General Information for GSIs and GSSAs

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION FOR

GRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUCTORS (GSI)

AND GRADUATE STUDENT STAFF ASSISTANTS (GSSA)

The terms and conditions of your employment as a Graduate Student Instructor or Graduate Student Staff Assistant are governed by a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees’ Organization (the “UM|GEO Agreement”). Please familiarize yourself with its provisions. You must at all times be a student in good standing in a University of Michigan graduate degree program to retain your employment. 

Please visit the following website to read the GEO contract: http://hr.umich.edu/acadhr/contracts/index.html   

Please see the GSI/GSSA Onboarding Checklist for action items you may need to complete if hired in as a GSI/GSSA.

The salary and appointment fraction listed above are set by the UM|GEO collective bargaining agreement, Article X. For questions about your employment fraction, including the employment fraction’s estimated work hours, please contact your faculty supervisor, or your hiring Unit, at the contact information noted below. The 2024-2025 full-time equivalent per-term salary rate for Ann Arbor and Dearborn is $25,980. Normally, GSAs are set at 50% effort in the fall and/or winter (50% = 20 hours of work per week).  Thus, someone with a 50% appointment will receive $12,990 of salary per term before taxes are withheld.  View a PDF of GSI/GSSA Rates. This salary is paid out monthly at the end of each month you are employed.  If you are not an international student, you can have additional jobs and work more hours. However, typically you should not be appointed for more than 30 hours per week (i.e., 75%) while you are enrolled full-time in the fall and winter terms without permission from your advisor.  In the spring and/or summer term(s), you can be employed 40 hours per week (100%) even if you are enrolled in courses.   

The School of Information retains the right to change the type of employment given, including to a different course or responsibility (with an equivalent appointment fraction). In addition, the School of Information may reduce or give no employment at all, in accordance with Article IX of the UM|GEO Agreement. It is possible that increases in course enrollments or other factors could enable us to offer a larger appointment fraction. In that circumstance, you will be offered a new appointment, which you may accept or decline.

In addition, the appointment described in this contingent offer is conditional and contingent upon the following: 

1. 1. During the entire term of the appointment, you must remain in good standing as a student in a graduate degree program;

1. 2. ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT: As a GSA employee, you must be registered for no less than 6 credit hours in the fall (Term I) and winter (Term II) terms or, with the written approval of your advisor, not less than five (5) credit hours consisting of not less than two (2) courses relevant to your degree program as per Article VIII of the UM|GEO Agreement. If you drop below the required level, your appointment will be revoked, and then you will be fully responsible for (1) repaying any unearned stipend, (2) full payment of tuition and fees, and (3) health insurance fees. Please consult with your advisor in OASA before making any enrollment changes that may impact your GSA eligibility. Registration is not required as a condition of employment during spring, spring/summer (Term III), and summer terms as per Article VIII of the UM|GEO Agreement.    

1. 3. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: If you are not a U.S. citizen, this contingent offer is further contingent upon your being eligible for employment in the United States at the time of your start date.  In addition, your continued employment with the University is contingent on your maintaining a valid immigration status.  Although our International Center can provide advice and some assistance, you will nonetheless be responsible for your own immigration paperwork and the timely initiation of the process.

Additionally, the University recognizes that many international graduate students’ visas (e.g, F-1 & J-1 Visas), prohibit them from working more than 20 hours per week. The  University and its appointment units are committed to working with and supporting graduate students in these circumstances to meet these requirements. Please contact the International Center at (734) 764-9310 for more information about resources for international students. 

1. 4. This contingent offer of appointment is not a written job offer under Article IX of the UM|GEO collective bargaining agreement. Once you have been notified that the contingencies have been removed (e.g., the background screening has been completed or is not required), this offer then may be considered a firm offer under Article IX. 

This offer is contingent upon a successful completion of a background check, through the University’s vendor, HireRight. To confirm the successful completion of your background check, please contact UMSI HR at umsi.human.resources@umich.edu.

1. 5. HEALTH INSURANCE & UNIVERSITY BENEFITS: Under the terms of the 2023-2026 UM|GEO Agreement, the appointment described in this contingent offer (once the conditions and contingencies have been removed) would make you eligible to participate in the University Benefits Program. Please visit the Benefits website for more information.

