Academic Student Employees

UCI Student Employees appointed as Teaching Assistants, Associate Instructors, Readers, and Tutors are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of California and  the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). The full contract can be found here.

For any questions regarding academic student employment, please use the projected positions table (https://ap.uci.edu/ase/positions/) for department contact information.

Job Titles

Teaching Assistant

An academically qualified and registered graduate student in full-time residence chosen for excellent scholarship and for promise as a teacher, who is assigned to assist in the delivery of instruction under the active supervision of a faculty member. A majority of graduate students who perform instructional functions are assigned to the Teaching Assistant title.

Responsibilities

  • Assist the supervising faculty member by conducting discussion, laboratory or quiz sections that  supplement faculty lectures
  • Grading assignments or examinations
  • May provide input into the development of assignments or exams, and hold office hours

The final responsibility for the content of the course rests with the supervising faculty member. A Teaching Assistant is not independently responsible for the instructional content of a course, selection of assignments, planning, examinations, determination of student grades or decisions on grade appeals; and is not assigned full instructional responsibility for an entire course.

Academic Qualifications for Teaching Assistants

  1. Enrollment Requirement — For new and continuing graduate students:
    • Enrollment in at least 12 units (full time) during the current quarter — ONLY Readers and Tutors can be employed Part-Time (8 units)
    • Combined campus wide employment of no more than 50 percent time (220 hours of assigned workload) or less during any academic quarter.
  2. Grade/GPA Requirement — For continuing graduate students, during each of the three most recent quarters of enrollment:
    • Completion of 8 units or more of upper division or graduate level credit courses.
    • A letter grade of C, S, or above in all courses completed.
    • No more than two incomplete (I) grades except where stricter school policies apply.  In the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, ALL incomplete (I) grades must be cleared prior to Fall quarter.
    • A cumulative GPA of 3.1 or higher for Teaching Assistants (TA)
    • Satisfactory academic progress toward the degree objective
  3. 12 Quarter TA Limit
    Graduate students who have not advanced to candidacy for the doctorate may be appointed as a Teaching Assistant for a maximum of 12 quarters including the full period of the current or proposed appointment. Following advancement to candidacy, a doctoral student is allowed to be appointed to an additional 6 quarters for a total maximum of 18 appointment quarters. An allowable quarter is counted for any quarter in which the student is compensated, at any amount/rate or percent time. Eighteen quarters is the maximum any student may be appointed, irrespective of whether the student has chosen to enroll in more than one graduate program at UC Irvine. As per UC policy, a 19th quarter will not be approved.
  4. English Language Proficiency Requirements
    For the most current information and campus-approved tests, please visit: https://grad.uci.edu/funding/teaching-assistantships/.
    All graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate titles. The aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI.
  5. Doc2A Definition & Guidelines
    By definition, a Doc2A student is enrolled more than 9 quarters past their advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.  The Doc2A quarter count begins with the quarter immediately following their advancement to candidacy date.  The university does not receive state funding for students who are in Doc2A status nor are they included in official enrollment counts.  Graduate students in Doc2A status may be appointed to GSR/GSAR titles at the hiring department’s discretion, provided they are making satisfactory academic progress; and to ASE titles at the hiring department’s discretion if they are within the 18-quarter service limit for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates; meet academic qualifications including enrollment and grade/GPA requirements; and meet English language proficiency requirements for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates (for international and U.S. permanent resident students who are not citizens of countries where English is the primary or dominant language).
Associate Instructor

An academically qualified and registered graduate student in full-time residence employed temporarily to teach a lower-division course. A graduate student, upon recommendation from the department head, may be assigned an upper-division course or course section (non-graduate level course only) with the written approval of the Graduate Dean and the UCI Academic Senate’s Subcommittee on Courses. Such approval must be obtained in writing prior to the student beginning their assignment/appointment.

Responsibilities

  • Assist in the instruction of any lower-division course or
  • May be assigned to conduct the entire instruction of a lower-division course

The department chair, program director, or a faculty designee will be responsible for oversight of appointed Associate Instructors. The department chair, program director, or faculty designee is vested with the final responsibility for course content, work assignments, performance evaluations, grading in the assigned course, and resolution of any appointment-related issue.

