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Wilson College of Textiles 
Wilson College Office of Human Resources

Types of Appointment

Access Only / No Pay is an appointment where no payment is provided but grants access to NC State email, MyPackPortal, and university resources and facilities. It is the supervisor/department’s responsibility to ensure all security requirements are met for the access only / no-pay employee, such as two-factor authentication and required security training. There are three types of access only / no-pay appointments:

  • Retirees (not appointed emeritus status): On occasion, departments may wish to retain a retiring employee in an active status. Appointments will automatically expire on the requested end date and can be extended as needed.
  • Visitors: Departments/faculty may need their outside partners to have access to NC State systems and resources. Appointments will automatically expire on the requested end date and can be extended as needed.
  • Unpaid Internship / Volunteers: The US Department of Labor created a “primary beneficiary test” to determine whether a position qualifies as an unpaid internship or volunteer. All of the following conditions of the test must be met:
    • The extent to which the intern and the employer clearly understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Any promise of compensation, expressed or implied, suggests that the intern is an employee—and vice versa.
    • The extent to which the internship provides training that would be similar to that which would be given in an educational environment, including the clinical and other hands-on training provided by educational institutions.
    • The extent to which the internship is tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.
    • The extent to which the internship accommodates the intern’s academic commitments by corresponding to the academic calendar.
    • The extent to which the internship’s duration is limited to the period in which the internship provides the intern with beneficial learning.
    • The extent to which the intern’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the intern.
    • The extent to which the intern and the employer understand that the internship is conducted without entitlement to a paid job at the conclusion of the internship.

Appointments will automatically expire on the requested end date and should not exceed one year. 

Note: Current employees may not volunteer for work or to put in additional time to do work associated with their paid position. Individuals providing services related to adjunct faculty appointments, like teaching or service on doctoral committees, should be appointed as Adjunct Faculty.

Under special circumstances, access only / no-pay appointment may be granted to individuals who do not fall into the three listed types. Please reach out to Wilson College OHR (Textiles-HR@ncsu.edu) if you would like to request a special circumstance access only / no-pay appointment. 

Adjunct appointments are unpaid, part-time (<0.75 FTE) appointments generally held by:

  • An NC State employee whose primary appointment is as SHRA or EHRA Non-Faculty who has the qualifications for rank as set forth in Section 5.1 (Professional Faculty in Tracks with Professorial Rank) or 5.2 (Professional Faculty in the Lecturer Track) of REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments. 
  • A person employed primarily outside the university who provides academic service to the university (such as teaching, service on doctoral committees, or an advisory role). Faculty from other universities will generally be given adjunct titles at the same rank they hold at their home institutions; adjunct appointments may be made to others whose degrees or professional credentials qualify them for appointment at an appropriate professorial rank in one of the tracks (see Section 5.1 – Professional Faculty in Tracks with Professorial Rank of REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments).

Adjuncts are appointed based on approval of the Departmental Voting Faculty (DVF) and the Department Head. 

More information regarding adjunct appointments can be found at
REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments.

EHRA Faculty employees are Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA) of North Carolina and instead, are governed by the policies set forth by the University of North Carolina System Office. 

EHRA Faculty positions support the instructional, research, service, clinical, and extension efforts of the university. There are two broad categories of faculty at NC State: Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty and Professional Faculty. The latter is not eligible for tenure and have renewable fixed-term contracts. 

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty: Instructor – While not technically a tenure-track appointment, this designation is for hires who fit the intent for tenure-track faculty who have not yet completed the terminal degree requirements. They serve a probationary period of one year and may be reappointed to one additional probationary year term.

Assistant Professor – An entry-level professional appointment, which comes with an initial probationary term of four years.

Associate Professor – An assistant professor promoted within NC State shall have tenure; those from outside of the university may either be appointed with tenure or hired without tenure with a probationary period not to exceed five (5) years.

(Full) Professor – This rank is fully tenured, whether promoted from within or hired externally. 

