I would like to hire a student; what do I do?
Hiring an undergraduate student:
The Principal Investigator will need to complete and submit an ISBER Student Employment Request Form at least 3-4 weeks prior to the desired start date. UCSB Undergraduate students will be hired in the Student Assistant I (Title Code 4922).
Hiring a graduate student:
The Principal Investigator will need to complete and submit an ISBER Student Employment Request Form at least 6-8 weeks prior to the desired start date for GSR appointments, and 3-4 weeks for Student Assistant (non-GSR) appointments.
Note: A person is prohibited from working without some type of appointment (including without salary employees); this is mainly to ensure Workers' Compensation coverage. In addition, any persons not currently employed on campus will need to complete the hiring process before their first day of employment. Please have prospective student employees contact ISBER Student Personnel to discuss the hiring process and timeline. The new employee will be required to provide specific, original forms of identification. If the employee is not a US citizen, they will also need to provide their visa documents and proof of employment eligibility.
I would like to hire an undergraduate student; what title should I use?
The Student Assistant I title is used for this type of employment. The minimum hourly rate is $15.50/hour and can go as high as $40/hour, depending on the relative degree of difficulty inherent in the manual, clerical, advising, public contact, and/or research related duties performed.
When hiring a graduate student in the Student Assistant series, please note the student is employed in a non-academic appointment and the work performed is frequently clerical or manual, but can support academic research projects.
I would like to hire an undergraduate student; how much should I pay them?
In the Student Assistant I (Title Code 4922), you may hire an undergraduate with an hourly rate at or above the California minimum wage, which is currently $15.50/hour.
This series has one level, with a large span of pay, depending on the relative degree of difficulty in the manual labor, clerical, advising, public contact, and/or research related duties performed:
Student Assistant I (Title Code 4922): $15.50 - $40.00/hr
Please contact ISBER Student Personnel for specifics.
I would like to hire an undergraduate student; how many hours can they work?
Most undergrads are hired at 50% time or less. However, an undergraduate may work up to, but not exceed, 40 hours during any Sunday thru Saturday period, without paying them overtime at a premium rate. Note that this includes all employment on campus, so their combined hours will need to be monitored.
Please contact ISBER Student Personnel for any employment greater than 50% in order to verify eligibility for holiday pay, vacation and/or sick leave accrual.
I would like to hire a graduate student; what title should I use?
Whether you choose the Student Assistant title (see FAQ on hiring an undergrad above) or the Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) title depends on the type of work the grad student will be performing.
According to Academic Personnel and the Graduate Division (see links below), a GSR (Title Code 3284) is a registered UC graduate student who performs research related to the student's degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or Principal Investigator. The student functions as an active collaborator and/or fundamental contributor to the intellectual content of the research. The appointee to this title must hold a BA/BS degree, must be a full-time registered graduate student, and must have a grade point average of 3.0 or above.
It is the policy of the University to pay fees (GSFR) and health insurance (UC-SHIP) for GSRs as a condition of their employment. General Information can be found at the Graduate Division website and in the Academic Personnel Policies and Procedures-Red Binder.
Prior to hiring a graduate student (regardless of the title), we must verify the student's eligibility for the appointment with their home department. PIs are required to fill out and submit the ISBER Student Employment Request Form. Please work with ISBER Student Personnel to coordinate this process with the home department.
What is the maximum a graduate student may work?
During the academic quarter, graduate students may work a maximum of 50% combined employment. With the approval of their home department, they may be able to work a maximum of 75%. This approval is granted on a quarterly basis and must be granted before the student begins employment. Please work with ISBER Student Personnel on getting this approval.
For employment during the inter-quarter and summer periods please see Academic Personnel's Maximum Employment Chart .
Note: Most non-citizen students are ineligible to work greater than 50% during the academic quarter.
I would like to hire a Graduate Student Researcher; how much should I pay them
According to the GSR Bargaining Agreement, GSRs shall be placed at a salary point/level based on their experience in quarters as a GSR. A PI can choose to hire a GSR at a level higher than their experience level at the PI's discretion. In an effort to ensure all prospective GSR employees meet the minimum salary placement, ISBER Student Personnel will run a Graduate Student Employment Experience Report, and notify you if the minimum level is higher than what you proposed.
Also, GSR experience does not transfer between UC campuses. GSR experience levels are based off of GSR experience at the same campus.
GSR salary scales can be found at the UCSB Academic Personnel website - Graduate Student Researcher.
Once a student has graduated, can I still employ them?
It may be possible to hire them for a limited period of time in a Limited Staff title. Titles such as Lab Assistant & Staff Research Associate are restricted to specific hourly rates, require a formal job description, and are represented by union contracts.
Staff Research Associate Series Concepts
Please contact ISBER Student Personnel about this special circumstance.
When do I get paid?
Our campus has two pay cycles, Biweekly and Monthly
Biweekly pay schedule (Biweekly Pay Schedule):
If you're a Non-Exempt/hourly Staff employee, an undergraduate Student Assistant or graduate student employed in an hourly Student Assistant appointment title ONLY, you're paid on the Biweekly pay cycle .
Monthly pay schedule (Monthly Pay Schedule):
If you're an Exempt Staff employee, Academic employee, or graduate student employed in an academic student appointment title (GSR or TA), you will be paid on the first of each month. If the first falls on a weekend, you will be paid on the preceding Friday (except for December, which is always paid out on the first working day in January).
Graduate student employees who are concurrently employed in a student academic appointment title (GSR or TA) and an hourly Student Assistant appointment title are typically paid on the monthly pay cycle.
Please check with ISBER Student Personnel to confirm when you will be paid.