Minimum and Maximum Appointment Levels

There is no minimum appointment for assistants, but few are appointed at less than 25 percent.

The maximum appointment for graduate students is 75 percent during fall and spring semesters, including any combination of different kinds of assistantships and student hourly employment. Although the Graduate School cannot monitor employment outside of UWM, it recommends that this limit be applied to the sum of all employment, both on-campus and off-campus, undertaken by graduate students during the fall and spring semesters, to support the priority of succeeding in graduate school. Appointments that exceed 75 percent require approval of the Graduate School; the graduate student should submit a Request for Exception that provides an explanation and justification for the request.

Exceptions to the 75 percent limit include:

• Students on F-1 visas cannot have appointments exceeding 50 percent during the fall or spring semesters, except for those approved for Curricular Practical Training (contact the Center for International Education for more information.)
• Undergraduate Assistants are limited to 50 percent appointments during the academic year.

Graduate Assistants, including those on F-1 visas, may be appointed at 100 percent during summer sessions.

In all cases, the maximum appointment percentage should reflect a balance between time devoted to academics and to the appointment. In making appointments over 50 percent, the academic success of the student should be the foremost consideration. Factors to consider in offering appointments that exceed 50 percent are the student’s time management skills, grade point average, and progress toward degree.

---