Academic Appointment Dates - November 2024 Updates : Faculty and Academic Resources : Texas State University

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.

Initially, it was announced that all faculty members would transition to new academic dates effective Fall 2025. However, upon further discussion, continuing faculty will retain their current academic appointment dates. Consequently, new and rehires will follow the revised schedule for their initial year only. Subsequent appointments will follow standard term dates below for the duration of employment.

Term	Academic Appointment Dates for New/Rehires	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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Expand FAQ List

What changes were effective in August 2024?

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 vs Reappointment
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.
What were the benefits of this change?
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.

What are the affected appointments?

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

Position	Effective Date for Initial Fall Appointment	Subsequent Dates for Continuing Appointment
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.

Salary Spread Notification effective FY26
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.
- Salary Spread Simulation Tool
Summer coverage for faculty
During the summer, your insurance coverage will continue without any interruptions.
- If you are working, your insurance premiums (if applicable) will be deducted from your paycheck as usual.
- If you do not work during some or all of the summer months, you will need to arrange for either prepayment of your summer insurance premiums or monthly payments.
HR Benefits will send communications outlining payment options.
Important: If you miss a payment deadline, your insurance coverage will not lapse and will remain active.
How does the change in appointment dates for new and rehires affect Leave without Pay?

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.
How does the change in appointment dates for new and rehires affect paychecks?

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.
How does the change in appointment dates for new and rehires affect Retirement Service Credit?
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.
How do I handle a Student Worker transitioning to a GIA/DIA or GTA/DTA title in fall?

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.

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

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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.

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.
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.
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	9/1**	Per course faculty transitioning to FTE faculty positions should have a Change in Position PCRs effective 9/1, and they are already employed with the university and not considered new hires or rehires. The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR. **Note: This guidance applies only to the fall semester. 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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.

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!

Name/Email	Phone	Common reasons to contact...
Academic Affairs Budget	5-2786 Request Brendan or Joey	Academic Affairs budget/funding inquiries, stipend requests, FTE and pay calculation help and/or questions about the Faculty Salary Calculator spreadsheet, help with position management within Academic Affairs
Faculty & Academic Resources	5-2786	Questions about contracts, new teaching hiring packet completion, questions about FTE and pay calculation help back-up
HR Compensation Team	5-2557 Option 5	FTE and pay calculation help for faculty and graduate employees outside of Academic Affairs, stipend requests outside of Academic Affairs
HR Talent Acquisition	5-2557 Option 4	Questions about faculty, staff, NSNR, and temporary hiring, job postings and recommendations for hire in PeopleAdmin, reference checks, background checks and pre-employment screening, and I-9s and E-Verify.
HRIS Team	5-2557 Option 6	What type of PCR to use, what PCR effective date to use, removal of future dated LWOP actions to initiate a separation PCR, temporary SSN requests, help with position management for divisions other than Academic Affairs
International Employment	5-2557	Questions related to international employment of faculty or staff, including H1-B sponsorships and PERM process, with the exception of J-1 scholars. Email: inationalemploy@txstate.edu
International Student and Scholar Services	5-7966	Questions about the: F-1 for students: inational@txstate.edu J-1 for visiting scholars: internationalscholars@txstate.edu
Payroll	5-2543	Payroll Calendar Payroll FAQ Payroll Email: payroll@txstate.edu

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

Email Communications

11/12/2024 Important Update: Academic Appointment Dates - November 2024

Dear Colleagues,

As of Fall 2024, Texas State University implemented a new hiring date of August 16 for all new and rehired full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty, including instructors of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants.

Initially, it was announced that all faculty would transition to new academic dates in Fall 2025. However, after further discussions, it was decided that continuing faculty would retain their current academic appointment dates. As a result, only new and rehired faculty will follow the new schedule for their initial appointment. After the initial term, subsequent appointments will return to the standard academic dates as outlined below.

We’re also pleased to announce some exciting news! Starting in Fall 2025, faculty employees on a nine-month contract will be eligible for salary spread, allowing salary payments to be distributed over the entire academic year. This added flexibility will provide faculty with better options for managing their financial planning. To help with this transition, we’ve created a Salary Spread Simulation Tool that will allow you to model and plan for your salary spread options. We believe this change will be a valuable benefit to our faculty and offer greater financial flexibility.

Key Changes to Appointment Dates:

New and rehired faculty will start their appointments on August 16 for their initial term, with subsequent appointments following the standard academic dates.
Continuing faculty will retain their current academic appointment dates.

