Salaried
Graduate Assistant Employment UPPS
No. 07.07.06
Procedures Issue
No. 3
Effective
Date: 03/31/2011
Review:
July 1 E4Y
01. POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01 This
UPPS provides an organized procedure whereby: (a) graduate assistants seeking
part-time employment; and (b) the respective departments and offices of Texas
State University-San Marcos seeking part-time graduate assistant employees will
receive maximum benefits from the Graduate Assistant Employment Program.
01.02 Specific
objectives of the Graduate Assistant Employment Program are to:
a. provide
information to both the student and the employing university department;
b. ensure
compliance with federal, state and university regulations, policies, and
guidelines;
c. complement
and strengthen the educational program and support the educational goals of the
student; and
d. assure
that Texas State’s graduate assistant employment policies are competitive for
recruiting at the state and national level.
02. DEFINITIONS
02.01 Graduate
Assistant Titles and Descriptions:
a. Graduate
Teaching Assistants and Doctoral Teaching Assistants are employed by an
academic department, paid from faculty salaries and reported as the “teacher of
record” for an organized class. Graduate teaching assistants and doctoral teaching
assistants receive a faculty contract for a semester or the academic year and are
paid on a monthly basis, appointed via a Personnel Change Request (PCR), and
are exempt from The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) under the learned
professional exemption.
b. Graduate
Instructional Assistants and Doctoral Instructional Assistants are employed
by an academic department, paid from faculty salaries, but are not
reported as the “teacher of record.” Graduate instructional assistants and
doctoral instructional assistants are responsible for a specific group of
students and assign some portion of these same students’ grades. The academic
department may pay graduate instructional assistants’ salaries for those
assisting in the operation of a lab or an activity or recitation group from
course fees collected for this purpose. Graduate instructional assistants and
doctoral instructional assistants are normally appointed for a semester or the
academic year, are paid on a monthly basis, appointed via a PCR, and are exempt
from the FLSA under the learned professional exemption.
c. Graduate
Research Assistants and Doctoral Research Assistants that a department or
university office employs may receive pay from grant or university funds.
Responsibilities may include
research, technical assistance and institutional support. If employed on a
grant, the work performed must directly relate to the objectives of the grant.
Graduate research assistants and doctoral research assistants can be appointed for
a semester, the academic year, or the duration of a research project or any
portion thereof, and paid on a monthly basis. They are appointed via a PCR, and
are exempt from the FLSA under the graduate research exemption as provided in
the June 28, 1994 DOL opinion letter #1263.
02.02 Benefit
Eligibility
a.
All
positions as described in Sections 02.01 a. – c. are eligible for employer
group insurance plans administered by the Human Resources Benefit Office when
employed at least half-time (twenty hours per week) for a minimum period of
four and a half months.
b.
All
graduate student employees with nine-month appointments may choose to receive
their nine-month salary in twelve monthly payments. If salary spread is elected, it will remain
in effect every year thereafter until either: 1) the employee signs an authorization
to change back to a nine-month pay basis to begin the next fiscal year, or 2)
the employee becomes ineligible. Employees who wish to elect twelve-month
salary spread or change back to a nine-month pay basis must complete a Salary
Spread Election Form prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
03. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
03.01 Academic/Enrollment
a. Graduate Teaching Assistants and
Doctoral Teaching Assistants
–
The
“Credentials Guidelines” in the SACS Principles
for Accreditation for graduate teaching assistants include “a master’s in
the teaching discipline or eighteen graduate semester hours in the teaching
discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching
discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and periodic evaluations.”
