Academic Student Employee Recruitment (Unit 11) - Hiring Process

⚠️ Important Update – California Education Code 89521 ⚠️

Hiring processes for Unit 11 employees now include additional APS review steps and compliance requirements. Departments should expect brief pauses in the process while these steps are completed.

All Unit 11 hires must be routed to APS for review before proceeding.

For detailed, step-by-step guidance, please refer to the following resources:

• TA/GA PageUp Hiring Guide
• ISA PageUp Hiring Guide

Quick Guide to Hiring Unit 11 (ISA, TA, and GA) Employees from PageUp Pools

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1. Post a job/pool for your department's employee types
   • Posted pools will refresh annually. April 1st for ISAs, and March 1st for TA/GAs. 
   • Current positions/pools can be viewed here. 
   • If your department had a need to hire a position (ISA, TA, or GA) and does not currently have a position/pool posted on the careers website, please submit the following materials to aps@humboldt.edu for review:
     1. Drafted Vacancy Announcement
     2. Form 630 (Description of Duties)
2. For all hires: Review your applicants and identify qualified candidates. 
   • Best practice is to go through your pool of applicants frequently to make sure you have evaluated all candidates by the time a need to hire arises.
3. For all hires: Request APS Review (NEW REQUIRED STEP)
   • Once the department has identified a candidate they would like to advance: 
     • Move the candidate to: *DEPT ACTION* Review Requested (APS to Verify Eligibility)
   • APS will:
     • Verify eligibility
     • Determine required compliance steps (e.g., disclosure, release forms, etc.)
     • Route the candidate into the appropriate hiring pathway
   • ⚠️ Candidates may temporarily move out of your view during APS review. 
   • ⚠️ Do not proceed until APS advances the candidate. 
4.  After APS review, follow the pathway identified in PageUp:
   • For TAs and GAs: Reference Checks will be initiated.
   • For ISAs: Reference checks are optional.
5. Departments may only extend a verbal offer after APS has moved the candidate to an approval status (e.g., “Approved to Extend Verbal Offer”).
   • For TAs and GAs: If reference checks are complete (2 or more responses) and meet the department's standards, move the candidate to: *DEPT ACTION* Reference Checks Completed – Request for Salary Placement”
     • APS will make a salary determination and move the candidate(s) to “(APS ONLY) Salary Determined:
       Approved to Extend Verbal Offer” in PageUp.
   • For ISAs: Please let APS know if you want to conduct any optional reference checks prior to starting the automated process. 
   • Verbal offers should include anticipated workload and salary information, but it should be noted that the workload can change and is not final until the official appointment document has been sent to them by APS closer to their appointment’s start date.
     1. For TAs and GAs, this will be the week before the academic term begins.
     2. For ISAs, this will be as soon as possible, on or around their first anticipated day or work.

6. For all hires: Once you have an accepted verbal offer, move your candidate(s) to one of the two following statuses in PageUp:

   1. “*DEPT ACTION* Verbal Offer Accepted – Background Check Required”
   2. “*DEPT ACTION* Verbal Offer Accepted – Background Check NOT Required”

   📌 Some candidates will require additional verification under Education Code 89521.
   This may result in a pause while APS completes required steps. No action is required during this time.

   Remember background checks are not required for all student employment positions. Teaching Associates listed as instructor of record must complete a background check with Accurate. 

   Please refer to the guidelines available here and here to determine if a background check is required and which type may be required PRIOR to advancing your candidate(s). 

   If you determine that a background check is required, you will need to address the highlighted sections in the email prompt in PageUp so APS can order the correct background check.

7. For TAs and GAs: If it is determined that a background check is NOT required, or the required background check has cleared – APS Will send your candidate(s) a “welcome letter” through PageUp. Acceptance of the online welcome letter will prompt them to provide some personal information to the system so HR can begin their sign-ups. The hiring department will be responsible for creating the required contract information in PeopleSoft for each TA and/or GA hired for a given academic term. Information about creating contracts can be located here.

   For ISAs: If it is determined that a background check is NOT required, or the required background check has cleared – APS will move your candidate(s) to the “(APS ONLY) Recruitment Successful (Form 600 Required)” status in PageUp. The hiring department will be responsible for creating and routing the Form 600 for each ISA hired for a given academic term.

   📌 Do not initiate the Form 600 until APS has moved the candidate to “(APS ONLY) Recruitment Successful (Form 600 Required).”

8. Candidate will receive sign up packet and instructions from HR. Candidates may not begin working until sign-ups are complete. Please coordinate with HR for all questions regarding sign up status.
9. Congratulations! You have successfully hired a new Unit 11 employee ☺