Salaried
Graduate Assistant Employment UPPS
No. 07.07.06
Procedures Issue
No. 2
Effective
Date: 8/23/2006
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
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. The “Credentials Guidelines” in the SACS Principles for Accreditation for
graduate teaching assistants include “a master’s in the teaching discipline or
18 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.”
unconditional
acceptance into a graduate degree program. The student must be enrolled in at
least nine graduate SCH in a graduate degree program each semester of
employment. The student must also maintain a minimum 3.0
Graduate
teaching assistants and doctoral teaching assistants receive a faculty contract
for a semester or academic year basis, are paid on a monthly basis, appointed
via a Personnel Change Request (PCR), and are exempt from 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.” Salaries of graduate instructional
assistants who assist in the operation of a lab or activity/recitation group
may be paid from course fees that are collected for the purpose of such a lab
or activity/recitation group. Graduate
instructional assistants and doctoral instructional assistants are responsible
for a specific group of students and assign some portion of these same
students’ grades.
Graduate
instructional assistants and doctoral instructional assistants are normally
contracted for a semester or academic year, paid on a monthly basis, appointed
via a PCR, and are exempt from FLSA under the learned professional exemption.
c. Graduate
Research Assistants and Doctoral Research Assistants are employed by any
department or office of the University and may be paid 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 are employed on a
semester, academic year, annual basis 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 FLSA under the graduate research exemption as provided in
the June 28, 1994 DOL opinion letter #1263.
02.02 Benefit
Eligibility
All
positions as described in Section 02.01 a.-c. will be eligible for employer
group insurance plans administered by the Human Resources Benefit Office when
employed at least half-time (20 hours per week) for a minimum period of four
and a half months.
03. HIRING PROCEDURES
03.01 Appointment
and New Hire Paperwork
a. Graduate
assistants cannot be appointed in salaried and hourly positions
concurrently. Likewise, in accordance
with the guidelines of the Internal Revenue Service and the State of
b. New Hire
paperwork for graduate assistant positions as described in Sections 02.01 a.
and b. above is processed through the
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.humanresources.txstate.edu/
These
documents, along with a PCR and a Contracting of Temporary Faculty Form are
submitted for approval via the college dean and the Dean of the
2) Each
department will complete the Graduate Assistant New Hire Packet for graduate
instructional assistants/doctoral instructional assistants and graduate
research assistants/doctoral research assistants and submit it with the PCR to
the office of the
03.02 Pay rates
– each of the above job titles described in Sections 02.01 a.-c. are to be paid
in accordance with the salary schedule as shown in the University Pay
Plan.
03.03 In all
cases, the account manager or the manager’s designee will decide who is hired
in accordance with the qualifications and standards required for the position.
04. ALLOWABLE WORK HOURS
04.01 During
the fall and spring semesters, graduate assistant employees may work up to 50%
FTE (20 hours per week). An exception request with justification from the
graduate advisor or department chair approved by the Dean of the
04.02 During
the summer, a graduate assistant employee may be approved by the Graduate Dean
to work up to 100% FTE (40 hours per week). Graduate assistants enrolled in
nine hours during the spring semester (or who had an approved exception request
with justification on file) who are enrolled for the following fall may be
employed in the summer with no enrollment requirement. Students who were
enrolled and employed as undergraduate assistants in the spring semester and
who are enrolled for the following fall may be employed as graduate assistants
in the summer with no enrollment requirement. Students who wish to be employed
as graduate assistants in the summer and who were not enrolled in the spring
semester must enroll in a total of nine hours during the summer.
05. ACCOUNT MANAGER OR THE MANAGER’S DESIGNEE RESPONSIBILITIES
05.01 The
account manager or the manager’s 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.
05.02 For all
other graduate assistant or doctoral assistant positions, the account manager
or designee must forward the appointing PCR and all forms shown in Section
03.01 b. of this policy via the college dean and the Dean of the
05.03 The
account manager or designee will be responsible for ensuring that students are
not appointed over 50% FTE without specific approval from the Dean of the
05.04 The
account manager or designee will be responsible for preparing the separation
PCR, the Employee Separation Form and Separation Checklist (see UPPS No.
04.04.50).
06. OUT-OF-STATE WAIVER
06.01 According
to the
07. NON-DISCRIMINATION
07.01 No person
shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject
to discrimination under, any program or activity sponsored or conducted by
Texas State University-San Marcos on any basis prohibited by applicable law,
including race, color, age, national origin, religion, gender, sexual
orientation or disability.
08. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
08.01 Reviewers
of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Dean,
Director, Human Resources July 1 E4Y
Director, Equity and Access July 1 E4Y
Faculty Contract Administrator July 1 E4Y
09.
CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents
Dean
of the
Provost
and Vice