Student employees play a key role at UBC. Learn more about how to hire students, processes and considerations around hiring, and typical roles filled by student employees.
Recruiting and hiring students
UBC recruits student employees from two different groups. Co-op students work as part of a formal academic program that requires application and certain program requirements. Other than Co-op, the rest of student employees are selected from eligible graduate and undergraduate students outside the Co-op program.
Co-op students
Co-op student eligibility
To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a co-op program from a Canadian institution. International students accepted into a co-op program must apply for and obtain an off-campus work permit prior to accepting a co-op position.
Before offering a co-op position to a foreign student, administrators and managers must confirm with the co-op office that the student is lawfully allowed to work for UBC. And they must review the student’s permit information if applicable.
Co-op positions are advertised through UBC's Co-op Office. If departments need assistance with co-op job descriptions, or anything else, the Co-op Office can provide support.
Co-op student verbal offer process
Upon confirmation from the department, the Co-op Office will make the verbal offer to the student. Once the student accepts the appointment, the department will need to process the hire of the co-op student in Workday and formalize the offer letter and proceed with the student's onboarding.
Co-op student performance reviews
Once hired, the supervisor needs to have performance reviews and discussions with the co-op student to help the student meet their learning objectives and goals.
The co-op coordinator will meet with both the supervisor and co-op student together midway through the appointment to review how things are going and if the student is on-track to meeting those objectives. If any issues and/or concerns arise, the co-op coordinator is the contact person and resource for both students and departments.
Student eligibility (excluding Co-op)
Undergraduate students
To be eligible for most student appointments, students must maintain the necessary course load required to meet full-time student status as determined by the UBC Student Registrar. Students who do not meet full-time status may still be eligible for student appointments in exceptional circumstances.
Departments are responsible for confirming the minimum eligibility as outlined above. If a student falls below the minimum full time status by dropping or withdrawing from courses, the department must terminate the student’s appointment. It's also the department’s responsibility to ensure a student is not on academic probation.
Graduate students
To be eligible for a student appointment, a full-time graduate student isn't required to fulfill the minimum credit criteria noted above.
For information on teaching and research assistant opportunities, visit the Student Services website or the Graduate school website.
Convocation and student status
A student is no longer considered a student after their convocation date. However, as a practice, students have been allowed to continue working until the end of the term. For example, if Fred’s convocation is in November, Fred can continue their student appointment until the end of December.
International student work status
International students studying at UBC who are in possession of a valid student visa are eligible for student work opportunities at UBC. They don't require further permission from the federal government to work on campus.
If an international student is studying at another Canadian institution, they must have an off-campus work permit to work for UBC.
October 2022: temporary lifting limit to off-campus hours
International Students from Designated Learning Institutions (DLI’s) were previously restricted to working a maximum of 20 hours per week off-campus when their program is in session and they hold a valid Study Permit. On October 7, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap to address labour shortages in Canada. From November 15, 2022 to December 31, 2023, eligible international students may work unlimited hours off campus. The eligibility to work criteria for Students are set out here IRCC Regulation 186(f) and (v) and it is sub-paragraph 186(v)(iii) that will be temporarily suspended for students. Students must have the work condition “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting the eligibility criteria” listed on their Study Permit if they intend to work.
Hiring managers can hire non-UBC students into term positions with unlimited hours when the following conditions have been met:
- hold a valid (in-date) Study Permit that contains the condition that confirms “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting the eligibility criteria”
- declaration from the student (in writing) that they will remain actively engaged in the full-time course of study associated with their valid Study Permit
- declaration from the student (in writing) that they will not take an authorized leave from their studies while they are employed by UBC
- the job only exceeds the previous 20-hour-per-week limit in off-campus work between the dates of November 15, 2022 and December 31st, 2023 (inclusive)
- the signed UBC offer letter must include the immigration language stating that authorization to work must be maintained and have a duration that is equal to or less than the expiry date on their valid Study Permit
Most full-time UBC students are already authorized to work unlimited hours on campus, as long as the Study Permit includes the condition that they are authorized to work.
For more details, review the announcement. For questions please contact your HR Advisor or Manager.
Social Insurance Number required
All students, whether international students or not, must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) before they can be paid by UBC. A SIN is not an employment authorization. It registers the student with Revenue Canada so that statutory deductions (taxes) will be recorded properly.
