Employment Policy
Graduate Assistant Schedule Flexibility
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
May 2015 Graduate Studies Language Clarification
April 2006 Lisa Godfrey, Budget Office Last revision of the procedure

Financial Assistance

For information on Financial Assistance please follow the link below.
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/paying-for-grad-school

General Policies

For information on General Policies please follow the links below.
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/policies
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-policies
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/checklist

Graduate Admissions

Policies on Graduate Admissions can be found in the Student Catalog, Graduate Admissions.

Graduate Assistantship Schedule and Flexibility Policy

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
March 2014
Last Revised: 
March 2014
Review Date: 
March 2022
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Bonnie Ferri
Contact Title: 
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
Bonnie.ferri@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

To clarify when graduate student work assignments stop and start and the level of acceptable flexibility in hours.

Policy Statement: 

The work duties of Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs, encompass 4.5 calendar months for fall and spring terms and three calendar months for summer term. The fall term work period consists of half of August and all of September through December. The spring term work period consists of January through April and half of May. Summer term consists of half of May, all of June and July, and half of August. Supervisors are generally expected to employ a GRA or GTA for the full work period, providing continuous employment and pay throughout the year.

GRAs and GTAs are not required to work on official Institute holidays, which appear on the Human Resources web site. In addition, at the discretion of the student’s supervisor, a GRA or GTA may be permitted to average effort over several weeks or cluster research or teaching activities in order to spend one or more weeks away from campus during the semester or, more frequently, during periods when classes are not in session. Any time away requires the approval of the supervisor. This flexibility may be used to allow later start dates for students new to campus. Some work assignments may not permit this flexibility.

GRAs or GTAs appointed to sponsored research projects should monitor their appointments monthly in the Electronic Workload Assignment Form (EWAF), because they will be required to sign an Annual Statement of Reasonableness indicating that the effort they put into projects was correctly recorded. For more information on this Plan Confirmation System, see

/personal-services-reporting-using-plan-confirmation-system.

Scope: 

The policy applies to all graduate students and all hiring units.

Policy Terms: 

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)
Part time research job held by a graduate student.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)
Part time teaching job held by a graduate student.

Graduate Assistant (GA)
Part time research or administrative job held by a graduate student.

Supervisor
The person to whom a graduate assistant reports in his or her work responsibilities.

Procedures: 

Graduate programs should communicate these terms of employment to students when they are hired. Graduate student assistants must communicate their needs for schedule flexibility to their supervisors. Supervisors of graduate student assistants must review and approve any flexibility in hours used under this policy.

Responsibilities: 

8.1. Hiring Unit
The hiring unit (school, department, or laboratory) is responsible for communicating the dates of work assignments, the number of hours of work expected per week, the extent of flexibility allowed, and the procedure for requesting flexibility.

8.2. Supervisor
The supervisor is responsible for keeping the student’s actual workload within the number of hours paid and allowing reasonable flexibility in fulfilling work responsibilities.

8.3. Graduate Student Employee
The graduate assistant is responsible for working the number of hours designated for the assignment, requesting flexibility when needed, and abiding by the determination of the supervisor with regard to flexibility requests.

Enforcement: 

Students who believe this policy has been violated should first approach the individual responsible for the violation to resolve the issue. If the violation persists, the situation should be reported to thehead of the next level up from the violation (e.g., school chair or laboratory head in the case of violations by supervisors; deans or institute directors for laboratories) or to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs vpgefa@gatech.edu. In case of doubt about where to report, use ethicspoint http://ohr.gatech.edu/ethics/ethicspoint. The Georgia Tech faculty and graduate student ombuds are available to help resolve conflicts.

Related Information: 
Workload Assignment information
Institute Holidays
Payroll Dates
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
March 2014 Clarification of when graduate assistantships start and stop and whether any time away from campus is permitted. Graduate schedule guidelines

  

 

 

Graduate Student Enrollment and Employment

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
April 2015
Last Revised: 
April 2015
Review Date: 
April 2024
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Bonnie Ferri
Contact Title: 
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
Bonnie.ferri@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

To ensure compliance with Board of Regents policies and our agreements with federal sponsors, the Institute needs policies on when and how graduate students may be employed.

Policy Statement: 

Research and teaching assistantships provide work experiences for graduate students that contribute to their education. Research assistantships involve tasks such as setting up equipment, gathering and analyzing data, participating in research team interaction and training, and writing up and presenting results. Teaching assistantships involve activities such as planning and delivering classes, laboratories, or online educational experiences, grading, and evaluating the teaching and learning experience.

The work done under a graduate research or teaching assistantship should enhance the student’s educational experience. Research grants may not be used for teaching assistantships unless the grant terms specifically allow it. It is expected that students working on grants or contracts are acquiring skills and knowledge relevant to their educational programs and must be registered.

Graduate students employed as Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Assistants must be registered.

Any graduate student hired to do research or teaching at 33% to 50% effort must be hired as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) or Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA); all GRA and GTA assignments must fall within this range of effort. To be eligible as a GRA or GTA, the student must be registered full time. Pay must meet the Institute minimums and be consistent with standards set and published within the School or College.

In accordance with Office of Management and Budget requirements, and as outlined in rate agreements with the Federal Government, expenses for similar purposes must be treated the same way under like circumstances. This principle requires us to hire graduate students doing similar kinds of work through the same mechanism at similar rates (including pay scales and tuition charges). If a student is hired on a federal project as a Graduate Research Assistant, the employment of the student shall remain as a GRA throughout their involvement with the project. Students in GRA or GTA positions will be required to pay $25 regular tuition, plus any applicable differential tuition and student fees; the institution covers the remainder of their tuition. (See the policy on tuition waivers for payment rules regarding partial semesters.)

For administrative work or small research or teaching jobs (less than 25% effort), the Graduate Assistant (GA) hiring mechanism may be used. GA assignments carry no tuition waiver, but the student must be registered. A student hired as a GA is responsible for paying tuition and fees. GA salary may be charged to sponsored projects if the work is appropriate and should be set at the unit’s prevailing pay rate for graduate students.

Exceptions to these policies may be requested from the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs.

Scope: 

The policy applies to all graduate students and all hiring units.

 

Definitions:

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) Part time research job held by a graduate student.
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) Part time teaching job held by a graduate student.
Graduate Assistant (GA) Part time research, teaching, or administrative job held by a graduate student.
Full tuition waiver Administrative action that reduces the tuition a graduate research or teaching assistant pays to $25.
Procedures: 

The Hiring Unit submits the Student Hiring Packet and the Student’s Home School enters the tuition waiver in Banner if appropriate.

Form Links: 
Student Hiring Packet
Allowable Expenses
Responsibilities: 

Hiring Unit
The Hiring Unit must coordinate with the student’s home school to ensure that the student’s enrollment status allows him or her to work under an assistantship. If using state funds to pay the student, the hiring unit must either provide the non-sponsored tuition waiver or have a commitment from the student’s home school to provide it.

Student’s Home School
The student’s home school is responsible for ensuring that the student’s enrollment status allows the student to work under an assistantship and that no tuition waivers are entered for students who are hired without GRA or GTA assignments. The student’s home school is responsible for posting standard pay rates for assistantships in a place that is accessible to students.

Faculty Supervisor
The faculty supervisor is responsible for assigning a work load to the student assistant that falls within the number of hours of the position while not interfering with the student’s academic progress; for mentoring the student in his or her work role; for assuring that the student has received appropriate training in the responsible conduct of research, including safety; and for evaluating the student’s performance in writing at least once every semester. The faculty supervisor is responsible for communicating how long the assistantship position is likely to last and giving as much advance notice as possible if the student’s assistantship position is going to be discontinued.

Student
The student is responsible for working the expected number of hours with the expected level of productivity, asking for help from the supervisor as needed. The student is responsible for knowing and following all relevant safety regulations and ethical standards. The student is responsible for keeping careful records of data collection procedures and leaving all data and records with the supervisor at the appropriate time. GTAs are responsible for completing grading assignments in a timely manner, including turning in grades by any deadlines set by their supervisors at the end of the semester.

Enforcement: 

Students who are not employed properly are subject to cancelation of registration for lack of payment of tuition or cancelation of employment if registration requirements are not met.

Policy 4.7 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook, Student Complaints and Grievances against a Faculty Member http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/4.7-student-complaints-and-grievances-against-faculty-member, outlines procedures for when a student has a complaint and/or grievance.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508.

Related Information: 
BOR Policy on tuition waivers; see 7.3.1.4
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
March 2014 This policy replaces http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/student-life/graduate-assistantship  

 

Graduate Student Handbook

For information on Graduate Student Handbook please follow the link below.
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/student-handbook

Policy on Advisement and Appointment of Thesis Advisory Committees

Review Date: 
February 2015

Policy & Procedure No. 7

POLICY ON THE ADVISEMENT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AND THE APPOINTMENT OF
THESIS ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Doctoral Theses

There are two committees which function to advise, approve and conduct the final doctoral oral examination of the thesis and the student's knowledge of the field in which it lies.

The first committee is called the Thesis Advisory Committee or the Thesis Reading Committee and consists of at least three persons, one of whom is the Thesis Advisor. This committee approves the research topic, provides advice and guidance during the research and is charged with approving the thesis when the research is completed and presented as the doctoral thesis. When the Thesis Advisory Committee considers the thesis to be satisfactory, a recommendation is made to the Dean of the Graduate Division for the appointment of the second committee, which is called the Final Doctoral Examination Committee, and it consists of at least five individuals.

The Thesis Advisory Committee consists of at least three members satisfying the following: (1) the thesis advisor shall be a member of the Academic Faculty (with approval of the school or college Graduate Committee, an adjunct * faculty member appointed for the specific purpose of advising graduate students may serve as the thesis advisor); (2) the majority of committee members shall be members of the Academic Faculty. The Committee is approved by the Graduate Committee in the School of College, recommended by the School Director through the College Dean, and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate Division.

The Final Doctoral Examination Committee, which consists of at least five persons, always contains the Thesis Advisory Committee members and others as appropriate, who are recommended by the school or college to the Dean of the Graduate Division for approval. At least one member of the Final Doctoral Examination Committee must be from the academic faculty of a School (or College) which is distinct from the unit in which the student is enrolled.

It is recognized that some Schools and Colleges may wish to appoint a Thesis Advisory Committee which consists of five or more persons and to recommend this committee to serve as the Final Doctoral Examination Committee. Where the constraints outlined above are met for both committees, this is permissible.

Master's Theses

For Master's Thesis advisement, the Thesis Advisory Committee consists of at least three members, the majority of whom must be members of the Academic Faculty. The thesis advisor who serves as the Chairman of the Thesis Advisory Committee must be a member of the Academic Faculty (with approval of the school or college Graduate Committee, an adjunct * faculty member appointed by the specific purpose of advising graduate students may serve as the thesis advisor.) The committee is recommended by the School Director through the College Dean and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate Division.

* "adjunct" does not indicate formal appointment, but rather appointment as indicated in this policy statement.

Note On Joint Degrees And Departments

For joint (inter-institutional) departments or degree programs, committees should have at least one faculty member from each institution, and a majority should be joint program faculty. Joint program faculty will have undergone a nomination and appointment process in the joint program in order to qualify for the right to advise students in the joint program.

POLICY ON PUBLICATION OF THESES

A policy of the Georgia Institute of Technology is that Doctoral and Master's Theses are openly published. Extraordinary delays are not to be allowed to protect proprietary interests of sponsors.

It is anticipated that all Ph.D. theses and a significant fraction of master's theses be published in the open, refereed literature.

In all cases, doctoral research should meet the "Guidelines for Ph.D. Dissertation Research", and in no situation should these be compromised to allow for concealing important research results because of security classification or a sponsor's proprietary interest.

A student may routinely elect to have publication of his or her thesis withheld for a period of one year, if recommended by the student's thesis advisor. Requests for extensions beyond one year must be justified and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

A Georgia Tech doctoral dissertation in its final form may not be used or have been used to meet the requirements for a separate degree at another institution.

