Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs)
GSRs are covered by the UAW collective bargaining agreement.
Graduate Student Researcher
A Graduate Student Researcher is a registered graduate student who performs research as a condition of receiving financial remuneration from funding generated by the University in an academic department or research unit, provided that the graduate student is performing this funded research under the control of the University and under the specific direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator.
Graduate Student Researcher – Trainee
When a registered graduate student meets the terms identified [under the Graduate Student Researcher definition] and the funding source from which they receive remuneration deems that the money provided cannot be characterized as wages, the graduate student shall be appointed as a GSR Trainee as an employee of the University.
Graduate Student Researcher – Fellow
When a registered graduate student who (i) obtains an individual fellowship(s) where receipt of the fellowship funding requires the performance of a service for the University; and (ii) performs research in an academic department or research unit, provided that the graduate student is performing this fellowship research under the control of the University and under the specific direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator, the graduate student shall be appointed as a GSR Fellow as an employee of the University.
Procedures
- PERSONNEL ANALYST notifies the department that the InfoReady GSR Request form is available to send to faculty about two months prior to the start of the quarter.
- DEPARTMENT emails faculty with the link to the InfoReady GSR request form and instructions.
- FACULTY submits InfoReady GSR request.
- Optional: Faculty can include a Description of Duties to provide work expectations.
- InfoReady GSR Faculty Instructions
- PERSONNEL ANALYST sends the GSR an appointment letter from the Dean.
Questions can be directed to the Academic Personnel Analyst listed below:
Alexandra Carrillo: EEB, EPS, OS (NRS, CSP)
Andrew Melford: CHEM, MATH (ACE, Cal Teach, Sci Comm)
Margaret Stanfield: ASTR, PHYS
Tracy Tirrell: MCD, METX
Salary and Tuition/Fees
GSRs receive pay based on the scale of the hiring department. If you are hiring a student from a different department, that student will receive pay according to your department’s scale (which may be dependent on that student’s ATC status). Check out the salary scales to find the current salary rates for GSRs
GSRs with eligible appointments totaling 25% or more are entitled to 100% remission of tuition and eligible fees charged. The fees included in the fee remission are the: (1) Student Services Fee, (2) premium for the Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP), and (3) 100% partial fee remission toward campus fees as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement.
Percent Time
GSR appointments should be made commensurate with the percentage of work effort expected (e.g. 50% = 20 hours of work per week).
During academic sessions, graduate students may not be employed in any capacity by the University beyond a maximum of 50% time. Exceptions to this are carefully granted. Federal regulations prohibit the employment of International Graduate Students in excess of 50% time during the academic year
Summer GSR Appointments
GSR appointments can be made up to 100% during the summer quarter.
Incoming graduate students starting in the fall may be hired as a GSR the summer prior. Review the Summer Admit Information for more details.
Leave Policy
GSRs are eligible for leave in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. Leave should be requested and approved by the supervisor in advance of use. For more information about the types of leave, please refer to the Leave Reporting Overview.
Leaves of one full day or more will be reported in CruzPay and/or on the Non-CruzPay Leave Reporting Form. GSRs will receive email notifications from CruzPay, prompting them to submit timesheets at the end of each month. They will submit a blank timesheet if they did not take any leave that month.
New Hires
Please inform all employees that they cannot work until employment forms have been signed, and verify that this has happened before scheduling them to work.
We cannot emphasize this enough. Not completing employment forms prior to beginning work creates additional paperwork and expense for the University to issue a special “damage payment” check, may affect when the employee receives his/her first paycheck, and results in inaccurate reporting of earnings for tax purposes (work performed prior to signing employment forms will not be reported as wages.