Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs)

For a GSI who will be absent or has been absent:

• Talk about your absence with the Faculty Instructor (FI) of the course and to the Academic Program Manager as soon as possible so they can sort out the logistics and help find a substitute.
• If you will be absent for longer than a week, let the Grad Chair know about your situation.

If you are a student agreeing to substitute as a GSI:

• Take to your faculty advisor and the Academic Program Manager to determine whether you are eligible to substitute and to discuss how it would impact your academic work.
• If you have substituted or will substitute as a GSI, fill out the GSI substitution form.

If a GSI is on a Leave of Absence or must miss teaching a class for some other reason (e.g. medical, parental, bereavement, jury or witness duty, immigration proceedings — see Article XIII, Leaves of Absence in the GEO contract), the GSI should contact the FI for the course with as much advance notice as possible so that arrangements for the absence can be made. It is the FI's responsibility to find a GSI substitute. If able, the GSI is expected to make reasonable efforts to assist in finding a temporary replacement to meet their obligations and to minimize disruptions to job duties and course activities.

The FI may either teach the lab/discussion or ask another instructor or GSI to cover the class. This arrangement needs to be documented in writing and forwarded to Academic Program Manager.

Potential substitutes for GSIs (and FIs) should be identified during the start-of-term Teaching Team Communication Form meeting. Ideally, substitutes will have previous experience with the course (e.g. former GSI, former student enrolled in course, familiarity through research, etc.).

• A GSI substitute must be enrolled in a U-M PhD or MS program for the current term.
• EARTH grad students are preferred.
• The practice of “swapping sections” within a GSI team to make up for coverage of absences is not the correct practice and should be avoided.
• A GSI substitute should have an active GSRA or GSI appointment for the current term. A grad student on fellowship for the current term, but who had a recent GSI or GSRA position, may serve as a GSI substitute as long as the HR appointment has not been terminated.
• A GSI substitute may not work more than 26 hours per week total if he/she is already a GSI.
• Federal visa requirements prohibit international students from working more than 20 hours per week, and substitute pay is for additional hours worked above the normal 20 hrs/wk appointment. (The exception is if an international student is on half-fellowship and half-GSI/GSRA for the term.)
  

A substitute GSI will be compensated at the GEO contract hourly rate and should have an active employment relationship with the University.

A substitute GSI must download, fill out, and send the GSI substitution form to the Academic Program Manager as soon as possible. It simplifies the administration and identifying problems. There is not a contractual expiration date for back pay so a substitute GSI must fill out the form also after the substitute GSI work.