GUIDELINES FOR PH.D. DISSERTATION RESEARCH

  1. The research should provide a useful educational experience for the student emphasizing creativity, independent action and learning, research methodology, and scholarly approach.
  2. The research must be relevant to the field in which the student is pursuing a degree.
  3. The contributions to knowledge must be original and as such, should represent a substantial addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. The research must demonstrate creativity. Dissertations based on well known principles, techniques, and models applied to situations only somewhat different from previous applications are not acceptable.
  4. The dissertation should contain clear statements about (a) the relevance and importance of the problem and (b) the significance, originality, and generality of the research results. The relationship of the research to the literature of the field should be described.
  5. The research should possess the major characteristics of the scientific method, namely objectivity and reproducibility. Assumptions should be clearly stated in both experimental and theoretical research.
  6. The dissertation should reflect a level of competence indicative of significant achievement beyond the master's level. Thus, the research is expected to draw directly upon advanced learning in the student's major field and demonstrate mastery of that knowledge.
  7. The dissertation must demonstrate understanding of the theory and methodology related to its main thrust. Further the dissertation should reflect knowledge of the application area.
  8. The research should result in at least one paper publishable in a suitable refereed journal of engineering, science, management or architecture, as appropriate.
  9. The dissertation should demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in written communication of research results. It should conform to the Institute's requirements as outlined in the Office of Graduate Studies and Research "Manual for the Preparation of Graduate Dissertations and Thesis".
  10. The scope of the research should be such that it requires at least the time and effort equivalent to one year of full time graduate study.

Policy on Hour Loads for Graduate Students

Course Load Requirements
Course Selection
Guidelines for Registration of Doctoral Dissertation Hours
Responsibility

The following general policies are provided to serve as guidelines for determining the hourly work loads of students who are pursuing graduate degrees.

  1. Full-time graduate students are expected to give primary attention to the pursuit of their degrees.
  2. Graduate students are expected to take semester work loads which will contribute to substantial progress toward a degree.
  3. Graduate students shall register for a number of hours of research which is consistent with a realistic appraisal of the amount of work to be done on a project, thesis, or dissertation, and the amount of faculty involvement and use of Institute facilities required.
  4. Realistic accounting for graduate student credit hours helps support a quality graduate program.

Transcript Recognition of Teaching and Research Activity

Students holding Graduate Teaching or Graduate Research Assistantships may register for courses in recognition of teaching (8997) and research (8998) activities if these courses are available for their school. The 8997 and 8998 courses are audit-base courses. A student may not register for more than a total of 9 hours of 8997 and 8998 during any semester.

Course Load Requirements

The following regulations shall govern the semester registration requirements for students who are pursuing graduate degrees:

  1. Full-time students must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours on a letter grade or pass-fail basis. As an exception, the advisor and school chair may allow up to 3 hours out of the 12 minimum to be taken on an audit basis in Fall and Spring semesters; in Summer semesters the advisor and school chair may allow up to 6 hours out of the 12 minimum to be taken on an audit basis. Hours in excess of the required 12 may be taken on any basis. Full-time students working exclusively on thesis research should be registered for 18 or more hours of 7000 or 9000 (Master’s or Doctoral Thesis) in Fall and Spring semesters, and for up to 16 hours during Summer semesters.
  2. The following students must register on a full-time basis as defined above:
    1. graduate research and teaching assistants;
    2. students supported by fellowships, traineeships or individual grants;
    3. students with out-of-state tuition waivers;
    4. students assigned to the institute by the Armed Forces for the purpose of pursuing a degree;
    5. students on student visas;
    6. graduate co-op students on non-work semesters.
  3. Students involved in thesis research must register for an appropriate number of 7000 or 9000 hours.
  4. The minimum load for part-time students is 3 credit hours.
  5. A student may register for only one hour of Master’s or Doctoral Thesis (7000 or 9000) during the semester of graduation. This exception may be used once for each degree.
  6. The maximum allowable semester load for employed students other than graduate assistants is reduced as a function of the number of hours employed per week as follows:

    Work load per week Maximum semester hour load
    Full time (40 hours) 6
    3/4 of full time (30 hours) 9
    2/3 of full time (27 hours) 10
    1/2 of full time (20 hours) 12
    1/3 of full time (13 hours) 15
    1/4 of full time (10 hours) 18  (16 for Summer semesters)

    The minimum course load for these students is three hours, except as described in Course Load Requirement #5 above, but such students should be encouraged to take the maximum load they can handle in order to progress toward completion of the degree.

Course Selection

Full-time students are expected to enroll for a letter grade in regular courses and thesis hours whenever possible. Registration loads should reflect, as much as possible, the student and faculty efforts involved in the program of study. Registration loads each semester should be comprised of various hours from the areas listed below:

  1. Regular courses; letter-grade, pass-fail and in special cases, audit;
  2. 7000 or 9000 courses for thesis students;
  3. Special problem or research project courses;
  4. Specific courses for teaching or research education;
  5. GTA/GRA courses 8997/8998 (up to a maximum of 9) if available in the student’s major school and the student has an assistantship.

Guidelines for Registration of Doctoral Dissertation Hours

  1. Beginning full-time doctoral students, especially those who are research assistants, are encouraged to register for at least 3 hours of 9000. This would allow, and encourage, such students to maintain a lighter academic load to begin laying the groundwork for Ph.D. research.
  2. Advanced full-time doctoral students who are working primarily on their dissertation research should register for 18 or more hours of 9000 in Fall and Spring semesters, and for up to 16 hours of 9000 for summer semesters. If they are taking other coursework, the number of 9000 hours would be reduced by the number of formal coursework hours. Students who are required by their schools to register for 8997 or 8998 would further reduce the number of 9000 hours, so that the total number of hours is at least 18 (no more than 16 in Summer). The advisor and/or school determines whether the total is above 18 for Fall and Spring semesters.
  3. Part-time doctoral students engaged in research for the Ph.D. should register for the number of 9000 hours consistent with their and their faculty advisor’s activity on the dissertation research.
  4. All full-time students coded as Master’s students but involved in preparation for the Ph.D. are encouraged to register for 9000 hours consistent with the amount of work involved.

Academic units are encouraged to remove any in-school restrictions on registering for 9000. For example, some schools will not allow a graduate student to register for 9000 until after the student has become a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. The reasoning behind this restriction is not clear unless one takes a very restrictive interpretation of what registering for 9000 means. Academic units are encouraged to adopt a broader interpretation, so that dissertation hours reflect all stages of the doctoral dissertation--literature research, topic selection, experimental/theoretical preparation, research performance, writing and presentation. All of these stages require institute facilities and faculty involvement.

Responsibility

The responsibility for advising graduate students properly, not only in regard to programs of study, but also in regard to minimum and maximum semester course loads, rests solely within the chain from advisor/graduate coordinator to school chair to college dean. Although each graduate student is responsible for knowing the requirements for his or her degree and for insuring the appropriate, steady progress is being made toward that degree, each graduate student must have access to fair and equitable advisement. Responsibility for scheduling the proper requirements for a particular program of study and an appropriate course load per semester rests with the student and advisor alike.

Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) - Academic Policy for Doctoral Students

Type of Policy: 
Academic
Effective Date: 
August 2014
Last Revised: 
May 2019
Review Date: 
May 2022
Contact Name: 
Jason Borenstein
Contact Title: 
Director of Graduate Research Ethics Programs
Contact Email: 
borenstein@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is an increasingly significant component of the education and training of researchers. Policies from federal agencies have contributed to this change. In 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) updated its RCR policy, adding emphasis to the importance of in-person training. That same year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a new RCR training policy.

As a premier technological university at the cutting edge of education, research, and innovation, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is committed to providing leadership in the realm of ethics and RCR. RCR training is central to Georgia Tech’s mission to ensure that students are prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct themselves professionally and with integrity. Consequently, Georgia Tech enacted the RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students described here.

Policy Statement: 

The RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students applies to all doctoral students.

Doctoral students who have a catalog year prior to 2011-12 are not required by this Policy to complete RCR training, but they should refer to the applicability criteria listed in the Georgia Tech RCR Compliance Policy to determine if their source of funding requires RCR training: http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/research-support/responsible-conduct-research-compliance-policy.

If this Policy imposes a hardship on a doctoral student who originally had a Catalog Year prior to Fall 2011-12 but now has a more recent catalog year, the student may petition the RCR Program to review the case; for more information on this process, refer to this Policy’s FAQs: http://rcr.gatech.edu/faq-doctoral.

This Academic Policy does not affect undergraduate students or postdoctoral researchers. However, they are still subject to grant and fellowship compliance requirements. 

The Requirements of the RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students
As part of their degree requirements, doctoral students must complete:

(1) an online RCR course and (2) in-person RCR training.

(1) The Online Requirement
The online portion of the requirement, an RCR course from the Georgia Tech approved vendor, must be successfully completed within 90 days of when applicable students begin the first full semester of their doctoral program. Information about the online RCR course can be found here: http://rcr.gatech.edu/online-training.

If a student goes past the 90 day time frame, a hold will be placed on course registration until the student completes the online training.

(2) The In-Person Requirement
Students covered by this Policy are required to successfully complete PHIL 6000 OR an academic program’s in-house RCR training approach. The in-house approach must be formally approved by the GT RCR Advisory Subcommittee of the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete in-person training within the first 12 months of their doctoral program. In general, applicable students who need to take PHIL 6000 will be expected to do so during the first summer session after they begin their doctoral program at Georgia Tech. Additional sections will be available during the fall and spring semesters for those students who would not be enrolled full time during the summer session.

RCR Core Topics Areas and the Criteria for In-House Training Approaches
A proposed in-house approach must include no less than eight instruction hours on the RCR core topic areas in a credit course. The RCR core topic areas are as follows:

(1) Authorship and publication;
(2) Collaborative research;
(3) Conflict of interest;
(4) Data acquisition, management, ownership, and sharing;
(5) Laboratory safety;
(6) Peer review;
(7) Policies regarding the use of human subjects in research;
(8) Policies regarding the use of vertebrate animals in research;
(9) The responsibilities of mentors and mentees;
(10) Research misconduct and policies for handling research misconduct; and
(11) Science and engineering in society.

An in-house approach to RCR training must include all of the above topic areas unless permission has been granted by the GT RCR Advisory Subcommittee to exclude one or more of the topics.

A graduate program must submit a proposal to the GT RCR Advisory Subcommittee by the first working day in November of the current academic year in order for the in-house proposal to be considered for the academic year that follows.  More information about the process can be found here: http://rcr.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/rcr_msphdinhouseguide.pdf. 

Approved In-House RCR Training Approaches
Students covered by this Policy are required to successfully complete PHIL 6000 OR an academic program’s in-house RCR training approach. Many of the in-house approaches are specific to a particular graduate program. Some utilize a single course; others utilize a combination of courses. The list of in-house RCR approaches is maintained at: http://rcr.gatech.edu/doctoral-courses.

Joint Graduate Programs
Doctoral students covered by this Policy who are part of a joint program must complete the online RCR course within the initial 90 days of their first full semester as a doctoral student. If a student goes past the 90 day time frame, a hold will be placed on course registration until the student completes the training. These students are also subject to the in-person training requirement if they are enrolled and present at Georgia Tech’s Atlanta campus. Joint programs may submit a proposal to the GT RCR Advisory Subcommittee for approval of the in-person coursework at the partner institution. The GT RCR Advisory Subcommittee will apply the same evaluation criteria to such proposals as it does to a proposal for in-house training conducted at Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech Graduate Students on International Campuses
Doctoral students covered by this Policy who are on Georgia Tech’s international campuses must complete the online RCR course within the initial 90 days of their first full semester as a doctoral student. If a student goes past the 90 day time frame, a hold may be placed on course registration until the student completes the training. If these students enroll at Georgia Tech’s Atlanta campus for at least one semester, they should complete the in-person RCR training component the first semester that they are present on the Atlanta campus.

Tracking and Monitoring
The Administrator of the RCR Program, in conjunction with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Registrar’s Office, monitors student adherence to this Policy. However, doctoral programs must inform their students about this Policy.  Applicable doctoral students can check their RCR training status in DegreeWorks.

