Student Assistant series positions are for undergraduate students only, in most cases. *if the student is undergraduate/work study, please refer to Student Employment website: (Student Employment (ucdenver.edu))

Undergraduate student hourly employees are recommended to work 20 hours a week throughout the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters while classes are in session. The maximum number of hours a student employee may work during the fall and spring semester is 25 hours per week or 50 hours per biweekly payroll period, provided no single week in that period exceeds 40 work hours. However, the maximum number of hours a student employee may work during the summer is 40 hours per week
(Reference student handbook: student-hourly-employment-handbook.pdf (ucdenver.edu)

Searches are required for most University new hires, but student employees are exempt from required searches at this time. SEHD does have student “pool” postings for each student position (Student Assistant, Graduate, & Research Assistants) that supervisors can review prior to submitting for a new search.

However, if no match is found through the pool posting or a specific need for a program is necessary, SEHD HR can certainly run a search.

• Submit the Job Posting – Student Hire form (select it from the drop-down menu)
• Upon receipt of the form, the SEHD HR team will post your position to Handshake, UCD’s student and alumni job board.
• When selecting “Employment Type” review the Pay Matrix from the latest Student Employment Handbook for assistance.
• Note: Nothing you submit is set in stone, if anything looks incorrect, we will contact you for clarification.
• There is no formal process for vetting candidates, once you find a student you’d like to hire, proceed to New Hire Request.

Once you have a student in mind… Please anticipate up to two weeks for hiring paperwork processing – this includes completing a background check, employment verification, and other on-boarding steps (this time frame is suggested even if the student is a current employee.)

• Submit the Hire Request Form (select Student from the drop-down menu).
• The submitted form will automatically notify the SEHD HR team of your hire request
• Note: Nothing you submit is set in stone, if anything looks incorrect, we will contact you for clarification.

Denver minimum wage effective as of 1/1/2024 at $18.29/hour.

All Student Assistant positions (I-VI) must be paid on a biweekly basis. This includes submission of timesheets, and the student will receive payment biweekly (according to the pay schedule.)

Here is a link to the student biweekly schedule: 2022-2023-student-employment-bi-weekly-payroll-calendar.pdf (ucdenver.edu). We encourage all students and supervisors to set reoccurring reminders for deadlines.

For students being paid on a biweekly basis, we encourage them to review the MyLeave Guide (How to Use MyLeave - Student Guide.pdf) to set up preferences prior to their first timesheet deadline.

• Your new hire cannot start work until the following requirements have been met:
  • A background check has been passed
  • A new hire meeting has been scheduled to complete the I-9 hiring paperwork
  • Confirmation from SEHD HR with appropriate start date
• Upon receipt of the new hire form, the SEHD HR team will begin the hiring paperwork process with the new hire. As the supervisor, you will be copied on initial correspondence with the hire.
• Based upon the information submitted in your Hire Request form, the SEHD HR team will create a letter of offer for your student employee and will ask you to review and sign it.
• You will also be cc’d on the last piece of hiring email correspondence regarding timesheets (if applicable), required trainings (if applicable) and the student handbook.

If the position is grant funded, it is helpful to include a note that the position is contingent upon grant funding. In the past, SEHD HR has used this wording in the letter of offer:
This is a grant-funded position. Continuation of the position and tuition assistance is entirely dependent on the continued availability of the grant funds.

The SEHD approach to the hiring process for SEHD students who may take a position on another CU team is generally that the hiring steps (background check, I-9, payroll, etc.) will be done through the inviting school.

Each semester, SEHD HR will notify supervisors for confirmation of continued hiring of student employees. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to inform HR if there are any changes to their student employment status and details. This includes if the student is active, resigned, or graduated; accurate salary; correct speedtype; and hours per week.

Currently in SEHD, available resources regarding job descriptions are in the student handbook (student-hourly-employment-handbook.pdf (ucdenver.edu)) page 28. This provides an overview of the information that could be included in the job description. Additionally, on the Student Hire Formstack (found on SEHD Wiki page) where the job description upload is needed, an example is provided.

After a student resigns (or is terminated) from their position with SEHD, the best practice is to close out any access they may have been granted. If SEHD IT granted the access (ie: Q/T drives, or other programs), a email must be sent to remove the access (send to: sehdhelp@ucdenver.edu).

