Summer School Procedures Manual Chapter 09: Teaching and Graduate Assistants

Only current graduate or undergraduate students can be nominated as an instructor or in any other instructional support position, such as a grader. Units may not appoint anyone else into these positions. If a graduate student will graduate in May, they must be appointed as a visiting faculty member, following the appropriate procedures and conforming to the academic credentials required in a particular college or school.

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Summer School Procedures Manual Chapter 09: Teaching and Graduate Assistants

9. Teaching and Graduate Assistants

Only current UNC-Chapel Hill graduate or undergraduate students can be nominated as an instructor or in any other instructional support position, such as a grader. Units may not appoint non-students into these positions. Undergraduates who graduate in May are not eligible for any appointment.

A. Guidelines and Teaching Load

1. Summer School Administrators should collaborate with their department's director of graduate studies to determine a graduate student's qualifications to be the instructor of record with full responsibilities for teaching in accordance with the Policy on Qualifications of Course Instructors. Consideration should take into account whether the student has been a graduate assistant to a faculty member who teaches the course, has other teaching assignments, has had a pedagogy class at the graduate level, or has other relevant experience.
2. Graduate students and student assistants are not required by Summer School to be registered in either summer session.  If a student was not enrolled in the spring semester before summer teaching, they would require readmission to be eligible for any duties in the summer. Graduate students must also be academically eligible. Units should verify status by the end of spring semester. A teaching assistant (TA-coded as 21) can normally teach one course per summer, including first, second, and special sessions. Teaching one typical three credit hour course is expected to take 15-20 hours per week time (7.5 hours in class, plus preparation, grading, and meeting with students during office hours, etc.). In case of a special staffing need, a teaching assistant may teach an additional course. 
3. Under certain circumstances, students working in summer may qualify for exemption of FICA taxation. For graduate students, this means they are enrolled for two or more credit hours in the summer session of their assignment. For undergraduate assistants, this means they are enrolled for two or more credit hours in the summer session of their assignment. School and departmental employment policies may vary.
4. A graduate student who completes a terminal degree before the summer session in which a teaching appointment is held must be nominated as a visiting faculty member, following the appropriate procedures and conforming to the academic credentials required in a particular college or school. If the Teaching Assistant (TA) is first nominated at the 21 rank, the unit must indicate CONTINGENT on the nomination form. A new nomination should be submitted when the student is cleared for graduation. The unit must submit appointment forms for approval by the appropriate dean's/provost's office before payroll actions can be approved. The same forms are required under these circumstances as for any other visiting appointment.
5. An international graduate student who completes a terminal degree in May cannot be appointed to teach in First Session because of time constraints in securing work visas. International students graduating in August can be appointed. For those appointed for Second Session, work visas should be secured no later than seven (7) days prior to the first day of classes or the individual cannot teach.  You can review work authorization and end dates for international students in LawLogix.
6. A graduate student who is assisting (coded as 21P) may be appointed when there are large classes (typically greater than 40 students in lecture courses) or when there is a specialized need for such services (documented by the normal use of an assistant in the same course during the fall or spring terms or by course structure). This need must involve instruction. Additional assistants may be assigned to assist a faculty member, or when necessary, to assist a more senior TA but typically only if that senior TA has taught the course (been the instructor of record) in a previous term. A TA can be assigned to an online course, typically when enrollment is greater than 30.
7. A graduate student does not normally teach other graduate students from the same department. Exceptions to this policy are considered on a case-by-case basis by submitting the proper form to the Graduate School. (See the Graduate School Handbook for this form.) It may be necessary for a full-time faculty member to be designated as the instructor of record for the course and serve as the graduate student's teaching supervisor.
8. In special circumstances, graduate students can be assigned to a Maymester course. Some considerations would be if the unit determines that the graduate student has appropriate teaching experience with excellent evaluations and knowledge of the material and if the course is one that the unit wants taught. Preference should be given to Ph.D. candidates and to graduate students who have taught in Summer School. 