The Office of Sponsored Programs in conjunction with the Administrator of the RCR Program is responsible for tracking compliance for students who require RCR training due to their source of funding.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Doctoral RCR Policy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document

Related Information: 
RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students website 
RCR Online Training
RCR Doctoral Courses 
RCR Compliance Policy
Responsible Conduct of Research website 
RCR Topics

 

Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
05-2019 Policy Owner Policy updated with revisions
06-2013 Policy Library Update to policy
02-2012 Policy Library Posted new policy

Publication of Theses

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Last Revised: 
August 2013
Review Date: 
August 2016
Policy Statement: 

Electronic submission of theses and dissertations has been mandatory since spring 2004. All degree candidates must submit their final work electronically. Georgia Institute of Technology policy states that Doctoral and Master's Theses must be openly published and Georgia Tech is granted a non-exclusive license to distribute and preserve the materials for educational purposes. Students must submit the SMARTech Repository Agreement from when submitting all theses and dissertations. Upon the request of the student and with the consent of the student's advisor, an ETD can routinely be withheld from circulation for one year. Research arrangements that would preclude publication for an extended time or permanently for reasons of national security or a sponsor's proprietary interest, however, are not appropriate for dissertations or theses. It is anticipated that all doctoral work and a significant amount of master's research will be published in the open, refereed literature.

Electronic Thesis/Dissertation Submission

All theses and dissertations must be submitted electronically via the GT Library-Graduate Studies joint ETD web site at http://thesis.gatech.edu/.

For more information about how you submit your thesis electronically, visit http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-electronic-submission.

For general information about Theses and Dissertations, visit http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations

Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
08-2013 Policy Library Revised ETD external link

Responsible Conduct of Research

For information on Responsible Conduct of Research please follow the link below.
www.rcr.gatech.edu

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Academic Policy for Master’s Thesis Students

Type of Policy: 
Academic
Effective Date: 
August 2014
Last Revised: 
May 2019
Review Date: 
May 2022
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Jason Borenstein
Contact Title: 
Director of Graduate Research Ethics Programs
Contact Email: 
borenstein@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is an increasingly significant component of the education and training of researchers. Policies from federal agencies have contributed to this change. In 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) updated its RCR policy, adding emphasis to the importance of in-person training. That same year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a new RCR training policy.

As a premier technological university at the cutting edge of education, research, and innovation, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is committed to providing leadership in the realm of ethics and RCR. RCR training is central to Georgia Tech’s mission to ensure that students are prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct themselves professionally and with integrity. In Fall 2011, Georgia Tech implemented the RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students, which covers new doctoral students. The Policy described here builds on that prior initiative and expands RCR training to master’s students who are pursuing a thesis degree. 

Policy Statement: 

The RCR Academic Policy for Master’s Thesis Students applies to all master’s students who register for thesis hours (courses numbered 7000).

As part of their degree requirements, master’s students who register for thesis hours (courses numbered 7000) must complete at least one of the following options:

First Option - Successfully complete an online RCR course from the Georgia Tech approved vendor (http://rcr.gatech.edu/online-training).

OR

Second Option - Successfully complete an RCR course that has already been approved to satisfy the in-person RCR training requirement for doctoral students (http://rcr.gatech.edu/doctoral-courses).

OR

Third Option - Receive at least 4 contact hours of RCR education during a course that is a required part of the curriculum for the specific master’s program (http://rcr.gatech.edu/masters-courses).

Master’s students who plan to transition to a doctoral program should refer to the “Related Information” section below. 

Scope: 

This Policy applies to all Master’s Students who enroll in thesis hours (courses numbered 7000).

Policy Terms: 
RCR Responsible Conduct of Research
Procedures: 

5.1 RCR Training Timeline

Notification of the Requirement
Students will be informed of the RCR requirement described in this Policy when they enroll in 7000 thesis hours.

Deadline for Completion
Students are strongly encouraged to complete the requirement prior to conducting research but it must be completed no later than when submitting the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form to the Office of Graduate Studies

 

5.2 Documenting RCR Training Completion on the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form

First Option
If the First Option is selected, applicable master’s students must successfully complete the online RCR course before the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form will be processed by the Office of Graduate Studies. The completion of the training must be indicated on the Thesis Topic Form.

Second and Third Options 
If the Second or Third Option is selected, applicable master’s students must successfully complete a course that has been approved to satisfy the in-person RCR training requirement before the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form will be processed by the Office of Graduate Studies. The course name and semester taken must be indicated on the Thesis Topic Form.

5.3 Review of the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form by Graduate Studies

Verification of RCR Training Completion
The Office of Graduate Studies will verify completion of the RCR training when it examines the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form.

Form Links: 
Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form
Frequently Asked Questions: 
Master’s RCR Policy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document
Responsibilities: 

8.1 Master’s Programs
Master’s programs must inform their thesis students about this Policy. Master’s programs who wish to pursue the “Third Option” (listed above) should refer to: http://rcr.gatech.edu/masters-courses.

8.2 Master’s Thesis Students

  • Master’s thesis students should contact their home program to learn about their degree requirements relating to RCR.
  • Master’s thesis students must complete RCR training before the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form will be processed by the Office of Graduate Studies.
  • Applicable master’s thesis students can check their RCR training status in DegreeWorks.

8.3 The Office of Graduate Studies
The Office of Graduate Studies will verify that the RCR training has been completed prior to processing the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form. 

8.4 The RCR Program
The Administrator of the RCR Program, in conjunction with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Office of the Registrar, will monitor student adherence to this Policy.

Enforcement: 

Noncompliance with this Policy will result in the denial of the Request for Approval of Master’s Thesis Topic Form until the RCR training (described above) is completed. Failing to complete the training may result in the Form being returned to the student’s home department.  Noncompliance will also result in DegreeWorks indicating an RCR deficiency for a master’s thesis student.

Related Information

  • Master’s thesis students covered by this Policy may need to complete additional RCR training if they receive funding from certain sponsors. Refer to the Georgia Tech RCR Compliance Policy for more information: http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/research-support/responsible-conduct-research-compliance-policy.
     
  • Master’s students who plan to transition to a doctoral program should refer to the RCR training requirements of that doctoral program and review the information contained within the RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students. Successfully completing the training requirements contained in the RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students also satisfies the requirements of this Policy: http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/academic-affairs/policy-responsible-conduct-research-rcr-academic-policy-doctoral-students.  
     
  • The RCR Academic Policy for Master’s Thesis Students does not affect undergraduate students, non-thesis master’s students, doctoral students, or postdoctoral researchers. However, they may still be subject to the Georgia Tech RCR Compliance Policy if they receive funding from certain sponsors: http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/research-support/responsible-conduct-research-compliance-policy.    
Related Information: 
RCR Academic Policy for Master’s Thesis Students website
RCR Online Training
RCR Courses for Master’s Thesis Students
RCR Courses for Doctoral Students
Responsible Conduct of Research website
RCR Compliance Policy
RCR Academic Policy for Doctoral Students website
RCR Academic Policy for Master’s Thesis Students - Third Option
RCR Topics
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
05-2019 Policy Owner Policy updated with revisions

Statement of Competitive Admission

Review Date: 
January 2015

All qualified persons are equally welcome to seek admission to the Georgia Institute of Technology, and all persons may apply for and accept admission confident that the policy and regular practice of the Institute will not discriminate against them on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Projections of the number of graduate students to be admitted and enrolled in any year will be determined (a) by the capacity of the Institute, (b) by the capacity of the admitting department, and (c) by approved enrollment levels. If the number of eligible applicants for admission exceeds the number of applicants who can be admitted and enrolled, those to be offered admission will be selected on the basis of (a) the department’s judgment of the applicant's relative qualifications for satisfactory performance in the Institute/program/research area and (b) recognition of the Institute's special responsibilities to the residents of Georgia.

Verification of credentials and certification of compliance with Institute policies shall be the responsibility of the Office of Graduate Admissions. Policies and procedures that are approved by the Office of the President, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Graduate Senate of the Institute shall be applied in determining eligibility for consideration for graduate study. From those eligible candidates, final admission decisions shall be the responsibility of the admitting department. Satisfying minimal standards, however, does not guarantee admission, since the number of eligible applicants generally far exceeds the number of places available. As a result, many well-qualified applicants cannot be accommodated.

The criteria used in determining each applicant’s eligibility for consideration shall include: (1) evidence of award of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (prior to matriculation) from a recognized institution and graduation in the upper half of their class (Masters) or upper quarter of their class (Doctoral); students must show evidence of preparation in their chosen field sufficient to ensure profitable graduate study; (2) for international applicants, satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). From eligible candidates, departments may make final admission decisions based on a combination of factors, including academic degrees and records, the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and relevant work experience. Also considered are the appropriateness of the applicant’s goals to the degree program in which they are interested and to the research interests of the program's faculty. In addition, consideration may be given to how the applicant’s background and life experience would contribute significantly to an educationally beneficial mix of students.

Applicants who do not satisfy basic admission criteria may, for sufficient reason, be admitted with the approval of the Graduate Committee as established in the statutes and bylaws of the Institute.

This statement is in accordance with the Institute’s Mission and Vision statement which can be viewed at www.gatech.edu/vision/.

Stipends for Graduate Assistantships

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
August 2015
Last Revised: 
August 2020
Review Date: 
August 2023
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Bonnie Ferri
Contact Title: 
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
Bonnie.ferri@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

Set a minimum stipend for graduate research and teaching assistants across the Institute and describe processes and responsibilities for setting stipends at or above the minimum.

Policy Statement: 

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the minimum stipend level for each doctoral graduate research or teaching assistant shall be $1,800 per month, regardless of whether the student is working one-third or one-half time. The minimum stipend level for each master’s student who is a graduate research or teaching assistant shall be $978 per month, regardless of whether the student is working one-third or one-half time. Any exceptions to the application of this policy must be approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development.

Scope: 

The policy applies to all graduate students enrolled in all degree-seeking programs.

 

Definitions:

Stipend The salary paid to the graduate student employee for teaching or research services provided.
Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) Part time research job held by a graduate student.
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) Part time teaching job held by a graduate student.
Procedures: 
Institute Level
Setting the Institute Minimum The Office of the Provost will determine a new minimum stipend level by January 1st of each year to apply to the following academic year. The revised minimum will take into account: (1) Georgia Tech’s projected mandatory and elective fees for the next year; (2) projected graduate student health insurance premium level; (3) current level of stipends on NSF fellowships; (4) state employee pay increase percentage; (5) other costs factors affecting graduate students; (6) available funding. This policy will be updated annually based on the Provost’s determination.
Unit and Program Level
Setting and Reviewing Unit or Program Stipend Levels Each academic unit or inter-school degree program shall determine the stipend levels for its students. The stipend levels shall be determined by the following factors: (1) peer institution stipend levels for individual disciplines, taking into consideration the tuition waiver policies and cost factors for peer institutions for comparability (peer reviews to be conducted by academic units); (2) the student’s progress toward his/her degree, including whether the student is a masters or doctoral student; (3) whether the student is asked to work one-third time or half-time, as determined by each department; (4) level of teaching or research work conducted by the student; (5) past experience and performance of the student in research or teaching; (6) for an international student, the estimated cost of living as determined by the Office of International Education through the I-20 form (http://www.oie.gatech.edu/); (7) available funding.
Reviewing Stipends Annually and Anticipating the Need for Raises Each academic unit shall annually review the overall stipend levels for its students based on the factors noted in 5.2. If Georgia Tech is authorized to provide annual salary increases to permanent employees, comparable increases for graduate assistants funded through non-sponsored funds shall be considered. Raises for graduate assistants funded through sponsored funds should be anticipated through escalation factors in grant budgets.
Publishing Stipend Levels; Maintaining Equity In order to maintain equity and transparency in stipend levels, each unit should publish its stipend levels in a location accessible to both students and faculty in that unit. Unit heads are responsible for maintaining equitable stipends in their units through regular review of the stipends being paid and supporting the rationale for any differences.
Responsibilities: 

Provost
Sets Institute-level minimum stipends.

Units and Programs
Set unit or program stipend levels; review them annually and raise them as appropriate; anticipate the need for increased stipend amounts and include them in unit and grant budgets; maintain equity in pay through regular review.

Enforcement: 

The Institute reserves the right to address violations by raising the stipends of individual students to the minimum using the budget of the hiring unit.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Related Information: 
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate Assistant Schedule Flexibility
Policy History: 

 

Revision Date Author Description
May 2019 Provost Office Updated Stipend Information
March 2017 Provost Office Updated Stipend Information
May 2016 Provost Office Updated Stipend Information
May 2015 Provost Office Updated Stipend Information
June-2008 Provost The policy set the minimum stipend effective August, 2008.

Thesis and Dissertations

For information on Thesis and Dissertations please follow the link below.
http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations

Graduate Student Tuition Waivers

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
August 2016
Last Revised: 
August 2016
Review Date: 
March 2022
Policy Owner: 
Graduate Studies
Contact Name: 
Bonnie Ferri
Contact Title: 
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
Bonnie.ferri@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

This policy statement consolidates a number of current practices. It clarifies the two major types of tuition waivers; sets conditions for waiver of tuition if the student’s employment status changes during the term; and sets conditions for GRA or GTA positions in non-academic units.

Policy Statement: 

Full tuition waivers accompany all research and teaching assistant positions that require one-third to one-half time work. Half tuition waivers may be offered; tuition waivers may be prorated for approved hires after the term starts; and academic units may provide tuition waivers to GRAs or GTAs working in non-academic units if the work is done under the supervision of a faculty member. Graduate students are eligible for non-resident tuition waivers only under special circumstances.

Scope: 

The policy applies to all graduate students and all programs.

Definitions

Non-resident tuition waiver (NRTW)

Administrative action that reduces tuition for an out-of-state student to in-state level.

Full tuition waiver

Administrative action that reduces tuition for a graduate research or teaching assistant to $25.

Half tuition waiver

Administrative action that reduces the tuition bill for a graduate student to half of the in-state tuition level, in conjunction with a work assignment at half the number of hours of a full assistantship in the same program. Can be used only with state funds.

Tuition remission

The tuition rate automatically charged to a GTF account or sponsored project when a GRA or GTA is paid from the account or project. When the project pays tuition remission, the student receives a full tuition waiver as described above.

Academic Unit

Any school, department, or program within one of the colleges.

Academic Faculty Member

As defined in the Faculty Handbook. To supervise GRA or GTA credits, the individual must be cleared to be an instructor by the Office of Faculty Development.

Procedures: 

5.1 Types of tuition waivers

Georgia Tech’s policies on tuition waivers for graduate students are framed by those of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (BOR), as well as by federal grant regulations. The BOR allows Georgia Tech to provide two distinct types, both called “waivers” in its tuition policies (BOR Policy Manual Section 7.3.4.1; see Fall 2015 revisions).

1. Non-resident tuition waivers (NRTWs)

Non-Resident Tuition Waivers (NRTWs) are also called “out of state tuition waivers.” These waivers eliminate the out-of-state portion of the tuition a student would otherwise pay. They fall into several categories:

  1. Presidential Waivers, of which there are three types: academic, athletic, and international. These waivers are awarded based on specific criteria proposed by the institution. The BOR limits the number of these Georgia Tech can give to 4% of the student body, plus an additional 140 for graduate students. For graduate students, these waivers are administered by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, after approval by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development.

1.2.Mandated categories. The BOR mandates that we give NRTWs to several categories of people, including employees; military personnel and their families; border county residents; family members of residents; and students associated with economic development activities of the state. (See details in the BOR Policy Manual Section 7.3.4.1.) These waivers are administered by the Registrar’s Office.

  1. Reciprocal. Another major group of NRTWs is used in exchange programs, whether international or domestic. These reductions apply to “any student who enrolls in a USG institution as a participant in an international or domestic direct exchange program that provides reciprocal benefits to USG students.” For international exchanges, these waivers are administered by the Office of International Programs.

 

2. Full Tuition Waivers

The other major category of waivers largely releases the student from payment of tuition, except the $25 mandated by the Board of Regents. The BOR permits Georgia Tech to give graduate students full tuition waivers as long as they are research assistants (GRAs) or teaching assistants (GTAs) (see BOR Policy Manual Section 7.3.1.2). Other Georgia Tech policies govern who counts as a GRA or GTA for full tuition waiver purposes (e.g., must be full time student working 13-20 hours per week). Unlike NRTWs, full tuition waivers are not limited in number by the BOR.

  1. GRAs (sponsored). Most GRAs are supported under grants or contracts and thereby receive full tuition waivers. When this is the case, tuition “remission” is charged to the grant. Tuition remission is paid at the rate negotiated with the federal government and is reflected in our agreements with our federal audit agency, ONR (the Office of Naval Research); the current rate is posted on the Office of Sponsored Programs web site. If the agency’s policies for a particular program do not allow this full payment, the EVPR can authorize that the sponsored project not be charged tuition remission. The EVPR office must approve this at the time the proposal is submitted. In order to maintain consistent charging, Foundation accounts also pay tuition when they support GRAs. The money charged to grants and foundation accounts goes into a fund called GSTRP (the Graduate Student Tuition Remission Program), which is used to cover the cost of the student tuition.
  2. GTAs (and non-sponsored GRAs). Any graduate student on non-sponsored GRA or GTA support (that is, support paid with state operating funds) also receives a full tuition waiver and pays the mandated $25 tuition.  Georgia Tech is required under its federal contracting relationship to maintain consistency between the cost of sponsored GRAs and the cost of GTAs and non-sponsored GRAs. The waivers for non-sponsored assistantships are allocated to the colleges under a set of procedures described in another policy.
  3. Graduate Assistants. The BOR would also allow Georgia Tech to give full tuition waivers to graduate assistants (those doing small jobs or administrative work or part time students), but Georgia Tech reserves that category of employment to be used without a full tuition waiver.

 

 

5.2 Timing of waivers

Both NRTWs and full tuition waivers must be applied to a student’s account before tuition is due (the Monday of the second week of class). Full tuition waivers must be associated with a GRA or GTA appointment by that same time. If these conditions are not met, the student is responsible for full tuition for the term.

Termination mid-semester

Assistantships may be terminated mid-semester if students withdraw, complete their degree work, or leave campus permanently. In these cases, stipends will be paid only to the date of termination. Any tuition waiver applied at the beginning of the semester will continue to be in force. Sponsored projects will be charged the monthly rate for tuition remission up to the date of termination. If a student does not complete the work commitment for any reason other than withdrawing and leaving school, then the tuition waiver will be removed and student will be responsible for paying tuition for the full term at the applicable rate (resident or non-resident).

 

Late hires

In the rare case in which a student is hired for a GRA or GTA position after tuition and fees are due for the term, responsibility for tuition up to the month of hiring remains with the student, at the applicable rate (resident or non-resident). Responsibility for tuition from the month of hiring shifts to the account to which the GRA or GTA position is being charged through the use of a prorated tuition waiver amount reflecting the portion of the term remaining based on the last day of the hiring month.  Because the percentages vary from term to term, the Bursar will post the percentages for each term. Since late hiring is an exception to regular practices and may affect other aspects of financial aid, it requires review by the Registrar, Bursar, and Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and written approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

5.3  Other provisions

Half waivers

Graduate programs may offer half research or teaching assistantships to full-time students, if state funds are being used. Like full assistantships, these automatically waive the non-resident portion of tuition. The student pays half of in-state tuition, and the other half is waived. The student is still responsible for all differential tuition in programs where this applies. The work assignment for these assistantships must be half the number of hours required for a full assistantship in the same program.

Waivers for work outside the colleges

All tuition waivers are allocated to and used by academic units alone. The student’s home school must enter the waiver, regardless of where the student is working. By entering the waiver, the academic program certifies that the work to be done is relevant to the student’s graduate education. If non-academic units want to fund GRA or GTA positions, they can request the waiver to accompany the positions from the home school of the student who will be hired. The unit must certify that the assignment contributes to the student’s graduate education and an academic faculty member must provide supervision for the educational aspect of the work, as shown by the student’s registering for GRA or GTA credit with that faculty member. All GRA or GTA assignments outside the colleges must be approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development.

Student responsibility for fees

Tuition waivers do not include waivers of payment of fees. Responsibility for fees always remains with individual students when they are hired as GRAs or GTAs.

Form Links: 
Request for Non-resident tuition waiver
Frequently Asked Questions: 
Graduate student employment issues are covered at
Responsibilities: 

Home school of GRA or GTA enters the tuition waiver to accompany a GRA or GTA appointment.

Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid enters all Presidential non-resident tuition waivers, either under standing instructions or with the approval of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development in the case of graduate students.

Registrar’s Office enters NRTWs for special categories mandated by the Board of Regents.

Office of International Education approves NRTWs for international exchange students.

Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) approves all exceptions to the policy of charging tuition remission to GTF and sponsored accounts.

Bursar’s Office applies or removes tuition waivers, including pro-rating when approved and posting the schedule and percentages for pro-rating.

Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development approves all late GRA or GTA hires; all GRA or GTA hires outside the colleges; and all special cases of NRTWs.

Students are responsible for paying all fees and any tuition that is not waived by the Bursar’s deadlines each term. 

Enforcement: 

Principal investigators, units, or programs that violate the policies must pay any resulting tuition balances with GTF or GTRC funds. Students who violate the policies must pay any tuition due or have their registration canceled due to lack of payment.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Related Information: 
BOR Policy Manual Section 7.3.4.1.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate Assistant Schedule Flexibility
Graduate Student Enrollment and Employment
Allocation of Tuition Waivers for Non-sponsored Assistantships

International Students

F and J Student and Research Scholar Activities

For more information about the F or J studnet and scholar visa programs, please visit OIE's International Student and Scholar Services main page here.
 

Medical Reduced Courseload

For information on Medical Reduced Courseload please follow the link below.
http://oie.gatech.edu/accordion-f-current-maintaining-status#accordion_f_current_maintaining_status-page-node-4100

Student Visa Type & Eligibility

For information on Student Visa Type & Eligibility please follow the links below.
http://oie.gatech.edu/content/j-immigration-document-overview
http://oie.gatech.edu/content/f-immigration-documents

Work Authorization (OPT and CPT)

For information on Work Authorization (OPT and CPT) please follow the links below.
http://oie.gatech.edu/content/curricular-practical-training
http://oie.gatech.edu/content/optional-practical-training

Commencement Regalia

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
August 2016
Last Revised: 
August 2016
Review Date: 
August 2021
Policy Owners: 
Office of the Provost
Office of the Registrar
Contact Name: 
Jennifer Herazy
Reta Pikowsky
Contact Email: 
herazy@gatech.edu
reta.pikowsky@registrar.gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

As an official function of the Institute, Institute Commencement ceremonies convey the scholarly tradition and formal tone befitting of an academic ceremony. This policy sets forth standards related to the academic regalia worn at Institute commencement ceremonies by students, as well as the process by which student organizations and Institute programs may seek approval to add adornment to the regalia to signify a student’s membership or association. Adornments include any addition to the issued traditional academic regalia and may include, but are not limited to: cords, stoles, torus, medallion, pins, and other decorations.

Policy Statement: 

Traditional academic regalia will be worn by all graduating students and faculty in commencement ceremonies (as described in section 4). The Institute welcomes students, academic programs, and student organizations to express their identity and values through the addition of appropriate adornment to the standard Institute regalia. Any adornments added to the regalia should not obstruct the view of others at the ceremony or interfere with another’s participation in the ceremony.

Georgia Tech Student Organizations (as registered with the Division of Student Life) and other Institute-approved programs or organizations wishing to provide student members or participants with organization or program recognition regalia adornment to be worn at commencement must seek prior approval from the Office of the Provost through the Registrar. The cost of the adornments will be borne by the organization or student members. A list of all pre-approved regalia adornments including the requesting person or organization, description, and meaning of the adornment will be maintained by the Registrar’s Office.

Students not in compliance with the requirements of this policy may be asked to remove and/or conceal any unapproved regalia adornment.