Term	Academic Appointment Dates for New/Rehires	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

To help address any questions you may have about these changes, including their impact on pay, leave, retirement, and more, we’ve updated our FAQs, which are now available on the Faculty and Academic Resources page under Academic Appointment Dates. The page includes detailed information on:

Changes to appointment dates for new and rehired faculty
Salary spread options, pay schedule adjustments, and the Salary Spread Simulation Tool
Leave Without Pay (LWOP) information for nine-month faculty positions
Retirement service credit for TRS and ORP participants
Guidance on transitioning Graduate Assistants (GAs), Graduate Instructional Assistants (GIAs), and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) to the new academic appointment dates

For additional assistance, please feel free to reach out to the relevant department or team listed below.

Name/Email	Phone	Common reasons to contact...
Academic Affairs Budget	5-2786 Request Brendan or Joey	Academic Affairs budget/funding inquiries, stipend requests, FTE and pay calculation help and/or questions about the Faculty Salary Calculator spreadsheet, help with position management within Academic Affairs
Faculty & Academic Resources	5-2786	Questions about contracts, new teaching hiring packet completion, questions about FTE and pay calculation help back-up
HR Compensation Team	5-2557 Option 5	FTE and pay calculation help for faculty and graduate employees outside of Academic Affairs, stipend requests outside of Academic Affairs
HR Talent Acquisition	5-2557 Option 4	Questions about faculty, staff, NSNR, and temporary hiring, job postings and recommendations for hire in PeopleAdmin, reference checks, background checks and pre-employment screening, and I-9s and E-Verify.
HRIS Team	5-2557 Option 6	What type of PCR to use, what PCR effective date to use, removal of future dated LWOP actions to initiate a separation PCR, temporary SSN requests, help with position management for divisions other than Academic Affairs
International Employment	5-2557	Questions related to international employment of faculty or staff, including H1-B sponsorships and PERM process, except for J-1 scholars. Email: inationalemploy@txstate.edu
International Student and Scholar Services	5-7966	Questions about the: F-1 for students: inational@txstate.edu J-1 for visiting scholars: internationalscholars@txstate.edu
Payroll	5-2543	Payroll Calendar Payroll FAQ Payroll Email: payroll@txstate.edu

Training or Assistance

Faculty and Academic Resources is available to provide training and one-on-one consultations. Visit Faculty and Academic Resources to learn about the general monthly open sessions available to answer questions and provide general assistance.

Thank you for your attention to these important updates. Please ensure that this information is distributed to your faculty and staff.

06/10/2024 Academic Appointment Date Changes

Greetings Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that effective Fall 2024, Texas State University will begin aligning our academic appointment dates with the start of the academic year. To improve the faculty and graduate student employee experience, University leadership has approved a new set of academic appointment dates below.

Term	Historical Academic Appointment Dates	New Academic Appointment Dates
Nine-Month Appointment	September 1 – May 31	August 16 – May 15
Fall	September 1 – January 15	August 16 – December 31
Spring	January 16 – May 31	January 1 – May 15
Summer I	June 1 – July 15	May 16 – June 30
Summer II	July 16 – August 31	July 1 – August 15

Historically, academic appointments for faculty, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants began at the start of the fiscal year (September 1) even though classes begin in late August. Changing our academic appointment start and end dates will have several positive impacts for faculty and graduate student employees, including access to university systems before the start of the academic term, insurance coverage and workers compensation upon commencing employment, and receiving first paycheck on September 1, rather than October 1.

The University will be implementing the new set of academic appointments dates in two phases:

Effective Fall 2024, Texas State University has mandated an August 16, hire date for all NEW and REHIRED FTE (Full Time Equivalent) faculty assigned as instructor of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants.

Effective Fall 2025, ALL faculty assigned as instructor of record, teaching assistants, and instructional assistants will begin on August 16 rather than September 1.

WHAT ARE THE AFFECTED APPOINTMENTS FOR AUGUST 2024?

New and rehired FTE faculty: Faculty of instruction, faculty of practice, research faculty, tenure line faculty (excludes per course faculty and phased retirement status)

New and rehired graduate/ doctoral instructional assistants and graduate/ doctoral teaching assistants

Position	Start Dates
FTE faculty assigned as instructor of record	August 16
Per course faculty	September 1
Graduate instructional assistants and doctoral instructional assistants (GIA/DIA)	August 16
Graduate teaching assistants and doctoral teaching assistants (GTA/DTA)	August 16
Graduate research assistants and doctoral research assistants (GRA/DRA)	No defined start or end date
Graduate assistants and doctoral assistants (GA/DA)	No defined start or end date

PCR Deadlines

August Effective Date: PCR must be in HRIS queue by August 8, 2024, by 5:00 P.M.

If the PCR is not in HRIS queue by the deadlines above, it will be processed for the supplemental payroll if the PCR is received by the 22 of the month. You may view the PCR deadlines on the PCR Deadline website at any time.

CONTACT THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS