Contract Terms (Length)

Contract terms (length) for Assistantship Holders is specified in Article 5 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Terms that differ from what is specified in the agreement and below must have a justification as to why the contract differs from these terms. This justification must be added to the justification section in LoboContract.

The only justification for a contract that is less than specified below will be as follows:

  • The student is unable to begin work (I-9 not complete, will not be available due to relocating, etc.)
  • The class the TA is teaching or the GA is assigned to is less than a full semester
  • Addition of a course not previously on the schedule that was assigned with short notice
  • A contract that is split to accommodate a change in funding source (the original and the second contract must explain this in the justification section)
  • Justifications that deviate from these reasons may be returned and the contract may not be approved

Refer to the Ten Year Semester Dates on the Registrars website for exact semester dates

Ten Year Semester Dates :: Office of the Registrar | The University of New Mexico (unm.edu)

Contracts for any Assistantship type can be longer than is specified below

Fall AND Spring Semester

Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Assistant (GA) Contract Terms:

Contract Terms - Monday before Class through the last day of the semester

Fall and Spring – Must be at least 18 week contracts

  • Anything that deviates from these terms must be justified in the LoboContact
  • For classes that are less than 18 weeks this must be explained in the Justification section
  • Classes that are less than 18 weeks require a prep week. This means the contract must start the Monday before the first day of class

Research Assistant (RA) Contract Terms:

Contract Terms - Must be at least 18 weeks between the first day of the month of the semester through the last day of the month of the end of the semester

  • August 1-December 31
  • January 1-May 31
  • Contracts that are less than 18 weeks between these dates must be justified using the justification section in LoboContracts

Project Assistant (PA) Contract terms must be as follows:

  • August 1-December 31 for Fall
  • January 1-May 31 for Spring
  • Contracts that deviate from these dates must be justified using the justification section in LoboContracts

Summer Session

Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Assistant (GA) Contract Terms – Must be at least 9 week contract

Contract Terms - Monday before class through the last day of the semester

  • Anything that deviates from these terms must be justified in the LoboContact
  • For classes that are less than the standard class length this must be explained in the Justification section
  • Classes that are less than the standard summer class length require a prep week. This means the contract must start the Monday before the first day of class

Research Assistant (RA) Contract Terms  

Contract Terms - Contract must be at least 9 weeks between the following dates

  • Day after graduation through the first day of classes in August

Project Assistant (PA) – Contract must be as follows: 

  • June 1-July 31
  • Contracts that deviate from these dates must be justified using the justification section in LoboContracts