Scope: 

This policy pertains to the regalia and adornments worn by students participating in any Institute undergraduate commencement, graduate commencement, or PhD hooding ceremonies.

Definitions:

Academic Regalia – Doctoral Candidates

Doctoral candidates traditionally wear customized gold regalia with full rounded sleeves, velvet facings on the front and velvet bars on the sleeves. Hoods are lined with Georgia Tech colors. Doctoral candidates also wear a six-pointed tam.

Academic Regalia – Master’s Candidates

Master’s degree candidates traditionally wear the traditional black grown with full-length square sleeves with a crescent piece hanging from each sleeve. The gowns are adorned with the Georgia Tech seal. The master’s hoods are lined in white and gold and colors appropriate to their major. Caps are traditional mortar boards and tassels are white and gold.

Academic Regalia – Bachelor’s Candidates

Bachelor’s degree candidates traditionally wear the traditional black gown but with no hood and no additional material at the bottom of the sleeves. Caps are traditional mortar boards and tassels are white and gold.

Regalia Adornments

Any décor or embellishment added to the regalia which may include, but is not limited to cords, stoles, tassel décor, medallions, and patches.

Honor Cords

A cord worn by undergraduate students who have earned the designation of academic honors as based on their GPA at the start of the graduating semester. Cords may not be used for any other designation unless by specific permission of the Office of the Provost through the Registrar.  Exceptions may be granted for academic (GPA-based), distinguished national honor societies that may issue cords to their graduates.  Recognizing the considerable effort of the students who earn honors, the color of the cord will signify the level of honors:

  • white for honors,
  • gold for high honors, and
  • white and gold braided for highest honors. 

The determination of honors would be preliminary and based on the students' GPA at the start of the graduating semester.  The distribution of cords will be managed by the Registrar’s Office.

Medallions or pins

A piece of jewelry worn around the neck or pinned to the regalia signifying participation in a specific Institute recognized organization or program.

Stoles

A long band of cloth, usually silk, worn around the neck signifying participation in a specific Institute recognized organization or program.

Tassel Décor or Torus

Academic programs and departments may wish to signify participation in academic-based options with a torus – beads worn on the tassel of the mortar board.  This would be determined by individual programs and departments and must be limited to academic options that are included on the students' transcripts or documented in some other consistent manner, such as co-op, threads, international plan, minors, or undergraduate research option. 

Procedures: 

Student organizations or Institute-approved programs must submit stole designs for approval to the Registrar’s office. The following chart details the process:

Requests for approval of Academic Regalia Adornments

Request Form

A form to submit for approval will be available on the Registrar’s office web site. Forms submitted must include a photo of the stole.

Approval

Any regalia adornment or exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Office of the Provost through the Registrar prior to display at commencement.  A list of all approved regalia adornments will be kept by the Registrar’s office and posted on the Institute Commencement website.

Deadline

All submissions for approval must be submitted to the Registrar’s office by the dates designated on the Registrar’s web site.

Forms: 
PDF icon Academic-Regalia-Adornments-Request-Form.pdf
Responsibilities: 
  1. Office of the Provost – Oversee the implementation of this policy and approve any exceptions to the terms of the policy.
  2. Registrar – Manage the approval and registry of regalia adornments as well as the distribution of honor cords.

  3. Student Organizations, academic departments, and Institute approved programs – Seek approval and register any regalia adornments prior to commencement.

Related Information: 
Institute Commencement Website
Degree Candidate Website

Relocation Assistance

Type of Policy: 
Academic
Effective Date: 
June 2018
Last Revised: 
June 2018
Review Date: 
June 2021
Policy Owner: 
Human Resources and Faculty Affairs
Contact Name: 
Charvette Webb
David Bamburowski
Contact Title: 
Director of Talent Acquisition
Director of Faculty Affairs
Contact Email: 
charvette.webb@ohr.gatech.edu
facultyaffairs@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

This policy provides guidelines regarding relocation assistance for new faculty and staff.

Policy Statement: 

In order to attract the best faculty and staff, Georgia Tech's employment offers must be competitive. Georgia Tech may choose to provide relocation assistance to new employees, provided adequate funding is available and proper approval has been obtained.

Relocation assistance will be paid as a lump-sum, and will be included in the employee’s first paycheck following the receipt of approved relocation agreement forms.  This paycheck will be subject to applicable tax withholding and reporting. These lump-sum payments are intended to assist new employees in paying the costs for moving, including, but not limited to, the packing and moving of the new employee’s office and household goods, any temporary storage, house-hunting trips, and any travel related to the final destination move.

A specific dollar amount must be included in the original, accepted offer letter. Any post-offer negotiated amounts are a violation of the Gratuities clause of the Constitution of the State of Georgia. Any changes to the terms of the original offer letter must be approved as set forth below.

Procedures: 

Eligibility for Program

  • Employees must be hired into a benefits eligible position for a period expected to exceed one year.
  • The hiring department must have determined that the new employee is the most qualified applicant available to fill the position.
  • The recruit must reside, at the time of hire, more than 50 miles from the Georgia Tech office to which the employee will report and the employee's commuting distance from the old residence to the new job must have increased by at least 50 miles one-way.
  • Any employee who accepts relocation support pursuant to this policy must execute an Employment Relocation Repayment Agreement with GT before such expenses are incurred. The repayment process will follow the established procedure detailed in Salary Overpayment Repayment Process. 

Relocation Initiation & Funding Options
Provided that funds are available and that prior approval has been granted, relocation and moving support funds may be offered to the recruit. The following approvals for lump-sum payments are always required prior to an offer of employment being extended:

  • the manager requesting the relocation,
  • their manager;
  • the unit Financial Officer;
  • the appropriate Executive Vice President, Vice Provost, Associate Vice President, or Dean.

Offer letters may not be modified after approval from GTHR Talent Acquisition for staff employees or Faculty Affairs for faculty employees (including researchers) without approval from all original approvers.

The department’s HR Rep/Contact or Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) will be responsible for obtaining the approvals.

Funds that may be used to assist in the relocation of a new employee are:

  • Departmental General Operation/State Funds may be used to fund relocation for non-tenure-track faculty and staff or to supplement funds provided by the Institute for tenured/tenure-track faculty and research faculty.
  • Departmental Georgia Tech Foundation Funds may be used to fund relocation for non-tenured/tenure-track faculty and staff or to supplement funds provided by the Institute for tenure-track faculty and research faculty.
  • Sponsored Project Accounts may, in rare cases, allow for the payment of relocation expenses for specific personnel with prior written approval of the Director of Office of Sponsored Programs.
  • Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), through the Office of Faculty Affairs or Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), may support the relocation costs of new full-time research faculty. Please see Guidelines for Faculty Relocation for additional Guidance.
  • The Office of the Provost, through the Office of Faculty Affairs, will support the relocation costs of new tenured or tenure-track faculty members. Departments may elect to supplement these payments, if the additional contribution is included in the original offer letter. Please see Guidelines for Faculty Relocation for additional guidance.
  • Georgia Tech Athletic Association will support the relocation cost of Athletic Association coaches and staff. 

Departmental Sales and Services (DSS) Funds cannot be used for relocation purposes.

Moving of Laboratories
When possession of laboratory equipment and supplies is transferred to GTRC or GT, the department chair or dean must obtain the approval of the Provost, EVPR, and/or VP Research in order to accept the equipment. GTRC will initiate and facilitate the move of laboratory equipment. Departments should contact GTRC as soon as possible to coordinate the lab move to coincide with the new employee move. Payments will be processed directly through GTRC. Because the employee does not own the equipment, payment for these moves is not taxable income to the employee.

Repayment Provisions
Any employee who accepts relocation support pursuant to this policy must execute an Employment Relocation Repayment Agreement with GT before such expenses are incurred. The agreement will specify that the employee must remain employed on a regular full-time basis for at least one calendar year for 12-month employees or at least one academic year for 9-month employees. If the employee discontinues employment before the specified time period, the employee will reimburse GT. Reimbursement to the Institute will be pro-rated according to the number of months the employee has worked for GT and repayment may be waived if employment is terminated for reasons beyond the employee’s control. The repayment provision must be included in the offer letter.

Process: The repayment process will follow the established procedure detailed in Salary Overpayment Repayment Process. 

General Payment Procedures
Departments should submit a Request for Relocation Lump-Sum Payment form, along with a copy of the offer letter and the signed Relocation Repayment Agreement Form at least ten business days before payroll runs for the first month of employment. Payments will be included in the employee’s first paycheck.

Any exception requests to this policy must be approved by the President or appropriate executive vice president.

Disclaimer
Georgia Tech has the sole right to revise, amend, or discontinue this policy at any time.

Form Links: 
Employment Relocation Repayment Agreement
Request for Relocation Lump-Sum Payment
Related Information: 
BOR Policy on Relocation Expenses
Guidelines for Faculty Relocation
Salary Overpayment Process
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
06/2018 OHR and Faculty Affairs New Policy

Georgia Tech Professional Education

Policy Statement: 

For information on Professional Education please follow the links below.

Program Development
Certificate Development
http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/4.6-georgia-tech-professional-education-gtpe

For information on Distance Learning please follow the links below.

Proctor Selection/Approval
Registration Process
Homework Procedure
Exam Procedure
Graduation Procedure

Related Documents: 
PDF icon GTPE - Open_Enrollment_Courses Process.pdf
PDF icon GTPE Professional Education Non-Credit Short Courses Policies 7-2014.pdf
PDF icon 4.6 Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE) Faculty Handbook.pdf

Georgia Tech Language Institute

Related Documents: 
PDF icon GTLI Academic POLICIES 8-14.pdf
PDF icon GTLI ACADEMIC PROCESS.pdf
PDF icon GTLI Student Polocies on HEALTH-Wellness 8-14_0.pdf
PDF icon CurriculumHandbook_GTLI_CEASelfStudy2014_0.pdf
PDF icon Proctor Selection and Approval Process.pdf
PDF icon USG Continuing_Education_Policy_and_Procedures_Manual_rev04262012.pdf

Limit on Income Accumulation for Named Chairs and Professorships

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
April 2011
Last Revised: 
February 2017
Review Date: 
February 2020
Policy Owner: 
Academic Affairs
Contact Name: 
Jennifer Herazy
Contact Title: 
Assistant Provost for Administration
Contact Email: 
herazy@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

This policy provides limitations on the accumulation of income funds in support of named chairs and professorships. The limitations are to encourage the strategic management while preserving the resource within the spirit of the donor agreement.

Policy Statement: 

Faculty members holding named chair or professorship positions supported by an endowment receive an annual income allocation from the GT Foundation at the beginning of each fiscal year.  This annual income allocation can be carried forward up to two years.  This provides a total of three years of income allocation available for expenditure within each fiscal year (see attached table).

At the end of each fiscal year, the amount in the income allocation account exceeding the most recent two fiscal years’ income allocation amount will be returned to the corpus of the fund. To support strategic flexibility which fosters advances in research, named chairs and professors may request an exception to the two-year carry forward limit to access additional funds for viable support of their research and scholarly activities. Additionally, faculty members holding named positions and other positions of scholarly leadership may wish to borrow funds. The Office of the Provost may assist faculty members in this manner by seeking GTF and other Institute funds as appropriate and available. The terms of each such loan would be set on a case-by-case basis, but the Institute will seek repayment from discretionary funds available to the faculty member within a term of one to two years.

.

Scope: 

Employees (typically academic faculty members) holding a named chair or professorship. 

Additionally, if the income of an endowed chair or professorship fund is split into multiple expendable funds to the benefit of other faculty members, it is expected those funds will be expended in a time-frame consistent with this policy.

Definitions:

Corpus The principal of an endowed fund
Income allocation The amount generated annually from an endowed fund
Maximum carry-forward amount The amount that can be carried forward at the end of each fiscal year for expenditure in the next fiscal year. This policy sets that amount at two years of income allocation.
Expendable Fund An expendable account (or subaccount created from the income allocation account of an endowment) that does not receive an annual income allocation and is typically awarded to a faculty member for a term of years. It is expected these funds will be expended in a time-frame consistent with this policy.
Procedures: 

 

5.1 Appointment of Faculty Holder to the Named Position
Offer letter At the time of appointment, the letter of offer shall include the specific amount to be provided, consistent with this policy, to the faculty member, and indicate that a maximum of two years of the income can be carried forward to the next fiscal year.

