Assistantship Terms and Conditions

1. Provide written notice at least 14 days in advance should you be required to resign this assistantship.

2. To receive and hold an assistantship, a student must maintain good academic standing and register no later than the 10th day of classes for a minimum course load of 8 hours per semester. In the fall and spring terms, students receiving assistantships must be registered for the semesters of appointment. For more information on assistantship policies and tuition and fee waivers, please refer to the Graduate Handbook which can be found on the Graduate College website at http://www.grad.illinois.edu/gradhandbook.

3. Domestic applicants only: Attempt to qualify for Federal Work Study (FWS) funding by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form may be accessed at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.  Submitting your FAFSA application by March 15th will give you the best chance to be considered for FWS funding. If you complete the FAFSA/FWS application/qualification process but you do not qualify for FWS funding, this offer of an assistantship will not be adversely affected.

4. If you qualify for FWS funding, you must accept the FWS support. Accepting an assistantship funded by FWS may reduce the amount of money you are eligible to borrow in educational loans while holding the FWS funded assistantship. Federal Work Study assistants receive the same salary as those whose assistantships are not funded by FWS. There is no difference in assigned duties. If you have questions about FWS or FAFSA please read the information contained in the following links: http://www.grad.illinois.edu/policies/fwsassist http://www.grad.illinois.edu/current/content/fwsassist

5. A student is not permitted to enroll in a course in which he or she is a teaching assistant—this includes enrolling in ensembles that the student is required to participate in as part of his or her assistantship.

6. All new teaching assistantship must attend a mandatory training orientation in August. Details of the orientation will be sent in the near future. You must attend this orientation or you will forfeit this appointment.

7. All University of Illinois employees, including teaching assistants, are required to annually complete Title IX and Ethics Training modules. Failure to comply with completing these online training modules by the campus deadline may result in the termination of your assistantship appointment.

8. You are expected be on campus for the duration of your appointment (typically August 16 through May 15). Any early departure from campus, late arrival to campus, or absence from campus during the period listed above, must be approved in advance with your supervisor and the School of Music Admissions Office. If approval is granted, you must inform the School of Music Human Resources Office within two business days by email to somhrteam@illinois.edu or by letter. Supervisors cannot approve alternative dates because you have already booked your travel. Thus, you should make your beginning and end-of-semester travel plans accordingly.

9. Non-native English speakers: Non-native English speakers, as a condition of holding this assistantship, must receive a passing score on an oral English proficiency exam. Failure to obtain a passing score will disqualify you for the Teaching Assistantship position. You must inform the School of Music within two business days by email or letter if you do not obtain a passing score.

Requirements for new hires to the University:

Assistantship offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check process in accordance with the University of Illinois Background Check Policy. Following acceptance of the assistantship offer, you will receive an email from UniversityofIllinoisHR@geninfo.com. The background check process will not begin until you provide authorization by responding to the email from UniversityofIllinoisHR@geninfo.com. Please respond promptly to this request. You can find the University policy, the Urbana campus Guidelines for Implementation of the Background Check policy and a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) at http://humanresources.illinois.edu/supervisors/hiring-employees/background-check.html.

If this will be your first time working at the University, you will need to complete electronic New Hire forms.  An email with instructions for how to access the electronic forms will be sent to you.  In order to complete one of the required documents, the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form, you will be required to present original/unexpired documentation to prove your identity and work authorization to a representative in the unit when you arrive on campus.  Our Human Resources office will work with you to determine the appropriate method for completing the I-9.  It is unlawful for you to start work until you have completed Section 1 of the I-9.  Therefore, the start date listed above is contingent upon the timely completion of the I-9 form.

International students:

International students in F-1 status, may work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during school vacation periods. Total employment from all sources cannot exceed 20 hours per week during the academic year. International students on a J-1 visa, may accept employment under certain circumstances. In all cases, your J-1 program sponsor must authorize your employment. You will need to provide us with the letter from the sponsor for each job prior to starting work. If you are uncertain about your J-1 program sponsor, refer to Item 2 on your DS-2019; your J-1 program sponsor is listed there.