A person who holds the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor in an academic department or its functional equivalent in UW–Madison, as described in UW–Madison Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP).

Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 1 – The University Faculty

A professional and administrative employee whose duties are generally exempt* from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  

*Due to FLSA salary thresholds some Academic Staff may be non-exempt 

Academic Staff means professional and administrative personnel other than faculty with duties and types of appointments that are primarily associated with higher education institutions or their administration. Each academic staff has a principal role related to research, teaching, outreach, student services, information technology, libraries, communications, clinical/health services, or other responsibilities. Academic staff may also have an ancillary role that is complementary and related to the principal role. Academic staff may hold positions and/or have working titles that include the term "professor," which is authorized by FP&P 1.03A. Academic staff titles are identified in the UW–Madison Unclassified Title Guidelines. 

Academic Staff Policies and Procedures: Chapter 1 – Coverage and Definitions

Academic Staff Policies and Procedures: Chapter 2 – Academic Staff Appointments

An employee who is generally non-exempt from the overtime provisions of the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore is eligible to receive overtime for all hours worked over forty in a pay period. University staff appointments may be ongoing or Fixed-term Finite. 

Note: During the transition to a new human resource structure in 2015 (HR Design) and in 2021 with the Title and Total Compensation Project, current FLSA-exempt University Staff employees are able to choose to move to an Academic Staff appointment or to stay in the employee's University Staff appointment. Employees in an exempt position are not subject to the FLSA provisions applicable to non-exempt University Staff. If an employee chooses to remain in a University Staff appointment, the exempt position will become Academic Staff when the employee leaves the position. 

University Staff Appointment Types

An appointee to a designated administrative position, the holder of which serves at the discretion of the authorized official who made the appointment. Certain positions must be designated as limited appointments under Wis. Stat. § 36.17(2), while the Office of Human Resources may designate other positions as limited appointments at the time of appointment.

Graduate students who hold a fellowship, scholarship, or traineeship; who hold an appointment that is intended primarily to further the education and training of the student; who are employed to assist with research training or other academic programs or projects and/or have been assigned teaching responsibilities in an instructional department under the supervision of a faculty member. In addition, Student Assistant titles are available to undergraduate students when no qualified graduate student is available to perform a function that would normally be assigned to graduate students (i.e., Undergraduate Assistant - requires advance approval of the Dean), or when the terms of supporting grant or contract preclude the use of other normally appropriate titles (Undergraduate Intern).

L&S Student Assistants KB

Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures

Students who provide part-time and/or temporary administrative, clerical, laborer, technical, or other general support to UW–Madison Faculty and staff, and who meet the eligibility requirements below (also see UW-5003 Student Hourly Employees):

• The individual's position must be incidental to the individual's purpose or presence at the institution as a student. In other words, the individual's presence on campus is primarily to be a student, not an employee. It is not permissible to hire a person as a Student Hourly if the student is taking credits merely to be eligible for student hourly employment. This is a judgment that needs to be made by the employing unit. Factors to consider when making this decision include whether the individual is taking courses for credit, whether the individual is working towards a degree, and whether the individual is working towards a degree, and whether the individual has a pattern of taking less than a half-time load.
• The individual must be enrolled for academic credit at an educational institution. An educational institution is defined as:
  • an accredited institution of higher learning granting associate degrees or higher 
  • a technical college 
  • a vocational or trade school

CHM Undergrad KB

UW Student Hourly Policies

Post degree training, also known as “employees-in-training (ET)”, is an employment category at UW-Madison. These appointments are NOT reserved for UW-Madison graduate students; they have received a degree and are coming to UW-Madison for further training and/or research in the field of their degree. Commonly, the people in these appointments have Ph.D.’s and can often be referred to as “postdocs”, but having a Ph.D. is not a requirement for all post degree training appointments. Most of these individuals are not enrolled at a college or university and are continuing training to gain experience in their field of specialization. Prior approval for all post degree training appointments is required. 

There are five main titles for post degree training appointments at the College of Letters & Science:

1. Graduate Intern/Trainee PD001
2. Research Associate PD012
3. Research Intern PD013
4. Postdoctoral Fellow PD003
5. Postdoctoral Trainee PD004

L&S Post Degree Traning KB