Requirements for an Appointment

Academic HR

Calendar for Academic Year Appointments

Administrative Memo

The academic year calendar is essential when drafting academic employees’ letters who will be hired as a 9-month appointment as well as graduate assistants’ waivers for tuition.

• For 9-month appointments, the academic calendar dates apply. The following are dates for the academic year and the summer appointment terms. These dates are updated by a memorandum from the Provost’s office and are subject to change.

Fall/Spring

2021-2022

2020-2021

View the previous year’s academic year appointment dates.

Summer

2021

2020

View the previous year’s academic year appointment dates.

For 12-month appointments in the Health Science Center, Levin College of Law, IFAS, and E&G units the fiscal year dates apply and appointments run from July 1 to June 30.

Questions? Contact Employment Operations & Records at ufhr-employment@ufl.edu

Graduate & Student Assistantship Requirements

Graduate Assistants

To appoint a graduate student to any of the listed titles below, the following requirements must be met as set forth by the Graduate School.

• The graduate student must be properly registered and working toward a graduate degree through the Graduate School.
• Appointees have no continuing contractual relationship with the university.

Please note, that having a graduate appointment does not exclude a student from also having a fellow appointment.

To be considered a graduate assistant, a student must be:

1. Enrolled as a graduate student and have a classification of 7, 8, or 9.
2. Have the correct title for job description.
3. Appointment dates must follow the academic calendar.
4. Have a 3.0 or higher GPA.
5. Be registered for the correct amount of classes per their assigned hours per week (FTE).

Classifications

This numeric designation is assigned by the Graduate School in the GIMS System for different types of graduate students. Review the information below to learn more.

• 7 – Graduate student has less than 36 hours of credits earned towards their graduate degree.
• 8 – 36 hours of credits earned or student already has a master’s degree.
• 9 – Graduate student who has been admitted into doctoral candidacy.

Graduate Assistant Titles

• Senior Graduate Teaching or Research Associate – student has completed most of the work leading to a doctorate (promotion from Graduate Teaching or Research Associate).
• Graduate Teaching or Research Associate – student has completed most of the work leading to a doctorate (promotion from Graduate Teaching or Research Assistant).
• Graduate Teaching or Research Assistant – student must have 30 semester credits of graduate work completed (promotion from Graduate Assistant -G, -T, or -R).
• Graduate Assistant – General, -Teaching, -Research (considered the lowest rank of the graduate assistant positions).

Title Qualifications

The following are the title, job code, and classification requirements for the graduate title series. This information should be verified in order to ensure that when hiring a graduate student all requirements are met.

Registration Requirements

To appoint a graduate student, visit the Graduate School website to review the requirements.

GPA

• All graduate assistants must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA as a student.
• Departments must petition the Graduate School if the GPA drops below this amount.

FTE Requirements

Graduate assistants have specific FTE amounts that they can work per given semester. The following are the requirements for U.S. Citizens and Foreign Nationals. Additional approval process may be needed if appointment deviates from the standard FTE amount.

U.S. Citizens

• More than 1.0 FTE requires the Request for Approval of Additional University Compensation (HR 600) form.
• More than .80 total FTE is subject to FICA (Tax Services).

Foreign Nationals

• FTE total of .50 allowed for all jobs (fall and spring semesters).
• May reach 1.0 FTE total jobs in summer semester or when classes are not in session.
• Foreign nationals with W-9s are treated like U.S. citizens.

FTE Match Standard Hours

The FTE Match Standard Hours resource should be used when trying to determine the amount of hours equivalent to the designated FTE.

Graduate Assistant Minimum Salaries

Effective January 1, 2022

9-Month appointments (19.5 biweekly periods)

12-Month Appointments (26.1 biweekly periods)

View previous year’s Graduate Assistant Minimum Salaries.

Student Appointment Requirements

To be considered a Student Assistant, a student must be:

1. Admitted to the University of Florida either as an undergraduate or graduate student.
2. Be degree seeking
3. Have a 2.0 GPA or higher
4. Be registered at least half-time

Classifications

The Office of the University Registrar classifies students at the following levels:

• 1 – Students with fewer than 30 credits earned.
• 2 – Students who have earned 30 credits and who have fewer than 60 credits.
• 3 – Students who have earned 60 credits and who have fewer than 90 credits.
• 4 – Students who have earned 90 credits or more.
• 5 – Student who have earned 120 credits or more and who are candidates for a degree in a program that normally requires 10 semesters.
• 6 – Post Baccalaureate students: degree-holding students who have been admitted to Post Baccalaureate status.
• 7 – Graduate students seeking a first master’s degree.
• 8 – Graduate students who have earned a master’s degree, or who have earned 36 or more credits while seeking a graduate degree, who have not been admitted to doctoral candidacy.
• 9 – Graduate students who have been admitted to doctoral candidacy.