Recruiting and hiring process
This section outlines everything from job descriptions to union considerations, salaries, hours of work and the steps in the hiring process.
For additional details on student hiring and creating student appointments in Workday, we encourage administrators and hiring managers to review and complete the Workday Student Appointments WPL course.
Creating a student position
Creating a clear and complete job description is the first step in determining the type of work that's needed from a student employee.
Student employee job descriptions will be entered into Workday. They don't need to be as comprehensive as staff job descriptions, but they should contain the following:
- job summary
- duties
- responsibilities
- minimum qualifications
Find all the steps required with the Create Position: GRA & TA article in the Workday Knowledge Base. For more Workday resources and help, visit the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required).
All student positions are subject to the BC Employment Standards Act and university policies.
Students in union positions
If a student position performs work typically considered part of a bargaining unit (CUPE Locals 2950, 116 or 2278 at the Vancouver campus, or BCGEU at the Okanagan campus), the position becomes part of the bargaining unit and the provisions of the applicable collective agreement must be observed (including hours, wages, benefits, etc.).
If a position is not considered part of a bargaining unit, such positions must not contain work that is reserved for unionized employees.
- For more information on collective agreements, please refer to the collective agreements details on the employee website.
- For information about employment-related legislation, please refer to the BC Employment Standards Act.
Foreign student workers
For information on foreign and international student workers, please visit the 'Student employees' section of the Foreign workers and work permits page.
Salary considerations
The collective agreements specify wage rates for students covered by those agreements. For non-union student appointments, the wage rate must at least meet the provincial minimum wage.
When determining the appropriate wage, we encourage you to take into account:
- Nature of the work
- Equity of student wages within the department
- Academic benefit to the student/department
- The department/unit’s ability to pay.
- The fact that many students rely on these wages as a means of financial support for their studies.
For Work Learn (Vancouver) and Work Study (Okanagan) student employees, please refer to the UBC Vancouver Work Learn website or the UBC Okanagan Work Study website.
For undergraduate NSERC students, the minimum pay is $7,571.20 over 16 weeks. For more information, please refer to the NSERC USRA website.
Hours of work
Where a student employee performs work covered by a collective agreement, the provisions of the collective agreement apply. This includes provisions on hours of work and overtime.
For non-union student employees, refer to the BC Employment Standards Act for the relevant provisions. The Act states that an employer must pay the employee overtime wages if the employee works more than eight hours in a single day or more than 40 hours in a week (but not both). The overtime rate of pay is 1.5 to 2 times the employee’s regular wages.
Recommended 12 hours per week maximum
As a guideline, we recommend that students work a maximum of 12 hours per week in non-union and non-scholarship student positions. While this limit is only a recommendation, we understand there will be times when additional hours are requested by students or required by departments.
Given the various demands placed on our students, it's expected that faculty members consider each student’s individual circumstances and commitments prior to scheduling them to work additional hours.
Unionized and scholarship positions
Students in unionized, scholarship, and certain types of student appointments must follow the applicable collective agreement, scholarship requirements, and outlined regulations regarding hours of work per week.
Review the maximum hours within the Work Learn program.
Supervisor responsibilities
It's the supervisor’s responsibility to plan and set up the work the student will perform. Students depend upon these wages for support so it is important that the supervisor ensures that work is in place for times that the student is scheduled to come in.
If you have any questions about hours of work, contact your human resources advisor.
Advertising for a student position
- CUPE 2278 positions for the September to April period are required to be posted by the preceding March 31 in accordance with Article 13.01 of the CUPE 2278 collective agreement. For more information, refer to the CUPE 2278 Collective Agreement.
- BCGEU Okanagan Teaching Assistant positions for the September to April period are required to be posted by the preceding March 31 in accordance with Appendix F -- Teaching Assistants of the BCGEU Collective Agreement.
Other student positions don't require posting. You may choose to advertise on your department’s website. UBC departments may post UBC jobs for free on the Hire a Student website.
Searching, interviews and selection
It's strongly recommended that departments interview applicants and conduct two to three supervisory reference checks on their top candidate, including a reference from the student's current supervisor.
Is the student working elsewhere?