Additionally, the supervisor is responsible for submitting a checkout notification form. (*This is to be completed if a student is leaving University employment and does not hold a position with another team.)

For other applications/programs granted by the supervisor, the supervisor is responsible for removing the resigned student.

Supervisors should complete this form once a student resigns and/or is terminated.

Student Assistant series positions are for undergraduate students only, in most cases. *if the student is undergraduate/work study, please refer to Student Employment website: (Student Employment (ucdenver.edu))

Teaching Assistant and Graduate Part Time Instructor positions are coordinated by the program lead for each course area based on enrollment. Please refer to the SEHD Wiki Patter of Administration: https://wiki.cu.studio/handbooks/pattern_of_administration?s[]=teaching%20assistant#teaching_assistantssecondary_instructors

Graduate Assistants (GA): This position is focused on administrative work for a department and is not directly involved in instruction or research.

Research Assistant (RA): This position is focused on research, analyzing data, and writing technical reports.

The Job title (e.g. Student Assistant vs. Graduate Assistant or Research Assistant) is important to align with undergraduate or graduate status as best we can. The reason is because US News asks us to report our number of graduate students annually, and we track those using their job title in our payroll system.

Graduate student appointments must be enrolled full-time, as a regular degree-seeking graduate student on the CU-Denver campus.

In Sept. 2023 we learned that certificate students may also be eligible for student employee roles: If the certificate program they are enrolled in is graduate level, then we are able to hire them as a graduate assistant.

(refer to student handbook: https://www.ucdenver.edu/lynxconnect/career-center/student-employment, see the section on “Work Hour Regulation”)

This resource is regularly updated and should be checked first, but as of January 2021 edition…

“Graduate and Professional student hourly employees are recommended to work 20 hours a week throughout the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters while classes are in session. The maximum number of hours a student employee may work during the fall and spring semester is 25 hours per week or 50 hours per biweekly payroll period, provided no single week in that period exceeds 40 work hours. However, the maximum number of hours a student employee may work during the summer is 40 hours per week.

International Students: In accordance with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations, international students may not work more than 20 hours per week—in total, regardless of the number of positions—while classes are in session during the Fall and Spring semesters. During the Summer semester, and when the University is on an official break and/or no classes are in session, international students may work on campus in a student hourly position, up to, but not more than, 40 hours a week. Additional employment for international students is prohibited under [8 CFR 214.2 (f)(9)(i) and at 22 CFR 62.23 (g)(2)(iii)].”

Common pay rates for SEHD graduate student positions in 2021 and 2022 are as follows.

For context, minimum wage in Denver increased from

$12.00 –> $12.85 in 2020 –>
$14.77 –> $15.00 in 2021 –>
$15.00 –> $15.87 in 2022 –>
$15.87 –> $17.29 in 2023 –>
$17.29 –> $18.29 in 2024

Job Title & Common pay rates in SEHD:

Research Assistant –> $20 - $23 per hour

Graduate Assistant –> $18 - $23 per hour

Masters level students tend to be more in the $18 + range
Doctoral level students tend to be more in the $20 – 23 range.

Commonly around SEHD, if tuition reimbursement is included in the Graduate student position, this wording is used on the letter of offer:

The starting wage for this position will be $20 per hour effective on 06/15/2021, with a maximum of 9 hours of in-state tuition credits for the fall semester and a maximum of 9 hours of in-state tuition credits for the spring semester. The wage is based on the responsibilities assigned to you, and in accordance with the student employment job class descriptions.

Tuition remission is provided for the purpose of supporting the scholarly pursuits of graduate students who work at least twelve weeks in an academic year semester and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degrees.

Typically, the stipend award letter for students working on a grant references the info below. The student will need to pay the fees in most cases, along with books. Fees can vary widely depending on which courses the student takes, but $600 is a good ballpark.

These amounts change routinely, and should be verified using the Graduate tuition & fees rate chart for School of Education & Human Development - https://www.ucdenver.edu/student-finances/tuition-fees/graduate.

Fall/Spring (9 credits)
Tuition Credits = $3,393.00
Fees = $600.00
Hourly rate = $22.00 for 20 hours per week
Total Salary Amount = $7,040.00
Total Dollar Award = $11,033.00



Most of the time, scholarships are given to RAs, because those positions are research oriented, and funds come from a grant. Some scholarships are paid through SEHD for recruitment, reviewed by a committee, from a PhD tuition speedtype.

