Academic Appointment Dates - November 2024 Updates

As of Fall 2024, Texas State University established an August 16 hiring date for all new and rehired full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty assigned as instructor of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants.   

While it was initially announced that all faculty would transition to new academic appointment dates beginning Fall 2025, further discussions have led to the decision that current faculty will maintain their existing academic appointment dates. As a result, the revised schedule will only apply to new and rehired FTE faculty assigned as instructors of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants during their initial year. After the first year, subsequent appointments will follow the standard term dates listed below for the remainder of their employment. 

Please refer to the FAQs below for more information on the affected appointments.

Term 

Academic Appointment Dates for New/Rehires (FTE faculty assigned as instructor of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants) 

Standard Academic Appointment Dates 

Nine-Month Appointment  

 August 16 – May 15 

September 1 – May 31 

 Fall  

 August 16 – December 31 

September 1 – January 15 

 Spring 

 January 1 – May 15 

January 16 – May 31 

 Summer I 

 June 1 – July 15 

June 1 – July 15 

 Summer II 

 July 16 – August 31 

July 16 – August 31 

Per course faculty appointments begin on September 1 and/or January 16. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Expand FAQ List

  • The effective dates for academic appointments of new and rehired full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants have been adjusted to August 16 from September 1, with appointments concluding on May 15 instead of May 31. This two-week shift synchronizes initial appointments with the academic calendar rather than the fiscal calendar, while subsequent appointments will follow standard term dates for the duration of employment. Existing employees' term dates remain unaffected. 

  • Rehire and reappointment are defined as follows: 

    • Faculty members are rehired if they have been through the separation process.  
    • Faculty members are reappointed if they have not been terminated and if they have had a faculty appointment the previous semester or summer. Reappointed faculty members are considered continuing employees and remain unchanged. 

  • New and rehired full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants will have active university appointments when they begin work, provided the hiring unit submits the hiring documents and PCR before the processing deadline. This allows for: 

    • Access to university systems before the academic term begins. 
    • Insurance coverage and workers’ compensation upon commencing employment. Please note that Graduate Instructional Assistants (GIA) and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) are still subject to a 60-day waiting period for medical benefits. 
    • The first paycheck will be disbursed on September 1, rather than October 1. 

    1. New and rehired full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty, including faculty of instruction, faculty of practice, clinical faculty, research faculty, and tenure-line faculty (excluding per course faculty and those in phased retirement status). 
    2. New and rehired graduate/doctoral instructional assistants and graduate/doctoral teaching assistants

     Position 

     Effective Date for 

     Initial Fall Appointment 

    Subsequent Dates for Continuing Appointment 

     New/Rehired FTE faculty assigned as instructor of record 

     August 16 

     September 1 

     Per course faculty 

     September 1 

     September 1 

     Graduate instructional  assistants and doctoral  instructional assistants  (GIA/DIA) 

     August 16  

     September 1  

     Graduate teaching assistants and doctoral teaching assistants (GTA/DTA) 

     August 16  

     September 1 

     Graduate research  assistants and doctoral  research assistants  (GRA/DRA) 

     No defined start or end  date 

     No defined start or end  date 

     Graduate assistants and  doctoral assistants (GA/DA) 

     No defined start or end  date 

     No defined start or end  date 

    Circumstances related VISA and work authorization may arise affecting the ability to commence work and be in residence by August 16.  These instances will be addressed individually, on a case-by-case basis. 

  • Employees on a nine-month contract with dates from 8/16 to 5/15 or 9/1 to 5/31 will have the option to elect salary spread.

  • During the summer, your insurance coverage will continue as normal with no interruptions. If you are working during the summer, your employee insurance premiums (if applicable) will be deducted from your paycheck as normal. If you do not work during some/all of the summer months, you would need to make arrangements to either prepay for your summer insurance premiums or pay your premiums monthly. HR Benefits sends an email in early May with your payment options. Please note: If you miss a payment deadline, your insurance coverage does not lapse and will continue to be active

  • Employees hired into nine-month positions will be placed on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) during the summer months and will appear as “inactive” current employees while on leave. Employees hired into 12-month positions will not be placed on LWOP and will receive pay year-round.  