Title Qualifications

The following are the titles and job codes for student assistant appointments.

FTE Requirements

Students are only able to work 20 hours per week on campus. A student can petition Student Employment to work more than 20 hours per week by completing an Hours Extension Form. If approved, the maximum hours per week a student may work is 31. If a student has multiple appointments, the FTE of each appointment will be added together.

GPA

• All student assistants must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA as a student.
• Students must petition Student Employment if their GPA drops below this amount.

Hourly Rate

• Student assistants must meet Florida’s current hourly minimum wage.
• Students paid more than double of Florida’s current minimum wage must submit the Pay Rate Justification Form. You may find the form at the following link.

Student Assistant Restrictions

• Student are not permitted to work during scheduled classes and exams.
• Students not registered for classes and wanting to work more than 31 hours per week will need to be hired as OPS employees.

Pre-Doc Fellow Appointment Requirements

To appoint a fellow, visit the Graduate School website to review the requirements.

Staff (TEAMS & USPS)

What to Do When a Final Candidate Is Selected

Once a candidate is selected as the best fit for the vacant position, the process of offering the position and hiring the person begins. Below is a general workflow of this process, in this section we will discuss the making an offer section. For more information on the hiring section, click here.

1. Conduct Reference Checks

The department should begin checking references as soon as the candidate is selected to ensure that the person you met can do the job to the same degree of excellence as he/she portrayed in the interview. Additionally, reference checking gives you the opportunity to see how the candidate’s colleagues view him/her.

During the reference check, you may also complete the experience verification form when needed to meet the minimum requirements of the position. While the reference check and the experience verification can be done together, one does not substitute the other. Reference check is conducted to ensure the candidate is a strong performer in a current or previous position. When conducting a reference check you are asking questions related to the person’s performance, work ethic, etc.

For additional information, please review these reference-checking guidelines and frequently asked questions about reference-checking.

Experience Verification

Experience verification is done to ensure that the candidate has the years of experience required to meet the minimum qualifications of the position. If verification is conducted outside of the background screening process through First Advantage, then the experience verification form requires information such as the supervisor’s name, person completing the form, start and end dates of employment and hours per week worked.

Experience Verification Form

• Experience Verification Form

Education In Lieu of Experience

When a candidate has additional education above the minimum requirement of a position, it can be used to account for experience required for the position. Below is the experience equivalent of education attained above the minimum requirement.

2. Request Clearance

Before making a job offer the hiring department should verify with a dean’s office or authorized director that the salary being offered is within the budget range of the department or unit.  Once this is confirmed, in the Careers at UF system, the selected candidate should be placed in the “Recommend for Hire/Clearance Request” status, which will trigger an automated email requesting clearance to the department’s recruiter in Core HR.

The clearance process completed by Core HR includes the review of the following:

• The recruitment process followed appropriate policies and procedures. Hiring departments should be interviewing more than one applicant in order to maintain a fair and competitive recruitment effort.
• The candidate selected meets the minimum qualifications as stated in the job posting.
• The candidate possesses the highest level of education as stated in the resume and application.
• The minimum level of background check needed according to university policy.
• The minimum amount of experience that must be verified by the hiring department.
• Applicants eligible for veteran’s preference were interviewed as per veteran’s preference for eligible positions.
• The candidate is eligible for hire/rehire at the university.

Education Verification

The following are the requirements to conduct an education verification.

Education Less than High School Diploma
If the minimum requirement of a position is less than a high school diploma and the applicant has not obtained a high school diploma or equivalent, the department must request transcripts or a letter from the high school.

High School Diplomas
To verify a high school diploma the Core HR Recruiter will request a copy of the candidate’s high school diploma or equivalent (GED).

College Degrees
College degrees are verified through a third-party entity, National Student Clearinghouse. To complete the verification for degrees including professional degrees (MD, JD, DDS, etc.), the hiring  department may provide the candidate’s date of birth via email to the Core HR Recruiter. If providing a social security number, it must be done via phone. If submitting a social security number please call your Core HR Recruiter, DO NOT submit via email as this violates UF Privacy policies.

Please note, not all universities participate in the National Student Clearinghouse database, if that is the case, the hiring department will need to request an official transcript from the candidate.

International Degrees
If the candidate has an international degree, a degree equivalency is required.  Degree equivalency refers to evaluation by a crediting agency that the degree achieved is equal to the same degree level in the U.S.  Members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org)  organization are highly recommended as they are recognized by the institutional accreditation body (SACS) and immigration agencies. The equivalency process may take several weeks to generate results.

