How should colleges/areas handle admissions letters and assistantship appointment letters in the future?

Admission letters are to be separate from any employment offer letters. Corresponding templates for each type of letter are online. Areas are encouraged to use the provided template. If the provided template is not used, letters must still adhere to all contractually required sections outlined in Article 11 and noted on the Assistantship Appointment or Reappointment Offer Letters.

Do new assistantship appointments or reappointment offers that have already been issued with different information have to be withdrawn and reissued?

All assistantship appointments or reappointment offers for summer and fall 2024 appointments must take the new salary minimum levels into account. If you previously offered an 2024-2025 assistantship a salary lower than the new required minimums as outlined in Article 35 of the Contract, please contact the Graduate School to address any modifications that are required to the extended offer.

Is there a minimum percentage required to appoint an ASE?

ASE appointments are based on departmental need. There has been no change to Graduate school policy related to FTE and terms of appointment.

Assistantship percentage appointment still must be commensurate with the hours worked (effort), and not calculated to achieve a gross dollar figure. Appointments over 50% continue to require approval in accordance with Graduate school policy.

Can graduate students on assistantship be dismissed from the program for unsatisfactory academic performance at the discretion of graduate programs?

Yes, graduate program policies should continue to be followed. For students who are not meeting academic requirements, please ensure you are following the appropriate Graduate School guidelines.

How do I hire graduate students for summer work now?

The new classification Graduate – Summer Work – hourly is being developed in Workday. This classification will replace other Student hourly classifications used in previous years to hire graduate students to perform Graduate Assistant/ASE duties on an hourly basis.

This classification is not to be used to hire graduate students to perform non-academic or non-ASE duties such as working in a position in which they are not engaging in service that enhances their educational pursuits at WSU.

Salary for the Graduate summer work hourly position that are substantially similar to graduate assistantship work are to be paid at the hourly rate associated with the appropriate assistantship levels.

When will the graduate assistant salary schedules and temporary/hourly wage rates go into effect?

Assistantship salary increases go into effect May 1, 2024. See Graduate School Assistantship Salary Table.

For undergraduate student hourly positions, HRS Labor Relations will work with the UAW to review position description fields for position information pulled from Workday, to decide which positions appear to meet the bargaining unit student hourly descriptions. Once positions are identified, departments will be required to change to the proper classifications. Classifications are currently being created.

The hourly wage equivalency to graduate student employee in student hourly appointments are outlined.

How will the first Contract salary increases be determined?

To implement the compensation adjustments in the Agreement, the Graduate School will send each College/Area with graduate assistants the calculated salaries for each their employees based on Article 35 by Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

Areas will then review the information for accuracy. Colleges and Areas will be provided with four weeks to validate information for their areas. Final departmental review and materials must be returned to the Graduate school within four weeks of receipt. The due date will be provided to Colleges/Areas departments on the graduate assistant salary tables. Once reviewed, the Graduate School, HRS and the Modernization team will work together to prepare the salary increases for implementation in Workday.

How do I set the pay for a Graduate Assistant who works at a different location than the position requires?

For determination of pay based on geographic work location, departments are to decide where the position is required to work, based on business needs.

It is imperative the position’s required Work Location is correct in Workday to accurately determine compensation. The compensation for an individual who chooses and is approved to work remotely away from the location where the position is based, is tied to the normally required Work Location.

Examples

What happens specifically with graduate assistant compensation on August 16, 2024?

Effective August 16, 2024, an educational/experience level compensation component will be put in to effect. At this time departments will utilize the Program Admissions and Milestones section on the Graduate and Professional Education Data for Fall offers and renewals. Graduate assistants education/experience compensation adjustments will take effect on August 16, if the qualification level is achieved in the spring or summer term, and on January 1, if achieved in the fall term.

Therefore, departments will use new rates including location and education/experience level when making fall offers.

What happens beyond Fall 2024?

On October 1, 2025, ASEs will receive a 3% general salary increase. This means each step on the Graduate Assistant Salary table will be increased by 3%.