     New hires or rehires hired with contract dates from 8/16 to 5/15 will be placed on LWOP from 5/16 to 8/31 during their first summer. If they return for the fall semester, they will be returned from leave effective 9/1. For those who remain in nine-month positions, this LWOP status will continue every summer from 6/1 to 8/31, with a return from leave the following 9/1.  

     Additional appointments for Summer Session I/June summer assignments may being on 6/1, as usual. 

  • Newly appointed or rehired faculty members with a nine-month appointment beginning August 16 will receive compensation under a modified schedule. The first paycheck, issued September 1, reflects work from August 16-31, and the final paycheck on June 1 corresponds to work from May 1-15. 

  • Retirement service credit is used to determine eligibility for TRS retirement and retiree insurance. To earn a year of retirement service credit, participants in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) of Texas and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) must have at least 90 paid days within each September 1 – August 31 plan year, except for the final year before retirement. Employees who are paid for the entire fall semester and retire on December 31 will receive a year of retirement service credit. Review the TRS Service Credit Brochure for more information. 

    An eligible employee may contribute to TRS or ORP without earning a year of retirement service credit in the following situations: 

    • If employees separate before accumulating 90 paid days for the plan year and do not retire at the end of the fall semester. 
    • If unpaid time off or leave results in fewer than 90 paid days for the plan year. 

  • If a Student Worker is transitioning to a GIA/DIA or GTA/DTA position in Fall, their graduate appointment hire date should be August 16 to align with the new effective date for all IA and TA titles. Employees cannot be in both the hourly/Student Worker and salaried/Graduate appointment payroll systems within the same calendar month. To facilitate this, their hourly Student Worker assignment must be separated by July 31, allowing them to transition to the monthly/salaried payroll system in August. Please refer to the PCR guidance below for more details. 

    PCR Guidance:  

    The Student Worker department PCR initiator should start a Separation PCR (not an End Additional Appointment, as there will be a break in service before hiring as a graduate employee) with a separation date of July 31 at the latest. Please use the last day worked in July as the separation date and include this information in the PCR comments.  

    Additional notes:  

    All hourly Student Worker time entries must be submitted in SAP and approved by 5 PM on July 31. The separation PCR should be initiated as soon as possible to facilitate this process. 

    You may initiate the separation PCR before the last day worked, if you specify the expected last day worked in the Separation PCR comments. 

    The HRIS Team will verify the last day worked in CATS_DA and confirm that all time entries have been approved before finalizing the separation of the Student Worker assignment. Timely initiation and processing of the separation PCR are crucial for ensuring a smooth transition.  

    To rehire an employee into their GIA/DIA or GTA/DTA appointment, initiate an Additional Appointment PCR with the reason code "Rehire - existing position" or "Rehire - new position," effective August 16.  Additional notes:  

    TA graduate appointment titles must have the completed contracting forms attached to the PCRs for the appointment periods of August 16 – December 31 or August 16 – May 15.   

    Use "Rehire - existing position" if the position number on the PCR has been previously held by another graduate student. Use "Rehire - new position" if the position number is new and has not been used before. To determine if a position number has had a holder, follow these steps:  

    Access SAP transaction PO13D and enter the position number in the Position field, then press Enter. 

    Select "All" in the Time Period area. 

    Highlight the Relationships tab and select the Mountain/Overview button at the top to view all relationships. 

    If any previous holders are listed, use the "existing position" reason code; if no holders are found, use the "new position" reason code. Please refer to the visual below for further clarification. 

     

    A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated

     

    Since the position above has had previous holders, the reason code "existing position" should be used in this case. 

Was your question not addressed in the FAQ? 

COMMON SCENARIOS & GUIDANCE

Below is a chart outlining common scenarios you may encounter. Please note that some of this guidance may be new or updated from last fall, so be sure to read through each scenario carefully. If you have any other scenarios not covered below, please email HRISTeam@txstate.edu so we can address them and, if needed, update the site. 