 

5.2 Annual Notification of Income Accumulation
Annual Income Allocation

The GT Foundation advises departments of the amount generated from each endowed fund annually. These funds are made available at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Calculation of maximum carry-forward amount The maximum carry-forward amount is the value of the most recent two fiscal years’ income allocation amount. Any accumulated balance over this amount is returned to the corpus of the endowment. See example under “frequently asked questions.”
Early notification of possible return of income In the spring of each year (around the third quarter of each fiscal year), the Georgia Tech Foundation notifies the Office of the Provost of any funds predicted to be over the income accumulation limit based on the following fiscal year’s income projection. The Office of the Provost notifies the relevant Deans offices.
Notification of return of income to corpus Following the close of the past fiscal year’s accounting, the Georgia Tech Foundation notifies the Office of the Provost of any fund with an income balance over the accumulation limit as well as the amount of income that will be returned to corpus. The Office of the Provost notifies the relevant Deans offices for communication to the related faculty members.
Exceptions to the two-year carry forward limit Deans may seek, on behalf of the faculty member an exception to the income accumulation policy. The exception request should include: the account name, account number, the amount requested as exception, the reason for the exception, the utilization plan to expend the funds within the current fiscal year, and the Dean’s support. A deadline to submit exceptions shall be provided.
Approval of exceptions and return to corpus The Provost will review all requested exceptions to the income return and communicate approval decisions. Any amount not approved for exception will be reported to the GTF and returned to the corpus of the fund.
Frequently Asked Questions: 
How is the amount eligible for carry-forward calculated?
Responsibilities: 

Provost
The Provost (or designate) is responsible to seek and secure information from the GTF about which accounts may be exceeding the accumulation limit and communicating this information to the Deans for action.

Dean
Upon notification, the dean (or designate) is responsible for notifying faculty members of income allocation over the accumulation limit and reviewing and endorsing exceptions to the policy as appropriate.

Faculty Member
The faculty member is responsible for spending the fund in accordance within the terms of the donor agreement, and this and other related Institute policies.

Enforcement: 

The Dean of the College or Provost is responsible to ensure that donated funds are stewarded within the terms of the donor agreement, and this and other related Institute policies.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Policy History: 

 

 

 

Revision Date Author Description
April 2015 Provost Office Codify Memo/Added to Policy Library
February 2017 Provost Office Codify Memo/Added to Policy Library

 

Other Policies & Processes related to Academic Administration

Academic Administrators Salary Funding Policy

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
December 2016
Last Revised: 
February 2016
Review Date: 
February 2022
Policy Owner: 
Office of the Provost
Contact Name: 
Jennifer Herazy
Contact Title: 
Assistant Provost for Administration
Contact Email: 
herazy@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

To establish guidelines related to the appointment of current tenured faculty members to Institute-level administrative positions at Georgia Tech. Typically, these positions would be vice provost, vice president positions or similar administrative appointments reporting to either the Provost or Executive Vice President for Research.

Policy Statement: 

This policy outlines procedures, especially related to salary arrangements, when a tenured faculty member assumes an administrative role at Georgia Tech, typically within the Office of the Provost or Office of the Executive Vice President for Research.

Scope: 

These guidelines will be applicable to most, but not all, such situations. Alternate arrangements may be negotiated based on the needs of the position, department or individual with approval from the Provost or EVPR.

Procedures: 

All appointments within the Office of the Provost or the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research are subject to the approval of the related executive and the faculty member’s department chair and/or dean.

Salary Funding Guidelines
Requirements
  • While the individual serves in the administrative position, his/her department of employment will be either the Office of the Provost or the Office of the EVPR, and that department will provide the funds to pay the individual’s base salary.
  • The individual’s home academic department as a member of the faculty remains unchanged. Tenured faculty members will retain tenure.
  • While the individual serves in the administrative position, the individual may be paid an administrative supplement and will be typically paid on a fiscal (12-month) contract. The pay will be based on the salary range for the administrative appointment.
  • The home academic department will retain the individual’s faculty salary, as well as the faculty line. The salary funds may be used to support a replacement faculty member or temporary/part-time instructors to assist with teaching load.
  • Upon the individual’s return to his/her home academic department in a faculty position, the College will be responsible to cover the base salary with existing salary funds or other funds available to them.
  • New permanent workload funds will be provided to cover any merit increases to the base salary during the individual’s service in the administrative role.
  • Alternate appointment arrangements may apply if the faculty member is appointed at less than 100% time in the Executive unit while retaining a partial appointment in the academic home unit.

 

Letter of Appointment Guidelines
When appointed to an administrative role, the letter of offer/appointment should state:
  • The administrative supplement, if any, will cease when the individual no longer serves in the administrative position.
  • The individual holds the administrative appointment at the pleasure of the EVPR or Provost; and
  • How the faculty member’s base salary, contract type (fiscal or academic) and workload assignments are to be determined when she/he leaves the administrative assignment.
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
February 2016 Office of the Provost Codify existing Provost policy

 

Faculty Affairs

For information on Faculty Affairs please follow the link below.
www.academic.gatech.edu/main/

Registrar's Procedures

For information on Registrar's Procedures please follow the link below.
http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/

Student Grievance Processes

For information on the Student Grievance Processes please follow the links below.
www.academicgrievance.provost.gatech.edu
Activities of the Faculty’s Student Grievance and Appeal Committee

Faculty & Graduate Student Ombuds

For information on Faculty & Graduate Student Ombuds please follow the links below.
http://www.provost.gatech.edu/reporting-units/faculty-graduate-student-ombuds-programs
http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/3.1.8-concerns-complaints-and-ombuds-office

Other Academic Student Policies

Academic Honor Code

GEORGIA TECH HONOR CHALLENGE STATEMENT

I commit to uphold the ideals of honor and integrity by refusing to betray the trust bestowed upon me as a member of the Georgia Tech community.

GEORGIA TECH HONOR CODE

Click here for the history of the Academic Honor Code.

Graduate Students, please read the Graduate Addendum.

Article I: Honor Agreement

Article II: Academic Honor Code

Article III: Honor System

Article IV: Amending the Academic Honor Code

Appendix A: Graduate Addendum to the Academic Honor Code

Article I: Honor Agreement

Having read the Georgia Institute of Technology Academic Honor code, I understand and accept my responsibility as a member of the Georgia Tech community to uphold the Honor Code at all times. In addition, I understand my options for reporting honor violations as detailed in the code.

Article II: Academic Honor Code

Section 1. Statement of Purpose
The members of the Georgia Tech community believe the fundamental objective of the Institute is to provide the students with a high-quality education while developing in them a sense of ethics and social responsibility. We believe that trust is an integral part of the learning process and that self-discipline is necessary in this pursuit. We also believe that any instance of dishonesty hurts the entire community. It is with this in mind that we have set forth a student Honor Code at Georgia Tech.

Section 2. Objectives
An Academic Honor Code at Georgia Tech aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic integrity, and honor. It specifically aims to accomplish the following:

Ensure that students understand that academic dishonesty is a violation of the profound trust of the entire academic community;

  • Ensure that students, faculty and administrators understand that the responsibility for upholding academic honesty at Georgia Tech lies with them;
  • Prevent any students from gaining an unfair advantage over other students through academic misconduct;
  • Clarify what constitutes academic misconduct among students at Georgia Tech and what is expected of them by the Institute, the faculty, and their peers;
  • Cultivate an environment at Georgia Tech where academic dishonesty is not tolerated among the students;
  • Secure a centralized system of education and awareness of the Honor Code;

Section 3. Student Responsibilities
Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards. The immediate objective of an Academic Honor Code is to prevent any Students from gaining an unfair advantage over other Students through academic misconduct. The following clarification of academic misconduct is taken from Section XIX Student Code of Conduct, of the Rules and Regulations section of the Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog: Academic misconduct is any act that does or could improperly distort Student grades or other Student academic records. Such acts include but need not be limited to the following:

  • Unauthorized Access: Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of a problem set, laboratory report, essay, examination, or other academic assignment.
  • Unauthorized Collaboration: Unauthorized interaction with another Student or Students in the fulfillment of academic requirements.
  • Plagiarism: Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or persons, without adequate credit notations indicating the authorship.
  • False Claims of Performance: False claims for work that has been submitted by a Student.
  • Grade Alteration: Alteration of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned academic credit.
  • Deliberate Falsification: Deliberate falsification of a written or verbal statement of fact to a Faculty member and/or Institute Official, so as to obtain unearned academic credit.
  • Forgery: Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any Institute document relating to the academic status of the Student.
  • Distortion: Any act that distorts or could distort grades or other academic records.

While these acts constitute assured instances of academic misconduct, other acts of academic misconduct may be defined by the professor. Students must sign the Academic Honor Agreement affirming their commitment to uphold the Honor Code before becoming a part of the Georgia Tech community. The Honor Agreement may reappear on exams and other assignments to remind Students of their responsibilities under the Georgia Institute of Technology Academic Honor Code. 

Section 4. Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty members are expected to create an environment where honesty flourishes. In creating this environment, Faculty members are expected to do the following:

  • Make known to their class as specifically as possible what constitutes appropriate academic conduct as well as what comprises academic misconduct. This includes but is not limited to the use of previously submitted work, collaborative work on homework, etc.
  • Provide copies of old exams or lists of sample questions to the Georgia Tech library for Students to review;
  • Avoid the re-use of exams;
  • Include a paragraph containing information about the Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code on the syllabus for each class they teach;
  • Report instances of academic dishonesty to the Office of the Dean of Students.

In addition to the expectations listed previously, faculty have the authority to superimpose their own interpretations on some aspects of academic conduct including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Old exams for use during open-book exams;
  • Contents of formula sheets allowed on exams;
  • Use of calculators on exams;
  • Collaboration on out-of-class assignments;
  • Use of previously submitted out-of-class assignments.

Article III: Honor System

Section 1. Governing Bodies
The Georgia Institute of Technology Academic Honor Code recognizes the present bodies given the power to enforce the academic regulations of the Institute. The Academic Honor Code recognizes the Office of the Dean of Students to be the principal administrator to enforce Institute disciplinary measures as presently specified in Article XIX Section B, of the Rules and Regulations section of the current Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog.  The Academic Honor Code also recognizes the Student Honor Committee as the body given jurisdiction to hear all cases of alleged academic misconduct as currently specified in XIX Section B, of the Rules and Regulations section of the current Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog.

Section 2. Reporting Honor Code Violations
In order for an Academic Honor Code to function, members of the Georgia Tech community must not tolerate violations of it by anyone. Community members are at their discretion to use any of three options to report suspected Honor Code violations:

  1. A student may simply desire to confront the fellow student with the perceived infraction. While this option is most likely to enact widespread change in attitude and behavior among students (because violators would understand that they are violating the trust of their peers and not some abstract body of people), it is still expected that an alleged violator be taken before the Student Honor Committee if he or she persists in academic misconduct.
  2. A student may choose to approach the professor of the class in which the alleged infraction occurred and seek his or her input on how to proceed. A result of a conference of this type would be the professor's awareness that the alleged violator needs closer monitoring to ascertain reasonable certainty of guilt before being brought before the Student Honor Committee.
  3. A student may choose to seek the advice of an honor advisor (see Article III., Section 3). Meetings with honor advisors shall address issues of policy and procedure only. Specifics of an individual case are not to be discussed. After a consultation with an honor advisor, a student may choose to submit a formal accusation of academic misconduct to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Section 3. Student Honor Advisory Council
Students composing the Student Honor Advisory Council are to become well versed in all aspects of the Georgia Institute of Technology Academic Honor Code and the procedures for reporting an honor violation as well as those procedures for the trying of cases of suspected academic misconduct before the Student Honor Committee. The Council is to act as an information resource to all members of the Georgia Tech community on issues related to the Academic Honor Code.

