Joe Runkle and Ron Savage spend their days in a laboratory. Such is the life of a graduate assistant.

Each semester 2,700 students like Runkle (doctorate candidate-chemistry) and Savage (doctorate student-chemistry) pursue graduate degrees with the aid of assistantships and work in University classrooms and labs every day.

Joan Schumacher, director of graduate students financial resources, said two broad categories of assistantships exist: teaching and research. Student's responsibilities and the decision as to who receives assistantships "vary depending on the department and experience," she said.

Students with assistantships receive free tuition and a stipend, Schumacher said, but the amount of the stipend differs.

For example, quarter-time assistants work about 10 hours a week, enroll in nine credit hours and receive $378 per month, while half-time assistants work about 20 hours a week, enroll in eight to 11 credits and receive $756 a month.

Part of a recent controversy, graduate assistants and newly enrolled international students will have to purchase insurance beginning fall semester 1990. The University insurance proposal states that graduate assistant will have to pay for 20 percent of single coverage.

Many graduate assistants would like the University to pay for the entire coverage as a benefit. However, the policy cannot be considered an employee benefit because graduate assistants are not officially called University employees.

Schumacher said the University does not consider graduate assistantships full-time employees. They do not receive the benefits associated with full-time employment status, she added.

"The prime reason is to get a degree," she said, "and this is a way of funding their program."

Although they spend all day in the lab, "there are times you could spend all night here," Savage said.

"You get on a roll and stay until you get something," Runkle added.

"In most cases, the TA provides support for the undergraduate mission," said Richard McCarl, associate dean for fellowships and awards.

Lisa Taylor (graduate-economics), a teaching assistant for a public finance class, said her responsibilities include grading exams, attending class and holding office hours each week.

"The day before an exam, students just flood you," she said.

Kay Bynon (freshman-biology) said her teaching assistants answer questions and help students review for exams.

Most funding for teaching assistantships come from the general budget of the University while external sources such as grants and contracts from individual researchers fund most of the research done at the University, McCarl said.

Steve Zarit, professor in charge of the graduate program in human development and family studies, said external research grants make it possible to support all graduate students in this department.

"Every student making reasonable progress towards a degree is supported. It's part of the admissions," he said.

Michael Begnal, director of graduate studies in English, said assistantships are often used as a recruiting tool.

"We do our best to locate top students," he said.

The number varies, Begnal said, because students do not give up their positions every year.

"We cannot get good Ph.D students unless we have assistantships available," said Charles Smith, chairman of the accounting and management information systems.

Most assistantships in this department are awarded to doctoral candidates, he said. A few assistantships exist in research but "we are dominated by teaching assistantships in our department," Smith added.

Some students without research or teaching responsibilities work in University offices or departments.

Nancy Narcum (graduate-counselor education) coordinates leadership programs and co-advises the Panhellenic Council.

"It takes what I learn in class and applies it," she said.

Alicia Delserone (graduate-master of Fine Arts) said teaching English 15 and attending classes take up most of her time, but "I make a concerted effort to do other things," she said.

Although she likes being here, Taylor said nothing prepares you for graduate school.

"You have to live through it," she said, "You have to be committed."

Savage and Runkle both said they do not know how long it will take to earn their degree.

"How long you're here depends on your research because you have to have some original results," Savage said.

Schumacher said finding students for assistantships is not a problem because "that's the ideal way to go through."

Delserone said if she is lucky, one day a week she does not come into the office.

"I need that," she said.