GA/UGS Letter of Allocation to Departments -FY'02
From Joseph Scanio, March 8, 2001

Date: March 8, 2001

To:            Department Heads with Graduate Programs
                 Directors of Graduate Studies
From:        Joseph Scanio
Re:            GA and UGS Allocations

Here are your GA allocations for the 12-month period, July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002, and your UGS allocations for summer quarter 2000-01, and autumn, winter and spring quarters 2001-02 (Attachment I).

What follows is an excerpt from Robert Frank’s allocation letter to the college that clearly expresses the consciousness needed when making this year’s awards.

“Two important, and conflicting, factors are especially important to consider when making your allocations for next fiscal year.  The Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) is carefully scrutinizing our practices for awarding UGS funds to students who are not required to provide services to the university or community as part of the tuition scholarship.  There is a concern in Columbus that we not award UGS funds simply on the basis of the state subsidy returned to the university.  Tuition scholarships must be provided on the basis of academic or creative merit or for other reasons that are easily justified in terms of their positive impact on the well being of the State of Ohio [*] .  I have enclosed a copy of the OBR Graduate Funding Commission’s “Principles of Good Practice in the Awards of Graduate Student Financial Support” document that was adopted by the University of Cincinnati’s Board of Trustees in January 2001 (Attachment II).  We should strive to adhere to these principles when making UGS awards.  At the same time, the university currently is facing budget deficits related to a shortfall from expected enrollments, a problem that can be ameliorated by recruiting additional graduate students.

One way to address these problems simultaneously is to enroll students who pay a significant portion of their tuition. …”

Allocation Details

GA Allocations

The stipend enhancements awarded to your program(s) have been included in your GA allocation.  The enhancements are funded by the Division of Research and Advanced Studies and the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (for departments with college-funded GAs) with the expectation that the enhanced funding will be to increase the amount of the stipend award rather than to increase the number of stipends.

Please be scrupulously careful to keep your GA allocation budget completely encumbered.  The Division of Research and Advanced Studies has frozen unused portions of that budget in the past. We cannot afford to have any GA money flowing out of A&S.  If a situation arises where you cannot sensibly assign your GA funds or if you anticipate the possibility of GA(s) leaving during winter or spring quarter, contact the college business office (556-5845), and arrangements will be made to secure the funds within the college.  The department can regain the funds released to the college if the need arises later in the fiscal year. The college will review the departmental GA accounts in early winter to ascertain the availability of uncommitted funds.

UGS Allocations

The UGS allocation is based on last year’s allocation and usage.  You should view your UGS allocations as open ended.  Your allocation will be increased to cover all summer UGSs awarded and any additional academic year UGSs awarded. Contact the college business office if you need additional UGS funds.

Co-Pay Policy         >  >  >   CHANGES!!!   <  <  <

With some adjustments, the co-pay policy used by the college in 1998-99 through 2000-01 will remain in effect for 2001‑02.   New students receiving a UGS only (no stipend) will be awarded up to a 90% UGS with General Fee, requiring at least a 10% CO-pay by the student. 

Changes for 2001-2002:  Starting this year, regardless of the student’s prior status as a GA or 100% UGS holder, a continuing student who is not receiving a stipend during the quarter will be awarded up to a 90% UGS with General Fee, requiring at least a 10% CO-pay by the student.   Past graduate assistants are no longer grandfathered into the 100% UGS when their assistantships expire or are discontinued. Also, summer quarter will be treated like any other quarter in the awarding of UGSs:  only students with stipends are to be awarded a 100% UGS.  All other students must generate a 10% CO-pay( Attachment III+AttachementIV)

No awards should commit funds beyond spring quarter 2001-02 (02S).  Under no circumstances can UGS money be used to cover the quarterly ITIE fee.

JS/brh-h:\sharing\business\ga\2001-02\covefy02.wpd

Attachment I
Attachment II
Attachment III
Attachment IV

c:             Graduate Program Staff

C. Groetsch, W. Hall, P. Woods, B. Huels

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