Graduate Assistantship Hiring and Onboarding
Learn more about the steps you need to take for starting your graduate assistantship at RISD.
Onboarding guide
01
Receive your assistantship offer from a graduate program director (GPD) or non-academic department
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GPD or department staff send assistantship details to Student Employment
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Receive your onboarding instructions from Student Employment
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FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Apply for Social Security number (SSN)
If you don't already have a Social Security number, here are the application guidelines:
Social Security Association GUIDE: INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
ISSA GUIDE TO SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
Once we have received your assistantship details from your GPD, we will create a job letter and provide it to International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) who will help you navigate your employment requirements as an international student.
05
Schedule in-person I-9 appointment with Student Employment (SEE BELOW)
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Complete all documents with Student Employment to finalize your hiring process
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Set responsibilities and goals
Once you have received your graduate assistantship position, you will meet with your graduate program director/ supervisor to discuss your responsibilities and goals for the semester. Following the meeting, please email your supervisor to confirm and document the responsibilities and goals discussed.
Documentation requirements
If this is your first time working on campus, then you must complete an electronic Form I-9. This form is required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.
You must complete the required I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form before beginning work. Both Sections 1 and 2 of this form must be completed in person with a Student Employment staff member.
To complete your I-9, please use Penji to make an appointment with our office.
Note to supervisors: a student cannot and will not be allowed to work until they have completed their Form I-9.
Domestic and international student requirements
If you are a domestic student, you must complete the following documents and processes in Workday:
- I-9 (please review the acceptable I-9 documentation list)
- W-4 Federal Tax Withholding Form
- RI-W4 Rhode Island Tax Withholding Form
- direct deposit signup
If you are an international student, you must bring the following documentation to your I-9 appointment with Student Employment:
- an unexpired foreign passport
- printed I-94 (most recent)
- original I-20
- your Social Security Card, or a receipt from the Social Security Office confirming that you have completed and submitted an application for an SSN card. (You can find more information on this from International Student and Scholar Affairs.)
Take your next step
Learn how to accept your graduate assistantship contract and review your payment details.
01
Types of graduate assistantships
Graduate assistantships are exempt (salaried) positions and as such, are compensated with a stipend aligned with the scope of work. The following types map to annual required federal reporting on graduate employment.
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Hiring and onboarding (YOU ARE HERE)
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Contracts and payment
Learn more about what to expect when you start your Graduate Assistantship position.