  1. Membership
    1. Members are to be selected by the Vice-President of Student Affairs or a designated person to carry out these duties.
    2. Members must be full-time students at Georgia Tech and must be in good academic standing.
    3. Once a member of the council, the student shall serve until he or she graduates, unless he or she resigns or is impeached.
    4. Impeachment procedures are to be specified in the rules and/or bylaws of the Student Honor Advisory Council.
    5. Membership shall be composed of no less than fifteen (15) students at any given time.
  2. Duties and Responsibilities
    1. To serve in an advisory capacity to any student(s) wishing to report an honor violation or any student(s) being accused of committing an honor violation.
    2. To continually educate and maintain awareness among the Georgia Tech community regarding the Academic Honor Code.
    3. To limit discussion with students to issues of policy and procedure.

    Article IV: Amending the Honor Code

    Amendments to the Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code may be proposed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of both the Undergraduate Student Council and the Graduate Student Senate, or by a petition of ten percent (10%) of the total population (undergraduate and graduate) directed to both the undergraduate student body president and the graduate student body president. Amendments become part of this Honor Code upon ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast in a special election open to the undergraduate and graduate students, provided that the proposed amendments have been published in the Technique at least one week prior to the vote by the student body and further provided that the amendments are approved by the Academic Senate. Appendices or amendments of appendices which pertain to either the undergraduate student body or to the graduate student body may be proposed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the respective legislative body or a petition of at least ten percent of the respective student body directed to the respective student body president. These shall become part of this Honor Code upon ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes in a special election of the respective student body, provided that the proposed appendices or amendments of appendices have been published in the Technique at least one week prior to the election, and further provided that the appendices or amendments of appendices are approved by the Academic Senate.

    Appendix A: Graduate Addendum to the Academic Honor Code

    1. Preamble
      The Honor Code recognizes that graduate students are involved in research and scholarly activities that occur outside the classroom. Integrity and academic honesty are as fundamental to research and scholarly activity as they are to classroom activity. Therefore, this Appendix to the Academic Honor Code is adopted to pertain to the academic activities of graduate students that occur outside of the classroom.
    2. Scholarly Misconduct
      Scholarly misconduct refers to misconduct that occurs in research and scholarly activities outside the classroom. It can include plagiarism, among other things. The consequences of scholarly misconduct are governed by Institute policy. The following definitions are taken from the Institute Policy on Scholarly Misconduct:
      • "Misconduct" or "scholarly misconduct" is the fabrication of data, plagiarism, or other practice that seriously deviates from those that are commonly accepted within the academic or research community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research or scholarly activity. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretation or judgments of data.
      • "Plagiarism" is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts of passages of his or her writings, or language or ideas of the same, and passing them off as the product of one's own mind. It involves the deliberate use of any outside source without proper acknowledgment. Plagiarism is scholarly misconduct whether it occurs in any work, published or unpublished, or in any application for funding.

    Allegations involving scholarly misconduct fall under the Institute's Policy on Scholarly Misconduct. This document details the procedures involved with reporting allegations and with the handling of cases. All graduate students are encouraged to become familiar with this policy, which is available from the Office of the Provost.

    This information cannot be duplicated and/or modified without written permission from the Office of Student Integrity.
    Office of Student Integrity, Office of the Dean of Students, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.

Make-Up Classes Scheduled Following the Cancellation of Classes

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
May 2016
Last Revised: 
August 2016
Review Date: 
August 2021
Policy Owners: 
Office of the Provost
Registrar
Contact Name: 
Jennifer Herazy, Assistant Provost
Reta Pikowsky, Registrar
Contact Email: 
herazy@gatech.edu
reta.pikowsky@registrar.gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

This policy sets forth plans, procedures, responsibilities, and requirements related to the scheduling of make-up classes due to the cancellation of classes, closing of campus, or the necessary closing of instructional spaces for any reason, but most commonly due to inclement weather.

This policy is intended to provide guidelines and probable approach to the scheduling of make-up of regular classes. This policy may need to be revisited frequently to ensure consistency with emergency preparedness guidelines, best practices, and new information or knowledge. Due to the inherent unpredictable nature of the cancellation of classes, not all possible scenarios can be predicted or accounted for. Actual specific plans will be determined for each such case and will work to maximize the educational experience and success of the students while allowing some flexibility for faculty members to respond in a manner consistent with their course format and teaching style. Lab courses and other specially scheduled classes may be managed differently as circumstances dictate.

Policy Statement: 

Should it become necessary for the Institute to cancel classes for three (3) or more days (or the equivalent) within a single academic term – before the 11th week of a regular term (after approximately 70% of the term has passed) – a make-up course schedule held during pre-scheduled make-up days will be established.

  • If classes are cancelled for less than three days, make-up days are not required to be made up unless so directed by the Provost. If classes are cancelled for more than five days (or the equivalent) in a single academic term, additional make-up days – beyond the pre-scheduled make-up days – may be necessary. Additional make-up days will be set at the discretion of the Provost.
Scope: 

This policy addresses scheduling make-up class sessions (both undergraduate and graduate) for regular classes missed due to a closure of the campus (or a portion of the campus) or cancelling of classes. Due to the unique nature lab sections and other specially scheduled classes may be managed differently and those arrangements will be announced as appropriate to the circumstances.

This policy pertains to courses taught as part of any Georgia Tech academic degree program on the Atlanta campus and does not govern non-credit, short courses, certificate programs, and courses taught on other GT campuses and locations.

Definitions: 

Regular classes Classes that meet in the typical 50 and 80 minute sessions on the regular block schedule. Make-up classes for missed lab classes and other specially scheduled classes will be addressed as appropriate to the circumstances.
Make-Up Classes Classes that are rescheduled at a later date and time in place of regularly scheduled class sessions that have been cancelled by the Institute.
Virtual Classes Any class meeting held via an electronic medium.
Pre-Scheduled Make-up Days Weekend days designated on the academic calendar and held late in the term to hold make-up classes, if needed and set forth in accordance with this policy.

 

Procedures: 
5.1 Institute-wide Cancellation of Classes
Institute-wide Cancellations of three (3) or more days (or the equivalent) If classes are cancelled for three (3) or more days (or the equivalent) within a single academic term before the 11th week of a regular term (or approximately 70% of the term has passed), a make-up course schedule will be established by the Institute. If Instructors wish to schedule make-up class sessions – whether physical or virtual meetings, they must follow the make-up class schedule. Students cannot be penalized for missing a virtual or physical make-up class.
Pre-Scheduled Make-up Days Each term, the Institute will establish and include in the academic calendar a pre-determined weekend – in the last ¼ of the term – that will serve as the pre-scheduled days for make-up classes. Should it become necessary for the Institute to establish a make-up class schedule, it will be held during these pre-scheduled make-up days.
Virtual Class Sessions If the Institute decides to cancel classes or close the campus (or a portion of the campus) for any amount of time, instructional faculty are welcomed to hold virtual classes using instructional technology, social media or other available electronic means. (See further procedure in 5.3 below regarding virtual classes).
Cancellations late in the term If classes are cancelled during or after the 11th week, in a regular term, ( after approximately 70% of the term has passed) make-up scheduling may not be implemented and would be determined by the administration based on circumstances.
5.2 Make-up Class schedule
Establishing and announcing the Make-Up Schedule The timing and specifics of the course make-up schedule will be determined by the Registrar’s office (in consultation with the Office of the Provost, the College Deans’ Offices and the Office of Space Planning and Capital Management) and will be announced within one week after the last day of cancelled classes triggering the make-up schedule.
Faculty Requirement to hold make-up classes The purpose of the schedule is to avoid class scheduling conflicts for the students and to assign classroom space. Typically, instructors are not required to offer make-up class sessions. If they do wish to schedule make up class sessions – whether physical or virtual meetings, they must follow the make-up class schedule. It is the responsibility of the instructor to notify the students in a timely manner of the make-up class session.
Student Participation Student attendance at make-up class sessions is strongly recommended, but students cannot be penalized for missing a virtual or rescheduled class. In planning make-up work and classes, faculty members should recognize and be sensitive to students’ work, family and other obligations.
In-class grading and new assignments In-class tests, quizzes, or other graded assignments cannot be administered and assignments cannot be due during a rescheduled class session. New assignments cannot be announced or given during a rescheduled class session.
Distance Learning Classes Make-up class sessions for courses with attached Q-sections will be scheduled in DL equipped classrooms to ensure the ability to record the make-up lecture for the online students.
Allowing for Extraordinary Circumstances

The Office of the Provost, in consultation with the President, may adjust this policy as required by unforeseen and specific circumstances.

Should the number of days of cancelled classes become extraordinary, holding make-up class sessions may be required, and students may be required to attend the make-up sessions.

5.3 Virtual Classes
Campus Protocols and Student Privacy Any virtual or electronic classroom session should comply with Institute virtual classroom protocols and FERPA policies, paying particular attention to privacy of student identity and academic information.
Suggested Online Formats Suggested formats that lend to the protection of student privacy are:
GT Online: Make-up lectures will be recorded in a DL classroom at the scheduled make-up time. The recording will be posted in GTcourses. The professor can request access for non-DL students. Students must authenticate to gain access.
Responsibilities: 

Registrar – Establish the dates of the pre-scheduled make-up days each term and establish additional details of make-up schedules as required by this policy.

Instructional Faculty – Communicate clearly and timely with students any plans for make-up classes consistent with the Institute established make-up schedule.

GTOnline - Confirm with instructional faculty the method and timing of their makeup lectures. Communicate to all online students how to access their makeup lecture if one is available.

Provost – oversee the implementation of this policy and determine when unforeseen or specific circumstances require deviation from the stated policy.

Enforcement: 

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit http://www.academicgrievance.gatech.edu/

Related Information: 
Hazardous Weather/Emergency Conditions Plan
FERPA
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
05/06/2016 Office of the Provost Updated Policy

 

Scholarly Allowance for Endowed Chairs and Professorships

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
November 2011
Last Revised: 
April 2015
Review Date: 
April 2023
Policy Owner: 
Academic Affairs
Contact Name: 
Jennifer Herazy
Contact Title: 
Assistant Provost for Administration
Contact Email: 
herazy@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

This policy provides consistency of annual scholarly allowance payments to faculty members holding endowed chairs or professorships for planning of research and scholarly activities.

Policy Statement: 

For any named faculty position established after the date of this policy, the annual scholarly allowances will be set as following to provide consistent but impactful support:

  • Endowed chair appointments – $50,000/year
  • Endowed professorship appointments – $25,000/year
  • Termed professorship appointments -- Termed appointments would follow these values as well, but due to the variation in the terms for those positions, the allowance may be reduced based on available funding

This allowance would apply to all faculty appointments to chairs or professorships established in the recent past and going forward with donor agreements that contain the following language: Distributions from the fund shall be determined and overseen by the Provost, the Dean of the College, and the Chair of the School in accordance with Georgia Institute of Technology policies and procedures related to the administration of endowed chairs and professorships.

Scope: 

Employees (typically academic faculty members) holding named positions supported by an endowment or expendable fund

 

Definitions:

Scholarly allowance An amount of funding provided to a faculty member to support his/her research and scholarly activities.
Income allocation The amount generated annually from an endowed fund
Termed professorship A named faculty position supported by a restricted expendable (non-endowed) fund administered in accordance with GTF policies and a legal agreement with the donor of the funds. The value of the expendable fund can vary and the named appointment is for the duration of the fund life.

 

Procedures: 
5.1 Appointment of Faculty Holder to the Named Position
Offer letter At the time of appointment, the letter of offer shall include the specific amount to be provided, consistent with this policy, to the faculty member, and indicate that a maximum of three years of the income can be carried forward to the next fiscal year. For termed professorships, the offer letters should also note the term of the appointment to the professorship.
High value endowments Endowments of higher values may provide for increased allowances, but should be negotiated separately and based upon the needs of the department and faculty member.
5.2 Distribution of Funds
Annual income allocation As is the practice now, the entire income allocation will be distributed to the home unit, where a sub-account for the scholarly allowance will be created.
Fluctuations in annual allocations Any annual income over this amount would be available to support expenses consistent with the donor agreement. Should the annual income be less than the set scholarly allowance, the Provost’s Office and the related home unit will do everything possible to cover the remainder from other sources
Responsibilities: 

School Chair/Department Head
The school chair, dean or department head offering the named faculty position shall notify the faculty member in writing of the scholarly allowance associated with the appointment. He/she is responsible to steward any funds available in excess of the scholarly allowance within the terms outlined in the donor agreement. Should the amount of the restricted endowment or restricted expendable account be inadequate to support the committed scholarly allowance, it is the responsibility of the school chair, dean or department head to work with the senior administration to identify additional funding sources.