Additional Texas State requirements include unconditional acceptance into a
graduate degree program. The student must enroll in at least nine graduate
semester credit hours (SCH) in a graduate degree program each semester of
employment. The dean of the Graduate College must approve graduate and doctoral
teaching assistants taking more than twelve graduate semester hours of course
work per fall or spring semester or those taking more than six graduate
semester hours per summer session. The dean of the Graduate College must
approve any exceptions. The graduate advisor must submit requests for
exceptions in writing to the dean of the Graduate College prior to the first
day of class.
b. Graduate Instructional Assistants and
Doctoral Instructional Assistants –
Texas State requirements include unconditional acceptance into a graduate
degree program. The student must enroll in at least nine graduate SCH in a
graduate degree program each semester of employment. The dean of the Graduate
College must approve graduate and doctoral instructional assistants taking more
than twelve graduate semester hours in the fall or spring semester of course
work or those taking more than six graduate semester hours per summer session. The
student must also maintain a minimum 3.0 Texas State grade point average in
course work leading toward the completion of a graduate degree. The dean of the
Graduate College must approve any exceptions. The graduate advisor must submit
requests for exceptions in writing to the dean of the Graduate College prior to
the first day of class.
c.
Graduate
Research Assistants and Doctoral Research Assistants – Texas State requirements
include unconditional acceptance into a graduate degree program. The student
must enroll in at least nine graduate SCH in a graduate degree program each
semester of employment. The dean of the Graduate College must approve graduate
and doctoral research assistants taking more than twelve graduate semester
hours in the fall or spring semester of course work or those taking more than
six graduate semester hours per summer session. The student must also maintain
a minimum 3.0 Texas State grade point average in course work leading toward the
completion of a graduate degree. The dean of the Graduate College must approve
any exceptions. The graduate advisor must submit requests for exceptions in
writing to the dean of the Graduate College prior to the first day of class.
03.02 Summer Enrollment
Graduate
assistants enrolled in nine graduate hours during the spring semester (or with
an approved exception on file) and enrolled for the following fall may work in
the summer with no enrollment requirement. Students enrolled and employed as
undergraduate assistants in the spring semester and enrolled for the following
fall may work as graduate assistants in the summer with no enrollment
requirements. Students seeking summer employment as graduate assistants who did
not enroll in the spring semester must enroll in a total of nine graduate hours
during the summer.
04. ALLOWABLE WORK HOURS
04.01 Graduate assistant employees may work up to 50% FTE (twenty
hours per week) during the fall and spring semesters. The dean of the Graduate
College may approve up to a maximum of 75% FTE for non-international students. For
employment over 50%, an exception request from the graduate advisor or the
department chair and an approval by the dean of the Graduate College must be on
file. International student appointments may not exceed a combined total of 50%
FTE.
04.02 Graduate assistant employees may work up to
100% FTE (forty hours per week) between semesters and over Spring Break (during
energy conservation days), if approved by the dean of the Graduate College. For
employment over 50%, an exception request from the graduate advisor or the
department chair and an approval by the dean of the Graduate College must be on
file. If not enrolled in course work between semesters, international students
in a degree program may work up to 100% FTE with an approved justification on
file.
04.03 Graduate assistant employees may work up to
100% FTE (forty hours per week) during the summer, if approved by the dean of
the Graduate College. For employment over 50%, an exception request from the
graduate advisor or the department chair and an approval by the dean of the Graduate
College must be on file. If not enrolled in course work during the summer,
international students in a degree program may work up to 100% FTE with an
approved justification on file.
05. HIRING
PROCEDURES
05.01 Appointment
and New Hire Paperwork
a.
Graduate
assistants cannot be appointed in salaried and hourly positions concurrently. Likewise,
in accordance with Internal Revenue Service and the State of Texas guidelines,
the university cannot pay graduate assistants as consultants or contractors
while employed by the university or for twelve months following the termination
of their university employment.
b.
New
Hire paperwork for graduate or doctoral teaching and instructional assistant appointments
are processed through the Graduate College and Faculty Records. Paperwork for
graduate or doctoral research assistant appointments are processed through the
Graduate College, the appropriate vice president’s office and Human Resources
for all divisions except Academic Affairs. Graduate or doctoral research
assistant appointments in Academic Affairs are processed through the Graduate
College and Faculty Records.
