Prospective Employees FAQs

The job listing is available 24 hours a day on any computer with WEB access. Recent job descriptions can be seen outside the Recruitment Center on a job board that can be viewed 24 hours a day. In addition, local television channel 18 (KAMU) is another resource which is updated weekly. All TAMU positions are also listed at the Texas Workforce Commission.

You must first complete the online application on any computer with WEB access. You may then view open positions and apply to any listed by answering job-related questions. If referred, the application documentation will be immediately viewable by the hiring manager. You may attach an electronic resume or cover letter as you apply for each position. Please bring your resume/cover letter with you if you plan to use the computers at the Recruitment Center.

No. The Recruitment Center is the central intake point for all University vacancies. Only those applicants applying through the Recruitment Center can be considered.

During the application process, applicants will have an opportunity to answer job-related questions. Applicants will know immediately if they have been referred to the hiring department for evaluation. Hiring departments will contact applicants they wish to interview.

Applications remain on file as long as you are actively applying for positions. If you do not apply for any positions for a full year, you will have to reenter your application before you can apply again. Applications can be updated at any time.

Yes, a Texas A&M University employee can work on or off campus in addition to working in his or her primary University position. However, there are some administrative procedures that must be followed.

System Regulation 31.05.02 - Outside Employment, requires the employee to complete an External Employment and Consulting Application and Approval form each fiscal year. The employee's department head approves the form.

The process is not meant to infringe on an employee's freedom. Its purpose is to ensure that any outside employment does not cause a conflict of interest with the employee's primary University position or interfere with the employee's University job.

This is referred to as dual employment. Visit the frequently asked questions and answers that discuss the Fair Labor Standards Act address dual employment.

If the second job is with a System agency, University Standard Administrative Procedure 31.01.99.M0.02, Approval Procedures for Supplemental Compensation and Dual Employment, requires completion of an agreement form.  Again, this process is intended to ensure that employees in such situations are properly compensated for hours worked.

Registration is a way our government keeps a list of names of men from which to draw in case of a national emergency requiring rapid expansion of our Armed Forces. By registering all young men, the Selective Service ensures that a future draft will be fair and equitable.

Men 18 through 25 years old can register by completing a form at the post office. Some high schools have a faculty or staff member who serves as a Selective Service Registrar. Most men turning 18 can also register by mail, if they receive a Selective Service form in the mail. Online registration for the U.S. Selective Service System is also available.

Virtually all men must register. The exceptions to this rule are very few and include: nonimmigrant aliens on student, visitor, tourist, or diplomatic visas; men on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; and cadets and midshipmen in the Service Academies and certain other U.S. military colleges.

At the time you make a job offer, ask the male applicant to complete the Statement of Selective Service Registration Status form here on the HR web site. If he discloses that he is between 18 and 26 and properly registered, verify his registration by his registration card or on the Selective Service Internet site. If an applicant, between the ages of 18 and 26, has not registered, send him to the local post office and ask him to bring back a certificate of mailing as proof of registration. Online registration for the U.S. Selective Service System is also available. The Certification of Registration Status will be faxed to the Recruitment Center when you request a Hiring Certification Form for staff positions. All proof of registration will be maintained in the departmental file.

You may call the Recruitment Center, (979) 845-5154, with questions regarding the hiring procedures with Texas A&M University. Additional general information can be obtained from the Selective Service System web site.

The USA Patriot Act is a law signed by President Bush, after the September 11, 2001 tragedy.  The full name of the act is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001.  The law makes it unlawful for restricted individuals to work with certain biological agents, toxins or delivery systems.  Visit the Texas A&M University System Office of General Counsel web site for detailed information about the USA Patriot Act.

Working with Principal Investigators and Laboratory Directors, the Office of the Vice President for Research identifies campus facilities that use these agents, toxins or delivery systems and positions within the laboratories that have access to them.  Whenever an identified position in one of those laboratories is advertised, the Notice of Vacancy form sent to the Recruitment Center will indicate that the position falls under the provisions of the USA Patriot Act. This will require that the applicant selected for hire fill out The Texas A&M University System Statement of Eligibility to Handle Select Biological Agents or Toxins prior to hire.