Faculty Member
The faculty member is responsible for spending the fund in accordance within the terms of the donor agreement, and this and other related Institute policies.

Enforcement: 

The Dean of the College or Provost is responsible to ensure that donated funds are stewarded within the terms of the donor agreement, and this and other related Institute policies.

To report suspected instances of noncompliance with this policy, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Policy History: 

Revision Date Author Description
April 2015 Provost Office Codify Memo/add to Policy Library

 

Student Employment in Support of Education

For more information on Student Employment see the Employment book.

Cooperative Education (Undergraduate)

For information on Cooperative Education (Undergraduate) please follow the link below
http://catalog.gatech.edu/specialacademic/divpro.php

Grad Co-op

For information on Grad Co-op please follow the link below
http://catalog.gatech.edu/specialacademic/coop.php

Federal Work Study

For information on Federal Work Study please follow the link below.
http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/fws

Student Employment Regulations

For information on Student Employment Regulations please follow the link below.
http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/student-employment

Study Abroad

Information regarding Study Abroad requests can be found at https://ea.oie.gatech.edu/.

Substantive Change Policy (SACSCOC)

Type of Policy: 
Administrative
Effective Date: 
August 2014
Last Revised: 
March 2020
Review Date: 
March 2023
Policy Owner: 
Office of the Provost
Contact Name: 
Loraine Phillips
Contact Title: 
Assc Provost-Academic Effectiveness
Contact Email: 
loraine.phillips@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy: 

A substantive change is a significant modification or expansion in the nature and scope of an accredited institution.  The federal government requires accrediting agencies to have a substantive change policy and to monitor the compliance of its member colleges and universities with the substantive change policy.  Georgia Tech’s accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires as a condition of accreditation that member institutions notify SACSCOC of substantive changes and, in some cases, seek SACSCOC approval prior to implementation of such changes.

Policy Statement: 

The purpose of this policy is to establish Georgia Tech’s responsibilities and required procedures for timely notification of substantive changes to SACSCOC.  The policy complies with the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement and the SACSCOC Substantive Change for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions Policy in adherence with the United States Department of Education Regulation 34 CFR 602.22 Substantive Change and the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook. 

Scope: 

This policy applies to any responsible Institute employee who can initiate, review, or approve changes that are considered substantive according to the current version of the SACSCOC Substantive Change for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions Policy.  In academic affairs, this includes faculty, assistant and associate deans, deans, vice provosts, and the provost.  Other Institute officials in Procurement and Business Services, the Office of Legal Affairs, or at Georgia Tech international locations might be asked to review or approve a substantive change initiative.  These individuals are responsible for timely notification of substantive changes to the he SACSCOC Liaison, who is responsible for notifying or seeking approval from SACSCOC as appropriate for the substantive change. 

Policy Terms: 

Substantive Change

Substantive change is a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution.  Under federal regulations, substantive change includes, but is not limited to:

  • Any change in the established mission or objectives of the institution
  • Any change in legal status, form of control, or ownership of the institution
  • The addition of courses or programs that represent a significant departure, either in content or method of delivery, from those that were offered when the institution was last evaluated
  • The addition of courses or programs of study at a degree or credential level different from that which is included in the institution’s current accreditation or reaffirmation
  • A change from clock hours to credit hours
  • A substantial increase in the number of clock or credit hours awarded for successful completion of a program
  • The establishment of an additional location geographically apart from the main campus at which the institution offers at least 50% of an educational program.
  • The establishment of a branch campus
  • Closing a program, off-campus site, branch campus or institution
  • Entering into a collaborative academic arrangement that includes only the initiation of a dual or joint academic program with another institution
  • Acquiring another institution or a program or location of another institution
  • Adding a permanent location at a site where the institution is conducting a teach-out program for a closed institution
  • Entering into a contract by which an entity not eligible for Title IV funding offers 25% or more of one or more of the accredited institution’s programs
Procedures: 

5.1 Internal Reporting to Georgia Tech's SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison

Notification to SACSCOC Liaison of Proposed Changes
Upon becoming aware of the proposed change that may be substantive, responsible parties should notify the SACSCOC Liaison as early as possible so that the information required by SACSOC is prepared appropriately by the Institute and submitted by the SACSCOC Liaison to SACSCOC according to the SACSCOC specified timeline with the appropriate internal review and approvals. 

Late Notification
If it is discovered a potential substantive change has been implemented without notification to the SACSCOC Liaison, the responsible party has the responsibility to notify the SACSCOC Liaison immediately.  It is then the responsibility of the SACSCOC Liaison to notify SACSCOC as provided in the SACSCOC Substantive Change for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions Policy.

5.2 External Reporting to SACSCOC
The following is a list of frequently enacted examples, but is not intended to serve as a complete list of substantive changes:

SACSCOC Approval of a Full Prospectus

  1. Offering a 50% or more of the credit/clock hours needed to complete a degree, certificate, or diploma at a new off-campus instructional site
  2. Altering significantly the length of a program  Note: Rule of thumb for significant alteration in length is increasing or decreasing the number of credit/clock hours by 25% or more
  3. Adding significantly different programs to the academic curriculum at the Institute
  4. Initiating a new branch campus

Written SACSCOC Request and SACSCOC Prior Approval

  1. Inactivating/closing a program, when a program stops admitting students, with internal teach-out protocol
  2. Inactivating/closing a program, when a program stops admitting students, with a teach-out agreement with another institution

Written SACSCOC Notification Prior to Implementation of Change

  1. Initiating an off-campus site where students can obtain 25-49% of credits/clock hours of a certificate/degree
  2. Initiating programs/courses offered through contractual agreement or consortium including a dual award academic program with another institution
  3. Initiating dual awards with another institution not accredited by SACSCOC

No SACSCOC Notification Necessary

  1. Initiating an off-campus site where students can obtain 24% or less of credits/clock hours of a certificate/degree
  2. Offering courses via distance education  Note: Georgia Tech is already a SACSCOC approved distance education provider as of June 2002
  3. Offering established instructional programs at an approved and established off-campus site
  4. Initiating a certificate or degree program using existing approved courses
Form Links: 
Prospectus Template - See Appendix B of teh Substantive Change Policy for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions
Frequently Asked Questions: 
For additional information on substantive change for SACSCOC, please see:
For additional information on substantive change for SACSCOC, please see:
Responsibilities: 

8.1 Responsible Party
Georgia Tech SACSCOC Liaison

Every SACSCOC member institution has an Accreditation Liaison whose charge it is to ensure compliance with SACSCOC accreditation requirements. The SACSCOC Liaison for Georgia Tech is:

Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness
Office of Academic Effectiveness
loraine.phillips@gatech.edu
(404) 385 - 1419

8.2 Responsible Party

Each individual, position, or entity designated as within the scope of this policy is required to be familiar with and comply with this policy.

The SACSCOC Liaison is responsible for ensuring the Institute policy is in compliance with the current version of the SACSCOC policy. THe SACSCOC Liaison is also responsible for communicating policy updates to Institute stakeholders.

Enforcement: 

Failure to comply with SACSCOC's substantive change policy could result in the Institute being placed on sanction or being removed from membership. If an institution fails to follow SACSCOC substantive change policy and procedures, it may lose its Title IV funding or be required by the U.S. Department of Education to reimburse it for money receieved by the Institute for programs related to unreported substantive change.

To report suspected instances of ethical violations, please visit Georgia Tech’s EthicsPoint, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508

Related Information: 
SACSCOC Website
SACSCOC Joint and Dual Academic Awards
Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook
Policy History: 
Revision Date Author Description
09-2019 Office of Academic Effectiveness Policy Updates
08-2014 Library Learning Excellence New Policy

Teaching Handbook

For information on the Teaching Handbook please follow the link below.
http://ctl.gatech.edu/resources/teaching-guidebook

I. A Framework for Effective Teaching at Georgia Tech
II. Overview of the Teaching Environment
III. Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures Pertaining to Teaching
IV. Resources for Teachers
V. The Teaching Assistant as a Teacher and Student
VI. Supervising and Mentoring Teaching Assistants
VII. Temporary/Part-Time Faculty and Graduate Student Instructors

Transfer Credit Policy

Review Date: 
February 2015
Policy Statement: 

Non-Resident Credit Policy, Explanations and Information

1. Only official transcripts from other schools may be used to evaluate and/or award credit.

  • New students must request that an official transcript from ALL previously attended colleges be mailed to the Admissions Office.

    Georgia Institute of Technology
    Undergraduate Admissions Office
    Atlanta GA, 30332-0320

  • Current or previously enrolled Georgia Tech students should have the official transcript mailed to:

    Georgia Institute of Technology
    Office of the Registrar
    Transfer Credit
    Atlanta GA, 30332-0315

2. The basic policy regarding the acceptance of the courses by transfer is to allow credit for courses completed with satisfactory grades (C or better) in other accredited colleges provided the courses correspond in time and content to courses offered at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Georgia Tech assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any work or credit recorded on the institution's transcript. Transfer credits will be accepted from newly-formed institutions of the University System of Georgia prior to accreditation.

3. Georgia Tech will NOT award credit for courses successfully completed at another institution which were previously taken at Georgia Tech.

4. A petition to the faculty must be approved to use course work more than ten years old.

5. Georgia Tech reserves the right to test the proficiency of any student in course work transferred from other institutions and to disallow credit in courses in which the student cannot demonstrate acceptable proficiency.

Procedures: 

How To Request Transfer Credit for Courses Not Previously Evaluated:

1. Check the online equivalency database for updates. New evaluations are posted daily:
https://oscar.gatech.edu/pls/bprod/wwsktrna.P_find_location

2. Notify the Registrar’s Office Transfer Credit Department of any un-awarded credit by sending an email to comments@registrar.gatech.edu

3. Submit courses for evaluation

Information - Transfer Credit:

1. Georgia Tech does not offer correspondence courses and does not grant credit for correspondence courses taken at other institutions. Academic units reserve the right to take such things as delivery method into consideration. For example, on-line courses and computer-instructed courses may not be accepted by some academic units for credit.

2. Georgia Tech does not grant credit for the College Level General Educational Development Tests, USAFI courses, or courses completed at any United States armed services, with the exception of the military academies and schools with full accreditation by a regional accrediting body.

3. Georgia Tech does not grant credit for professional certificate programs.

4. The following items are among other circumstances in which non-resident credit is NOT granted:

  • Courses previously completed at Georgia Tech.
  • College courses taken to meet freshman admissions requirements.
  • Remedial courses.
  • Courses basically secondary school or pre-college level.
  • Courses with essentially non-academic content.
  • Vocational courses.
  • Learning support courses.
  • Experiential learning.

5. Non-resident credit is not computed as a part of the student's grade point average at Georgia Tech.

Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate:

1. See directions below to view AP and IB equivalencies.

  1. Go to https://oscar.gatech.edu
  2. Select the "Transfer Equivalencies" icon
  3. Select the asterisk (*) from the pull down menu
  4. Click "Continue" button
  5. Select your option from the pull down menu
  6. Click "Get Courses" button

2. Once enrolled at Georgia Tech, students are not allowed to take College Board (Advanced Placement and SAT II), International Baccalaureate or A-Level Examinations for credit. All examinations must be completed prior the student's enrollment date. Students who offer satisfactory evidence that they are qualified to do so may receive credit for a course by examination at Georgia Tech. Such an examination is called an examination for advanced standing.

Related Information: 
Transfer Equivalency Catalog
more information on undergraduate transfer credit
more information on graduate transfer credit