Recently, the Graduate School initiated a program to acknowledge faculty and staff who are particularly successful in attracting external grant funding to the university. This acknowledgment, in the form of a financial award, was granted to those whose grant records over time have been unusually strong for their discipline, whose external funding has materially benefited others, and whose funding successes are expected to continue to serve as models for their colleagues. The use of graduate students as teaching assistants is a long-standing practice in American higher education. Teaching assistantships allow graduate students to obtain experience explaining their fields of study to others, which is an excellent way to enhance learning of a subject, and many of our graduate students will become professional teachers at the university or other levels. Financial Support of Graduate Student Scholarly Activity Graduate students, particularly those engaged in thesis, dissertation, or similar independent study, often have significant financial needs, such as expenses associated with equipment, materials, or travel.
Many graduate students give presentations at professional conferences much like faculty do.
Named Endowments to Support Faculty Scholars Endowed or other financially supported faculty positions are a mark of a mature university, especially one with a mission that includes research and public service. Aside from enhancing the image of the institution, the availability of these positions assists greatly in the recruitment of excellent faculty, and they can play an important part in retaining top faculty who will, of course, be sought after by other institutions or by industry.