Unpaid Appointment – Overview
General Information
SMPH (School of Medicine and Public Health) allows the use of unpaid appointments to enhance our mission of advancing health and health equity through remarkable service to patients and communities, outstanding education, and innovative research. Unpaid appointments are not anticipated to lead to paid employment and are not an appropriate substitute for an evaluation period. More detailed information can be found in the Unpaid Appointment Guidelines and Procedures.
Immigration Sponsorship
- Individuals from foreign countries seeking an unpaid appointment must be authorized to be present in the United States. If sponsorship is required, it must be secured prior to the appointment start date. Departments are responsible for coordinating with their International Employee and Immigration Specialist to initiate the appropriate process. Processing timelines can vary and take several months; departments should plan accordingly to avoid delays.
- To initiate sponsorship, please email immigration@med.wisc.edu in lieu of completing the survey.
Compliance Requirements
- Individuals in unpaid appointments are expected to meet all university compliance requirements, including completion of mandatory training at the start of the position and annually thereafter.
- Failure to maintain compliance may result in removal from the appointment.
Requesting an Unpaid Appointment
All SMPH unpaid appointment requests should be submitted to SMPH HR Operations. All requested will be reviewed to ensure they are appropriate and consistent within the guidelines. Processing times may vary depending on the appointment title, but a minimum of 10 business days is required.
SMPH Unpaid Appointment Request Form
Information Required to Submit Request
Appointee Information:
- First and Last Name
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- CV or Resume
Position Information:
- Detailed position description
- Supervisor Name, title, and email address
- Appointee Work Location(s) and address(s)
- Position start and end date
Additional Information:
- Will this position require access to UW Health computer systems
- Will this request require immigration sponsorship
- Is the appointee under the age of 18 years
- Will the appointee be enrolled at UW Madison or any other higher education institution?
- Will the appointee have contact with medical patients and/or human research subjects in this position?
Unpaid Appointment Titles
| Title | Definition | Appointment Length |
|---|---|---|
| Honorary Associate/Fellow | Temporary appointment used to provide individuals with official University affiliation and identification without benefit of pay. The primary purpose of the honorary appointment title is to assist the University and School of Medicine and Public Health in advancing or enhancing its core mission and vision. | 12 months |
| Unpaid Undergraduate/Graduate Intern | Temporary appointment used for graduate students enrolled at another university. The position is designed to familiarize the unpaid intern with research and the university. Learners will be under the direct or indirect supervision of a faculty mentor matched to the student's academic interest. No pay or academic credit will be associated with these appointments. | Short-term, semester-by-semester, or academic-year |
| Pre-College Intern | Title used for current high school students (17 years old or under) participating in a program designed to familiarize them with research and the University in general. The students are under the direct or indirect supervision of a faculty mentor who is matched to the student's academic interest. | Short-term, semester-by-semester, or academic-year |
| Consultant |
Temporary appointment used to provide individuals with official University affiliation and identification without benefit of pay. The main purpose of the Consultant appointment is to assist the University and School of Medicine and Public Health to advance, or enhance, its core mission and vision and should be used for those who do not meet the Honorary Associate/Fellow educational requirements. |
Short-term, semester-by-semester, or academic-year |
| Student for Credit | This title should be used for undergraduate students enrolled in a UW-Madison course supervised by SMPH faculty/staff and the duties of the coursework require UW Health systems access. No pay is associated with these appointments. | Semester-by-semester |
| Teaching Adjunct | Specifies persons from a non-instructional institution and persons whose professional career is primarily outside of University instruction. Must be performing primarily instructional activities. In some circumstances the title may be appropriate for those whose full-time continuing teaching assignments are practicum-oriented. All new appointments to adjunct titles must have the prior approval of the Dean/Director of the division. | 3 years |
| Unpaid Administrative Specialist (Limited Use) | Title used primarily for UW Health or UWMF employees (or other exceptional circumstances determined by SMPH HR) associated with SMPH who require an unpaid appointment to access UW-Madison systems, such as WISDM and e-Reimbursement, to perform duties specific to their current role (i.e., department financial specialists). Annual compliance trainings are required for this appointment title. Appointments may not be written for more than a 2-year term. | 12-24 months |
Additional Information