Academic Qualifications for Associate Instructors

  1. Enrollment Requirement — For new and continuing graduate students:
    • Enrollment in at least 12 units (full time) during the current quarter — ONLY Readers and Tutors can be employed Part-Time (8 units)
    • Combined campus wide employment of no more than 50 percent time (220 hours of assigned workload) or less during any academic quarter.
  2. Grade/GPA Requirement — For continuing graduate students, during each of the three most recent quarters of enrollment:
    • Completion of 8 units or more of upper division or graduate level credit courses.
    • A letter grade of C, S, or above in all courses completed.
    • No more than two incomplete (I) grades except where stricter school policies apply.
    • A cumulative GPA of 3.1 or higher for Associate Instructor
    • Satisfactory academic progress toward the degree objective
  1. 12 Quarter Associate Instructor Limit
    Graduate students who have not advanced to candidacy for the doctorate may be appointed as a Associate Instructor for a maximum of 12 quarters including the full period of the current or proposed appointment. Following advancement to candidacy, a doctoral student is allowed to be appointed to an additional 6 quarters for a total maximum of 18 appointment quarters. An allowable quarter is counted for any quarter in which the student is compensated, at any amount/rate or percent time. Eighteen quarters is the maximum any student may be appointed, irrespective of whether the student has chosen to enroll in more than one graduate program at UC Irvine. As per UC policy, a 19th quarter will not be approved.
  2. English Language Proficiency Requirements
    For the most current information and campus-approved tests, please visit: https://grad.uci.edu/funding/teaching-assistantships/.
    All graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Associate Instructor titles. The aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI.
  3. Doc2A Definition & Guidelines
    By definition, a Doc2A student is enrolled more than 9 quarters past their advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.  The Doc2A quarter count begins with the quarter immediately following their advancement to candidacy date.  The university does not receive state funding for students who are in Doc2A status nor are they included in official enrollment counts.  Graduate students in Doc2A status may be appointed to GSR/GSAR titles at the hiring department’s discretion, provided they are making satisfactory academic progress; and to ASE titles at the hiring department’s discretion if they are within the 18-quarter service limit for Teaching Assistants and Associate Instructors; meet academic qualifications including enrollment and grade/GPA requirements; and meet English language proficiency requirements for Teaching Assistants and Associate Instructors (for international and U.S. permanent resident students who are not citizens of countries where English is the primary or dominant language).

Additional Qualifications — Associate Instructors

In addition to the general qualifications for Associate Instructors, all of the following additional qualifications apply for appointment as a Associate Instructor:

  1. A master’s degree or equivalent training.
  2. At least one year of teaching experience (such as that of a Teaching Assistant) within or outside of the University.

To teach an upper division course, a Associate Instructor must meet the following additional requirements:

  1. Advancement to candidacy for a Ph.D. degree.
  2. Within normative time-to-degree.
  3. In advance of the appointment, written approval from the Graduate Dean and the UCI Academic Senate’s Subcommittee on Courses.
Reader

An academically qualified and registered graduate student (or qualified undergraduate student may be employed when graduate students are not available) employed as a course assistant. A Reader will not be given the responsibilities customarily assigned to Teaching Assistants.

Responsibilities

  • Grading of homework, papers, laboratory reports, or examinations and
  • Holding of office hours to respond to students’ questions about such assignments

Academic Qualifications for Readers

  1. Enrollment Requirement — For new and continuing graduate students:
    • Enrollment in at least 12 units (full time) during the current quarter — ONLY Readers and Tutors can be employed Part-Time (8 units)
    • Combined campus wide employment of no more than 50 percent time (220 hours of assigned workload) or less during any academic quarter.
  2. Grade/GPA Requirement — For continuing graduate students, during each of the three most recent quarters of enrollment:
    • Completion of 8 units or more of upper division or graduate level credit courses.
    • A letter grade of C, S, or above in all courses completed.
    • No more than two incomplete (I) grades except where stricter school policies apply.  In the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, ALL incomplete (I) grades must be cleared prior to Fall quarter.
    • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for Readers
    • Satisfactory academic progress toward the degree objective
    • For Readers only:  Should have taken and received at least a letter grade of B in the course or equivalent for which the student is being recommended for appointment
  3. Doc2A Definition & Guidelines
    By definition, a Doc2A student is enrolled more than 9 quarters past their advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.  The Doc2A quarter count begins with the quarter immediately following their advancement to candidacy date.  The university does not receive state funding for students who are in Doc2A status nor are they included in official enrollment counts.  Graduate students in Doc2A status may be appointed to GSR/GSAR titles at the hiring department’s discretion, provided they are making satisfactory academic progress; and to ASE titles at the hiring department’s discretion if they are within the 18-quarter service limit for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates; meet academic qualifications including enrollment and grade/GPA requirements; and meet English language proficiency requirements for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates (for international and U.S. permanent resident students who are not citizens of countries where English is the primary or dominant language).
Tutor

An academically qualified and registered graduate or undergraduate student who provides tutoring to individual (one-on-one) or small groups of students.