B. Calculating the Stipend

1. The salary for graduate students with full instructional responsibilities, (rank code 21) including presentation and final grading, is $6,900 for a three-credit hour course and $9,200 for a four-credit-hour course.
2. Assistants responsible for laboratory sections and for partial assignments such as grading are paid at a rate determined on an individual basis by each unit's administrator in consultation with Summer School. Assistants without full instructional responsibilities (rank code 21P or 26) should be paid:
   1. less than teaching assistants,
   2. pro-rated compared to a full TA, based on their workload, degree status, in line with stipends in prior years, and level of skill and competency necessary to accomplish the work assigned.
3. Graduate students teaching in the Summer Bridge program receive a total stipend equivalent to a four-credit hour assignment.

C. Completing the Nomination Form

1. Refer to Summer School Procedures Manual Chapter 08, item D, for information on completing the Instructor Nomination Form. Information must be accurate, complete, and typed. The dates the nomination forms are due in Summer School are listed in the Summer School Procedures Manual Chapter 04 (Planning Calendar).
2. Indicate the proper rank code for graduate students. A graduate student with full responsibility for a course uses the rank code of 21. A graduate student assisting in a course uses the rank code of 21p. (The rank of 21p is not a payroll code, but an in-house code used by Summer School to distinguish graduate students with full responsibility for a course from graduate students who are assisting in a course.)
3. Contract letters must be signed and returned at least two weeks before the first day of the summer term.
4. When a teaching assignment is changed, Summer School must be notified in writing, including whenever instructors are shifted among lab sections. Use an Instructor Change Form to show additions, deletions, or changes; do not copy and overwrite a previously submitted form. Such notification is required in order to maintain accurate records of employment for payroll purposes. We cannot accept changes by phone or fax.  Additionally, units must notify their HR reps of any changes in personnel or pay.  Please see Chapter 13:  Forms for examples of change forms.
5. The nomination for a graduate student who is expected to graduate in May should have a contingent designation on the nomination form. A new form should be submitted well in advance of the summer session to change the status.

D. Graduate Assistant Stipends

1. Students, regardless of instructional assignment, are paid once at the end of the session by direct deposit. Payment will be made to the individual teaching. No payments will be made to a second or third party. Payment will be made during the session that the instructor teaches as long as a signed contract letter is on file in Summer School.

2. HR Representatives/Student Originators prepare all payroll actions by logging into ConnectCarolina using their Onyen and password. UNC-Chapel Hill graduate students will need multiple actions processed in ConnectCarolina for teaching in Summer School: Add/Update Position, an appointment to a Summer School position, and a lump sum payment. The Add/Update position may be processed at any time in prep for the appointment, or an existing vacant position may be used. The appointment to a Summer School position may be processed any time in the spring after nomination forms are complete. (Note that in the rare case that a student is working or teaching in both sessions, only one appointment action is necessary. Use the first session beginning date and the second session end date.) The lump sum payment action may be initiated beginning on the first day of the appointment: 5/6/26 for First Session and Maymester; 6/15/26 for Second Session. These lump sum payment actions will need prompt attention as all approvals will need to be completed by the midpoint of the session. Processing could take more than three weeks from the date of submission. Payroll actions not completed in First Session cannot be carried to Second Session because it operates in the next fiscal year. Remember: if the student has another EHRA student job for Fall/Spring that does not include summer compensation, place that job on Short Work Break (SWB) until Fall semester to keep in an active HR status (this will be separate from the Summer School job).

