E01.0 Employee Work Classifications

Applies to all persons who perform work for RIT and are paid a wage or salary by RIT. (Temporary workers are employed by third party vendors and are not covered under this policy.)

It is RIT’s policy to properly classify all employees in accordance with the requirements and essential functions of their position.  The work classification, the position’s Fair Labor Standards Act designation, and the part-time or full-time schedule of the position are used to determine eligibility for RIT benefit plans.

All employee positions are designated as either nonexempt or exempt under state and federal wage and hour laws.  Please refer to the United States Department of Labor for more details regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act.

RIT has established the following classifications for both nonexempt and exempt positions:

1. Regular Faculty are persons who are employed by RIT whose primary RIT responsibility is teaching credit-bearing courses which apply to an RIT credential or certain special courses under the auspices of one of the colleges, as well as those who hold one of the faculty ranks and an academic appointment.  Faculty ranks and responsibilities are defined in policies E04.0 and E06.0.  
   • Full-time regular faculty:  100% of a full-time load* for a full academic year
   • Part-time regular faculty:  Less than 100% of a full-time load* for the full academic year, or 100% (or less) of a full-time load* for less than the full academic year
     
     * Please refer to "Basic unit of teaching equivalency for semesters"
2. Regular Staff are persons employed by RIT in an administrative or service role or who perform work to support the university.  
   • Full-time regular staff:  1500 or more annual scheduled hours
   • Part-time regular staff:  Less than 1500 annual scheduled hours
3. Adjuncts are persons employed for a designated period with a specific start and end date, not to exceed one academic semester.  Individuals in this classification may be utilized for subsequent terms but may work no more than 999 hours per calendar year.  Individuals are hired on an as needed basis dependent upon numerous factors, including but not limited to, sufficient course enrollment, continued availability of funding, and satisfactory job performance.  The primary responsibility of adjuncts is to deliver credit-bearing courses as the instructor of record.  Other responsibilities may include tutoring, mentoring and delivering instruction for non-credit bearing classes.
   • Adjunct Faculty – work within the Division of Academic Affairs.
   • Adjunct Staff – work in divisions other than Academic Affairs.
4. Student Employees are  persons enrolled at RIT as full-time matriculated undergraduate or graduate students who are employed by RIT and work in one of the following categories:
   • Student Worker – Registered full-time matriculated RIT students who are employed in RIT jobs as defined and administered by the Student Employment Office.
   • RIT Co-op Student – Registered full-time matriculated RIT students who are employed in RIT jobs directly related to the student’s course of study and career interests as defined and administered by the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education.  
   • Graduate Assistant (grading, technical or teaching) – Registered full-time matriculated RIT graduate students who perform work at RIT as defined by the Controller’s Office and the RIT Graduate School. Graduate Research Assistants are not RIT employees.

Please refer to the following websites for benefits eligibility:

• Regular Faculty and Staff
• Adjunct Faculty and Staff
• Student Employees

Responsible Office:  Office of Human Resources

Effective Date: July 1, 2017

Policy History: Approved June 1, 1984
Last revised: April 20, 2000
Last edited May 2006
Edited October 2010
Edited September 2012 (conversion and identification of responsible office)
Revised February 15, 2017

Edited September 4, 2024 - section II.D updated office to RIT Graduate School