Going forward, only new hire and rehire FTE faculty and GIA/DIA/GTA/DTA graduate appointments, will follow the new academic appointment start date of August 16. If an individual is already employed by the university and transitioning to a different position in the fall, their guidance may be different. 

CONTACT THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

Please look at the teams below and the common reasons you may need to seek guidance. Reach out with your questions as soon as possible for assistance, detailing all pertinent employee information in your emails and communications. We are happy to help! 

Scenario  

Effective Date  

Guidance  

New Hire or Rehire (which may include an Additional Appointment PCR if they had a break in service of one day or more) FTE faculty  

8/16  

New hire or rehire FTE faculty will follow the 8/16 – 5/15 contract dates their first year of employment and will then flip to the 9/1 – 5/31 contract dates in subsequent years. A copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR. 

New Hire or Rehire (which may include an Additional Appointment PCR if they had a break in service of one day or more) GIA/DIA/GTA/DTA  

8/16  

New hires or rehires for GIA/DIA/GTA/DTA positions will follow the 8/16 – 5/15 academic appointment dates during their first year of employment. In subsequent years, they will transition to the 9/1 – 5/31 appointment dates.  

New Hire or Rehire (which may include an Additional Appointment PCR if they had a break in service of one day or more) Per Course Faculty  

9/1  

Newly hired or rehired per course faculty will continue to follow the Fall semester dates of 9/1 – 1/15 and the Spring semester dates of 1/16 – 5/31. A copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR. 

New Hire or Rehire (which may include an Additional Appointment PCR if they had a break in service of one day or more) GRA/DRA/GA-NE/DA-NE/Postdoctoral Scholar/Program Faculty  

The day they begin working in the position  

GRA/DRA/GA-NE/DA-NE/Postdoctoral Scholar/Program Faculty are paid per day worked; therefore, their date of employment should begin on their first day worked in those positions.  

  

Per course Faculty going to FTE faculty  

8/16 or 9/1 - check guidance for which date to use

Per course faculty transitioning to benefits eligible FTE faculty positions may start on 8/16 or 9/1 depending on their per course faculty work over the summer. 

 If the per course faculty member does not work summer session II (7/16 – 8/31), their per course faculty assignment must be ended via End Additional Appointment PCR effective 8/15 and an Additional Appointment PCR should be processed effective 8/16 to appoint them into the benefits eligible FTE faculty position. You cannot process a change in position PCR for this scenario; it will produce a hard stop and is not allowable by SAP.  The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation  form must be attached to the Additional Appointment PCR. If transitioning to an FTE faculty position via a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR.  

If the per course faculty member works summer session II through 8/31, you should process a Change in Position PCR effective 9/1 to move them into their benefits-eligible FTE faculty assignment. The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation  form must be attached to the Additional Appointment PCR. If transitioning to an FTE faculty position via a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR.  

 Spring Note: For spring transitions, if a per course faculty member is moving to an FTE position, their per course assignment must end via an End Additional Appointment on 1/15. An Additional Appointment PCR should then be completed to appoint them to their FTE faculty position, effective 1/16. The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR.   If transitioning to an FTE faculty position via a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR. 

FTE faculty going to per course faculty  

9/1  

FTE faculty transitioning to per-course faculty are entitled to their benefits through 8/31. A Change in Position PCR should be processed with an effective date of 9/1, as they are not considered new hires or rehires. The signed Per Course Faculty Contract form must be attached to the PCR.  

Active FTE Staff going to an *Instructor of Record (teaching) FTE Faculty position 

 

8/16 

For active benefits-eligible staff transitioning to an Instructor of Record FTE Faculty position, a Change in Position PCR should be processed with an effective date of 8/16 to update their assignment. Use the appropriate reason code that corresponds to the relevant PeopleAdmin action (e.g., "Tenure-Track Appointment with Search" or "Non-Tenure Line Appointment with Search"). A copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR. 

