Academic Staff and University Staff
Hiring units are responsible for notifying Waisman HR of recruiting needs. Units should review the Title and Standard Job Description (SJD) Library to determine the appropriate title based on the needs of the position. Academic Staff and University Staff hires require an open recruitment (Position Vacancy Listing or PVL) or a PVL Waiver (waiving the open recruitment process) for a direct hire. Academic Staff employees can be hired as renewable (permanent) or fixed-term terminal and University Staff employees can be hired as ongoing (permanent) or fixed-term finite.
Resources
Hiring units are responsible for notifying Waisman HR of hiring needs. Units should review the Title and Standard Job Description (SJD) Library to determine the appropriate title based on the needs of the position. In certain situations, Academic Staff and University Staff hires can be made on a PVL Waiver, waiving the open recruitment process.
Temporary Employees (TE)
TEs are an employee category separate and distinct from University Staff, Academic Staff, Limited Staff, and Faculty. TE appointment titles are based on “best fit” of the duties within the existing University Staff titling structure. Units should use the Standard Job Description Library to determine the best title.
- TEs are hired for positions that have no expectation of continued employment. The total time worked by an individual TE cannot exceed 1,044 hours in a twelve-month period beginning on the appointment start date (i.e., 26 consecutive bi-weekly payroll periods). Exceptions are identified below.
- TE appointments cannot exceed a twelve-month period beginning on the appointment start date. Exceptions for appointments that meet consecutive or recurring standards are identified below.
- TEs are employed at-will and not subject to a “just cause” standard for negative personnel actions. UW–Madison can terminate TEs without notice, as long as the termination is not discriminatory. UW–Madison will notify the employee of the end date of a TE appointment at least two weeks in advance. Exceptions to this notice period must be approved by the division HR representative.
- TE appointments will not count toward UW–Madison’s full-time equivalent (FTE) count.
More information coming soon.
A PDT appointment is for an individual who has graduated and is appointed primarily to pursue advanced study or research.
Research Associate
A Research Associate is an individual who is continuing training after receiving their doctorate or other terminal degree.
- A Research Associate is normally for a two- or three-year term, up to a maximum of five years. Research Associates are normally given to an individual within five years of receiving their terminal degree.
- The hiring unit and HR must verify that all requirements for the terminal degree have been satisfied before the first day using this title
- Payments made to research associates are fully taxable as wages, and taxes will be withheld from monthly paychecks.
Research Intern
A Research Intern is an individual who typically is continuing training after receipt of a bachelors, masters, or equivalent.
- A Research Intern appointment is normally for a two-or-three-year term, up to a maximum of three years. These individuals have been engaged in an area of research, service, or the like and are pursuing additional training in their areas of expertise or a related field.
- Payments made to research interns are fully taxable as wages, and taxes will be withheld from month paychecks.
Resources
More information coming soon.
Graduate assistantships appointed at 33.3% or higher (>13 hours/week) provide multiple benefits:
- A biweekly stipend
- Remission of both resident and non-resident tuition (students will still need to pay segregated fees, roughly $726/semester); more information regarding tuition remission and eligibility can be found here: https://businessservices.wisc.edu/making-payments/payments-to-students/tuition-remission/eligibility-for-ra-ta-pa-and-lsa-tuition-remission/
- Eligibility for health insurance; all benefit options can be found here: https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/new-employee-benefits-enrollment/benefits-for-employees-not-covered-by-the-wrs/
- Additional information and resources:
Project Assistant (PA)
This title designates graduate students enrolled in a UW System institution who are employed to assist with research, training, or other academic programs or projects at UW-Madison.
- PA hires require an “open recruitment” and must be posted for a minimum of two weeks on the UW Student Job Center website, unless the PA appointment was part of the student’s offer letter from their degree program department.
- In rare occasions, we may request pre-approval to hire an hourly PA (no assigned FTE) if the work is sporadic and an FTE cannot be assigned. Please work with your Waisman HR rep on these situations.
- Payments made are fully taxable as wages, and taxes will be withheld from paychecks.
Research Assistant (RA)
This title is designated for UW-Madison graduate students working towards a Master’s or PhD degree. An RA appointment is appropriate if the activity performed by the individual is primarily for the benefit of the individual’s course of study and research and directly applicable to the individual’s thesis or dissertation. RAs should not be given work assignments unrelated to their own educational pursuits. Graduate assistants with significant duties unrelated to their own course of study should be appointed as a PA rather than an RA.
- RAs are required to register for a full load of graduate courses and research. A minimum stipend is established annually on an institution-wide basis, although the amount of each individual stipend may vary among degree programs.
- Note that the RA appointment percentage is merely a mechanism for setting the stipend amount and does not correlate to any particular requirement for hours of work. The maximum appointment percentage is 50%.
- Payments made are fully taxable as wages, and taxes will be withheld from paychecks.
Fellow
This title is used for a UW-Madison graduate student holding a fellowship which provides freedom to devote full-time to obtaining an advanced degree.
- More information can be found here as well: https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/fellowships/
- Taxes will not be withheld from these stipends. Except in rare cases, appointees will be required to pay taxes on the amount of stipend that exceeds the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. Appointees may be required to pay estimated taxes on a quarterly basis.
Trainee
This title is used exclusively for UW-Madison students who are supported by a traineeship while pursuing a particular course of study.
- Traineeships are ordinarily sponsored through an extramural training grant and are designated as traineeships under the terms of the grant.
- Traineeships are supported by federal training grants from agencies like the NIH and NSF.
- Taxes will not be withheld from these stipends. Except in rare cases, appointees will be required to pay taxes on the amount of stipend that exceeds the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. Appointees may be required to pay estimated taxes on a quarterly basis.
More information coming soon.