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Professional Fellowship Program
A Tuition-Free Opportunity for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Graduate Students
Responsibilities of Fellowship Recipients and RIT Fellowship Employers
Responsibilities of Fellowship Recipients
Recipients will arrange part-time, on campus internships that provide on-the-job training while they complete their two- or three-year master’s degree program. Up to a $15,000 stipend goes along with it and the following rules apply:
- Part-time employment is defined as 20 hours per week.
- Some assignments may require less than 20 hours per week, and if that is the case, the recipient will be paid only for the hours worked. The annual stipend does not guarantee a flat rate of $15,000.
- Work assignments may cover three or four quarters. Recipients can negotiate this with internship supervisors when they develop their plan of work.
Examples of internship assignments are: teaching assistant, tutor, laboratory assistant, program analyst, Web designer, or systems programmer, to name a few.
Responsibilities of RIT department providing employment opportunities
Department chairpersons will review the recipient’s resume and other documents and may want to conduct a personal interview. Some of the criteria they use to match recipients to work assignments include:
- Past work experience.
- Program of study.
- Long range goals and interests.
- Skills and knowledge.
After the recipient has a work assignment, the department chairperson or a mentor will:
- Develop a plan of work that details responsibilities and his or her expectations and timelines.
- Complete the hiring paperwork and payroll.
- Establish a regular schedule of performance reviews for the recipient including one at year’s end.
Important Fellowship Guidelines
- If you are selected, you will need to maintain academic competence, the same as any other graduate student, and meet the performance expectations of the work assignment to remain in the program. NTID reserves the right to discontinue your participation in the program if you do not perform satisfactorily in your assignment.
- You must attend an annual fellowship orientation program and there present a brief summary of your past year’s experience.