STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIP POSITIONS + OPPORTUNITIES

All School of Architecture student employees and hiring managers should familiarize themselves with the Student Assistantships Policy and Procedures document: 

THE FULL SARC POLICY + PROCEDURES DOCUMENT FOR VIEW + DOWNLOAD

The School of Architecture aligns its hiring practices with the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program. FWS establishes job categories based on scope of work, skill sets, expertise, knowledge, experience, and specialization. The job categories are assigned a pay range. Hiring managers determine the job category and establish an hourly rate within the associated FWS range for that category, in alignment with their budgets. 

FWS updates pay ranges on an annual basis. The School’s Student Assistantship Policy uses the current pay ranges established by FWS. These can be found in the FWS Employee Handbook (See Appendix for Job Categories and Hourly Pay Ranges). 

To maintain fair wages for student employment, it is important that Hiring managers (for SRAs and SSAs) or Department Chairs (for SIAs) match the job responsibilities and role with the hourly pay range assigned in the FWS handbook.

FWS Employee Handbook — View Appendix for Hourly Pay Ranges

Standard eligibility requirements apply to all student assistantship positions and are described below. Eligibility requirements that are unique to each position are shared as part of the “Call for Applications” announcement and position description.  

ELIGIBILITY FOR STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIP (SA) POSITIONS 

To be eligible for an SA position (for federal work-study or wage pay) at the A-School, a student must be an effective University of Virginia student and meets the following qualifications: 

• The student is enrolled full-time in a University of Virginia degree program; students in their last semester of enrollment prior to graduation who need fewer than 12 credits to graduate are eligible to work in a student wage capacity.
   
• The student is in Academic Good Standing (Graduate and Undergraduate descriptions found below).
   
• The student has not completed all the required credits towards their degree.* 
   
• The student is making satisfactory progress toward completing all their degree requirements in a timely manner; this includes approved extensions. 
   
• In cases where an admitted graduate student has been guaranteed an SIA, SRA, or SSA position for their first semester of enrollment, the criteria listed above would go into effect for the start of the student’s second semester of enrollment. 
   
• Eligibility requirements that are unique to each position are shared as part of the “Call for Applications” announcement and position description. 

*Please consult the Wage Authorization for information regarding circumstances under which spring graduates may continue to work through the summer after their graduation.

ACADEMIC GOOD STANDING 

Undergraduate Students 
Undergraduate students in the School of Architecture must meet the following criteria to remain in academic good standing: 

• Complete at least 12 credits of coursework. 
• Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. 
• Source: Undergraduate Record 

Graduate Students 
Graduate students in the School of Architecture must meet the following criteria to remain in academic good standing:

• Complete at least 12 credits of coursework. 
• Maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. 
• Source: Graduate Record
   

APPEALS PROCESS 

An appeals process can be implemented to allow for the consideration of a student case where extenuating circumstances have introduced challenges for a student to maintain academic good standing. In such cases, a review panel, comprised of the Associate Dean of Academics, Director of Advising, and the Hiring Manager, will convene to deliberate on the merits of the appeal. They will carefully consider the extenuating circumstances which may have introduced difficulties and interfered with maintaining academic good standing of a student applying to a position. This process will be highly confidential and expedited to not interfere with the typical application cycle and adversely affect a student’s candidacy for said positions. 

A student seeking to appeal must contact the Associate Dean of Academics or the Director of Advising to initiate the process.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT ASSISTANTS

All students hired to fulfill responsibilities as part of a Student Assistantships (SAs) are expected to carry out these responsibilities in accordance with the position description and through direct communication with the faculty or staff hiring manager. SAs are expected to: 

• Maintain a regular working schedule and time commitment based on communicated expectations of the position established with the hiring manager. 

• Communicate instances of scheduled adjustments (as needed) with the hiring manager with advanced notice, except for emergencies. 

• Maintain consistency and quality in the execution of job duties. 

• Enter and submit hours worked in Workday in a timely and honest manner. 

