There are four training videos as GESS resources for spring 2026:
  1. TA Offer Letters video
  2. New TA Appointment video
  3. Grad Re-Appointment System video
  4. Position Numbers & Transfers video

If you do not have access to the training videos through Teams, please email Graduate Affairs Manager, Erika Christiansen.

The December 2025 Business Brief has updated Grad Re-Appointment System information for spring 2026. As a reminder, the application will close on January 16, 2026.  Any changes to spring TA/RA appointments after this date will need to be handled through a workflow form. If you have any questions, contact hr-help@uiowa.edu or sandy-mast@uiowa.edu.  

 

Additional information is written below for the CLAS Graduate Assistant Appointment and Reappointment System for Spring 2026, from the training videos. 

TA Offer Letter:

  • TA Offer Letters Setup: The speaker emphasized the importance of setting up TA offer letters using templates available on the CLAS website and using the vetted templates approved by the grad college and employee and labor relations.
  • Template Customization: The speaker explained the steps to customize the TA appointment letter template, including transferring it to departmental letterhead, removing bracketed labels, and choosing the appropriate appointment type and duration.
  • Effort Chart: The speaker highlighted the importance of including an effort chart in every TA appointment letter, detailing the number of contact hours, prep and grading time, office hours, and other responsibilities to ensure the total hours match the appointment percentage.
  • Electronic Signatures: The speaker recommended using electronic signatures for the DEO or DGS and DocuSign for collecting TA signatures, as it simplifies the process and ensures easy filing of signed letters.
  • Filing System: The speaker suggested setting up a filing system for organizing TA-related documents on a shared drive or Teams channel, with individual folders for each TA and a spreadsheet to track important information.

New TA Appointments:

  • Submitting New TA Appointments: Navigating the HR Hub, emphasizing the process for new students who have never been a graduate assistant. They explained the steps involved in submitting the first appointment.
  • HR Administration Resources: Navigating the CLAS resource website to access HR Administration resources and submit a transaction request for a new hire appointment for a student.
  • Entering Student Information: Process of entering the student's name, department, supervisor, start and end dates, and compensation details for the new TA appointment.
  • I-9 Completion: Importance of completing I-9 forms for new employees, including those coming off a fellowship, to comply with federal regulations and avoid fines.
  • Uploading Attachments: How to upload the appointment letter as an attachment to the workflow form and submit it to the HR Hub for processing.
  • Workflow Queue: Submitted TA appointments will appear in the workflow queue and the process of tracking the workflow transaction number.

Grad Re-Appointment System:

  • Grad Assistant Reappointment System Overview: availability during the summer and winter periods for making changes to records for the next academic year and spring semester.
  • Accessing the System: how to access the Grad Assistant reappointment system through the Human Resources systems and demonstrated the layout of the system's homepage.
  • Reviewing Records: how to review records for graduate assistants, including sorting columns, viewing details, and making changes to records. They emphasized the importance of comments for communication among users.
  • Job Codes and Pay Groups: different job codes and pay groups for graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research assistants, and fellowships, and how to ensure the correct job code is assigned. We will typically use FT19 (Teaching Assistant), FR19 (Research Assistant), FF52 (Fellowship).
  • Position Numbers: The speaker mentioned the importance of position numbers and announced a separate video tutorial to address questions related to position numbers.
  • Registered Hours: the importance of ensuring that TAs are registered for at least one credit hour to be eligible to teach and how the system flags unregistered TAs for follow-up.
  • Collective Bargaining Eligibility: TAs and RAs with a 25% appointment or more are eligible for collective bargaining under the COGS contract and how the system automatically populates related fields.
  • MFK Lines: detailed the process of filling out the MFK lines, including the importance of validating the MFK and the option to add multiple MFK lines if needed.
  • Saving and Finalizing Records: the importance of saving and finalizing records to ensure that TA appointments are processed in the HRIS system and that TAs receive their pay.
  • Finalizing the Process: key steps in handling records in the Grad Assistant reappointment system and encouraged users to contact them with any questions.
Position Numbers and Transfers:

notes in progress.