Skip to main content

EHRA Student Policies (TA’s)

EHRA Student Initial Appointment Required Documents

The following list of documents constitutes what we refer to as the “Standard Order” of documents which must be completed for initial student appointments.

Since paper copies of these documents are no longer routed through the Provost Office, please scan and attached approved copies of all required forms and documents:

For more information regarding these forms and documents, please see below.

All students, graduate students, fellows and residents must complete the EHRA Student Employee Certifications and Conditions of Employment (AP-2S) form for employment with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Besides providing demographic data, completion of the form certifies that the employee has provided the appropriate documents to certify identification and employment eligibility, meet registration requirements for military service, verify credentials, acknowledge payroll requirements for direct deposit of checks, and agree to notify the University Environment, Health & Safety Office if employment involves blood borne pathogens or other potentially infectious material.

All employees are required by the Department of Homeland Security to complete an I-9 and Employment Eligibility Verification forms within three business days of the date employment begins.

Completion of the Certification of Non-Service Requirements of Scholarship/Fellowship for Social Security Withholding Purposes form certifies that the postdoctoral fellow/trainee meets the criteria for FICA tax exemption.

The FICA tax exemption pertains only to salaries and wages earned by students who are enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill and providing employment services for the University. Payments that students receive for non-employment activities, such as scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, or services as an independent contractor, are not subject to the FICA tax because the payments are not compensation for services as an employee.

Under the Revenue Procedure 2005-11 safe harbor rules, a wage payment made by the University to an individual who (a) is at least a half-time undergraduate student or at least a half-time graduate or professional student, (b) is not a full-time employee of the University, (c) is not a “professional employee,” and (d) does not receive certain specified employment benefits will qualify for the student FICA exemption.

For more information on this policy, see Student Employee FICA Exemption.

The non-resident alien must complete the Foreign National Information Form (PR-100), used to determine Federal and State Withholding Status for payments the student/postdoc receives from the University as well as provides general information to the International Center. The form should indicate that the individual will be receiving a salaried appointment. The form must be completed before

  • beginning employment or performing independent personaal services for the University
  • receiving financial aid from the University
  • if the student’s visa type changes
  • if the student’s tax status changes

The appointing department forwards the form to the Office of International Students and Scholarship Services (OISSS), CB #5240. That office will enter the PR-100 information into the Windstar database. Payroll Services will confirm the PR-100 information in Windstar prior to approving any related salary action or lump sum payments in EPAWeb.

The Graduate Student Payroll Deduction Authorization Form, 1110.1.1f, allows tuition and fees to be deducted from graduate students’ payroll checks.
  • I-9 forwarded to EEV Coordinators in HR Workforce Planning & Compensation after EEV verification is completed (Write approved EEV number on top of I-9 form)
  • Tax Cards (send directly to Payroll)
  • Payroll Direct Deposit Form (send to Payroll)

Teaching Assistant Appointments at the Friday Center

These guidelines set forth specific credentialing and appointment requirements for teaching assistant (TA) assignments for UNC-CH courses granting academic credit offered through the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education (CE). Such courses include:

  • Carolina Courses Online
  • Self-paced Courses (Correspondence and Online)
  • Part Time Classroom Studies
  • Outreach Instruction to Inmates

In general, all individuals performing such TA duties must meet the minimum credentialing requirements of our accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

In order to be instructor of record or award grades, the employee must have an academic appointment at the appropriate academic rank and academic department in order to teach through one of the Friday Center CE programs.
If is the instructor of record is a graduate student, CE may appoint them as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in CE as long as they have the associated academic credentials to teach in that academic department. The academic base department remains the department of the student’s major and that department’s approval of the EPA Web form is indicating that their credentials are appropriate for the CE course being taught. Students cannot hold a
faculty rank as long as they are UNC-CH Students.
The EPAWeb external department invitation feature does not extend access for
Reappointment actions, so the academic base department for the employee will need to complete any necessary EPAWeb actions to implement a CE appointment when a secondary appointment action is not used. When the action is completed in EPAWeb, CE will have access to the employee’s record in EPAWeb and will be able to perform any future actions without further invitation.
Paperwork for any TA appointments created specifically for work to be performed in CE is identical to the “standard order” requirements for other student appointments in the relevant academic department/school in which the appointment is based.

Minimum Teaching Assistant (TA) Credentialing Requirements

The following are general credentialing guidelines for graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) who will instruct credit courses in accord with the University’s accreditation requirements. Questions regarding appropriate credentials for specific academic courses should be directed to the Chair of the academic department relevant to the course subject matter.

Course Taught Credentials Required Examples
Undergraduate Earned master’s degree in the teaching discipline. Doctoral student with MS in Biostatistics teaching introductory undergraduate course in biostatistics.
18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline. Doctoral student in Biology with 18 earned graduate semester hours teaching Biology 11.
If neither of the above is present, strong evidence of competency in the teaching area must be provided. Master’s or new doctoral student with less than 18 hours in the teaching discipline; native speakers teaching language courses, etc.
Post Baccalaureate Graduate, Professional Courses Generally not allowable. Must provide very strong rationale for assignment.