University of Rhode Island Graduate Student Payroll Policies and Procedures

ORIGINATORS: Graduate School and Business and Finance

DATE: October 2003

POLICY #03-2

PURPOSE: This policy defines the conditions and procedures by which graduate students may be employed on specific University payrolls according to Federal and State regulations and related University policies. This policy combines and integrates existing practices and procedures for the purpose of facilitating the implementation of Peoplesoft.

APPLICABLE: This policy is applicable to full-time and part-time graduate students.

RESPONSIBILITY: Those individuals responsible for the administration of this policy include the Vice President for Business and Finance, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach.

POLICY:

FULL-TIME GRADUATE STUDENTS

Definition: As defined by the University Manual, a full-time graduate student is one who is registered for a minimum of nine-credit hours/semester. The only exception to this would be during the final year/semester when a student may be considered full-time if registered for 1-6-dissertation credit hours. If the student has an assistantship, then the student must be registered for a minimum of six-credit hours/semester to be considered full time, including during the final year/semester.

Payroll Eligibility

Graduate Assistant Payroll and Student Payroll

• May be employed on the graduate assistant payroll in the division of Academic Affairs as a full-time teaching/scholarly activities assistant for 20 hours per week, or as a part time teaching/scholarly activities assistant for 10 hours per week. Graduate research assistants may be employed from 10 to up to 20 hours per week. An assistantship will carry a corresponding tuition award (i.e., full or half).
• May be employed on the graduate assistant payroll in the division of Student Affairs and Business and Finance as a full-time administrative support assistant for 20 hours per week, or as a part time administrative support assistant for 10 hours per week. An assistantship will carry a corresponding tuition award (i.e., full or half).
• May be employed on the student payroll up to 20 hours per week. Employment on the student payroll does not carry a tuition award.
• Normally, a graduate student may work a maximum of 20 hours/week as stated in the University Manual and Graduate Student Manual.
• With justification and approval from the student's major Professor, the department Chair, Dean of the college and the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach, a student may be authorized for an additional five hours per week for a total of 25 hours/week when the effort on the graduate and/or student payroll is aggregated.

Internal Payroll

• May be employed on the internal payroll only under limited circumstances. As a part of the graduate education and training process, a graduate student may have the opportunity to teach a formal course at the University or engage in other activities that promote the student's professional development. In this instance, the graduate student may be employed on the internal payroll to engage in professional development activities or teach up to one course per semester, subject to federal Immigration and Naturalization Service guidelines.
• Approval is required from the student's major professor, the department Chair, Dean of the college, and the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Only in unusual circumstances may a graduate student teach two courses in a semester with the approval of the student's major Professor, the department Chair, the Dean of the college, Graduate School and the associated Provost/Vice President.
• Employment on the internal payroll does not carry a tuition award.

With regard to the stipend and tuition associated with employment, it is the individual graduate student's responsibility to determine the tax implications of such employment.

PART-TIME GRADUATE STUDENTS

Definition: Graduate students registered for less than nine-credit hours per semester (unless maintaining an assistantship) as defined by the University Manual.

Payroll Eligibility

• Not eligible for the graduate assistant payroll.
• Eligible for the student payroll under the same policies as a full-time graduate student.
• Eligible for the internal payroll under the same policies as a full-time graduate student.
• Part-time graduate students employed on the student or internal payroll do not receive a tuition award.

PAY RATES

If the work being performed requires a bachelor's degree, the pay rates for graduate students on the student payroll will be at least equal to the academically appropriate hourly equivalent rate for graduate assistant levels I, II, or III (graduate hourly rates A, B or C).

EXCEPTIONS

Exceptions to these policies will only be considered in unusual circumstances, must be consistent with the University's Disclosure Statement and University and State policies and practices, and must receive approval from the associated Dean/Director, Vice Provost of Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach and the associated Provost/Vice President.