• Become familiar with Workday in order to accurately enter time and view pay slips (Netbadge required, see: https://hr.virginia.edu/workday-central/workday-training) 

• Maintain regular and open communication with the hiring manager, sharing concerns about workload, scheduling, inability to carry out responsibilities, request for feedback, etc. in order to assist in resolving work-related issues.*

*For work-related issues that are not resolvable through open communication with the hiring manager, or in circumstances where direct communication is not viable or effective, student employees are asked to communicate their concerns directly with the Office of the Dean: 

• SIAs: Associate Dean of Academics 

• SRAs: Associate Dean of Finance 

• SSAs: Chief of Staff

EXPECTATIONS OF HIRING MANAGERS

All hiring managers (faculty or staff) are expected to carry out manager responsibilities in accordance with the position description and through direct communication with hired student assistants. Hiring managers are expected to: 

• Be familiar with, and abide by, University policies which govern student employment. Specifically, hiring managers should review the Wage Authorization at least annually at the beginning of each academic year. 

• Use the FWS Job Categories and Pay Ranges to establish hourly rates based on job responsibilities, scope of work, required skills and experience. (See Job Profiles — Categories + Pay Ranges Section above with link to FWS Employer Handbook) 

• Utilize best practices when reviewing and interviewing student candidates for a position.

• Ensure that student workers do not begin work before their assignments have been entered and approved in Workday. This is coordinated centrally at the School of Architecture by Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant. (See Hiring Process Section below for more details). Hiring managers will receive a Workday notification when the student worker’s assignment is complete and when they may begin entering their time in Workday. 

• Allocate and set weekly workload for student workers depending on course/project/ assignment requirements; total hours worked per week for students should be between 5-10 hours/week and should not exceed 20 hours/week (during the typical semester). The 20 hours/week limit includes ALL positions held by a student worker (many students hold more than one position at a time). Summer and J-Term maximum hours may exceed 20 hours/week with stipulations. Please review the Wage Authorization for full details. 

• Monitor and approve student worker timecards in Workday regularly. (Netbadge required: see Manager Workday Training webpage for training resources for managers). 

• Know where to access Workday training resources for employee time entries, corrections, etc. and share the same with student workers (Netbadge required: see Employee Workday Training webpage). 

• Address discrepancies with student worker’s time entries (when not aligned with allocated/scheduled weekly hours). 

• Communicate in a timely manner with Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant, when a student position is complete and should be closed in Workday. This process will be completed by Kathy Woodson who sends reminder emails to all hiring managers to review their Workday Team on a consistent end-of-the-semester basis. 

• Establish open methods of communication* that allow for effective and regular feedback from student workers. 

*For work-related issues that are not resolvable through open communication with the hired student, or in circumstances where direct communication is not viable or effective, hiring managers are asked to communicate their concerns directly with the Office of the Dean: 

• SIAs: Associate Dean of Academics 

• SRAs: Associate Dean of Finance 

• SSAs: Chief of Staff

Hiring managers (faculty or staff) are asked to carry out hiring processes that are focused on consistency and equity across the School. While advertising a position is not required, it is strongly recommended to identify the best candidate for the position from the widest applicant pool. 
 

TO HIRE A STUDENT INSTRUCTOR ASSISTANT (SIA) 

• Faculty who are seeking a SIA for their course, should contact their Department Chair and Department Administrator for coordination. SIAs are designated by Department Chairs in coordination with Program Directors and the Finance Office based on course enrollments, course needs, and Department budgets. SIA allotments are limited and not every course will be assigned an SIA. 
   
• For courses designated as School-wide (SARC), instructors should contact the Associate Dean of Academics to determine if the course may be eligible for an SIA.
   
• Department “Calls for SIAs” will be posted on the School of Architecture’s Student Assistantship webpage with detailed instructions for application, along with any course-specific eligibility requirements, preferred or required skills/experience, and required application materials. 
   
• Department Administrators will assist faculty hiring managers during this process by collating application materials and distributing these materials for review. The review of all applicants and final decisions will be made by the hiring manager in consultation with Department Chairs and/or Program Directors. All selections for SIA hires must be communicated to Department Administrators who will work with Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant, to complete the hire process in Workday. 
   
