Title
School of Data Science and Society: Standard on Student Employment
Introduction
Purpose
This standard outlines the compensation structure for undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill working for the School of Data Science and Society (SDSS).
Scope
This standard pertains to all UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate and graduate students serving as graduate teaching assistants (GTA), graduate teaching fellows (GTF), or undergraduate learning assistants (ULA) to facilitate the delivery of DATA courses. It also applies to students collaborating with SDSS faculty as graduate research assistants (GRA) or undergraduate research assistants (URA), regardless of their academic program.
Standard
All students with research or instructional appointments within SDSS will be employed as temporary EHRA student employees. This means they will receive a fixed monthly stipend for the work they complete and will not need to log their hours. The following sections outline the stipend levels and work expectations for various appointment and student types.
Graduate Students
Graduate students may hold an appointment as a teaching assistant or fellow, or as a research assistant. Students serving in instructional roles (GTAs or GTFs) are selected and appointed by the SDSS Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs (SDSS SADAFA). The SDSS Academic Affairs team manages the course assignments for these student employees, with input from the faculty member delivering the course. The SDSS SADAFA holds exclusive authority for hiring and terminating students in instructional appointments. The faculty instructor is responsible for overseeing the GTA/GTF's day-to-day workload and tasks. Students serving as research assistants (GRAs) are selected and appointed by the faculty member acting as the supervisor. The faculty supervisor is responsible for managing the GRA's performance and workload.
Stipend and workload
Academic year appointments assume a 20 hour per week average workload. Faculty members may prorate down the stipend amount for masters students serving as a GRA during the academic year, proportional to the expected hours per week. The stipend level and work expectation for Ph.D. students is fixed at 20 hours per week. Academic year appointments cannot exceed 20 hours of work per week and students may not hold more than one appointment, both within SDSS or another unit.
Graduate students may work as GRAs during the summer months for up to 12 weeks at 40 hours of work per week. The appointing faculty member may prorate the stipend amount according to the estimated hours per week and number of weeks worked. Summer appointments cannot exceed 12 weeks or 40 hours of work per week, but a student may hold multiple appointments to reach that maximum.
| |
Maximum Academic Year Stipend (per semester) |
Maximum Summer Stipend (for 12 weeks) |
| Ph.D. Students |
$12,500 |
$16,667 |
|
Master's Students
|
$10,000
|
$13,333 |
Tuition, fees, graduate student health insurance (GSHIP), and fringe benefits
All instructional appointments as GTAs or GTFs carry full coverage for base in-State tuition, out-of-State tuition remission, mandatory student fees, and GSHIP premiums. Note that SDSS will only cover the non-program specific campus base tuition and mandatory student fees - any program specific differential tuition and fees remain the responsibility of the student. While SDSS aims to provide tuition support to all GTAs and GTFs, that support may be waived for master’s students due to budgetary constraints.
Faculty appointing a Ph.D. student as a GRA during the academic year must provide support for the base in-state tuition, mandatory student fees, GSHIP premium, and other associated fringe benefits. SDSS will cover the out-of-state tuition remission for any Ph.D. students appointed in SDSS. Faculty appointing a Ph.D. student as a GRA during the summer must provide support for the GSHIP premium and other associated fringe benefits.
Faculty appointing a master’s student as a GRA during the academic year must provide support for the associated fringe benefits. The faculty member can decide whether to offer support for the base in-state tuition, program-specific differential tuition, out-of-state tuition remission, mandatory student fees, program-specific student fees, and GSHIP coverage. If support is offered, the student's stipend funding source will be used to cover it. Faculty appointing a master’s student as a GRA during the summer must also provide support for the associated fringe benefits.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students may hold appointments as undergraduate learning assistants or research assistants. Students serving in instructional roles (ULAs) are selected and appointed by the SDSS SADAFA. The SDSS Academic Affairs team manages course assignments for these student employees, with input from the faculty member delivering the course. The SDSS SADAFA holds sole authority for hiring and terminating students in instructional appointments. The faculty instructor is responsible for managing the day-to-day workload and tasks of the ULA. Students serving as undergraduate research assistants (URAs) are selected and appointed by the faculty member acting as the supervisor. The faculty supervisor is responsible for managing the performance and workload of the URA.
Stipend and workload
Academic year appointments assume a workload of 10 hours per week. Faculty members may adjust the stipend amount for URAs, either up or down, based on the expected weekly hours. It is not advisable for work expectations for undergraduate students to exceed 20 hours per week. All ULA appointments will adhere to the standard of 10 hours per week.
Undergraduate students may work for up to 40 hours per week as a URA during the summer months. The faculty member making the appointment should determine the appropriate stipend based on the expected hours worked each week.
| |
Standard Academic Year Stipend (per semester) |
Standard Summer Stipend (per hour) |
| Undergraduate Students |
$2,000 |
$20 |
Tuition, fees, health insurance, and fringe benefits
No undergraduate appointments qualify for support regarding tuition, student fees, or student health insurance. These costs remain the sole responsibility of the student. Faculty appointing a URA must provide support for the associated fringe benefits.
Exceptions
Exceptions to the standard stipend rates and workload expectations for instructional appointments (GTA, GTF, ULA) require approval from the SDSS SADAFA and the Associate Dean for Finance and Operations (SDSS ADFO). Exceptions to the standard stipend rates and workload expectations for research appointments (GRA, URA) must be approved by the SDSS Vice Dean for Research and Strategy along with the SDSS ADFO.
Related Resources
External Regulations and Consequences
Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures
Contact Information
Primary Contact
Name: Joe Daley, Associate Dean for Finance and Operations
Telephone: 919-445-0806
Email: sdss@unc.edu
Other Contacts
Subject: Instructional appointments
Name: Johanna Foster, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
Telephone: 919-445-0806
Email: sdss@unc.edu