New Appointment Categories

Implementation of New Graduate Appointee Categories Effective Spring 2012

Beginning with Spring Semester 2012, the graduate appointee category Non-Teaching (Service) will no longer exist. At that time, all graduate appointees will be assigned to one of the following three categories:
Teaching
Research Discovery
Research Application

The Teaching category will be unaffected by this change and the classification of positions as Teaching will continue to follow the definition provided in the Agreement with the Teaching Assistants Union.

Beginning Spring 2012, students whose position is not classified as Teaching (i.e., those who would now be classified as Research or Non-Teaching) will be assigned to one of the two new categories as follows based on the source of their funding:

• All GAs who are not teaching and whose position is funded under funds 25-30 will be in the category Research Discovery.
• All other GAs who are not teaching will be in the category Research Application.

The two new appointment categories will be on the PeopleSoft system effective with Spring 2012.

Revised Appointment Letters for Current Non-Teaching (Service) Assistants

Appointment letter templates have been modified by the Graduate College for Spring appointments. Departments will be advised that letter templates have been revised to include the two new categories, and these templates will need to be used for any new letters of appointment.

For appointment letters that have already been issued for a term beyond Fall 2011 and specify the appointment as Non-Teaching, departments are asked to issue an addendum letter to appointees that says:

This is to advise you that your graduate appointment category for [Spring 2012, Summer I 2012, Summer II 2012] is being changed from Non-Teaching (Service) to [Research Discovery or Research Application]. All other aspects of this appointment remain the same [unless some change in duties is being made].

[FOR STUDENTS WHOSE APPOINTMENT WILL BE RESEARCH DISCOVERY, THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH MUST ALSO BE ADDED:]
As a Research Discovery assistant, you need to be aware that working on any research project subjects you to special requirements, including the University’s research misconduct policy and export control re­quirements. Please refer to the Office of the Vice President for Research website on compliance at http://www.wmich.edu/research/compliance.html.

Copies of all addendum letters will need to be forwarded to the Graduate College before PeopleSoft appointment forms can be approved.

The Graduate College
Modified 10/17/2011