• Hiring managers will need to ensure that the student hire is academically eligible (See Eligibility Section above) in consultation with the Registrar, Sharon McDonald; Hiring managers will also need to determine if the student hire is accepting the position for Federal Work Study (FWS) or wage pay. 
   
• An email to all applicants (for a cycle) will be issued by Department Administrators when SIA positions have been filled to ensure that applicants who did not receive an SIA position are informed of the results of their application. 
   

TO HIRE A STUDENT RESEARCH or STAFF ASSISTANT (SRA or SSA) 

There are two approaches to hiring an SRA or SSA: 

1) with an online/email posting of the opportunity for students to apply to, or 

2) without posting and directly hiring a student who the hiring manager has already identified for the opportunity. 

While advertising a position is not required, it is strongly recommended to identify the best candidate for the position from the widest applicant pool. 

Hiring managers who would like to post their position, should begin at STEP 1 below. 

Hiring managers who do need to post their position, should begin at STEP 4 below. 

STEP 1. Developing the Call for SRAs or SSAs 

• The Hiring manager submits a completed online SRA/SSA Position Form for Posting (See Hiring Forms Section below) that includes details about the job and is used to post the position. 
   
• SRAs and SSAs are posted on a weekly basis (See Timelines Section below). 

STEP 2. Announcing and Advertising SRA or SSA Positions 

• The Communications Office will issue a weekly email to all A-School students, faculty and staff with new opportunities and instructions for application. 
   
• They will also be posted on the School of Architecture website. 

STEP 3. Applying to SRA or SSA Positions / Reviewing + Interviewing 

• If posted, a position must be open for a minimum of one week, prior to review and appointment to allow time for applicants to submit materials. 
   
• Following the application’s priority deadline, the hiring manager is to review all applicants, interview said applicants and determine the appointment of the hire based on the merits of the applicant’s qualifications. 
   
• After reviewing applications, the hiring manager is responsible for communicating their choice with the selected student applicant and engaging in discussion about accepting the position. 
   
• Once both the hiring manager and the selected student agree to the hire, the hiring manager should subsequently communicate to all applicants that the position has been appointed/closed to ensure that they are aware that the review process has concluded. 

STEP 4. Completing the Hiring Process 

• Hiring managers will need to ensure that the student hire is academically eligible (See Eligibility Section above), in consultation with the Registrar, Sharon McDonald; Hiring managers will also need to determine if the student hire is accepting the position for Federal Work Study (FWS) or wage pay. 
   
• Hiring managers are responsible for filling out the Student Work Hire Form (see Hiring Forms Section below) to complete the hiring in Workday. This form is submitted to Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant, by the hiring manager (not the student hire). This form must be submitted at least four business days prior to the position start date.
   

REACHING AN APPLICANT POOL BEYOND THE A-SCHOOL 

For hiring managers who are seeking an applicant pool of students beyond the ASchool, contact Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant, who will assist in posting the position through Handshake/Workday.
 

There are two categories of forms to complete for Student Assistantships:

1. SRA / SSA POSITION FORM FOR POSTING

This form is used by hiring managers who want to post their position for applicants from the School of Architecture. For hiring managers who are seeking a broader pool of applicants beyond the School of Architecture, please read through instructions provided in the Hiring Process Section above. 

The form requests information to describe the job position for advertisement. The hiring manager should complete the form below to be included in the weekly email distributed by the Communications Office to all A-School students, faculty and staff.

SRA / SSA POSITION FORM FOR POSTING - TO BE COMPLETED BY HIRING MANAGER

See Application Timelines Section below for details on when your position will be posted.

2. STUDENT WORK HIRE FORM

Once a hiring manager is ready to make a student hire, they should use the following online form necessary for completing the hiring process. The same form can be used for both Federal Work Study and Wage Hire students. 
 

STUDENT WORK HIRE FORM

Note—For SRA and SSA Positions:
The completed online "Student Work Hire Form" (see link above) should be filled out by the Hiring Manager to be received by Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant. Kathy will assist student hires and managers in completing the hiring process in UVA's Workday system. The completion of the hire form should occur at least four business days prior to the position start date.

