Additional Information

GA Appointment Document

All appointing units should use the Graduate School’s Graduate Associate Appointment document (only available through DocuSign, All Templates/New Graduate Associate Appointment Document). Any additional information to be communicated to students should be done via a supplemental letter (no changes should be made to the template itself).

To access, complete, and send the template, you must have the eSignature sender role. To acquire sender status:

1. Complete the eSignature Sender Training in BuckeyeLearn
2. Login to my.osu.edu and click the eSignature link on the left hand side to accept the terms and conditions
3. Receive confirmation of access via email (typically within 24 hours)

Questions about using DocuSign can be sent to esignature@osu.edu.
Questions about gaining access to DocuSign can be sent to 8-Help.
Questions about the GA Appointment Document can be sent to Samuel Jordan

If you would like to populate the template with multiple students, you can use the bulk upload feature with the bulk upload spreadsheet.

The GA appointment template will automatically record the appointment document in the OnBase personnel file upon completion if:

1. the envelope subject is not changed
2. the envelope subject begins with “please sign graduate associate appointment document”
3. an employee ID is entered on the form

Paycheck Calendar

Graduate associates and fellows appointed for autumn semester will receive their first paycheck at the end of August. GAs on a nine-month appointment will receive one-half of a month’s paycheck in August and one-half in May.

First Four-Week Summer Session

A typical graduate associate appointment is for autumn and spring semesters. However, work patterns are determined locally, and they may vary due to the first four-week summer session.

Fellows are typically appointed for three consecutive terms. The summer term, including the first four-week session, is part of the three-term appointment for fellows who start in autumn semester. If a fellowship appointment starts in the summer term, that appointment runs from mid-May to mid-May of the following year.

Payroll Deduction

Payroll deductions for student health benefits and other student service fees will occur in four installments for both autumn semester and spring semester.

Deductions will be reflected in September through December paychecks for autumn semester and January through April paychecks for spring semester. For summer term, deductions will be reflected in June and July paychecks.

Payroll Deduction for Graduate Associates, Fellows, and Trainees document

Summer Fee Authorization

A GA appointed at 50 percent time for both autumn and spring semesters will receive a summer fee authorization without being on appointment.

A graduate associate appointed at 25 percent time for both autumn and spring semesters is entitled to a summer fee authorization at half the full fee authorization rate.

A graduate student who elects not to enroll during the summer term immediately following his or her autumn and spring semesters GA appointment may not defer the use of the summer fee authorization.