Responsibilities

  • Facilitate independent learning and
  • Assist students in understanding course materials.

Academic Qualifications for Tutors

  1. Enrollment Requirement — For new and continuing graduate students:
    • Enrollment in at least 12 units (full time) during the current quarter — ONLY Readers and Tutors can be employed Part-Time (8 units)
    • Combined campus wide employment of no more than 50 percent time (220 hours of assigned workload) or less during any academic quarter.
  2. Grade/GPA Requirement — For continuing graduate students, during each of the three most recent quarters of enrollment:
    • Completion of 8 units or more of upper division or graduate level credit courses.
    • A letter grade of C, S, or above in all courses completed.
    • No more than two incomplete (I) grades except where stricter school policies apply.  In the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, ALL incomplete (I) grades must be cleared prior to Fall quarter.
    • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for Tutors
    • Satisfactory academic progress toward the degree objective
  3. Doc2A Definition & Guidelines
    By definition, a Doc2A student is enrolled more than 9 quarters past their advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.  The Doc2A quarter count begins with the quarter immediately following their advancement to candidacy date.  The university does not receive state funding for students who are in Doc2A status nor are they included in official enrollment counts.  Graduate students in Doc2A status may be appointed to GSR/GSAR titles at the hiring department’s discretion, provided they are making satisfactory academic progress; and to ASE titles at the hiring department’s discretion if they are within the 18-quarter service limit for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates; meet academic qualifications including enrollment and grade/GPA requirements; and meet English language proficiency requirements for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates (for international and U.S. permanent resident students who are not citizens of countries where English is the primary or dominant language).

Teaching Appointment Periods and Limitations

The maximum academic student employee appointment limitation is 50% time (220 hours of assigned workload) during any academic year quarter. The assigned workload determines the percent of time of the appointment.

If a graduate student has more than one appointment, the combination of all campus-wide appointments (including By Agreement Appointments) may not exceed 50% time during any academic quarter. This workload includes specific required training (with the exception of pedagogy courses for which enrollment of the Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate may be required), time in the classroom, preparation time, grading, proctoring and office hours. Readers and Tutors are compensated on an hourly basis. Assigned workload is measured by how many hours the University could reasonably expect an ASE to satisfactorily complete the work assigned.

NOTE: When hiring a student from another academic unit, it is the hiring unit’s responsibility to coordinate with the student’s home department to determine eligibility for the appointment and to ensure that the student is not precluded from accepting employment because of other support, academic ineligibility, or other employment limitations.

Projected Positions and Salary Scales

Quick Links

Questions?

Service Now GD
Visit: https://grad.uci.edu/

Exceptions to Policies Affecting Appointment Eligibility

Requests for any exceptions to academic and personnel policies affecting a student’s appointment eligibility must be requested in advance by the department chair/head or advisor. The request must be submitted in writing and addressed to the Graduate Dean via the Graduate Student Employment Analyst (120 Aldrich Hall) for consideration/approval. A complete justification and provision of all relevant facts must be included. Always provide the graduate student’s name and student ID number. Prior to being forwarded to the Graduate Student Employment Analyst in the Graduate Division, exception requests must also be recommended (and signed) by the respective school’s Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Please refer to the Exception Request Template and Exception Checklist for exception requests.

Nondiscrimination Policy

Within the limits imposed by law or University regulations, the University shall not discriminate against or harass any Academic Student Employee (ASE) on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, HIV status, status as a covered veteran, age, citizenship, political affiliation and Union activity. Medical condition means any health impairment related to or associated with a diagnosis of cancer, or health impairments related to genetic characteristics.

UCI graduate student employees appointed as graduate student researchers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of California and the Student Workers Union, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) AFL-CIO. The agreement between the Regents and the UAW (AFL-CIO) can be found here.

UCI graduate students registered in full-time status who are interested in employment appointment must meet and maintain all eligibility standards as described in UCI Graduate Division’s Graduate Policies and Procedures.