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Frequently Asked Questions: Academic Appointments

• GSI Appointments
• GSR Appointments

GSI Appointments

Q: What is a GSI and what are the duties of this appointment?
GSI is the acronym for Graduate Student Instructor, which is equivalent to Teaching Assistant (TA) at many other universities. As a GSI, students are limited to working not more than 50% during the fall and spring semesters. During the winter, spring, and summer breaks, students may work up to 100%. A GSI is chosen for excellent scholarship and for promise as a teacher to serve an apprenticeship under the supervision of a regular faculty member.

Please read What You Need to Know About Being a GSI, GSR, Reader, or Tutor (PDF).

Q: How do I find out about opportunities to be a GSI?
All GSI appointments are made at the department level. You should check with the graduate assistant or a faculty advisor in your department about applying to be a GSI. Many departments post opportunities on their bulletin boards. You should also check with other departments that teach subjects allied with your field of study, or your previous education or teaching experience. Departments are also encouraged to list opportunities with the Career Center, 2111 Bancroft Way.

Q: What are the minimum requirements to be a GSI?
In order to receive a GSI appointment, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.1, may not have more than two Incomplete grades, and must not be on probation or in lapsed candidacy status. All students must be registered for the semester during which they hold a GSI appointment, and they must be enrolled in at least 12 units, unless already advanced to doctoral candidacy, for the entire semester. Please read about requirement details in What You Need to Know About Being a GSI, GSR, Reader, or Tutor (PDF).

Q: How much is a GSI paid?
The salary associated with each step in the GSI academic appointment series can be found on the Office of Human Resources' Web site.

Q: What are the step requirements for GSIs?
GSIs, with a few exceptions, start at Step I. Appointment at Step II requires four semesters of teaching experience at Step I. Appointment at Step III requires six semesters of teaching. Only under exceptional circumstances can a student be appointed at Step IV, and advancement to that step requires specific prior written approval by the Associate Dean of the Graduate Division. Occasionally a student may receive his or her first appointment at a level above Step I. The student must have post-baccalaureate teaching experience at another university or college. In exceptional circumstances, early advancement based on a combination of teaching and extraordinary merit, or on merit alone can be considered.
Q: In addition to salary, what other benefits are associated with a GSI appointment?
If the GSI appointment meets certain criteria, a portion of assessed fees is paid for the student. This benefit is called a fee remission. In order to receive a fee remission, the semester appointment must be for 25% or more time. Students must be registered and enrolled in at least 12 units, unless already advanced to doctoral candidacy, not later than the end of the third week of the semester, and they may not have any registration blocks. For more information, please read the fee remission program bulletin (PDF).

GSR Appointments

Q: What is a GSR and what are the duties of this appointment?
GSR is the acronym for Graduate Student Researcher, which is equivalent to Research Assistant (RA) at many other universities. As a GSR, students are limited to working not more than 50% during the fall and spring semesters. During the winter, spring, and summer breaks, students may work up to 100%. A GSR performs research broadly related to the degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSRs do not perform teaching, administrative, or general assistance duties.

For more information, look at the Graduate Division publication called What You Need to Know About Being a GSI, GSR, Reader, or Tutor (PDF).

Q: How do I find out about opportunities to be a GSR?
All GSR appointments are made at the department or research unit level. You should check with the graduate assistant or a faculty advisor in your department about applying to be a GSR. Many departments post opportunities on their bulletin boards. You should also check with other departments or organized research units that conduct research allied with your field of study, or your previous education, training, or work experience. Departments are also encouraged to list opportunities with the Career Center, 2111 Bancroft Way.

Q: What are the minimum requirements to be a GSR?
In order to receive a GSR appointment, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.1, may not have more than two Incomplete grades, and must not be on probation or in lapsed candidacy status. All students must be registered for the semester during which they hold a GSR appointment, and they must be enrolled for at least eight units for the entire semester.

Q: How much is a GSR paid?
The salary associated with each step in the GSR academic appointment series is the responsibility of the Academic Personnel Office on the Berkeley campus. For the current salary structure, check the Academic Personnel Office website (PDF).

Q: What are the step requirements for GSRs?
The department or organized research unit that hires the student determines the step at which a student is appointed. Each hiring unit should have written guidelines that spell out the requirements for appointment at each level and the criteria for advancement.

Q: In addition to salary, what other benefits are associated with a GSR appointment?
If the GSR appointment meets certain criteria, a portion, or all, of assessed fees may be paid for the student. This benefit is called a fee remission. In addition, GSRs with appointments that are at least 45% time may be eligible for coverage of their non-resident tuition through a tuition remission. In order to receive a fee remission, the appointment must be for 25% or more time for the entire semester. For more information, please read the fee remission program bulletin (PDF).