GSIs/GSSAs with an employment fraction of 25% or more are eligible to receive Grad Care, administered by BCN/MPremier Care. All available elections will be available for viewing and selection through eBenefits on Wolverine Access. Elections to benefits are available the day after appointment information is entered into the HRMS M-Pathways system. If you enroll, benefits will be retroactively effective the first day of your appointment after insurance is processed by the UM Benefits Office and Grad Care. You have 30 days from the beginning of your appointment to enroll. Please review this enrollment guide for more information on timing.  If you do not want health benefits, you must go into the Wolverine Access system and WAIVE the health insurance. Please review the Benefits website and read about Grad Care and the other benefits available to you. The Shared Services Center can assist with questions about Grad Care and other benefits. 

1. 6. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: For new F-1 international students who arrive in August, you will be required to pay for August health insurance yourself, as explained at the mandatory check-in. In September, you may see a charge from the International Center for the cost of health insurance hit your student account again but don’t pay the fee for September. If you signed up for eBenefits, this will be credited automatically shortly after you enroll in the University benefits. 

1. 7. SEVIS/MRV FEE: If you have paid a Student Exchange Visitor Information System (“SEVIS”) fee and/or a Machine Readable Immigration Visa fee (Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fee, "MRV"), please consult Article X of the UM/GEO Agreement, as you may be entitled to have that fee reimbursed. If eligible, please submit the SEVIS/MRV Fee Reimbursement Form along with your SEVIS Fee receipt and MRV Fee receipt to umsi.human.resources@umich.edu. 

1. 8. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: The University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please consult the provisions of Article XXII of the UM/GEO Agreement, as applicable, which contains Policies and Procedures for GSIs and GSSAs with disabilities. Rackham Graduate School is the Designated Central Office identified in Article XXII. You may contact the Rackham Central Office representative, Darlene Ray-Johnson, via e-mail at mallomar@umich.edu or by phone at (734) 764-4400. The Administrative Designee, also identified in Article XXII, for the School of Information is Amy Eaton (PhD Students) or Judan Flanagan (Master’s Students), and they may be contacted via email at aeaton@umich.edu, 734-764-6628 (Amy) or jmkeelin@umich.edu, 734-936-6938 (Judan).

1. 9. CHILD CARE: If you believe you may have the need for financial assistance for child care, you are encouraged to apply for a child care subsidy, as described more fully in Article XII of the UM/GEO Agreement and on the Office of Financial Aid website. 

1. 10. LIBRARY PRIVILEGES: The appointment described in this contingent offer carries regular library privileges. 

1. 11. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE OF FELONY CHARGES: Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38, and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU X of your employment contract.

1. 12. REQUIRED POLICY TRAINING:  As a condition of your employment, you are required to participate in an online module for faculty and staff that provides information about maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and equitable working and learning environment free from sexual harassment and misconduct. The module is titled "Creating a Culture of Respect: Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Awareness. “Cultivating a Culture of Respect: Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Awareness” is mandatory for all U-M employees and should take about 15 minutes to complete. New hires must complete the training within 60 days of their hire date.  More information will be provided upon completion of your hire. Returning  GSIs and GSSAs who have already completed the training will not be required to repeat it. You must complete this module. If you have any issues or concerns with completing this training, please contact umsi.human.resources@umich.edu. 

1. 13. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE: Employees who desire it may request English language assistance. For more information, please contact umsi.human.resources@umich.edu. 

1. 14.  VACATION AND SICK LEAVE: GSA appointments do not provide for paid vacation. GSAs are eligible for medical leave for up to six (6) weeks in a consecutive twelve (12) month period, beginning on the first day of the initial appointment period when unable to meet appointment obligations because of personal illness or injury. Please see Article 13 of the UM|GEO Agreement. 

1. 15. PROHIBITIONS REGARDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND LEARNERS: Please review this SPG 601.22, Prohibitions Regarding Sexual, Romantic, Amorous, and/or Dating Relationships Between Teachers and Learners to understand the expectations.  If you have questions or to report an issue, contact umsi.human.resources@umich.edu 

1. 16. COURSE ENROLLMENT: Instructional support is made contingent upon the School of Information having sufficient enrollment in the course offerings associated with your appointment. In the event that enrollment is impacted and there is a course cancellation, you will be informed as soon as feasible and your appointment will be reduced or canceled, as applicable. School of Information will follow the language of the collective bargaining agreement between the University and GEO pertaining to changes in type of employment or withdrawal of employment, in accord with Article IX.

Class Size Policy at the School of Information:

1. Classes with lecture and lab or group session components typically have a lecture size of 50 or more and lab or group sections of 25 each. 

2. The maximum ratio of students to GSIs is 25 students to 1 GSI.

QUESTIONS? - Contact umsi.human.resources@umich.edu