   1. Review the 'POSITIONS: Vacant SHRA Temps & All Stdnts' report on the HR/Payroll Reporting Dashboard to find existing EHRA student positions that are vacant. Remember that when entering the Job ePAR for the appointment hire, you can make some updates, like FTE and reports to, for a vacant position when entering the Job ePAR.
   2. To create a new position or update an existing position, from the HR Workcenter, select the Position ePAR in the ePARs folder.
   3. Select 'Add a New Position' to create a new position as Summer School EHRA Students/Teaching Fellow. If a Summer School EHRA Students/Teaching Fellow position already exists in your department, you can use the Copy Position feature to minimize data entry to create new position(s). For EHRA student positions and appointments, there can be more than 1 student in a position if the Department, Job Code, FTE, and Reports To are all the same, but the total headcount of the position must be increased to reflect the total number of students in the position. [Note: If there is already a vacant Summer School EHRA Students/Teaching Fellow position to use, then choose 'Change an Existing Position' to make any needed updates to the description or other data, such as Reports To information or to increase headcount.]
   4. Effective Date: Using an effective date of April 1 or earlier will ensure the position is available for any needed updates prior to initiating a hire using the Job ePAR.
   5. Using 'Add a New Position,' click Next.

   Position Data

   • Department: Enter the Academic Department number that will offer Summer School courses.
   • Location: A location will default in based on the department number entered.
   • Job Family: Select EHRA.
   • Job Function: Select EHRA Students/Teaching Fellow.
   • Job Code: Select '800185 Summer School Teaching Assistant' for graduate students serving in an academic capacity. Select '800186 Summer Instructional Assistant' for undergraduates serving in a support capacity. This could include, but is not limited to, undergraduate lab assistants, library assistants, or Writing and Learning Center assistants. If you have questions about which code to select, please contact Summer School.
   • Employee Group: Select EHRA Student/Teaching Fellow.
   • Regular/Temporary: Temporary will default in, do not update.
   • Standard Hours: 20 will default in but will self-adjust when you update the FTE – see information and table below
   • FTE: Enter FTE amount. Select the appropriate FTE according to credit hours taught from the table below.
   • Max Head Count: 1 is the default; you can increase to more than 1 if the Department, Job Code, FTE, and Reports To are all the same.
   • Reports To (Position): Enter the Position number for the manager/supervisor.
   • TIM Approver same as Reports To: Optional field.
   • TIM Approver Position Number: This field is optional and may be left blank for EHRA Students or you can enter the Position number for TIM Approver if different than the Reports To (note: this position will not be active in TIM).
   • Select Next

   Credit Hours Taught Table

   Credit Hours Taught	Hours/Week Effort Equiv	Corresponding FTE	% of FT
   1	3	0.075	7.5%
   2	6	0.150	15%
   3	9	0.225	22.5%
   4	12	0.300	30%
   5	15	0.375	37.5%
   6	18	0.450	45%
   7	21	0.525	52.5%
   8	24	0.600	60%
   9	27	0.675	67.5%

   Position Summary Page

   • Position Summary/Primary Purpose of Position: optional field
   • Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit: optional field; if one is in the system, it will auto-populate
   • Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: optional field
   • Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience (EHRA Only): optional field.
   • Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, & Experience (EHRA)/Management Preferences: optional field.
   • Special Physical/Mental Requirements: optional field.
   • Select Next

   UNC-Chapel Hill Position Attributes

   • Supervisory Duties: Mark the checkbox to designate if the position will have supervisory responsibilities.
   • Position Budget Amount: optional field, defaults as $0.
   • Position Location: if on campus, North Carolina.
   • Position Country: United States will default in.
   • Position State: North Carolina will default in.
   • Immunization Review Required: Mark the checkbox to designate positions that have employees entering facilities where patient care is provided, whether in a patient care area or in an administration wing. This box will flag the position for the Immunization Review program per UNC-Chapel Hill Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) requirements.
   • Bloodborne Pathogen: Mark the checkbox to designate positions with potential exposures to blood or bodily fluids. This box will flag the position for EHS bloodborne pathogen training and surveillance.
   • Subject to HIPAA: Use the indicator if the position is subject to HIPAA.
   • Severe Weather Essential: Use the indicator if the position is considered Severe Weather Essential.
   • Area Health Education Centers: Use the indicator for AHEC designations when applicable.
   • Communicable Disease Mandatory: Select appropriate designation for the position, if applicable.
   • Position Action Reason: Reason Code: New Position [This is the default if you are creating a new position. Use other Reasons only if you are updating an existing position.]
   • Comments: Enter comments that might be helpful for the approvers. Once the ePAR is approved, then you will use the position number created/updated on the Job ePAR.
   • Click Submit.