Active FTE Program Faculty going to an Instructor of Record (teaching) FTE Faculty position 

8/16 

For active FTE Program Faculty transitioning to an Instructor of Record FTE Faculty position, a Change in Position PCR should be processed with an effective date of 8/16 to update their assignment. Use the appropriate reason code that aligns with the corresponding PeopleAdmin action (e.g., "Tenure-Track Appointment with Search" or "Non-Tenure Line Appointment with Search"). A copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should be attached to the PCR. 

Existing/employed graduate student changing positions into an IA or TA  

9/1  

Graduate employees transitioning into GIA/DIA/GTA/DTA positions should have a Change in Position PCR effective 9/1. Since they are already employed by the university and not considered new hires or rehires. The signed Contracting of Temporary Faculty form must be attached to the PCR for all Teaching Assistants.  

Existing/employed graduate student employees changing positions to an RA or GA/DA (not changing to an IA/TA)  

The day they begin working in the RA or GA/DA position**  

GRA/DRA/GA/DA (Non-Exempt) are paid per day worked; therefore, their date of employment should begin on their first day worked in those positions.  

**Note: For Summer II, if they are actively working through 8/31, their change should occur on 9/1.  

Hourly (Student Worker or NSNR) employee to IA/TA  

8/16 or 9/1 depending on last hourly position time entry  

All hourly employment must end by 7/31, and all time entries must be submitted and approved by 5 p.m. on 7/31 to transition to the new IA/TA assignment effective 8/16. If employees continue working in the hourly position in August, their start date in the graduate assignment will be delayed until 9/1. The signed Contracting of Temporary Faculty form must be attached to the PCR for all Teaching Assistants. For more detailed instructions, please refer to the FAQs.  

Hourly (Student Worker or NSNR) employee to GRA/DRA/GA-NE/DA-NE 

Depends on last hourly position time entry 

If the intention is to move into a graduate position sometime in August, all hourly employment must end by 7/31, and all time entries must be submitted and approved by 5 p.m. on 7/31 to transition to the new graduate assignment effective in August. If employees continue working in the hourly position in August, their start date in the graduate assignment will be 9/1. 

Graduate Student employees going to Hourly (Student Worker or NSNR) over the summer 

6/1 

Reminder: Employees cannot be on the M1 (Monthly) and S1 (Hourly) payroll cycle in the same calendar month. Graduate assistantships are on the M1 (Monthly) payroll while Student Worker and NSNR positions are on the S1 (Hourly) payroll cycle. 

Typically, graduate student employees work into May, and more specifically, IA and TA graduate titles will have a semester end date of 5/15 or 5/31 depending on what employment date they began on. IA and TA graduate titles are to be paid for the full 4.5 month semester they work, whereas other graduate titles are paid per day worked. 

To move an IA/TA graduate title to an hourly position for the summer, you must look at the individual in PA20 Actions to see what date set they last worked on and when their LWOP (Leave without pay) begins. If their LWOP begins on 5/16, you must separate (via a Separation PCR) their graduate position effective 5/16 to separate their employment from the graduate position. Then, the summer hiring department must complete an Additional Appointment PCR (reason code: Rehire) to rehire them effective 6/1/xx or later to begin working in the hourly assignment.  

If their LWOP begins on 6/1, you may end their graduate employment with an End Additional Appointment PCR (reason code: Change in Payroll Area), and the summer hiring department can appoint them into an Hourly position via Additional Appointment PCR (Reason code: Change in Position - Salary to Hourly).  

Please review the guidance for more information if they need to be moved back into a graduate position for the fall semester. 

Change in FTEs  

9/1  

Most Fall FTE changes should be processed with an effective date of 9/1, as they involve existing employees and not new hires or rehires. The appropriate signed contracting form must be attached to the PCR for these changes.  

If an FTE change does not occur on the 1st of the month, additional steps may be required (such as ending the current assignment with an End Additional Appointment and creating a new Additional Appointment for the new role). If you have questions about processing a mid-month FTE change, please contact HRISTeam@txstate.edu for guidance.  

Our office is collaborating closely with Human Resources and Information Technology to implement these changes.