Instructional Staffing Request Form - L&S

Instructions related to the Instructional Staffing Requests form. This page was last reviewed in October 2023.

The online form 'Instructional Staffing Requests in L&S' is used to submit requests and changes related to Teaching Assistants, Short-term Staff, and Summer Term in the College of Letters & Science.

Link to form: Instructional Staffing Requests in L&S

Contact for feedback about the form or this KB: Cathy Yu

STS - new request

Responses will be sent by teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu.
Additional instructions for STS requests: L&S Short-term Staffing Requests
Teaching Specialists should not be submitted as STS requests. Instead, departments should select 'TA or Grader alternative - request Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant' for these requests.
For changes to summer instructors, select 'Summer - change related to a previously approved course/appointment'.

Form questions - new STS
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'STS - New Request'
Dates of Appointment	Select the semester or academic year for this appointment. Summer STS should be requested as part of the annual Summer Budget Proposal process: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/85475
Additional information re: teaching	Please include additional information related to this instructor's teaching assignment. Info to include: Modality of course(s) Credit range Expected enrollment in this instructor's section(s) Number of teaching assistants supervised If applicable, name of the instructor who was originally scheduled to teach
STS Funding	Most academic year STS are funded on STS 101 funding (101-2 A48##04). Confirm that the funding will be STS 101, otherwise, please select 'other' and write the funding name and/or funding string.
Appointment Percentage	Indicate the appointment percentage that the department has in mind. This is subject to approval from L&S. For Lecturer (SA) positions that include professional development, please indicate the total appointment level. For information on LSA professional development, see the L&S KB: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/32748#PD
Expected title	Most short-term staff are hired as lecturers: Lecturer (Academic Staff title) Lecturer (SA). Student assistant title, used for currently enrolled graduate students. Other (enter text)
For titles other than Lecturer or Lecturer (SA), please explain your reasoning for selecting this title.	Only displayed if ‘Expected title’ selected was 'Other'. Include additional information, e.g., additional duties. If requesting a Teaching Specialist, please return to the start of the form (Question #3) and select 'TA or Grader alternative - request Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant'.
STS attachment	(optional) Include supporting materials as appropriate. Lecturer (SA) professional development: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/32748#PD Adjunct request memo: https://kb.wisc.edu/ohr/policies/page.php?id=53631 Volunteer memo: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/23622#instructional Visiting Faculty: if available, upload their CV and documentation related to their salary (base rate with pay basis) If you have difficulty uploading your documents, please email them to teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu. Accepted formats: Word, Excel, .pdf
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

STS - change previously approved position

Responses will be sent by teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu.
Additional instructions for STS requests: L&S Short-term Staffing Requests

Form questions - Change STS position
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'STS - change previously approved position'
What type of change are you making to this STS position?	If extending/reappointing a current STS appointment, or increasing a current STS appointment, please return to the start of the form (Question #3) and select 'STS - new request' Options: Timing Expected title Funding Canceling position Other (enter text)
Additional information re: this STS change	Describe the change that you're making to this position.
STS attachment	(optional) Include supporting materials as appropriate. Lecturer (SA) professional development: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/32748#PD Adjunct request memo: https://kb.wisc.edu/ohr/policies/page.php?id=53631 Volunteer memo: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/23622#instructional Visiting Faculty: if available, upload their CV and documentation related to their salary (base rate with pay basis) If you have difficulty uploading your documents, please email them to teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu. Accepted formats: Word, Excel, .pdf
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

TA - new request

This form would be used when creating new positions. Some examples:
- Adding a TA to a new course
- Adding a TA to an existing course that has not previously had TAs
- Creating a one-time TA position, e.g., course development
You will be required to upload a TA workload.
Departments do not need to use this form if changing the number of TAs approved during the annual planning exercise.
Additional instructions for TA positions: Teaching Assistant Appointments in L&S
Responses will be sent by Lynne Prost.

Form questions - new TA
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'TA - new request'
What type of new TA position are you requesting?	Options: Adding a TA to a new course Adding a TA to an existing course that has not previously had TAs Creating a one-time TA position, e.g., course development Other (enter text)
TA semester effective	Select the semester this position is effective.
Expected TA appointment percentage	Indicate the appointment percentage that the department has in mind. This is subject to approval from L&S.
TA appointment structure	Briefly describe the appointment structure, including the number of labs, discussions, etc. per position, and enrollment caps. Appointments less than 33.4% or larger than 50% are not recommended and need further explanation of why they're needed. Please provide this context you're requesting such an appointment.
TA Funding	Most TAs are funded as follows: 101 funding (101-2 A48##71) during the academic year Summer 131 funding (131-2 A48##93) during summer If selecting 'other' please write the funding name and/or funding string.
TA Workload	Please upload the TA workload. Additional instructions are available on the L&S KB: Teaching Assistant Appointments in L&S Accepted formats: Word, Excel, .pdf
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

TA - change previously approved position

Departments should use this form for the following changes
- Change the appointment % of an existing TA position
- Change the structure of an existing TA position
Departments do not need to use this form if changing the number of TAs approved during the annual planning exercise.
You will be required to upload a TA workload.
Additional instructions for TA positions: Teaching Assistant Appointments in L&S
Responses will be sent by Lynne Prost.