During the interview, the department should ask the student whether they currently hold any other active student or staff appointments. It's beneficial to both the student and the department to address this topic prior to making an offer, not only to determine if the student’s hours per week exceed the maximum under the guidelines, but also to assess whether the student can reasonably meet the commitments required to successfully perform the role.
Know your collective agreements
It's important to consult the relevant collective agreement for unionized positions, as certain positions will have recall or priority rights.
Making an offer
Remember that a verbal offer is legally binding. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your department administrator, human resources manager or team member prior to making a verbal offer.
Positions requiring access to children or vulnerable adults require a criminal records check.
Employment agreements will be created in Workday, and will be routed to the successful candidate for review and agreement. For Workday resources and help, visit the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required).
Processing a student appointment in Workday
After making an offer and receiving acceptance from your desired candidate, you can hire the student in Workday. Refer to the following Workday Knowledge Base resources for details:
Timesheets and payment
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring student employees get paid on time, and know how and when they should report their hours, whether directly into Workday or by using some other method such as a departmental timesheet. Supervisors must inform student employees of any reporting deadlines to ensure that they are paid on time. Student employees will be able to view their pay statements on Workday. To learn more about student onboarding as it relates to payment, including ensuring students complete the necessary WPL Workday training course, please see the Managing student employees page.
For Workday resources and help, visit the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required).
Benefits, vacation and sick pay
Benefits eligibility
Students aren't eligible for staff benefits unless they're employed as staff in staff positions.
Eligibility is determined by the applicable collective agreement or handbook.
Students are eligible for the student health plan (in Vancouver, the AMS/GSS health and dental plan; in the Okanagan, the UBCSUO health and dental plan.)
Vacation pay
Certain categories of student employment have vacation pay calculations included in their wage rate. Other student appointments receive 4% holiday pay in addition to the wage on each paycheque.
Please consult with your Human Resources Advisor for further information.
Sick time
Student employees may be eligible for legislative sick leave. Learn more about legislative sick leave at UBC.
If a student employee is not yet eligible for legislative sick leave, please visit the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required) for additional information regarding recording absenteeism in Workday.
For unionized student positions, please refer to the collective agreement or Employee Handbook for Students for sick time information.
Statutory holiday pay
If a student meets the eligibility requirements under the BC Employment Standards Act, then they're eligible to receive statutory holiday pay.
Common types of student appointments - Vancouver campus
Undergraduate Academic Assistant (UAA) and Graduate Academic Assistant (GAA)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the Employment Standards Act. Wages considered 100% regular earnings. Wages, when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Examples of typical duties: Performs work not academic in nature, not performed by a TA, and not directly related to students’ field of study. e.g. Performing research for a faculty member that’s not of direct benefit to the student’s academic field of study.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire a UAA/GAA for work related to the faculty’s area of research.
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) and Undergraduate Research Assistant (Fellowship)
Affiliation/pay: A Graduate Research Assistantship or an Undergraduate Research Assistantship (Fellowship) is a form of financial support for a period of graduate or undergaduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement or handbook. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate or undergraduate students, the amount of a GRA or URA (Fellowship) is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. To determine appropriate pay methods depending on the circumstances of the arrangement, visit the Student Service Appointments page on the Graduate School website.
Examples of typical duties: The duties usually constitute part of the student's graduate or undergraduate degree requirements. The entire stipend is considered to be a scholarship, the conditions of which may be specified by the granting agency. For tax purposes, it is considered to be a fellowship rather than payment for work.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Professors may be able to provide Research Assistantships from their research grants to support full-time graduate or undergaduate students studying under their direction.
Graduate Teaching Assistant 1 (TA1)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 2278 Collective Agreement. Salary for all TAs is 80% regular earnings and 20% fellowship earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: A GTA 1 is a graduate student who has completed two (2) years’ service as a graduate student teaching assistant.
Graduate Teaching Assistant II (TA2)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 2278 Collective Agreement. Salary for all TAs is 80% regular earnings and 20% fellowship earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: A GTA 2 is a graduate student who has completed less than two (2) years’ service as a graduate student teaching assistant.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 2278 Collective Agreement. Wages considered 100% regular earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: UTA registered in a Bachelor degree program at UBC.
Marker (CUPE 2278)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 2278 Collective Agreement. Wages considered 100% regular earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Marks exams, tests or assignments that require only objective marking..
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire a Marker when only marking is necessary.