• Sandy Mondragon processes the recruitment and retention scholarships (via email to student employment). SEHD HR should check that the speedtype has the necessary item type (may need to ask the Scholarship Office).
• Bolormaa Begzsuren completes the necessary forms including item type for grant scholarships.

Item type information is here: https://olucdenver.sharepoint.com/sites/BursarInterdepartmentalInvoiceandTraineeship/SitePages/Interdepartmental-Invoice-Request-Form.aspx. With questions regarding the item type or the Interdepartmental Invoice process, please email BursarAcct@ucdenver.edu or 303-315-1825.

If the position is grant funded, it is helpful to include a note that the position is contingent upon grant funding. In the past, SEHD HR has used this wording in the letter of offer:
This is a grant-funded position. Continuation of the position and tuition assistance is entirely dependent on the continued availability of the grant funds.

Student positions are posted on Handshake and renewed each semester. The job ad template was created in 2021, in collaboration with Sandy Mondragon.

Template text:

This is an open continuous posting for you to express interest in working for the School of Education & Human Development when a Graduate Assistant job becomes available.

Job Description

(specific to each job title, for ex: Graduate Assistant ….)

Effective 1/1/2024, minimum wage is $18.29

Fall Deadline: July 31

Spring Deadline: December 31

Summer Deadline: April 30

Applications must be received by the deadline in order to be considered when a position becomes available. Applications will be cleared each semester as positions are filled; you must resubmit your application each semester to be considered.

Please include in your cover letter the name of the degree program area you are enrolled in.

For more information about the SEHD, please visit our website: https://education.ucdenver.edu/

For more information about Student Employment at the University, please visit this website: https://www.ucdenver.edu/lynxconnect/career-center/student-employment

Please address any inquiries about the application process or submission of application materials to: SEHDHR@ucdenver.edu

If there is a specific need (approved student position through department/individual budget), a position search can be posted on Handshake. In order to do this, a Formstack must be completed, found here: HR Search Form - Formstack (Select Student from drop down menu).

To Hire a Student

Once a student has been identified, a few hiring steps need to be taken:

1. Complete HR Hire Request: HR New Hire - Formstack
2. This notifies HR a new student is to be hired
3. HR will determine what on-boarding steps need to be taken (ie: background check and/or I-9 verification). This process can take up to 2 weeks, if the student is a new employee to the University
4. Once HR has cleared the student for hire, HR will communicate the approved start date with supervisor. A letter of offer is signed and submitted to HR for further processing.
5. A student may begin work after all the on-boarding steps have been completed and have received notice from SEHD HR.

*Important note regarding start dates: students who are paid monthly must start on the first of a month; students paid biweekly can start as soon as the on-boarding steps are completed; and contract students will begin the first day of the semester.

The SEHD approach to the hiring process for SEHD students who may take a position on another CU team is generally that the hiring steps (background check, I-9, payroll, etc.) will be done through the inviting school.

Employees of other CU campuses who wish to also work a student position in SEHD

Example: a working SEHD doctoral student who wants to work as a Teaching Assistant or a GA or RA in SEHD during their studies.

• It’s no problem if one position is a student position with a limit of 25 hours on our campus and another position is a staff position at another campus. We don’t have to worry about the 25-hour limit. However, we do not want to ask someone to work more than 40 hours across two positions.
• SEHD HR would like to receive a copy of confirmation from the supervisor in the other CU department if applicable that they are aware that the employee is also working _#_ hours at CU Denver SEHD in _Title_ work appointment. Positions at Anschutz, in particular, may require a buy-out arrangement and can be a challenge to get approved by the Anschutz side. Staff & PRA positions at Anschutz and less than 100%-time positions at Anschutz may be possible to add an SEHD role.
• The intended employee should connect SEHD HR with their HR person at Anschutz/AMC Prior to beginning any work with SEHD. We in SEHD are happy to support these hires, just need to know what actions are required to partner with the AMC policies related to that person, for example letting AMC know what speedtype to charge, etc. Sometimes, for example, we add an appointment here on our side and just pay the additional work above the regular full-time position, if that works for the home HR department.

Before a student pay increase is approved by SEHD HR, the supervisor should provide justification for the increase. There is no form for this, just a sentence or two in email to SEHD HR will suffice. If there is a change in job duties, an updated job description will also be needed, and will be added to the employee’s file.