3. Once the Position ePAR is approved, then you will use the position number created/updated on the Job ePAR. From the HR Workcenter, select Job ePAR within the ePARs folder.

   Job Actions: Search & Select

   • Form Type: Select Hire/Add Job [Use hire, not transfer].
   • Empl ID: Enter employee ID or EMPL ID (a.k.a. PID number) and then use 'Enter' or 'Tab' to continue.
   • Effective Date: One week prior to the date of the Summer School session: 5/6/26 for Maymester and First Session; 6/15/26 for Second Session. Once a date is selected use 'Enter' or 'Tab.'
   • The form will then expand to display the following: Employee Information with links to additional information, and sections for Active Records, Inactive Records, and Future Jobs.
   • Position: Enter the number of the newly created or updated position, and use 'Enter' or 'Tab.'
   • Action & Action Reasons: HIR as the action defaults based on the original selection of hire. Select the corresponding Reason Code and select Next.

   Job Actions: Job Information

   Hire, Transfer, or Job Change section:

   • Review the FTE, Reports To, and other information that defaulted from the position. If you need to make any updates, then scroll up to Action & Action Reasons, and select add a POS and select appropriate Reason Code. Once you do this, use 'Enter' or 'Tab,' then position fields are now editable. Remember that you are limited to one Position Change Action Reason per ePAR.
   • Expected Job End Date: This should be the fourth day after the last day of exams: 6/24/26 for Maymester and First Session; 8/1/26 for second session. This allows for all grades to be entered before the position end date.
   • Pay Through Date: this date will auto-populate as one day less than the Expected Job End Date.
   • Expected Work Break Date: leave blank.
   • I certify no posting or waiver was required for this action: check this box for a current UNC-Chapel Hill employee who is approved to instruct Summer School in addition to their primary job.
   • Vacancy ID (if Posting/Waiver box not checked above): Enter vacancy ID number, if applicable.
   • Transferring from another university or state agency?: Leave blank.
   • Background Check Required?: Select 'No, or Policy Exception' if a Background Check was not required. Select Yes and use the Background Check eForm lookup if a Background Check was required.
   • Non-Compensation Job: Always make this selection because compensation for Summer School instruction is paid by a separate Lump Sum Payment.

   UNC Job Information section:

   • UNC Working Title: The title of the Position's Job Code will default in and can be updated if needed. If it is not 'Summer School Teaching Assistant' or 'Summer Instructional Assistant', you will need to select 'Previous' at the bottom of the page to update the position number to the correct Summer School student position or 'Return to Search' to cancel this hire action.
   • Funding Contingency: Leave blank.
   • File Attachments: Do not add any attachments. A BGC form will be visible if you selected a BGC eForm from the earlier step.
   • Click the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page.

   Job Actions: Compensation

   • Compensation defaults to $0 based on the selection of 'Non-Compensated Job' from the Hire, Transfer, or Job Change section of the ePAR.
   • Note: If the ePAR displays 'How do you want to enter compensation?' then select Previous at the bottom of the page twice to go back to the 'Non-Compensated Job' field to make that selection. Click the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page twice and confirm the compensation page has been updated to reflect $0.
   • File Attachments: Do not use.
   • Click the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page.

   Job Actions: ePAR Summary

   • View Job ePAR Summary: Select this option to view all the pages of the ePAR entered for this action prior to submitting into workflow. Note: If you realize that you need to change the FTE or Reports To on the position, you can do so on this ePAR. Select previous multiple times to reach the Action & Action Reasons to select Add a Position Action & Action Reason. Once you do this, use 'Enter' or 'Tab,' then FTE and Reports To are now editable. Make necessary updates and also confirm that 'Non-Compensation Job' is still selected before selecting 'Next' multiple times to return to the ePAR Summary page. There you can select View Job ePAR Summary to review the recently added position changes before submitting into workflow.
   • File Attachments: Do not use.
   • Comments: Type course and section to be taught.
   • Click the 'Submit' button.

