Faculty Selections/TA Planning

We strongly encourage departments to enter faculty information when submitting the course proposal. We will email budget administrators when the budget proposal system is available. At that time, budget administrators will be required to confirm faculty selections.

Graduate Student Lecturers must inform their graduate field assistant of their plan to teach. Teaching a three- or four-credit course in a Three-Week Summer Session or the Winter Session, or courses totaling six to eight credits in the Six-Week Summer Session or totaling eight credits in the Eight-Week Summer Session, constitutes a full load (full-time effort / 40 hours per week) and the appointment will be over the standard 15-20 hours per week. (See University Policy 1.3, Graduate Student Assistantships.) This may require approval from the Graduate School.

A graduate teaching assistant may be selected once enrollment has reached the required minimum (typically, 15 or more students). The TA’s compensation will be based on the approved salary schedule. In cases where a class is not eligible for a TA, based on enrollment, departments may seek approval for the college to cover the cost from the college share of the bottom line. This approval must be submitted in writing.

Generally, TAs are graduate students. In rare cases, undergraduate students may be assigned as Student Services Assistants/Course Assistants/Graders to support teaching staff. Undergraduates are hired under hourly appointments. SCE will monitor and approve their time submission based on the agreed number of hours the student will work. SCE will contact the class instructor regarding discrepancies.

SCE will process all Workday hires. Please be sure you have confirmed that your faculty, students, and visitors will be working either in person or remotely from within the U.S. during the duration of their appointment. Cornell is a U.S.-based employer and generally unable to support remote work outside the U.S.

Appointment process & forms

Below is a general outline of the appointment process for SCE faculty, graduate student lecturers, TAs, and hourly course assistants. Please contact the SCE office if you have questions.

  • Check with your college or school to be sure your curriculum vitae (CV) is on file with them. If you are a visiting faculty member who has not taught during a previous Summer or Winter Session, or whose appointment status has changed, your department will be required to submit an updated CV to the SCE office in B20 Day Hall.
  • Your school or college must approve your class offering and submit a class proposal request to SCE. Once SCE grants approval, SCE will send you an appointment letter and instructions via email. Cornell students, except for graduate student lecturers, will receive appointment letters in the Workday Inbox. Confirm your acceptance by checking the box on the Workday review screen.
  • Review email instructions and follow the steps outlined. Failure to complete all steps or return documentation in a timely manner may delay your appointment and receipt of your first paycheck. Attached to the email will be an appointment confirmation letter, including the salary payment schedule, if applicable. Please sign and return your appointment letter as soon as possible to Beth Beach at eh85@cornell.edu. This will be considered a firm commitment from you.

Additional forms and processes may be required for some positions (e.g., visiting faculty positions, temporary positions, and/or returning faculty with a break in employment with Cornell).

Some faculty may also be required to:

  • Activate your Cornell NetID. Faculty members, graduate student lecturers, TAs, and hourly course assistants need a NetID in order to use Cornell email, view online course evaluations, and access services and systems, including the Faculty Center. The Faculty Center provides a single-entry point to the tools faculty need to advise students and to view class information (i.e., teaching schedule, class rosters, and grading information). New hires receive their NetID as part of the appointment process. A text message will be sent to your cell phone in conjunction with an email message sent to your preferred email address, or a letter will be sent by U.S. mail with your assigned NetID, an activation code to set your password, and activation instructions. The NetID and activation code cannot be sent by email (solely) or fax machine.
  • Enroll in Two-Step Login. All university employee NetID accounts require enrollment in the Two-Step Login service. This action was adopted to protect your pay and tax information from criminal activities. If you have not already done so, please enroll now in Two-Step Login. If you have questions about how Two-Step Login works, and why it is essential for keeping your pay and tax information safe, or would like help changing your device settings, please contact the IT Service Desk.
  • The purpose of the Form I-9 is to document verification of the identity and work authorization of each person (both citizen and noncitizen) hired after November 6, 1986, to work in the United States.
    • Step 1: Log into the Workday HR payroll system and complete Section 1 of the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form.
    • Step 2: Review the Workday Inbox to see the new task of designating a remote I-9 verifier in the inbox. The person you specify as a reviewer must be 18 years of age. You will be required to meet them in person and present them with original documents that establish identity and employment authorization as required by USCIS. Please review the list of acceptable documentation to be presented.
    • Step 3: The reviewer will receive an email with a link to complete Section 2. They must click the link only when they are with you reviewing the originals of the documents presented. If the link expires, they can request you to resend a new link.

The I-9 process must be completed by the third working day.

  • Review and sign the electronic forms in your Workday inbox. Documents may include:
    • Inventions and Related Property Rights Acknowledgement (IRPA) form
    • Confidentiality agreement
    • W-4 Payroll Tax Form
  • Update personal information in Workday.
  • Complete the Building a Culture of Respect training, if not done when last hired. This web-based training is mandatory for all new and visiting faculty, graduate student lecturers, teaching associates, and staff.
  • If you are visiting foreign faculty, check with your sponsoring department to be sure they file Cornell’s Request for Issuance of Form IAP-66 with the Office of Global Learning as early as possible and send a copy of that to the SCE office.

Working with precollege (high school) students/Supporting courses open to minors

Faculty, graduate student lecturers, TAs, and hourly course assistants working with precollege students, minors, will also be required to complete the following as soon as possible. Preferably, prior to the start of their appointment:

Work location

Cornell expects that all faculty, teaching assistants, and student workers will be working either in person (in Ithaca or New York City) or remotely from within the U.S. during the duration of their summer/winter appointment.

Cornell is a U.S.-based employer and generally unable to support remote work outside the U.S.

It is important to note that exceptions are not granted for personal preference and/or convenience. Only for limited reasons (required on-site research, study abroad with prior permission, etc.) does Cornell permit employees to work in another country.

Cornell and its employees are obligated to comply with numerous legal, tax, and other employment-related laws. If you are planning to work outside New York State during the summer/winter term, please share your work address with Ruby D. Brown (rdb6@cornell.edu) by as soon as possible. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if you are working temporarily outside New York State.

For more information about possible tax implications for those working remotely outside of New York State, please visit Cornell’s flexible work website.