HOW TO MAKE AN RA/TA/SA OR PREDOC TRAINING OFFER OR RENEWAL FOR 2007 (A summary, Revised 3/5/08) Staff Assignments Offer Letter Templates & Directions Offer Letter Deadlines Offer Procedure Program Making Offer Appointment Dates 20 Hr/Week Salaries Graduate Appointee Insurance Rules & Cost Tuition Rules & Cost Total Cost/Quarter 10 Hr/Week Salaries Reply Deadline Letter Check Where to Send Letters
SPRING STAFF ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED IMMEDIATELY. It takes about a month for UW to process staff assignments and the Office of Sponsored Research may refuse to put on a rush on late paperwork. If the funds will come from FHCRC or SBRI or other non-UW organization, contact Barb Byrne Simon immediately at bbyrne@u.washington.edu, 206-685-1829. New student offer letters are due by APRIL 1 (if funds are available) PhD, Master’s to PhD and the better master’s students will not select UW without offer by April 1. Union rules require offer letters for all graduate student appointments & renewals (if thru UW).
OFFER LETTER TEMPLATES & COMPLETE DIRECTIONS Fill-in-the-blank offer letter templates are at http://depts.washington.edu/epidem/GSAforms.shtml. Complete directions are at the beginning of each offer letter. This information is for RA/TA/SA’s and Trainees paid through UW. If you pay a student directly from another organization, follow those rules. o A non-resident will only receive a tuition waiver if you pay him/her through UW. o Tuition waivers are critical for international and out-of-state students. OFFER LETTER DEADLINES (Union rules): For Prospective Students: April 1 Winter: November 15 Spring: March 1 Summer: May 1 Autumn Continuing Students: June 1 The deadlines only apply if you have funding available by the deadline. However, 50% or greater RA/TA/SA & predoc trainee appointments must be in payroll before the quarter starts or the student won’t be insured. If you miss the insurance deadline for any reason, you may be liable for uncovered medical bills. OFFER PROCEDURE: Start by calling the student to find out if s/he is interested. Send an informal offer by email. Follow up with an official offer letter by email and a letter with an original signature by regular mail. PROGRAM MAKING OFFER The program making the offer should be the program providing the funding, not the Epidemiology Department (except as approved in advance by the Chair).
How_Make_RA_Offer.doc
1
APPOINTMENT DATES If you have enough funds, an appointment should extend a full 3 months/quarter according to union rules. To be eligible for a tuition waiver and insurance a student must work 20 hours/week for the following minimum periods. o Autumn: October 1 to December 15 o Winter: January 1 to March 15 o Spring: April 1 to June 15 o Summer: July 1 to July 31 Academic Year Epi normally makes offers from October 1 to June 30, but you are welcome to select another RA/TA/SA starting date between September 15 and October 1 and to extend the appointment. Predoc traineeship appointments must start on the 1st or 16th of the month (10/1 latest date). If you only have funding for 1 or 2 quarters, make an offer for that length of time only. We recommend that you not make an offer for > 12 months or offer a renewal in writing, because if you lose funding, you will still have to pay the student the full amount offered (union rules). You may tell a student VERBALLY that there is the potential for appointment in later years if s/he performs well and you have funding. EPIDEMIOLOGY 50% RA/TA/SA SALARIES For RA/TA/SAs Use 2007-2008 salaries in offer letters (until new salaries available in late June). 20 Hours/week, 50% FTE: Current (projected starting 7/1/08) (See p. 3 for 10 hours/week.) Master's Student: $1451/month (Estimate $1,488) Non-Candidate PhD Student: $1559/month (Estimate $1,598) PhD Candidate (passed Oral General by end of prior quarter): $1676/month (Estimate $1,718) Predoctoral Trainees: Salary per training grant rules Partial tuition waivers per training grant rules GRADUATE APPOINTEE INSURANCE RULES & COSTS Eligibility: o Must have an appointment from list below paid through UW during the insured quarter 20/hour week RA/TA/SA Predoc Trainee/Fellowship with stipend of at least $800/month Start by 1/1, 4/1, 7/1 or 10/1 and extend at least to 3/15, 6/15, 7/31 or 12/15, respectively RA/TA/SA and Predoc Trainee insurance load rate currently 10.9% of salary. Do not use salaries with load rates added in your offer letter. Load rates may rise on July 1, 2008, but are unpredictable. Your cost including insurance: Current (projected starting 7/1/08) Master's Salary with Insurance: $1609/month (Estimate $1,652) Non-Candidate Predoctoral Salary with Insurance: $1729/month (Estimate $1,774) PhD Candidate Salary with Insurance $1859/month (Estimate $1,907) TUITION RULES & COSTS Your grant must pay the Resident Operating Fee portion of tuition for 50% FTE RA/SA’s. The Non-resident Differential is waived for 50% RA/TA/SAs paid through the UW. Tuition (except student fees paid by student) are waived for 50% TAs paid on state budgets. Tuition Costs/Quarter to Your Budget: Current (projected 08-09)
How_Make_RA_Offer.doc
2
MPH Resident Operating Fee: $3,031/quarter (Estimate $3,243) MS or PhD Resident Operating Fee: $2,861/quarter (Estimate $3,069) Tuition Website: http://www.washington.edu/students/sfs/sao/tuition/rates.html RAs have to pay about $240/quarter in student fees.
50% RA/SA TOTAL COST PER QUARTER For full 3 months: 3/15/08 – 6/15/08 (projected starting 7/1/08) MPH Student: $7,858 (Estimated $8,199) MS Student: $7,696 (Estimated $8,025) Non-Candidate PhD Student: $8,056 (Estimated $8,391) PhD Candidate: $8,446 (Estimated $8,790) 10 HOURS/WEEK OR 25% FTE: Current (projected 08-09) For a student who does not have another RA/TA/SA of at least 50% FTE or a Predoc fellowship, insurance and at least partial tuition support. Hourly wage is higher for RA/TA/SAs who work less than 20 hours/week. Salaries for 25% FTE are below. Prorate for other percentages < 50%. Master's Student: $1203.50/month (Estimated $1,234) Non-Candidate PhD Student: $1258 month (Estimated $1,290) PhD Candidate: $1316/month (Estimated $1,319) 10 hours/week: No benefits RA/TA/SAs of < 20 hrs/wk are not eligible for Graduate Appointee Insurance or tuition support. An ineligible RA/TA/SA plus an ineligible traineeship do not provide benefits. Change the “NA” after Student Insurance to “X” because a 25% RA/TA/SA is eligible to purchase Student Insurance. Enter the word “Full” under approximate tuition owed. If a graduate student has multiple RA/TA/SA appointments totaling at least 50% FTE, s/he will be eligible for benefits and should be paid at the 50% FTE rate. Your grant will be charged a prorated load rate and portion of the tuition. REPLY DEADLINE: You must give 2 weeks for reply after the official letter is sent by email. If the offer is for Spring, make the reply deadline March 15. LETTER CHECK: Please send a draft of your offer letter to Kate O’Brien to check at epi@u.washington.edu, (206-685-1762). Allow a few days for a reply. Kate O’Brien will be out a week in May or June and two weeks in August. Contact laurah3@u.washington.edu or matta@u.washington.edu. WHERE TO SEND OFFER LETTERS: Send the letter first by email attachment to the student. Also send the student a paper offer letter with an original signature (union rule). The student may reply by email and then follow up with the paper form. Send copy of signed paper letter and student’s reply to Laura Hightower, the Department’s new Payroll Coordinator laurah3@u.washington.edu, 206-543-7405, Fax 206-543-8525.
How_Make_RA_Offer.doc
3