Form questions - change TA position
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'TA - change previously approved position'
Effective semester of this change	Select the semester this change is effective.
What type of change are you making to this TA position?	You will be asked to upload a TA workload for these changes. Some examples of changing the structure of a TA appointment: changing the number of discussions per section changing the number of students per section Options: Change the appointment % of an existing TA position Change the structure of an existing TA position Other (enter text)
Description of TA change	Select 'TA - change existing position'
TA Workload	Upload the TA workload. Additional instructions are available on the L&S KB: Teaching Assistant Appointments in L&S Accepted formats: Word, Excel, .pdf
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

TA or Grader alternative - request Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant

Departments may seek approval for these positions if they are not able to recruit qualified graduate students.
Responses will be sent by Lynne Prost.

Form questions - Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant Request
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'TA or Grader alternative - request Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant'
Dates of Appointment	Select the semester or academic year for this appointment.
Number of positions needed	Number of positions (headcount) anticipated for this course.
Appointment level	For salaried positions, please indicate the appointment percentage. For hourly positions, please estimate the number of hours needed.
Justification (TS/UA)	Describe the steps the department has taken to recruit qualified and eligible graduate students, e.g., posting on the Student Job Board (https://studentjobs.wisc.edu/)
Funding (TS/UA)	The funding should match the TA or UA funding: TA 101 funding (101-2 A48##71) during the academic year Summer 131 funding (131-2 A48##93) during summer If selecting 'other', please write the funding name and/or funding string.
Anticipated title	Select the anticipated title. If you are unsure, please indicate which title seems to fit best, and add notes to the 'additional information' question at the end of the form. Hiring undergraduate students: Undergraduate Assistant – Teaching Assistant ('UA-TA') Student Assistant title, used for current undergraduate students. Duties are similar to those of a Teaching Assistant Undergraduate Assistant – Grader/Readers ('UA-Grader') Student Assistant title, used for current undergraduate students. Perform the same duties as Grader/Readers. Hiring non-students: Teaching Specialist Academic staff title Duties are similar to those of a Teaching Assistant Professional Consultant Temporary Employee category Perform the same duties as Grader/Readers

Additional questions if hiring Undergraduate Assistants

Form questions - UA
UA question	Details
Criteria for hiring an undergraduate in this course	What is the course-specific criteria for hiring a UA? E.g., GPA within major, courses taken, prior teaching/tutoring experience
Names of UAs, if known
Name of supervisor	UAs work under the supervision of Faculty or Academic Staff

Final questions - Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant Request
Form Question	Details
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

Summer - Add Course

Responses will be sent by teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu.
This form should be used to add summer courses after the initial planning exercise for Summer.

Form questions - Add Summer Course
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'Summer - add course '
Explanation for adding this course	Please provide a brief explanation for adding this course.
Summer course modality	Options: Classroom Online Only Online (some classroom) Other
Estimated enrollment of summer course	Indicate the overall planned capacity for the course.
Credit range of summer course	List the course’s credit range
Estimated paid credits	Paid Credits are credit hours associated with students who paid tuition to the campus tuition pool. See the L&S KB for summer budget model definitions: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/21681#definitions
Summer funding	Most summer courses are funded by a department's summer 131 funding (131-2 A48##93). Confirm that the funding will be Summer 131, otherwise, please select 'other' and write the funding name and/or funding string.
Summer course session	Indicate the course's session. The codes for common sessions are listed as options. For other sessions, select 'Other' and then type the session code and/or course dates. Full list of sessions is available here: https://registrar.wisc.edu/sessioncodes/ Recommended sessions: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/94506#sessions
Summer instructor appointments	Describe the current plan for this course's instructor(s). See the following L&S KB for guidance on appointment levels: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/85547#appt-level Details to include: Instructor name, if known Title Full-time base rate Target compensation level (e.g., one ninth of salary)
Summer TA appointments	If the course will have TAs, please indicate the number of TAs and their appointment level. TA appointments are based on the approximate number of hours needed for the appointment and will require a workload: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/page.php?id=95768 Guidance on summer TA appointments: https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/85547#TA
Other expenses or support needed for this course	(optional) Include other salary or expense costs if needed. Include a brief description and overall cost estimate. Some examples: reader support - include anticipated number of hours student hourlies - include overall salary estimate supplies & expenses
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.

Summer - change related to a previously approved course/appointment

Responses will be sent by teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu.
This form should be used to change a detail related to a summer course (instructor, modality, funding, timing, etc.).
To cancel a course, please use the 'Course-related requests' form: https://forms.office.com/r/ny8ke9n2tq
To add or update TA support, return to question #3 and select either 'TA - New Request' or 'TA - change previously approved position'.
To request a Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant, departments should select 'TA or Grader alternative - request Teaching Specialist or Undergraduate Assistant.'

Form questions - Add Summer Course
Form Question	Details
Department	Select the name of the L&S department.
Course / Assignment	For most positions, list the name & number of the course(s). Otherwise, identify the appointment (course development, learning center support, etc.).
Type of request	Select 'Summer - change approved course'
Summer Course change	Indicate what type of change is needed: Update course detail (modality, session, etc.) Update instructor Other To cancel a course, please use the 'Course-related requests' form: https://forms.office.com/r/ny8ke9n2tq To add or update TA support, return to question #3 and select either 'TA - New Request' or 'TA - change previously approved position'.
Describe the change needed for this summer course	Provide details of what was previously approved/planned vs. what is needed.
Describe the change needed for this summer course	Describe the change that you're making to this summer course.
Additional contact(s)	(optional) Please list the emails of any additional departmental contacts for this request. The name & email of the person submitting this form are automatically recorded.
Additional information	(optional) Please provide additional context or details for this request if needed.
Feedback	(optional) If you have any feedback about this form or related KBs, please let us know.