Pay increase timing/laddering for student positions is up to the supervisor. In SEHD student positions, it is common to see a $1 increase due to experience/performance/increased responsibilities each year or two.

There are multiple ways to set pay for student employment. SEHD HR reviews with the supervisor the appropriate pay schedule for a new student.

The Academic Year standard of pay is 16 weeks in Fall, 16 weeks in Spring, total of 32 weeks paid each month from August through May.

The semester contract standard of pay is based on 16 weeks. Fall semester (typically) runs mid-August – December; and Spring semester runs mid-January – mid-May. Payment would be on the last business day of the month, as usual; however, both August and December paychecks will be prorated based on the number of days worked. This would be true for the spring semester as well.

If a student starts after the semester, but on the first of a month, SEHD HR will prepare a pay calculation to arrive at the monthly pay amount. HR will communicate the monthly pay with the supervisor to ensure accuracy and available funds.

If a student starts after the semester, but in the middle of a month, SEHD HR will advise biweekly pay. This includes submission of timesheets, and the student will receive a payment biweekly (according to the pay schedule, see below under “Tracking Work Time”).

GA/RA appointments who are paid monthly, on the last business day of each month, and typically do not submit time sheets in the MyLeave system (although you should ask your GA/RA to be accountable for their hours or work a regular schedule). SEHD HR will calculate monthly pay based on the hourly rate and hours per week.

If the supervisor prefers, HR can set up the position as hourly/biweekly. This means the student will need to submit biweekly timesheets, and the supervisor will need to log in to review and approve timesheets. This option is sometimes used if the work is sporadic and hours vary, or if the supervisor has others using timesheets and wants to simplify the routine for all student workers, etc.

Here is a link to the student biweekly schedule: 2022-2023-student-employment-bi-weekly-payroll-calendar.pdf (ucdenver.edu). We encourage all students and supervisors to set reoccurring reminders for deadlines.

For students being paid on a biweekly basis, we encourage them to review the MyLeave Guide (How to Use MyLeave - Student Guide.pdf) to set up preferences prior to their first timesheet deadline.

For new supervisors (and as a refresher for current supervisors), you may reference this guide on how to acces MyLeave, approve timesheets, and general FAQs: https://www.cu.edu/docs/sbs-my-leave-supervisors

Are you going on vacation? Set up a proxy! This feature allows supervisors to “transfer” timesheet approval to another leader on the team. This comes in handy right around payroll deadline time & has less impact on student pay. See more information here: https://www.cu.edu/docs/sbs-my-leave-supervisors

Each semester, SEHD HR will notify supervisors for confirmation of continued hiring of student employees. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to inform HR if there are any changes to their student employment status and details. This includes if the student is active, resigned, or graduated; accurate salary; correct speedtype; and hours per week.

Currently in SEHD, available resources regarding job descriptions are in the student handbook (student-hourly-employment-handbook.pdf (ucdenver.edu)) page 28. This provides an overview of the information that could be included in the job description. Additionally, on the Student Hire Formstack (found on SEHD Wiki page) where the job description upload is needed, an example is provided.

HR can check with the Student Employment team to get the specific dates for each semester.

Although this link provides monthly payroll deadlines (https://www.cu.edu/hcm-community/pay-employees/payroll-production-calendars), the student biweekly calendar can be hard to find. It’s a button at the bottom of this page as of 6/28/21: https://www.ucdenver.edu/lynxconnect/career-center/student-employment

HR can check with the Student Employment team to find out if any policies have changed.

Otherwise, as of April 2021, we were told that:

If you are going to be hiring a new student for the RA position, then they can begin to work in the Summer as long as they have documentation showing they are enrolled in a program for the Fall such as their class schedule or letter of admission. If they are going to be paid by a grant, we recommend that you check the fund agreement or the project officer of the grant for additional details.

After a student resigns (or is terminated) from their position with SEHD, the best practice is to close out any access they may have been granted. If SEHD IT granted the access (ie: Q/T drives, or other programs), a email must be sent to remove the access (send to: sehdhelp@ucdenver.edu).

Additionally, the supervisor is responsible for submitting a checkout notification form. (*This is to be completed if a student is leaving University employment and does not hold a position with another team.)

For other applications/programs granted by the supervisor, the supervisor is responsible for removing the resigned student.

Supervisors should complete this form once a student resigns and/or is terminated.