1) Graduate teaching assistants and
doctoral teaching assistants must submit a complete faculty applicant packet
which consists of a Faculty Employment Application, official transcripts from
all degree- granting institutions, a current vita or resume and three letters
of recommendation. Also, each department will complete the Graduate Assistant
New Hire Packet available at: http://www.hr.txstate.edu/.
Faculty Records must receive these documents, along with a PCR and
a Contracting of Temporary Faculty Form, from the department via the college
dean and the dean of the Graduate College.
2) Each department will complete the Graduate Assistant New Hire Packet
for graduate instructional assistants and doctoral instructional assistants and
graduate research assistants and doctoral research assistants and submit it
with the PCR, through the appropriate channels as noted above, to the Graduate
College. The Graduate Assistant New Hire Packet is available at: http://www.hr.txstate.edu/.
05.02 Pay rates – Each of the above job titles in Sections
02.01 a. – c. are paid in accordance with the salary schedule in the University Pay Plan.
06. ACCOUNT MANAGER OR DESIGNEE
RESPONSIBILITIES
06.01 The
account manager or designee may determine the need for graduate assistants and
may work with the appropriate vice president for position approvals.
Appropriate titles are determined based on the criteria in Sections 02.01 a. – c.
06.02 The
account manager or designee is responsible for contacting the International
Office to verify employment eligibility for all international graduate and
doctoral students prior to hire.
06.03 The
account manager or designee must forward the appointing PCR and all forms noted
in Section 05.01 b. via the college dean and the dean of the Graduate College
to the Human Resources Office or Faculty Records, as appropriate.
06.04 The account manager or designee must ensure
that students meet all academic and enrollment policies found in Sections 03.01
and 03.02.
06.05 The account manager or designee must ensure
that students are not appointed over 50% FTE without specific approval from the
dean of the Graduate College.
06.06 The account manager or designee must prepare
the separation PCR, the Employee Separation Form and Separation Checklist (see UPPS No.
04.04.50).
06.07 The
account manager or designee is responsible for notifying graduate student
employees if they are appointed to a benefits-eligible position and instructing
the students to contact Human Resources for enrollment information within the
30-day enrollment deadline.
07. OUT-OF-STATE WAIVER
07.01 According
to the Texas Education Code, Sec. 54.063, a teaching, instructional, or
research assistant of any institution of higher education and the spouse and
children of such a teaching, instructional, or research assistant are entitled
to register in a state institution of higher education by paying the tuition
fees and other fees or charges required for Texas residents under Section
54.051 of this code, without regard to the length of time the assistant has
resided in Texas, if the assistant is employed at least one-half time in a
teaching, instructional, or research assistant position which relates to the
assistant’s degree program under rules and regulations established by the
employer institution. The account manager or designee will be responsible for
submitting the required paperwork for the out-of-state waiver to the Student Business
Services Office. The out-of-state waiver request form and deadlines can be
found at: http:/www.sbs.txstate.edu/students/waivers.html.
08. NON-DISCRIMINATION
08.01 Texas
State University-San Marcos will not discriminate against any person in employment
or exclude any person from participating in or receiving the benefits of any of
its activities or programs on any basis prohibited by law, including race,
color, age, national origin, religion, sex, disability, veterans’ status, or on
the basis of sexual orientation. Equal employment opportunities shall include:
personnel transactions of recruitment, employment, training, upgrading,
promotion, demotion, termination, and salary.
09. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
09.01 Reviewers
of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Dean, Graduate College July 1 E4Y
Director, Human Resources July 1 E4Y
Chief Diversity Officer and Director
of July 1 E4Y
Equity and Access
Director, Faculty Records July 1 E4Y
10. CERTIFICATION
STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of
this document until superseded.
Dean
of the Graduate College; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs
President