   Job Actions: Results

   • No data entry is made on this page.
   • View This ePAR: Select this option to view all the pages of the ePAR entered for this action
   • View Approval Route: Review routing of the form as needed. The page displays the ePAR workflow approval routing stops for Level 1 (optional - department level), Level 2 (dean's office/division level) and Level 3 (central HR, OSR/Budget, Summer School, etc.) for reference.
   • Click on 'Print' to generate a Print Selection if needed.
   • Select 'Return to Search' to enter another Job ePAR or close the tab to return to the HR WorkCenter main page.

4. After the Summer School hire action has been approved and the effective date has been reached, units will process a lump sum payment action using the Summer School position. Be sure to have your Chartfield String handy. This was provided in your personnel allocation sent in September.

   1. From the HR Workcenter, select Lump Sum Payment in the ePARs folder.
   2. The 'Lump Sum Add Lookup Search' page appears. Enter either Employee ID for the Faculty member, Teaching Fellow/Graduate Teaching Student, or Postdoctoral Research Associate approved to instruct Summer School, and click the 'Search' button. A listing of jobs held by the employee is returned. IMPORTANT: Select the 'Summer School' job from the returned list. The Lump Sum Payment to pay for Summer School instruction MUST be processed against the Summer School Job in order to be paid within the correct Payroll Calendar.
   3. The 'Employee Lump Sum' page appears. Enter the following information into the fields indicated:
      • Under the 'Employee Details' section verify the Job Code shows the correct Summer School job. If it does not, you will need to click the 'Return to Search' link to cancel this action and repeat previous steps above to select the Summer School job.
      • Effective Date: Note important change: Select Choose Pay Begin Date from dropdown. The beginning date of the payment month: June 1 for Maymester and First Session; July 1 for Second Session. Summer payroll will now process along with the monthly payroll.
      • Payment Type: Select 'Summer School' (Note: there is also a 'Summer Salary' option – do not select this. Select 'Summer School').
      • Payment Amount: Enter the dollar amount to be paid for Summer School instruction.
      • Payment Occurrence: leave the default as Single Payment.
      • Originating Department: Enter department number.
      • Work Period Start Date: The beginning date of the Summer School session: 5/13/26 for Maymester and First Session; 6/22/26 for Second Session.
      • Work Period End Date: The ending date of the Summer School Session: 6/20/26 for Maymester and First Session; 7/28/26 for Second Session.
      • Justification: Free-text field for you to record which course will be taught.
      • Payment Amount: Enter the dollar amount to be paid.
      • Combination Code or Chartfield String: Enter the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer School designated Combination Code or Chartfield. The Chartfield was provided in your personnel allocation. Use account 513170.
      • Add File Attachment: Do not use.
      • Comments: Additional free-text field.
      • Click the "Submit" button.
   4. The 'Lump Sum Payment: Results Page' appears. No data entry is made on this page.
      • Click on the 'View This ePAR' link to generate a summary page of this action for reference. Click on the 'View Approval Route' to review workflow routing of the ePAR. The page displays the ePAR workflow approval routing stops for Level 1 (optional - department level), Level 2 (dean's office/division level) and Level 3 (central HR, OSR/Budget, Summer School, etc.) for reference.
      • Click on 'Print' to generate a Print Selection if needed.
      • Select 'Return to Search' to enter another Lump Sum Payment ePAR or close the tab to return to the HR WorkCenter main page.

5. State and Federal income taxes are deducted from stipends as required by the IRS (Circular E). Retirement payments are deducted from stipends of eligible faculty members who are participating in UNC-Chapel Hill plans. Social Security tax is also withheld as required by law. Qualified students are exempt from FICA withholdings. See the Payroll Services website for additional information on deductions.