It is the hiring department’s responsibility to submit the equivalency to the department’s Core HR Recruiter to verify that the candidate meets the degree requirement of the position.

Sponsoring an International Employee
In general, if the candidate selected is an international employee who needs sponsorship, the position itself must have a minimum requirement of a specific bachelor’s degree.

For example, a Biological Scientist position requires a bachelor’s degree in Biology or a closely related field. A position that has “or a combination of education and experience” in the minimum requirements section is not eligible.  The specific bachelor’s degree required for the position must be listed on the job requisition in order for the person selected to be eligible for H1-B status. (A copy of the position description must accompany the H1-B petition.)

A position that accepts any bachelor’s degree rather than one that is directly related to the position will not suffice to make the position a specialty occupation. In addition to having the required bachelor’s degree, the person hired must also meet the experience requirements as stated in the job advertisement.

For a complete list of positions eligible for H1-B visa status, please refer to the Immigration and Compliance section of the HRS website.

3. Request Criminal Background Checks

All new hires to UF must go through a pre-employment criminal background check.  Federal, state statutes and/or or contracts may require specific criminal background checks on certain positions within the university.

All criminal background checks are conducted by Talent Acquisition & Onboarding, Human Resources. The Core HR Recruiter, in collaboration with the hiring department, will determine the appropriate level of background check.

To Request a Criminal Background Check

• Background Check Request Form
• Background Check Request Form for Youth Camps and Activities

What are FBI and 435 Livescan Criminal Background Checks?

Click on the link below for more detailed information and to schedule an appointment.

Fingerprinting Appointment Online Scheduler

The following are the available types of criminal background checks. Review the coverage area and requirements for each type to determine the appropriate check for the candidate selected.

How are Criminal Background Records Reviewed at UF?

In accordance with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) guidelines, each record will be reviewed with the following considerations to determine whether the records are ground for denying employment:

1. The nature and gravity of the offense
2. The time period that has elapsed since the conviction
3. The nature of the job for which the applicants is applying
4. Reoccurrence and pattern of criminal behavior

The University of Florida will ensure that all background checks are held in compliance with federal and state statutes, such as Fair Credit Reporting Act, when applicable.

4. Make the Offer

Once Talent Acquisition & Onboarding provides clearance, the department is free to offer the position to the candidate of choice. If the candidate accepts the position, the department should personally follow-up with all applicants interviewed and let them know the position has been filled by another candidate.

The clearance sent by Core HR to the hiring departments contains the following information:

• Degree verification: A copy of the highest level of education verified for the candidate if not on file. This copy must be submitted as part of the Hire ePAF documentation.
• Background check minimum: The minimum level of background check that should be requested by the hiring department for the candidate according to university policy.
• Health assessment: If the position requires a health assessment test (HAMS) due to the duties performed.
• Type of letter of offer: The type of letter (time-limited or not time-limited) that should be offered by the department.
• Experience verification amount: Based on the amount of education, job minimum requirement and/or experience at UF, this may range from no experience verification needed to the amount stated in the clearance.
• Additional documentation: Any documentation needed for the candidate’s hire ePAF such as the Nepotism form, driver’s license, HR600, I-9, etc.

Choosing Effective and Efficient Start Dates

When selecting a start date for a new appointment, review the Schedule of Paydays and Critical Dates. This will help you ensure that the date selected will give the new employee sufficient time to enroll properly in benefits when applicable, is paid on time, and that the university is in compliance with I-9 federal regulation.

New Employee

• Start date should be future dated, allowing enough time for the onboarding process (GatorStart/New Hire paperwork, ePAF) to be completed on or before the first date of employment. This would allow for an employee to begin working immediately, sign up for benefits timely, and not miss a paycheck. Additionally, this would ensure the hiring department meets all federal, state, and university compliance requirements.

Current UF Employees

• Current employees should be hired at the beginning of a pay period. If not possible, consider having the start date at the beginning of a pay week (Friday). This is necessary if the employee is changing FLSA status (i.e. non-exempt to exempt) because it affects how the employee’s time is entered, which could cause issues with over-time and time loading in the system.

Temporary (OPS)

Criminal Background Checks

Any disclosures of criminal background convictions or terminations must be approved through Talent Acquisition & Onboarding prior to offering the position to the applicant. If disclosures are not approved prior to entering the hire into myUFL and submitting the hire paperwork via ePAF, appointments will not be made active until staff in Talent Acquisition & Onboarding review the information.

If the department did not post the position via Careers at UF all applicants interviewed should be asked to complete the OPS Application for Employment. This document is a required part of the hire paperwork.