SWC-UAW Information and Action Items for Fall 2022 Appointments

July 28, 2022

Sent via email July 22, 2022

Dear Colleague:

As we continue to implement the SWC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement we write to share information and action items relevant to your Student Officers.

Change in Payment Method for student officers previously paid by with a combination of stipend and salary (Teaching Fellows, Research Fellows and Preceptors in A&S; Teaching Fellows in SIPA, GSAPP, and Journalism; and SEAS Teaching Assistants)
Last fall, the University updated the service stipend disbursement schedule to PhD students appointed to positions compensated partially by service stipend and partially by salary—Teaching Fellows, Research Fellows, Preceptors, and SEAS Teaching Assistants—to a semi-monthly schedule for both components of compensation. Beginning fall 2022, all Student Officers on paid appointments, including Teaching Fellows, Research Fellows Preceptors and SEAS Teaching Assistants, will be paid their full compensation as semi-monthly salary on the same semi-monthly schedule, regardless of the type of appointment.

This change will bring uniformity to the PhD student employee experience by bringing the method of payment for this group of Student Officers into alignment with that of the overwhelming majority of Student Officers across all schools. This change will also eliminate the situation in which international students received two checks on different dates for certain pay periods. All Student Officers on paid appointment will see their full compensation through the my.columbia.edu portal. 

Please ensure that salary rates for fully funded PhD students are set to at least the current academic year minimum compensation rate when hiring or re-appointing via roster.

Advances to Eligible PhD Students
For fall 2022, the University has expanded the availability of advances to provide up to $3,000 in cases of hardship to all eligible PhD students who hold or will hold a paid appointment. Additional information, including eligibility requirements and the application form, will be made available in August to PhD students through SSOL. 

Zero-Salary Appointments
As implemented retroactively for the 2021-2022 academic year, going forward, Student Officers who are supported on external awards or training grants and paid via stipend will continue to need to be appointed into the appropriate title at $0 salary. Students who were on $0 salary appointments for the 2021-2022 academic year will appear on your re-appointment rosters. For those students who will no longer be externally funded and will be appointed and paid salary in the coming term, please make all necessary adjustments to compensation rates and ensure that all required forms, including active I-9s, are on file.

2022-2023 Minimums
Minimum compensation rates for fully funded PhD students on appointment for the 2022-2023 academic year are:
•    $45,320 for those on 12-month appointments
•    $33,990 for those on 9-month appointments

Please ensure that salary rates for fully funded PhD students are set to at least the current academic year minimum compensation rate when hiring or re-appointing via roster.

Per the agreement with SWC-UAW, in each academic unit, compensation rates increase no less than 3% for the 2022-2023 academic year for appointed Master’s students, undergraduate students, non-PhD doctoral students, and PhD students beyond their fully funded years.

Please ensure that you update the rates for the current academic year when hiring or re-appointing Master’s, undergraduates, non-PhD doctoral students, and PhD students beyond their fully funded years via roster.

In addition, the minimum compensation for student casuals in the instructional, research, or academic support categories increases as of August 1, 2022, to $21.50 per hour.

More information can be found on the Provost's Columbia Student Benefits website.

Website Review
We ask that you review your department/school's websites to ensure that all information provided to students is up to date and aligns with the information detailing compensation and benefits to students and student employees on the Provost's web pages at the above link.

Thank you for your attention in these matters.  We will also be communicating directly with students about these and other important topics in the coming weeks.

Daniel Driscoll
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Columbia University

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