CUPE 2950 Student Assistant (Article 3.07)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 2950 Collective Agreement. Full-time students working no more than 10 hours per week. Certain exceptions apply to hours of work. Contact your HR Advisor for further direction.
Examples of typical duties: Performs duties normally done by bargaining unit employees, paid at the base rate. Shall not displace members of the bargaining unit. Are outside of the certification
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire when only clerical, library or other bargaining unit work is required.
Work Learn (Vancouver)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the Work Learn position classification guide (listed on the Work Learn website). Program subsidizes wages by $8/hour. Department pays the rest + benefits (which is approximately 11.48%).
Duties fall under various categories including: clerical, research, project, and daycare assistant..
When it’s appropriate to hire: Apply for funding when hiring a student part-time during the school year, or full time during the summer. See the Work Learn website) for details.
IUOE 115 Student Employees (Article 3.02)
Affiliation/pay: Can be assigned full-time or part-time work. IUOE 115 Collective Agreement applies with certain exceptions.
Examples of typical duties: Performs work within the bargaining unit as “supernumeraries” to the crew. Paid hourly at no less than $16.50/hr.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire for a maximum of 4 months in any 12-month period.
Canada summer jobs
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the Employment Standards Act and any UBC collective agreement and/or handbook.
Examples of typical duties: Public and private-sector employers (which include most UBC faculties & departments) are eligible to receive a subsidy for up to 50% of the provincial minimum wage. Not-for-profit employers on campus are eligible for a subsidy of up to 100%.
Examples of typical duties: Duties depend on the type of position. Positions should provide career-related experience or early work experience.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Apply for funding when hiring a student full-time (30-40 hours/week). Six to 16 weeks in duration during the summer months. Note that applications are accepted in January and finalized in March/April. For more information, see the Canada Summer Jobs page.
CUPE 116 aquatic staff
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with CUPE 116 Aquatic Centre collective agreement. Winter: may work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Summer: may work up to 8 hours per day 34 hours per week (or up to 40 hours per week with Union approval).
Examples of typical duties: Duties fall under the classifications of lifeguard instructor, shift supervisor, and cashier attendant.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Full time undergraduate or graduate student hired for work in the UBC Aquatic Centre. Normally permitted to work one four-month semester period immediately following graduation.
NSERC Student Research Awards
Affiliation/pay: Typically 16 weeks of full-time employment. Minimum pay is $7,571.20 over 16 weeks and NSERC will reimburse $4,500.
Examples of typical duties: Students should be engaged in research projects that are in the natural sciences or engineering.
When it’s appropriate to hire: When an undergraduate student receives an NSERC award. Visit the NSERC USRA page for information about deadlines.
Miscellaneous job codes
Sports instructors
Affiliation/pay: Non-union.
Examples of typical duties: Performs work pertaining to fitness instruction.
When it’s appropriate to hire: When the position provides fitness instruction.
Access and diversity student assistants
Affiliation/pay: Can only work the hours assigned by Access and Diversity. Maximum 10 hours per week. Student positions are advertised on UBC CareersOnline.
Examples of typical duties: Alternate Format Production Assistant – Level 1 and 2, Exam Assistants and Invigilators (note that Exam Invigilators are only open to registered UBC graduate students who are not currently taking courses with exams), Library Access Assistant 1 and 2, Mobility Assistant, Note Taker, Scribe, Peer Tutor. For more information, see Centre for Accessibility website
When it’s appropriate to hire: See Centre for Accessibility website for more information.
Student development summer student positions
Affiliation/pay: Summer positions for student workers. 10 – 35 hours per week. Salary for full-time work (35 hours per week) ranges from $8,000 – $10,500 for the summer.
Examples of typical duties: Orientation and Transition Coordinators, Centre for Student Involvement and Peer Programs Assistant, Student Development Assistants – Science, Terry Project Student Assistants, Chapman Learning Commons Assistants.
When it’s appropriate to hire: See Student Development’s website.
Common types of student appointments - Okanagan campus
Undergraduate Academic Assistant (UAA) and Graduate Academic Assistant (GAA)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the Employment Standards Act. Wages considered 100% regular earnings. Wages, when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Examples of typical duties: Performs work not academic in nature, not performed by a TA, and not directly related to students’ field of study. e.g. Performing research for a faculty member that’s not of direct benefit to the student’s academic field of study.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire a UAA/GAA for work related to the faculty’s area of research.
