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Guidelines for Dean’s Scholars and Rackham Merit Fellows[1] in the School of Education

December 2004

For New and Continuing Students:

1)    Pre-candidate School of Education (SOE) Dean’s Scholars and Rackham Merit Fellows are required to enroll for nine credit hours during the fall and winter semesters.

2)    School of Education Dean’s Scholars admitted between 2001-04 will be awarded .50 assistantships (which includes stipend, full tuition, and health benefits) for fall and winter semesters for four years. The benefits are continued over the spring/summer during the tenure of the fellowship.

3)    Rackham Merit Fellows receive five years of support. Specifically, recipients receive tuition and benefits for fall and winter semesters plus a salary/stipend. During the spring/summer semester, recipients receive benefits and a stipend. Recipients of the Rackham Merit Fellows Award are expected to hold a .25 graduate assistantship each semester during each academic year. The assistantship should be a research assistantship for a minimum of six terms and a teaching assistantship for a minimum of one term. In addition, all SOE Scholars receive a fellowship equivalent to a .25 appointment.

4)    An SOE policy adopted in 2001 states that graduate students in the School of Education are not to exceed the equivalent of a .50 appointment through assistantship or hourly support from the School of Education. The exception to this rule is if a student holds a .25 GSRA and a .35 GSI combination. This policy was enacted to support timely student progress towards the completion of the degree and to assure equitable distribution of resources among students. Students may apply for a waiver of this policy in cases where extenuating circumstances exist. Students requesting a waiver should submit a letter explaining their reason for needing to exceed the cap to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. A letter from the student’s advisor must accompany the request for a waiver. Final determination of permission to exceed the cap rests with the Academic Leadership Council (ALC) of the School of Education.

5)    The Rackham Merit Fellows package contains a .25 fellowship and .25 appointment as a GSI or GSRA each semester of the award. While Rackham policies mandate that Rackham Merit Fellows cannot exceed the .25 GSI or GSRA appointment, the SOE allows the fellows to accept .35 GSI appointments. In other words, in such situations, the SOE allows Rackham Merit Fellows to receive the equivalent of a .60 appointment (.35 GSI + .25 fellowship). In this situation, Rackham Merit Fellows do not need special permission to accept the .35 GSI appointment. However, if the fellows wish to work more than the equivalent of .35 appointment (thus exceeding the .60 limit), they must apply to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for a waiver. As in other requests for such waivers, a letter of support from the student’s advisor must accompany the request. The ALC will determine whether the waiver will be granted.