The first day of your graduate studies is the first day of your career as a scientist. It is a big step-up from your undergraduate years and requires your ultimate commitment.
Work Schedule
Your first year of study focuses primarily on didactic education. In the fall semester, you can expect to follow the academic calendar of the University for your December holidays. During the week of Thanksgiving, university classes are not in session but research is still being conducted. Discuss your work schedule for this week with your advisor or faculty member with whom you are working. The same is true in the Spring semester, discuss expectations for spring break with your mentor. Make sure that you are clear on the expectations that your mentor has for you. These expectations are likely to vary among faculty.
Graduate assistantships (TA and RA) offered in the School of Pharmacy are for 12 months employment. They are considered by the University to be part-time temporary employees, and are thus not eligible for benefits, such as vacation and sick time.
Sick Leave
Graduate students do not receive a specified number of sick days per pay cycle or calendar year. You are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle so that you are not sick. In addition, headaches and small malaises should not be used as reasons to not be in class or lab. Regardless of your state of health, your responsibilities remain the same and you will need to make up missed work by working weekends and evenings. Please become familiar with any policies with regard to absenteeism in the syllabi of your courses and in your chosen Ph.D. graduate program. If you are truly sick for a TA or RA assignment, class, or exam, please inform the faculty member in charge of that activity. This can be accomplished by phone or email or in person and should be done before the class or meeting. Do not assume that informing your mentor or a single faculty member of your absence will result in that absence being communicated to other faculty. Each faculty member with whom you have a class or other obligation must be informed individually for each absence.
Vacation
Graduate assistants who wish to take vacation time must complete a short-term leave form and receive prior approval from his/her major advisor (and supervisor, if different from the major advisor). The leave should be arranged to fit the operating schedule of the academic unit (e.g. teaching schedule), and the student’s obligations to the School and research project. Students do not receive pay during their vacation. However, arrangements can be made with the advisor and/or supervisor to compensate for the hours away (e.g., so that no pay is lost), the terms of which must be mutually agreeable and documented in writing prior to the leave.
Leave of Absence
The Health Science Center has a defined policy to deal with extended periods of time outside of research work or class, generally greater than two weeks. Termed a leave of absence, a student may need to take such a leave due to grave illness, pregnancy, or family crisis. Please consult this policy when considering such a leave. In some circumstances, the leave may be imposed upon the student administratively due to academic issues or policy violations. Procedures for this are detailed in this policy (http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/media/7490/leave-of-absence-hsc-policy.pdf ) and there are forms for documenting all types of leave and any expectations or requirements upon your return.
The Ph.D. degree is awarded based on completion of original dissertation research and not time served in the program. Undue time spent away from the University will hamper your progress in research.