Dear WPAs,
Are you a WPA who supervises graduate teaching assistants? I currently conducting an IRB-approved study [“Institutional Ethnography of Graduate Student Activism: IRB
#
1939039-1] about new graduate teaching assistants (GTA) expectations and am hoping for your help in distributing a survey. I am requesting that you forward the email below to all incoming GTAs in your writing program. This survey is designed to gauge GTA expectations before they begin their assistantship and should be completed before August 1st.
In addition, I am collecting documents that detail the responsibilities for graduate assistantships in writing programs across the country. If you are comfortable sharing materials that you distribute to GTAs that include job descriptions, guidelines, or responsibilities, please reply to this email. You may redact the name of your institution before sending the documents, or I will redact it upon receiving the file. Participation is voluntary, and you may forward the survey whether or not you reply with materials.
If you are not current the WPA or do not have access to incoming graduate students, I would appreciate it if you would forward this survey to the appropriate party at your university.
Dear incoming graduate teaching assistant,
I am hoping for your participation in an IRB-approved study designed for new graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in English or composition. This study “Institutional Ethnography of Graduate Student Activism” has been approved by the IRB [#1939039-1].
This study consists of completing a survey that should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. The survey will ask you about your expectations for your GTA role, give you an option to upload any job descriptions or information you have received about this role and ask for volunteers for a follow-up interview. Although the study title mentions “graduate student activism,” you do not need to be involved in any activism to participate in this survey.
Participation is voluntary and you may skip any questions. Your employer will not be informed about your participation in this survey and all data will be confidential. You may not participate if you are a graduate student at Ball State University.
SURVEY LINK: https://bsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1RgLkrWiCnwVEQS
Please complete by Aug 1st.
For questions about your rights as a research subject, please contact the Office of Research Integrity, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, (765) 285-5052 or at orihelp.
Researcher Contact Information
Principal Investigator:
Jennifer Grouling, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
Email: jgrouling