Professional Faculty Categories 

  • Clinical: An appointment with a principal responsibility in clinical practice or clinical research.
  • Extension: An appointment with a principal responsibility in extension and engagement.
  • Practicum: An appointment with a principal responsibility in design practice or design research.
  • Research: An appointment with a principal responsibility in research.
  • Teaching: An appointment with a principal responsibility in teaching.
  • Of the Practice: An appointment with a practitioner with significant experience in his or her field.
  • Adjunct Faculty: An unpaid faculty designation (under 0.75 FTE) wherein the individual’s primary job is a SHRA or EHRA appointment within another NC State unit. This designation can also apply to individuals who are primarily employed by institutions outside of NC State.
  • Visiting: Faculty in residence at NC State who have a primary academic/faculty appointment at another institution. 

Note: Most faculty classifications have a ranking structure – Assistant, Associate, and Full

EHRA Faculty appointments can be either “9-month” or “12-month.” 9-month faculty have an expected workload that encompasses only the academic year. 12-month faculty are those who have duties during the entire calendar year. Both categories receive their pay over a 12-month period. 

Information regarding EHRA Faculty Classification retrieved from University Human Resources.
REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments

EHRA Non-Faculty employees are Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA) of North Carolina and instead, are governed by the policies set forth by the University of North Carolina System Office. 

EHRA Non-Faculty positions deliver the core-mission activities of the University: 1) Creating and disseminating knowledge through direct instruction, research, and public service; or 2) Performing professional-level duties that are integral to and uniquely supportive of that work. EHRA Non-Faculty positions are broadly divided into four categories: Instruction – Positions with over 50% responsibility supporting academics and instruction (Ex: academic advisors, counselors, and curriculum coordinators).

Research – Positions with over 50% responsibility supporting research, with significant independence and autonomy. 

Public Service/Extension – Positions with over 50% involvement in public service or extension education, with a high level of independence and autonomy in the direct delivery of scholarship and research information to public audiences and clients and/or to direct staff or programs.

SAAO – Abbreviation for Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (Deans, Vice Chancellors, Program Directors, etc.); employees who report directly to a vice chancellor or dean. 

EHRA Non-Faculty positions require a post-baccalaureate, and in some cases a terminal degree. However, there are limited exceptions for substantially experienced individuals. 
Information regarding EHRA Non-Faculty Classification retrieved from University Human Resources.

Exchange Visitor Scholars are non-degree seeking foreign individuals who engage in temporary research, observation, consultation, and teaching during their stay. These individuals take part in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, a Federal program administered by the U.S. Department of State which implements the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. The Exchange Visitor Program provides eligible foreign nationals with opportunities to participate in exchange programs in the United States and then return home to share their experiences. 

There are four types of scholars: Research Scholar, Professor, Short-Term Scholar, and Student Intern.

More information regarding the Exchange Visitor Scholar appointment can be found on NC State’s OIS website.

Upon approval of the Chancellor, emeritus/emerita status is granted to retiring/retired full-time faculty in recognition of dedicated service at NC State University. It is an earned rank and as such entitles its holders to commensurate rights and privileges.

Federal Work Study (FWS) is only available to degree-seeking, NC State undergraduate students who are awarded FWS based on financial need, availability of FWS funds, and job availability. The program begins the first day of class and ends the last day of exams. Funding will be split 75% from the student’s financial package and 25% from the department, up to $1000 per semester or $2000 per academic year. Learn more about the Federal Work Study Program. 

Flat rate is an appointment where an employee receives a flat payment for the work they are performing (so they do not have to clock in/out of WolfTime). Flat rates are only allowed if the individual is performing duties that are instructional and/or professional level. Flat rate appointments have strict guidelines and must be pre-approved by the Class and Compensation team. If approved, the department must complete the flat rate request form, get the supervisor’s signature, and send it to Wilson College OHR (Textiles-HR@ncsu.edu) for processing.

FLSA is an abbreviation for Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and categorizes employees as either “exempt” or “non-exempt.” 

  • FLSA Exempt means the employee is salaried and does not receive overtime pay. 
  • FLSA Non-Exempt means the employee is an hourly worker so they are subject to timekeeping in the WolfTime system and must be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 hours in a week.

