Memorandum: Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistantship Appointments
M E M O R A N D U M
| Date: | September 1, 2003 |
| To: | Deans, Directors and Department Chairs |
| From: | Martin T. Cadwallader, Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School |
| Subject: | Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistantship Appointments |
Policies and procedures permitting levels of graduate assistant appointments providing departments flexibility to recruit and retain outstanding graduate students will continue. As stated in the past, the limits stated are maximum, not minimum or expected levels, and do not preclude any college, school, department or program unit from setting limits lower than these.
A summary for 2003-2004 follows:
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Graduate students who are appointed as Project Assistants may be employed 100% during semester and spring vacation breaks. The attached form is not necessary for Project Assistants employed 100% during these times.
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New domestic graduate students who have fall admittance to the Graduate School can be appointed as a Project/Program/Teaching assistant no earlier than May 26, 2003.
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The maximum appointment level for all graduate students is 75%.
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Graduate students who hold graduate assistantships and have concurrent appointments as academic staff, classified staff, or student hourly are limited to a combined appointment level of 75%.
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Graduate students can hold up to a 75% appointment without obtaining approvals from the Deans Office and the Graduate School.
Maximum Appointment Levels
Research Assistants (RA)
Appointments for non-dissertators are permitted up to 75%. A full graduate load (8 credits during the academic year; and a minimum of 2 graduate level credits in the summer) must be carried with an RA appointment held by a non-dissertator. Research Assistant appointments for non-dissertators exceeding 75% will not be allowed.
Appointments for dissertators are permitted up to 75%.
Dissertators holding RA appointments must register as a dissertator (3 credits) during the entire period of the appointment (academic year and summer). Appointments for dissertators exceeding 75% are not allowed.
Teaching Assistant (TA) and Project/Program Assistant (PA) Appointments
Academic Year Appointments (includes annual basis PA appointments held during the academic year)
Appointments are permitted up to 75%. A full graduate load (whether or not prelims and have been completed) may be carried with any PA or TA appointment up to 75% time.
Semester Break and Spring Vacation
Only Project/Program Assistants may be employed 100% during semester break and spring vacation. The Request For Exception to Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistant Appointments form does not need to be completed for Project/Program Assistants appointed 100% time during breaks.
Summer Appointments
Appointment Dates and Levels:Program/Project Assistants may be employed up to and including 100% time during the summer. The Request For Exception To Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistant Appointments Form is not required for them.
Summer appointment dates are 5/26/03 to 8/24/03 for academic (C-basis) appointments and 6/1/03 to 8/31/03 for annual (A-basis) appointments. For individuals on academic appointments during the spring or fall semesters, appointments for more than two-ninths of the full-time academic year rate will be allowed only under the same procedure established for faculty summer appointments exceeding two-ninths time.
Domestic graduate students who are new to the University and have fall admittance can be appointed as a Project/Program or Teaching Assistant no earlier than May 26, 2003.
International graduate students who are new to the University and have fall admittance cannot be appointed as a Project/Program or Teaching Assistant unless they have admittance for the summer term.
Registration: Students holding summer appointments as Project Assistants, Program Assistants, or Teaching Assistants need not necessarily register during the summer session*, although they must either have been graduate students during the preceding semester or have a letter to register for the upcoming Fall.
*Registration is expected for any student using University facilities or consulting regularly with his/her professor.
Combined RA/TA/PA Appointments (Academic Year and/or Summer)
When a service-requiring appointment (PA or TA) is combined with a research-training appointment (RA), the maximum combined appointment level for non-dissertators and dissertators cannot exceed 75%.
Graduate Student Fellowships and Traineeships
The policy governing supplementation of these awards has been outlined in a separate memorandum from Dean Martin T. Cadwallader dated September 1, 2003. Information regarding this policy may be obtained from the Graduate School, Research and Sponsored Programs or, in the case of UW-Madison Fellowships, from the unit awarding the fellowship.
Procedures
The Request For Exception To Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistant Appointments Form is not required for appointments that are under 75%. This means graduate assistant appointments not exceeding the maximum levels in this memo (2003-2004 Maximum Appointment Levels for Graduate Assistants By Appointment Type) do not require documentation of any kind.
All other proposed appointments that would exceed these maximum levels will require prior approval of the appropriate Dean or Director and the Graduate School.
Procedure for Requesting Exceptions to Policy
The Graduate School is responsible for approving rare cases when there
is a need for an exception to these policies. Clear documentation of the
necessity for an exception to UW-Madison policy must accompany such a
request and should be submitted through the appropriate Dean or Director
to the Graduate School Budget and Personnel Office, 307 Bascom Hall, prior
to making the appointment (see
Request For Exception To Maximum Levels of Graduate Assistant Appointments
form).
General
Those responsible for appointments are cautioned that funding sources may impose restrictions in addition to those outlined above.
International students on F-1 and J-1 Visas are at risk concerning their immigration status if they are employed for more than 20 hours per week during the academic year, including PA and TA appointments. This means the sum of an individual international student’s Teaching Assistant, Project Assistant and Student Hourly appointments may not exceed 20 hours of work or 50% time per week. For questions on this policy contact the Office of International Student Services.
A full graduate load is:
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Academic Year: Full-time enrollment is defined as 8 to 12 graduate level credits per semester (courses numbered 300 and above) for graduate students and 3 credits for persons registered as dissertators.
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Summers: Full-time enrollment is defined as 2 graduate level credits (courses numbered 300 or above). Dissertators must register for 3 credits. Students must register for the eight-week general session.
Graduate assistant appointments totaling less than one-third time will not generate remission of non-resident nor resident tuition, or eligibility for health insurance.
Teaching Assistants and Program/Project Assistants are covered by a collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the State of Wisconsin and the Teaching Assistants’ Association. Those intending to make a TA or PA appointment are reminded to refer to this agreement. Questions about the agreement should be referred to Michael Rothstein, Contract Administrator (3-2511).
If you have any questions regarding maximum levels of graduate assistant appointments, please contact Julie Karpelenia (2-8389), or Marcia Douglas (2-1250) in the Graduate School.