A restricted individual under this law is anyone who:

• is under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year;
• has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year;
• is a fugitive from justice;
• is an unlawful user of any controlled substance;
• is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States:
• has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution;
• is an alien (other than an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence) who is a national of a country as to which the Secretary of State has made a determination (that remains in effect) that such country has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. As of April 30, 2001, these countries were Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, and the Sudan;
• has been discharged from the Armed Services of the United States under dishonorable conditions.

If an applicant is identified as a restricted individual under the USA Patriot Act, he or she is not eligible to fill a vacancy in a laboratory that is doing work requiring compliance.  However, the applicant can still apply for other campus positions that do not fall under the Act.

An applicant who refuses to fill out the required compliance form is regarded as having given an answer that would disqualify that applicant.

The act allows for the punishment of those who knowingly violate the law by a fine or imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or both.

Download our Revised Pay Plan Rates for FY2009 by Title and by Title Code on this web page.

If your current hourly rate is below the new minimum for your title, you will be receiving a pay plan adjustment up to the new rate, effective September 1, 2008. Departments are being notified of the employees affected by the new rates, and will be communicating with individuals after the budget has been finalized.

You will be eligible to receive a merit salary increase, provided you meet the eligibility criteria for merit increases. The criteria are outlined in System Regulation 31.01.08 and University Rule 31.01.01. Typically, merit increases are awarded after any mandatory pay plan increases.

No. Only those employees whose current hourly rates are below the new minimum pay plan rates will be receiving a mandatory increase. You may, however, be eligible for a merit salary increase or other adjustment based on the budget guidelines.

Entry-level classifications up to $8.30, and related titles in their title series or job family, were increased, as well as other titles based on analysis completed by HR Management Services.

In the revised regulations, effective August 23, 2004, changes were made to the tests that determine whether a position is exempt or nonexempt from the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the law. One of the most significant changes was to the salary test for exempt status, which was raised to $455 per week (which translates to $1,971.66 per month or $23,660 per year). This minimum salary, one of the required criteria for a position to be exempt under the new regulations, had not been increased since 1975. For additional details on the changes, see the Department of Labor web site.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) categorizes employees as either exempt or nonexempt based on tests contained within the Act. The Human Resources Department determines the FLSA status of each job title by applying the tests. To be exempt means an employee's job meets the test criteria for an executive, professional or administrative exemption and the employee is not covered by FLSA. Therefore, the employee is usually paid a monthly salary and does not receive extra compensation for overtime hours worked. Conversely, to be nonexempt means that an employee's job does not meet the test criteria, and the employee is covered by the FLSA. A nonexempt employee receives time and one-half overtime compensation or compensatory time for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. A workweek for a nonexempt employee at Texas A&M University starts on Thursday and ends on Wednesday. The Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to either pay or give compensatory time to employees for overtime hours worked, both at a time and one-half rate.

The Human Resources Management Services Department is responsible for determining the FLSA exempt or nonexempt status of positions based on the most current position description and rate of pay. The Classification & Compensation unit reviewed positions and contacted individual departments as appropriate. Departmental ES Liaisons were contacted for copies of current position descriptions to facilitate that review. Departments may also choose to request a review by the Classification & Compensation unit of any position's FLSA exempt or nonexempt status.

Positions that no longer met the criteria for exemption, based on either the new minimum salary or the duties tests, were changed to nonexempt. Employees in nonexempt positions must record hours worked for each week (typically recorded on the Texas A&M biweekly timesheet or acceptable electronic timekeeping system), be paid for the number of hours worked, and earn time and one-half of the regular hourly rate or compensatory time at 1 ½ rate for hours worked over forty (40) in a work week. Employing departments should be aware that international student employees have federal restrictions preventing them from working more than 40 hours a week without loss of their legal status in the US, ultimately making them ineligible for further employment. Please refer to the International Student Services web site for more information about this issue. A tutorial for completing the paper timesheet is available online. For departments who use Timetraq online rather than paper timesheets, go to Single Sign On at https://sso.tamus.edu to record working hours. Additional information about special considerations for international student employees completing timesheets is available, as well.