The FLSA status of a employee is determined by three prescribed Department of Labor tests. If the position fails any of these tests they are considered Non-Exempt. Exemption Tests are:

  1. Salary Basis Test – The employee must be paid on a salary basis that is not subject to reduction based on the quality or quantity of work, rather than, for example, on an hourly basis.
  2. Salary Level Test – The employee must receive a salary at a rate not less than $684 per week.
  3. Duties Test – The employee’s primary duty must involve the kind of work associated with the exempt status sought, such as executive, administrative, professional work, creative professional or computer employee “duties test.”

FLSA Frequently Asked Questions

Graduate assistantships provide graduate students with the opportunity to focus their work on their education, furthering both the student’s degree and the mission of their academic department. There are four types of graduate assistantships:

  • Graduate Teaching Assistants are appointed in an academic department or program and (a) directly participates in the teaching mission of the unit as instructor of record, lab instructor, recitation leader, lab or lecture assistant, or who has responsibilities in direct support of classroom instruction in the unit, such as setting up labs or working in an instructional computer lab; or (b) provides general support to the teaching mission of the department or program.
  • Graduate Research Assistants are appointed in an academic department or program and (a) directly participates in the research mission of the unit, or an on-campus or off-campus organization that is affiliated with the unit, in the design of experiments, data collection, analysis, or reporting of research results in the student’s field of study, where research may, but is not required to, contribute directly to the student’s thesis or dissertation; or (b) provides general support to the research mission of the department or program.
  • Graduate Extension Assistants are appointed in an academic department or program and (a) directly participates in the extension, outreach and engagement mission of the unit, or an on-campus or off-campus organization that is affiliated with the unit, in the design of projects, data collection, analysis, application, or reporting of results in the student’s field of study, where these activities may, but are not required to, contribute directly to the student’s thesis or dissertation; or (b) supports the extension, outreach and engagement mission of the unit or discipline, including substantive interaction with individuals or groups beyond the university.
  • Graduate Services Assistants are appointed to a position that serves the university outside of an academic department or program’s teaching or research mission.

More information regarding graduate assistantships can be found on the Graduate School website: https://grad.ncsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/student-funding/assistantships/

Wilson College Graduate Services Coordinators

Postdoctoral Scholars are individuals who have earned a terminal degree and who are engaged in temporary research, teaching, and scholarship-based training positions at the university. Postdoctoral scholars work across academic colleges and centers at the university.

Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Provost’s Professional Experience Program (PEP) is only available to degree-seeking, NC State undergraduate students and is not based on student’s financial need. Rather, the availability of this program to students is dependent on what PEP positions are approved by the Provost’s Office. A PEP position request are due to OHR late-Spring for the following academic year and approvals from the Provost’s Office are sent early Summer. The program begins the first day of class and ends the last day of exams. Funding will be split 75% from the Provost’s Office and 25% from the department, up to $1000 per semester or $2000 per academic year.

More information regarding the Provost’s Professional Experience Program.

SHRA employees are Subject to the Human Resources Act (SHRA) of North Carolina which are governed by policies set forth by the State of North Carolina’s Office of Human Resources. SHRA positions are classified into career-banded classifications based on competencies required for the position and demonstrated by the employee. Career-banded classification and their associated salary ranges are determined by the Office of State Human Resources. 

  • Undergraduate Student Workers: For academic year hires, the student must be enrolled at least half time (6-8 credit hours) in a degree program at NC State. For summer hires, the student must have been enrolled during the previous spring semester and the upcoming fall semester.
  • Graduate Student Workers: The graduate student must be enrolled at least half time (4.5-6.5 credit hours) in a degree program at NC State. For summer hires, the student must have been enrolled during the previous spring semester and the upcoming fall semester. In certain circumstances (such as when writing a thesis), however, this half-time minimum could be lower. Please reference NC State REG 02.15.05 on Graduate Registration and Residence Programs for further information. 

Note: If the individual is not a student at NC State or have already graduated from a degree program at NCSU, they must be hired as a temporary worker.

Temporary workers are employees who are contracted for a limited period of time to fill the needs of the organization. They are limited to 11-months of work and, thereafter, must take a 32-day sabbatical before returning to another temporary position on campus. The appointment carries no guarantee, execution, or obligation of continued funding or employment. Temporary employees can be hourly or salaried, depending on the job responsibilities. Temporary employees are not considered benefits-eligible, but there are still plenty of perks they are eligible for.