Compensation Change Examples

Example 1: ASE (Research Assistant) Pullman – 50% FTE  9-month Appointment
Admitted to a Masters. Current salary $2,249.50/month at Step 57.  

Example 2: ASE (Teaching Assistant) Pullman – 50% FTE  9-month Appointment Admitted to a Doctoral Program. Current salary $1,772/month at Step 32.

Example 3: ASE (Research Assistant) Vancouver– 50% FTE 9-month Appointment Doctoral Candidate. Current Salary $2,318.50/month at Step 59.

Example 4: ASE (Teaching Assistant) Tri-Cities– 50% FTE 9-month Appointment Admitted to a Doctoral Program. Current Salary $2,485.5/month at Step 66.

For Summer 2024, what if the funding package is different from the academic year?

The new salary minimums for gradate assistantships and hourly wage scales for temporary hourly positions are to be used for assistantship and hourly positions respectively. Activity-based appointments will continue to be processed per normal procedures for the summer 2024 term.

Effective summer 2025, activity-based appointments (PAP) will be paid at or above the equivalent hourly rate as established by the assistantship salary table in Article 35. Hiring units will determine the maximum hours per week permitted, which will be listed in the summer appointment letter.

What time off and leave is provided to ASE’s under the Contract?

The new Contract provides for paid holidays, vacation and sick time off, expanded pregnancy and parental leave and leave without pay for eligible ASEs. It also contains time off provisions for emergency child care, jury duty and military leave.

The Contract outlines when vacation and sick time off is awarded, expires and when each may be used by eligible ASEs. The Contract notes ASEs are responsible for following normal department procedures for requesting time off and that the University will determine the method of time off tracking. See Vacation and Other leaves.

Are ASEs awarded time off immediately?

Yes, The Contract went in to effect February 1, 2024 so salaried ASEs (graduate assistants) will receive prorated amount of vacation and sick time off. Vacation time off and sick leave is prorated for assistantships at different FTE and appointment durations..

Vacation time off

Salaried employees (graduate assistants) on 9-month, 50% FTE appointments are awarded forty-eight (48) hours of paid vacation time off annually at the start of each appointment period, to be used during semester breaks or as otherwise approved by their supervisor. This is prorated to 5.33 hours per month.

With a February 1 effective date, salaried 9-month ASEs have 18.66 hours of vacation time off to use for spring semester.

Sick time off

Salaried employees (graduate assistants) on 9-month, 50% FTE appointments are awarded thirty-six (36) of paid sick time off annually at the start of each appointment. This is prorated to 4 hours per month. With a February 1 effective date, salaried 9-month ASEs have 14 hours of sick time off to use for spring semester.

Do ASEs still have short term parental leave?

ASE’s continue to have access to graduate student pregnancy/parental leave as outlined in Article 30. The Pregnancy/Parental Leave plan has been expanded for ASEs under the Contract to provide for an additional two week of paid leave for a total of up to six (6) consecutive weeks of paid leave for the period directly before or after the birth, or adoption of a child. All other eligibility provisions of the short-term parental leave for ASEs and graduate students remain the same as outline in Chapter 5 of the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual.

What if ASEs need time off in excess of their available vacation and sick time off?

Contract provisions allow leave without pay (LWOP) to be granted for periods beyond the terms of paid leaves at the sole discretion of the Department or Hiring Unit, in accordance with Article 30. An ASE whose appointment is 50% FTE for one academic year or longer and is approved for LWOP for reasons due to their own health condition may be place on LWOP for up to 12 weeks while continuing to receive University-provided health insurance coverage.

LWOP time off type is available in Workday. Please review the Enter and Correct Time Off and Absence on Behalf of Employee – HR Partner and Timekeeper Workday reference guide for information on how to record leave without pay for appropriate hours not worked.

When does time off/leave need to be tracked?

With the new Contract, ASEs are to account for all time off taken.  When an employee needs time away from work that reduces their ability to complete scheduled work such as those work duties that must take place at designated times and places or the ability to meet their weekly workload expectation.  

