Applicability

Graduate assistants.

Policy Purpose and Description

All CLAS Graduate Assistants must be issued an appointment letter and their appointments must be processed through the HR Transaction System prior to the start date of their appointment. Appointment, reappointment and termination of Graduate Assistants must adhere to the procedures outlined in the April 15 resolution of the Council of Graduate Schools, the UI Graduate Student Employment Standards (GSES) and the UI Manual of Operations.

To ensure consistency and compliance with university policy, beginning in Academic Year 2026-2027 the rate of pay for new graduate assistants (first appointed during or after the fall 2026 semester) will be equivalent to the minimum salary rate as specified in the existing collective bargaining agreement between the Boards of Regents and COGS (the COGs contract rate). 

Returning graduate assistants (reappointments to CLAS, hired before the fall 2026 semester) will be issued a salary increase as specified in the existing collective bargaining agreement between the Boards of Regents and COGS (the CLAS contract rate). 

Some CLAS departments have explicit approval to pay above the minimums above. If you have any questions about your approved departmental rate, please reach out to Sandy Mast in CLAS Finance.

All appointment letters and departmental documentation must be retained locally to ensure accurate recordkeeping and compliance with University requirements.

Definitions

N/A

Procedure

Graduate Assistant Appointment Paperwork:

A graduate student who will be teaching must be appointed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and not at another academic rank. Similarly, a graduate student who will be conducting research must be appointed as a Graduate Research Assistant.

Graduate Assistant offer letters are issued using the appropriate template and signed by the DEO, as the DEO is the academic officer with primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with all policies within the department.

In accordance with the 1990 Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants of the Council of Graduate Schools, prospective graduate students cannot be pressured to respond to an offer prior to April 15.

To appoint a Graduate Assistant who has signed and returned the offer letter, the department enters the appointment into the HR Transaction System, which will be routed electronically to the required signatures.

The appointment must be finalized by the payroll cutoff day of the month in which the appointment takes effect (usually the 15th of the month), to ensure that the appointee receives payment on the first day of the following month. 

Reappointments for Academic Year:

In accordance with the UI Graduate Student Employment Standards (GSES), reappointed Graduate Assistants must receive their reappointment letters for the summer or fall semesters no later than April 15 and prior to November 1 for the spring semester.

Reappointments of Graduate Assistants for the upcoming academic year should be processed before August 1 by using the Graduate Assistant Reappointment process located within the Self Service portal under Human Resources Systems / HR Transactions.

Graduate Assistants who held an appointment in another department in the previous academic year are considered reappointments in HRIS. However, the new department will not automatically have access to the graduate assistant's record on the HR Web Data Access Applications. The new department should ask the previous department to change the graduate student's position code on the data access applications to reflect the new department. The new department will then have access to the graduate assistant's record and can complete the reappointment. 

Termination of Appointment:

Graduate assistant appointments are terminated at the end of the appointment only if the graduate assistant will not be reappointed. If the graduate assistant is to be appointed in another department, their current appointment should not be terminated; it should be transferred. Terminations are done through the HR Web Transaction System.

Prior to terminating a Graduate Assistant for poor performance or policy violation during the term of their appointment, the DEO or DGS must consult with the Area Associate Dean, who will consult with CLAS human resources, University Employee and Labor Relations, the Graduate College to ensure that the UI Graduate Student Employment Standards and UI Operations Manual have been followed, adequate documentation has been assembled, and a reasonable effort has been made to assist the Graduate Assistant in improving their performance.

If a graduate assistant is terminated during the term of their appointment, the termination form must be forwarded to the Area Associate Dean for approval before going to HR.

Learn more about TA Offer Letters, and the Appointment and Reappointment System through a CLAS online training here: https://resource.clas.uiowa.edu/grad-appointment-reappointment 

Forms

2025-26 CLAS TA Template for an Offer Letter for Graduate Assistants 

2025-26 CLAS RA Template for an Offer Letter for Graduate Assistants

Summer 2025 CLAS TA/RA Template for an Offer Letter for Graduate Assistants 

Fellowship/Award Offer Letter Template 

*For the Sample Fiscal Year Graduate Appointment Letter 2025-26 (RA), see Appendix A of the Graduate Student Employment Standards.

**2025-2026 Information on Tuition and Fees for new Graduate Students has been attached as an addendum to each contract this year. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COLLEGE OF EDUCATION STUDENTS:
  Starting in the academic year 2025-26, CLAS will only be reimbursing grad students on a TA/RA contract at the CLAS tuition rate.
• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR AUDIOLOGY STUDENTS: Starting in the academic year 2026-27, CLAS will only be reimbursing grad students on a TA/RA contract at the CLAS tuition rate. 

• CLAS AY 2024-25 templates can still be downloaded from https://grad.uiowa.edu/funding/graduate-student-employment-standards/appendix-offer-letter-templates-and-related-resources

Related Information

Graduate Assistant Employment Information: https://grad.uiowa.edu/funding/graduate-assistantships-and-loans 

Graduate Student Employment Standards (GSES): https://grad.uiowa.edu/funding/graduate-student-employment-standards

CLAS Graduate Assistant Appointment & Reappointment Training Videos: https://resource.clas.uiowa.edu/grad-appointment-reappointment

TA Overload Process: https://policy.clas.uiowa.edu/clas-policies-and-procedures/graduate-education/teaching-assistant-and-research-assistant-overload 

Revision History