The title listings for classified and nonclassified positions provide a starting point for identifying a position's FLSA exempt status. However, since exemption status is determined by actual job duties and responsibilities performed, in addition to the minimum salary rate, a position's status may be different than that listed for the title. Departmental ES Liaisons will be kept informed if any positions are identified as changing their exempt status. Employees and their hiring managers who are impacted will be notified and provided with information on the changes.

Yes. Certain positions are not subject to the new salary minimum required for exempt status. For example, positions that are exempt as professional teachers can remain exempt even if their salary does not meet the new minimum. Examples of such titles include Lecturer, Graduate Assistant Teaching and Lab Instructor. Other positions are not covered as employees under the FLSA (with no impact on payroll processing, FICA exemption, etc.), such as Graduate Assistants Research and Graduate Hall Directors. A description of the criteria for a position to be considered exempt as a professional teacher can be found on the Department of Labor web site.

No. Other than the exceptions described above for professional teachers or non-employees, the $455 per week minimum threshold applies whether a position is full-time or part-time. Therefore, an employee in an exempt position who is 50% effort must still make at least $455 per week, in addition to meeting the duties criteria, in order to remain exempt.

Since most GANT positions do not meet the specific criteria required for exemption, such as the $455 per week minimum, they are nonexempt and must keep records of hours worked. For additional information about GANTs and other graduate assistant titles, email the Office of Graduate Studies at FLSA@vprmail.tamu.edu.

Research titles are administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Most research positions meet the duties tests for exemption, but some part-time positions might not meet the minimum $23,660 per year salary threshold, and therefore must be treated as nonexempt positions that are eligible for overtime.

International students working on campus in nonexempt positions have additional important information to consider, related to work hours and completing timesheets. For this information, go to the International Student Services web site.

This change involves eligibility for overtime or compensatory time for hours worked over 40 in a work week. Eligibility for paid leave and paid holidays is determined based on TAMU System Regulations and State law, and is not part of the FLSA changes. See section 31 of TAMU System Policies and Regulations for additional information about leave and holiday issues at the following link: http://tamus.edu/offices/policy/policies/index.html .

Recall that exempt employees do not have to be paid for overtime hours because they are not covered by FLSA. While the Act does not say you cannot pay overtime to exempt employees, some federal courts have examined the issue and ruled that such action can lead to loss of an employee's exempt status.

Texas A&M University System Regulation 31.01.09, Overtime, states that "Employees who are exempt under FLSA are not compensated under the federal or state overtime provisions." However, in cases where an exempt employee is required to work on a scheduled holiday, the employee will be provided an equal amount of time off during the 12 month period following the date of the holiday worked.

Only overtime compensatory time has a maximum, which is normally 240 hours except for employees who work in public safety, emergency response, or seasonal activities. These employees can accrue 480 hours. Any overtime worked beyond those limits must be paid.

Dual employment occurs when an employee occupies two (or more) separate positions with Texas state government. An example is an employee who works in Department A and also works part-time in Department B. This arrangement is permissible under Texas A&M University Standard Administrative Procedure 31.01.99.M0.02, Approval Procedures for Supplemental Compensation and Dual Employment. Authority to approve this type of arrangement has been delegated to the department heads involved. Graduate assistants who would like to work in two departments must also obtain permission from the Office of Graduate Studies.

These arrangements require administrators to carefully evaluate the overtime implications. Not all dual employment arrangements cause an employee to be eligible for overtime pay. The FLSA indicates that the hours employees who, at their option, work occasionally or sporadically on a part-time basis for the same agency in a capacity different from their regular employment do not have to be combined with the hours worked in the primary job for the purposes of determining overtime liability. However, the exempt or nonexempt status of the two positions should be reviewed carefully in addition to determining whether the occasional and sporadic and substantially different capacity criteria are met. Otherwise, all hours worked in a secondary job (Department B) must be combined with hours worked in the primary job (Department A) to determine overtime liability.There are also restrictions on graduate assistants being able to work for multiple departments. More information can be found at the Office of Graduate Studies web site.

