H1.1 General Information
Updated: May 18th, 2012
Academic titles. On the Berkeley campus, graduate students are most commonly appointed to the following academic titles: Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), Reader, and Tutor. Acting Instructor-Graduate Student (AI-GS) appointments are much less common and always require the advance approval of Graduate Division and the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI) of the Academic Senate.
The titles GSI, AI-GS, Reader and Tutor are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the University and the United Auto Workers (http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/labor/contracts/BX). GSRs are not covered by this agreement.
All first-time ASEs are required to attend the New ASE Orientation sponsored by the Labor Relations Office and the UAW Local 2165 during the semester of their appointment.
Staff titles. Graduate students may be hired in staff titles in accordance with Staff Personnel regulations. UC career employees who have become graduate students may maintain their career positions at up to 100 percent time. However, once an employee accepts a student academic appointment or fellowship, he or she becomes subject to UCB’s restrictions governing appointments and fellowships.
UC career employees who become graduate students may also be eligible for the Reduced Fee Enrollment Program. All questions regarding this program should be directed to Employee Relations and not to Graduate Division.
Course-Work-Only status. Students admitted to the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) on Course-Work-Only (CWO) status (usually through the Education Abroad Program) may not be appointed as GSIs or GSRs. Some rare exceptions are considered by Graduate Division but must be approved prior to making the appointment offer. However, these students may be appointed as Readers and Tutors.
Academic appointments after completion of degree. Registered and enrolled students who are degree recipients may hold a GSI, AI-GS or GSR appointment through the end of the last month of the semester in which they receive their terminal degree. Thus, recipients of a spring terminal degree may work through May 31, and recipients of a fall terminal degree may work through December 31. If qualified, individuals who have graduated may be appointed as a Reader or Tutor because those titles do not require registration and enrollment as a graduate student*.
Fellowships. The stipend from a fellowship cannot be used as a substitute for salary for an academic appointment.
Volunteers. Students may not hold any graduate student academic title as volunteers. Academic appointees must be appropriately compensated through the Berkeley payroll system for their time and effort.
* A student on filing fee status may not hold a graduate student academic appointment for which registration is required or be hired as a lecturer.
See All Topics in the Category: Guide to Graduate Policy, H. Academic Appointments