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) and Undergraduate Research Assistant (Fellowship)
Affiliation/pay: A Graduate Research Assistantship or an Undergraduate Research Assistantship (Fellowship) is a form of financial support for a period of graduate or undergaduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement or handbook. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate or undergraduate students, the amount of a GRA or URA (Fellowship) is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. To determine appropriate pay methods depending on the circumstances of the arrangement, visit the Student Service Appointments page on the Graduate School website.
Examples of typical duties: The duties usually constitute part of the student's graduate or undergraduate degree requirements. The entire stipend is considered to be a scholarship, the conditions of which may be specified by the granting agency. For tax purposes, it is considered to be a fellowship rather than payment for work.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Professors may be able to provide Research Assistantships from their research grants to support full-time graduate or undergaduate students studying under their direction.
Graduate Teaching Assistant 1 (GTA 1)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with BCGEU Collective Agreement (Appendix F).
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Graduate student in a PhD program
Graduate Teaching Assistant 2 (GTA 2)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the BCGEU Collective Agreement (Appendix F).
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Student registered in a Master's degree.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA)
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with BCGEU Collective Agreement (Appendix F). Wages considered 100% regular earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Lab instruction, discussion, tutorials and lectures, marking of exams, tests and assignments, invigilation duties, academic assistance during office hours.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Student registered in a bachelor's program.
Marker
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with BCGEU Collective Agreement (Appendix F). Wages considered 100% regular earnings.
Examples of typical duties: Marks exams, tests or assignments that require only objective marking.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Hire a Marker when only marking is necessary.
Student Assistants
Must comply with BCGEU Letter of Understanding 1, Student Appointments.
The term "student assistant" shall mean any full-time student who is enrolled at the University and works no more than 12 scheduled hours in any one week. Such student assistants are outside the certification. Certain exceptions apply to hours of work.
A student who is hired to regularly work more than 12 scheduled hours per week shall be considered an employee as defined in the BCGEU collective agreement. Student assistants performing duties normally done by employees bound by this agreement shall be paid at the base hourly rate of the salary scale as outlined in the collective agreement. Student assistants shall not be used to displace members of the bargaining unit.
Contact your HR Advisor for further direction.
Work Study Program (Okanagan)
Affiliation/pay: Appointments approved through Work Study Program. The Work Study Program provides a subsidy of 80% of BC’s minimum wage. Employers are responsible for paying the remaining 20% of minimum wage, plus 14% employer paid payroll expenses (CPP, EI, etc.) and any discretionary salary top up via an authorized UBC cost center according to payroll deadlines.
Duties fall under various categories including: Non-operational; project-based, or value-added work. Research, administrative and professional practice, scholarly activity including creative process and practice and academic.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Apply for funding when hiring a student part-time during the school year, or full time during the summer. (See the Work Study Program website for details).
Canada summer jobs
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with the Employment Standards Act and any UBC collective agreement and/or handbook.
Examples of typical duties: Public and private-sector employers (which include most UBC faculties & departments) are eligible to receive a subsidy for up to 50% of the provincial minimum wage. Not-for-profit employers on campus are eligible for a subsidy of up to 100%.
Examples of typical duties: Duties depend on the type of position. Positions should provide career-related experience or early work experience.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Apply for funding when hiring a student full-time (30-40 hours/week). Six to 16 weeks in duration during the summer months. Note that applications are accepted in January and finalized in March/April. For more information, see the Canada Summer Jobs page.
NSERC Student Research Awards
Affiliation/pay: Typically 16 weeks of full-time employment. Minimum pay is $7,571.20 over 16 weeks and NSERC will reimburse $4,500.
Examples of typical duties: Students should be engaged in research projects that are in the natural sciences or engineering.
When it’s appropriate to hire: When an undergraduate student receives an NSERC award. Visit the NSERC USRA page for information about deadlines.
Residence Student Staff
Affiliation/pay: Must comply with BCGEU Collective Agreement (Appendix E).
Examples of typical duties: Engage in community building, offer student activity programming, participate in training and development, contribute to Residence Life meetings, provide community management support, perform on-call rounds and response.
When it’s appropriate to hire: Full time UBC student in good academic standing.