
Communications | Other Communications
Campus Contract Implementation Guidelines for ASE and GSRs
June 29, 2023
Deans
Divisional Academic Personnel Coordinators
Assistant Deans
Department Chairs
College Provosts
Department Managers
College Academic Managers
Vice Provost Lee
Vice Chancellors
Re: Campus Contract Implementation Guidelines for ASE and GSRs
Dear Colleagues,
Effective October 1, 2023, the experience-based salary point provisions of the collective bargaining agreements with Academic Student Employees (ASE) and Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) go into effect. Below you will find information on campus expectations for ASE and GSR appointments and guidance for related procedures.
Hiring units and PIs are not permitted to create or engage in compensation practices that do not comply with the collective bargaining agreements, or do not align with campus implementation guidelines. Please refer to the attached documents for detailed information about the campus ASE and GSR salary scales, and principles of implementing the agreements on wages.
Experience-Based Salary Points for ASE and GSR
All new appointments must be made at the appropriate experienced-based salary point, with two exceptions:
- Previously appointed Associate Instructors and Graduate Student Researchers must be hired at their corresponding salary point on the new scale when the corresponding salary point is higher than the experienced-based placement. Salary point mapping is applicable to any department or unit that previously appointed the Associate Instructor or GSR.
- Deans may approve alternative GSR departmental scales, following the process outlined below.
TA Appointments Less than 50%
TA appointments during the academic year that are less than 50% must be approved by the dean. When approved, the hiring unit will be responsible for covering the proportion of the student’s tuition/fee/GSHIP remission costs that are not centrally covered. Divisions should note the circumstances for appointments less than 50% (e.g., emergency mid-quarter hire, part-time graduate student, etc.) in their annual TA and IS Utilization report.
GSR Trainees and Fellows
Effective October 1, 2023, GSR Trainees and Fellows will be placed on the GSR scale. The salary point of a GSR Trainee or Fellow will be based on the amount of the fellowship/grant and the student’s experience-based placement. Divisions that have GSR Trainees and Fellows will receive further information about placement and payroll entry prior to fall quarter.
Alternative GSR Departmental Scales
Departmental GSR hiring practices in place prior to October 1, 2023 are superseded by the experience-based salary scales in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Any department that wishes to establish a GSR scale or practice that does not conform to the minimum contract expectations can submit a request to their divisional dean. A GSR scale documents the department practice for GSR placement on the established salary scale. An alternative scale cannot result in lower salary point placement than the experience-based points or establish new salary points.
Such a request must come from the department chair, following broad consultation with the department’s senate faculty. Proposals must include the proposed GSR scale, including GSR Trainees and Fellows; a summary of the consultation process used including results of a vote, if any; and the department’s rationale for requesting an alternative scale. Divisional deans have authority to approve alternative department GSR scales.
Units that hire GSRs but are not within an academic department or division, such as research centers or central offices, should follow an equivalent procedure, with an academic administrator in the role of department chair and a principal officer in the role of dean. Principal officers that do not have academic HR staff should consult with the Academic Personnel Office.
A hiring unit’s GSR scale must be approved before proceeding with GSR appointments made on an alternative scale.
Submitting GSR Scales
The Division of Graduate Studies will continue to be the office of record for alternative GSR salary scales. Academic Divisions should submit the salary scales for all their departments and hiring units (e.g., centers, institutes, etc.) by August 1, 2023. Hiring units that do not have a divisional AHR office will submit their GSR salary scale to the Academic Personnel Office for review prior to submitting their GSR scale to the Graduate Division.
Home and Host GSR Departments
Also effective October 1, 2023, the salary point placement of a GSR appointment will be determined by the salary scale in use by the hiring department or unit, not the department in which the student is enrolled. For example, if the Anthropology Department has an alternative scale approved by the division, but Sociology uses the default experience-based scale, then a Sociology graduate student who is hired to be an Anthropology GSR (hired by an Anthropology faculty PI) will be paid according to the alternative Anthropology scale.
Determining GSR Appointment Percentage and Establishing Appointment Workload
A GSR’s appointment percentage must be commensurate with the workload assigned. PIs and hiring units should establish an appointment percentage with a measurable workload effort. Because percentage must be commensurate with workload, measurable workload should equate to whole hours per week, using a 40-hour workweek standard. The best practice is to use percentages that are whole numbers (e.g., a 47.85% appointment is not a whole number), such as:
- 50% FTE (40 hours x .50) = 20 hours per week
- 40% FTE (40 x .40) = 16 hours per week
- 25% FTE (40 x .25) = 10 hours per week
- 10% FTE (40 x .10) = 4 hours per week
I appreciate your partnership as we work together to implement the new bargaining agreements. If you have any questions, please contact your divisional academic human resources representative.
Sincerely,
Lori Kletzer,
Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Attachments:
ASE-GSR-Campus-Salary-Practice
Implementing the Agreement on Wages