Holidays and approved time off reduce the expected average twenty (20) hours per week work. ASEs with a 50% FTE appointment are expected to work an average of twenty (20) hours a week in their assistantship. Any work assignment, prep work, training, job-specific orientation, and required meetings or conferences are included as part of the ASE’s work time. Time spent working on personal academic progress is not considered time worked.

Examples
Salaried ASE wants to not work during Spring Break. They are to request the time off and if approved, use vacation time or LWOP to account for all time not worked.

Student hourly ASE who requests not to work is simply not scheduled to work, and therefore not paid.

Salaried ASE has a spring appointment that runs through May 15 and a summer PAP appointment beginning May 9. The ASE continues to be expected to complete their normal 20 hours per week in the Spring appointment or request time off (vacation or LWOP).

Do ASEs now track time worked in Workday under the new Contract?

There has been no change to the tracking of time worked requirement. Salaried ASEs (graduate assistants) do not track time worked in Workday at this time. Student hourly continue to track time worked.

How do I track time off/leave?

For salaried ASEs (graduate assistants ) the programming for tracking usage of all time offs and leaves in Workday is in development and will not be complete during the spring semester. Until further notice, departments will be required to internally track and document ASEs time off usage. There is no specific required process at this time, however it is recommended to maintain these records utilizing electronic means such as excel or outlook calendars or a similar tracking methods. See SAMPLE ASE TIME OFF TRACKING TOOL

• Samples are provided for Contract start date through end of current semester (3.5 months remaining in the appointment, s well as 9 month appointment

Leave Without Pay time off type is available in Workday. Please review the Enter and Correct Time Off and Absence on Behalf of Employee – HR Partner and Timekeeper Workday reference guide for information on how to record leave without pay for appropriate hours not worked.

What are the basic steps to follow for requesting sick time off?

Time off for planned or foreseeable absences are to be requested in advance. For unexpected sick time off eligible events, time off is to be requested as soon as the need is known. ASE are to follow department procedures to request the time off, which may require supervisor or other central office (pregnancy parental leave) approval.

Departments are to post time off request procedures on their website, but may link to this website for time off request general procedures continuity.

Time off request general procedures

Planned or foreseeable absence requests should be submitted to supervisors in writing, via email, outlook calendar, Teams or other electronic means, identifying the request is for sick time off, the day and time of the time off need and expected duration. ASEs if asked, are to verify the sick time of is for an allowable reason. Requests do not need to include any medical facts.

Tracking in Workday has not yet been implemented for ASEs for vacation and sick time off awards. Until sick time off tracking for this group is implemented, departments are to manually track this time off type and maintain an accounting of time off taken by the ASE. Depending on systems implantation timing, supervisors may be required to provide accurate time off balances for each ASE in order to assist with future Workday time off implementation and address available time off balances for ASEs.

Does sick leave need to be taken if the work can be made up later in the workweek?

If scheduled to work during a sick time off event, but the supervisor determines work activities for the week may be shifted, sick leave usage may be reduced or not needed for the work week (Sunday 12: 00 am – Saturday 11:59 pm). If a modified week schedule is approved that maintains the 20 hour weekly workload expectation, no time off usage would be required.  

Example

If you have a doctor appointment on Tuesday afternoon, when you do not have a scheduled work activity (e.g. in TA duties during a scheduled class) during a time where you complete general work duties that are not time specific (e.g. grading papers for the week or not time-specific research tasks), you do not have to request sick time off if you plan to grade papers at a different time within the work week.  If you are unsure about specific timelines for work activities contact your supervisor.

Do I need to track vacation time off and sick time off?

Yes. Tracking in Workday has not yet been implemented for ASEs for awarded vacation time off or sick time off. Until sick and vacation time off tracking for this group is implemented, departments are to manually track this time off type and maintain an accounting of time off taken by the ASE. Depending on systems implantation timing, supervisors may be required to provide accurate time off balances for each ASE in order to assist with future Workday time off implementation and address available time off balances for ASEs.

Are ASEs expected to work during academic breaks or take time off?

During the term of their appointments, all ASEs are expected to be at work each normal workday, including periods when the University is not in session, with the exception of the holidays outlined in Article 29, can choose to use their leaves/time off during academic breaks as approved by their supervisor.