At the College/University of Charleston, we pay our Master's level
graduate research assistants a minimum of $3,050 per semester,
regardless of funding source.  In the past, the upper end was open, and
we have received grants which include assistantships at $6,000 per
semester.  Now our fiscal folks want to impose a cap on graduate
research assistantship pay of $4,050 per semester, regardless of what
sponsors have approved.  (This is supposedly to prevent Fair Labor
Standards lawsuits, although I find no reference to maximum or equitable
pay in the law other than non-discrimination in wage rate based on
sex.)  I say this new internal policy is flawed in that
it will not allow pay up to what sponsors have approved or actually, in
some cases, stipulate--not to mention that it hurts our efforts to
recruit the best and the brightest students.  So I need some quick help
in building my case.

Please take a moment to let me know:

1.  The minimum pay/semester for a Master's level Graduate Research
Assistant at your institution (if specified);

2.  If your institution has set a cap on Grad Research Assistant pay;

3.  If capped, what is the maximum? and

4.  If capped, how do you deal with the discrepancy between what a
sponsor normally pays (on a grad fellowship, for instance) and the cap?

Thanks!
Barbara
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Barbara H. Gray                                     Telephone:  843-953-5673 (Office)
Director of Research and                                           843-953-5885 (Direct)
 Grants Administration                            Fax:  843-953-6577
66 George Street                                    e-mail:  xxxxxx@cofc.edu
College of Charleston                              http://www.cofc.edu/~orga
Charleston, SC  29424                           Campus Location:  407G Bell Bldg.

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