Graduate Assistantships

Hiring Unit Resources

Watch this video first for a quick overview of the GA hiring process. 

• Make sure you know the eligibility requirements. You can find out more in the eligibility section of the GA Handbook. 
• Ensure funding is available for the position. Particularly with grant funded positions, a GA can not be hired if the account number for the position is not in place. Consult with your grant accountant for more information.  
• Ensure compliance with University policies. All open GA positions must be posted on the GA Job Postings website. If applicable to the appointment, the position must be approved through the Strategic Position Alignment process before the position is offered verbally or in writing. 
• Consider the contract length. GA contracts must be at least 12 weeks in the fall or spring term and 8 weeks in the summer term in order to be approved by the Graduate School.  

The Hiring Process 

1. A graduate student is offered a GA position either verbally or in writing by the hiring unit. The parameters are clearly explained including the stipend, start and end dates, job duties, and work schedule.  
2. An SIUE employee submits a Graduate Assistant Contract for the student on behalf of the hiring unit. Submit the contract as early as possible to allow sufficient time for contract approvals. The contract cannot be processed until all approvals and required documents are submitted. I9 completion should be considered before a start date is determined since I9 completion must be done in person. If an I9 is required, the hiring unit will receive more details about the I9 process when the contract is reviewed by the Graduate School. 
3. The Graduate School reviews the contract and checks the student's eligibility. The contract is checked for conformity to Graduate School regulations and then it is approved. If there is a problem with the contract or the student, the form will be sent back to the submitter with more information.  
4. The form goes through all of the required routing. The form submitter indicates who needs to approve the form as part of the submission process but the Graduate School also includes approvers depending on the type of contract. Those that are included in the routing by the Graduate School are: Post Award (grant accounts only), the student, the department chair (new TA's only).   
5. The contract is processed by the Graduate School. This means that the student's payroll record is applied and their tuition waiver information is sent to Financial Aid. This could be delayed due to payroll processing holds. See the semi-monthly payroll schedule for more info.  

Determining Contract Effective and End Dates

The effective date and end date that the hiring unit enters in the GA contract are determined by the hiring unit. Students should start and stop working on these dates unless the hiring unit is contacted by the Graduate School because of a contract or eligibility issue.

Effective Date: This is the first day the student will be paid and the date they should physically start working.

Consider the below when determining the effective date:

• If the student is a new GA, can they complete their I9 on or before this date?
• Will the student be on campus to start working on this date?
• Is this start date early enough to ensure the student will work enough weeks of the term to earn a tuition waiver?

End Date: This is the last day the student will be paid and the last date they should physically work. 

Consider the below when determining the end date:

• Is the student graduating during the term they are working? If they are graduating, they should be terminated no later than the last day of the term.
• Is the end date during a time period when the University is closed? The hiring unit may want to end the contract prior to a University closure to ensure stipend payment aligns with actual work days.

I9 Top Tips 

• 🖋️ Signatures: Make sure the employee signs and dates the bottom of section 1 and the department representative signs and dates the bottom of section 2 of the I-9 form. 
• 📅 Completion Date: Ensure the I-9 is completed on or before the student's first day of employment (Kuali Build contract effective date). 
• 📄 Document Entry: Enter acceptable List A document or acceptable List B and List C documents on section 2 of the form. 
• 🌍 International Students: If the student is an international student, list their foreign passport/Visa, I-94, and I-20 in List A. 
• 🗓️ First Day of Employment: Include the student's first day of employment (GA contract effective date) in the "First Day of Employment" field. 
• ✅ Approval: Be sure to click approve on the Kuali Build I-9 approval step once the I-9 has been uploaded to the Graduate School's secure file drop site (link included in Kuali Build form). 

A link to the current I9 form is available on the GA Hiring Unit Forms page. You can also access it on the USCIS Web site.  More information about the I9 submission process is sent to the submitter of a GA contract when the Graduate School determines an I9 is required. 

Kuali Build GA Contract Info 

All graduate assistant hiring, position changes, and terminations are processed using the Graduate Assistant Contract in Kuali Build. All University employees and students have access to Kuali Build using their eID and password. If you are experiencing an error with Kuali Build, email kualihelp@siue.edu. 

You can find more forms for graduate assistants on the Graduate School forms page in the Graduate Students/Assistants and GA Hiring Units sections.  Click here for a Kuali Build FAQ. 

Graduate Assistant Stipends 

The table provided here lists the minimum stipends as of Spring 24. Consult the budget advisor in your unit before submitting a GA contract form in case your unit has a higher minimum amount. The Graduate School will return GA contracts that do not pay at least the minimum semi-monthly stipend amount. 

Hiring Units on Grant Funded Graduate Assistant Positions: It is always recommended to budget for more than the minimum stipend on grant funded graduate assistant positions to accommodate for potential stipend fluctuations.

Training

 You can also reach out to the Graduate School with questions at any time. 

Graduate School Contact Info