Under the FLSA, the term "occasional or sporadic" means infrequent, irregular or occurring in scattered instances. A part-time employee who is given a regular work schedule (daily, weekly, monthly) does not meet the occasional or sporadic test. The term "in a capacity different from their regular employment" can be illustrated with an example. If a full-time clerk in a department performs part-time clerical duties in another department he or she must be paid overtime. If that same full-time clerk performs part-time laboratory duties in another department, there is no overtime liability.

If the situation does not meet the sporadic and occasional or different duties tests, the employee must be paid overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. During the dual employment approval process, the two hiring departments should develop an agreement concerning who will pay the overtime rate. In the absence of such an agreement, the department that works the employee beyond 40 hours in a workweek will be liable for the overtime pay.

If the salary rate for each job is the same, there is no problem. However, in these dual employment arrangements, it is not uncommon for an employee to be paid at different rates for each job. The Department of Labor says that you cannot use the rate of only the secondary job to calculate overtime, unless all overtime hours are worked in that secondary job. When an employee in a single workweek works at two or more different jobs for which different rates have been established, a regular rate of pay has to be established upon which to calculate overtime pay. When this situation occurs the overtime rate of pay will be based on the highest paid position in which the employee was working. The departments should contact Payroll Services at extension 845-2711 for instructions on how to record the overtime hours on payroll documents. (For more information, see Standard Administrative Procedure 31.01.99.M0.02, Approval Procedures for Supplemental Compensation and Dual Employment.)

Only overtime compensatory time has a maximum, which is normally 240 hours except for employees who work in public safety, emergency response, or seasonal activities. These employees can accrue 480 hours. Any overtime worked beyond those limits must be paid.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is the agency that sets the guidelines for ORP participation. A listing of all nonclassified titles, including those eligible to participate in ORP, is found on this site. If a title is ORP eligible, there is a number in the ORP column showing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rule in which that particular title fits.

In accordance with the process described in University Rule 31.01.99.M2, Creating, Reclassifying and Retitling Positions, the department should submit a request through administrative channels to create a new budgeted position. Once you have HR approval and any other required approval documentation, submit a PAR or EPA to Payroll Services along with a copy of the HR approval for a new classified position or nonclassified position. The Payroll Office then establishes the PIN in the payroll system.

No, the department does not have to submit a Position Description to establish a wage position. A PAR or EPA should be submitted to Payroll Services to place the wage employee on the department's payroll.

The Classification and Compensation Office recommends that the hiring department pay wage employees the established salary minimum rate for each classified title or career ladder/career path title. The department should call the Classification and Compensation Office at 845-4170 for salary rate information for nonclassified titles.

Per System Regulation 33.99.05 Part-Time Employment "All part-time personnel employed to work fifty percent or more effort for four and one-half months or more in a fiscal year will be placed in budgeted positions. Student workers are excluded." Graduate assistant positions are not considered wage positions and are also excluded from this requirement because their positions require student status as a condition of employment. System Regulation 31.02.08 Teacher Retirement System of Texas, states, "For membership in the Teacher Retirement System, a benefits-eligible employee is defined as one who works for fifty percent or more time for an employment period that is expected to be at least four and one-half months, excluding students holding positions for which student status is a requirement for employment. If a nonbudgeted employee satisfies the fifty percent effort, four and one-half month criteria during a fiscal year, he/she must be enrolled in the Teacher Retirement System and all employer/employee contributions must be paid retroactively."

Employment in wage position (excluding student worker positions) at fifty percent effort (20 hours) or more cannot be extended beyond four and one-half months in a fiscal year. The employee will need to be terminated. If the department has a need for position for longer than four and one-half months, a budgeted position must be created. The department will have to submit a Position Description through appropriate channels of approval to the Classification and Compensation Office to "Establish a Position". Once the Position Description has been approved, through issuance of approval documentation from HR, the newly established position will have to be posted as a vacancy on the Texas A&M University Online Employment website. The employee who has been working in a wage capacity may apply for the newly created position.

Once a new position or reclassification is approved by the Classification & Compensation Office, a department has two years from the final approval date to implement the new position or reclassification. Once two years has passed, the new position or reclassification request will have to be re-submitted to the Classification & Compensation Office, who will review the request and issue a new approval.