Note—For SIA Positions:
Hiring managers should not fill out this form for SIAs. For SIA Positions (paid through department funds), hiring managers should communicate their hiring appointments to their Department Administrators, who will coordinate with Kathy Woodson, Special Assistant, to complete the hiring process in UVA's WorkDay system for SIA positions.

The following timelines are provided for coordination across the School:

SIA TIMELINE  

Departments will typically initiate a “Call for Applications” for SIAs in the spring semester or early summer for the next academic year. In some cases, the Call for spring semester SIAs will be posted in the previous fall semester. 

SRA / SSA TIMELINE  

To provide students with streamlined communication for SRA and SSA opportunities throughout the year, an email, and updates to this website will be shared advertising any new opportunities on a weekly basis  — the weekly email is distributed by the Communications Office. Posting of new SRA and SSA positions will follow this timeline:

• Hiring Managers fill out the SRA/SSA Position Form for Posting (See Hiring Forms Section above) by Thursdays, 9am
   
• Email issued on Fridays, 9am
   
• Emails will not be issued over holidays
   
• All SRA and SSA positions will be advertised for a minimum of one week to allow for the receipt of applications. Hiring managers can not appoint a student to a position prior to the application deadline and review of all applications. If necessary, applications will be accepted following the deadline, until the position is filled.

For students:

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is financial aid that is based on financial need and must be earned through student employment. FWS funds are not credited to the student account up front and so should not be factored into the budgeting process for semester payment plans or how much a student might need to pay out of pocket at the start of a term. Students can view their financial aid offer or accept their Federal Work Study (FWS) award by logging into their SIS account. In SIS, a student must “accept” their work-study award to be able to hold a FWS job. 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Student Financial Services (SFS) automatically considers work-study for eligible undergraduate students once their completed FAFSA, CSS Profile, and other requested documents are received. Annual offered amounts range from $1,000 - $4,000 for undergraduate students.

GRADUATE STUDENTS
Graduate students who demonstrate financial need may also be considered for Federal Work-Study eligibility (FWS) upon request. To be considered for FWS, choose this option on the FAFSA. Annual award amounts can be up to $5,000 for graduate students. Graduate students can have an FWS award added later in the semester even if they did not indicate interest in FWS on their FAFSA when initially applying. To do so, or if verify your request, contact Student Financial Services (SFS) at sfs@virginia.edu.  

For hiring managers: 

The link below provides useful information for hiring managers who are employing a Federal Work Study (FWS) student.

GUIDELINES FOR MANAGERS OF FEDERAL WORK-STUDY EMPLOYEES

Distinct from the Student Assistantship positions described in the policy linked on this page (See Student Assistantships: Policy + Procedures for Appointment and Employment Section above), PhD students at the School of Architecture serve as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) and/or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). Full details regarding these appointments are outlined in the PhD Student Handbook (Contact the PhD Program Director for more information).

PhD students are advised not to exceed their GTA/GRA requirement by holding an SA position. In exceptional cases when the scope and type of work aligns with the PhD student’s research and teaching foci, PhD students may apply for additional SIA/SRA/SSA positions. Refer to the approval process described in full in the PhD Student Handbook (contact the PhD Program Director for more information).

Generally, after the first three years and contingent on a successful prospectus defense, PhD candidates will have greater flexibility to pursue Student Assistantship opportunities following the typical approval process. 

The UVA Center for Teaching Excellence regularly hosts a Teaching Methods Workshop that is recommended for students accepting an Student Instructor Assistantship (SIA).

The CTE “Teaching as a Graduate Student (TAGS)” workshop is open to undergraduate, graduate and PhD SIAs and is broken into 2 parts – an online, on-demand, self-placed set of modules (3-4 hours) and an in-person or synchronous meeting (1-2 hours). Participation in one or both is highly recommended for new SIAs.

The TAGS workshop provides an overview of inclusive and learning-centered teaching and helps participants apply these ideas in contexts most applicable to instructor assistants. The material is designed primarily to those new to teaching. Topics include: Creating inclusive learning environments; Principles of learning-centered teaching; Supporting students’ success; Teaching the first day of class; Facilitating effective classroom discussions; Approaching feedback and grading effectively and efficiently.

Learn more about the TAGS Workshop