Requesting payments for/hiring Guest Lecturers, Professional Services, and Students
UT Compensation Policy
The University has strict policies for paying for any services performed by guest speakers, actors, students, lecturers, film editors, colorists, or any other professional services that require payment.
Note: if you're looking to offer compensation, reimbursement, or travel arrangements for a special event speaker (in other words, someone other than a guest to your normally scheduled class activities), please see our Events 101 page for guidance.
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Classroom Guest LecturersInviting a guest to speak or work with your class? | Special Events SpeakersLooking to host a special event outside of the classroom? | Professional Contracting Professional ServicesHiring professional support for your research or creative work? | Hiring StudentsHiring student support for a project? | |||||
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Inviting Classroom Guest Lecturers
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The Department of Radio-Television-Film encourages faculty to invite guest lecturers to share their expertise with their students. Please refer to the different policies and procedures below for production and studies classes. The respective area heads must approve funding prior to arranging to pay a classroom guest. Because funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval. Submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration. Note: These the procedures below are to request funding from the department area heads. If you are using professorship or startup funds, fill out the compensating professional request form.
Guest Lecturers for Production & Screenwriting Classes
Policy
The policy covers the requirements and procedures to be followed for inviting guest lecturers from outside the Department for undergraduate production classes.
- The production head must approve in advance any payments to guest lecturers. As funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval. Please submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration.
There are two options for compensating invited guests:
- Option 1 (Meal/Refreshments)*: If the guest is on campus, and doing an informal Q&A, we can reimburse up to $100 for lunch with the guest, faculty member, and students.
- Option 2 (Honorarium): If the guest is hosting a workshop, where the person is demo'ing and/or giving student feedback, they can receive a set $250 honorarium.
Procedures
- Complete and submit the guest request form at .
- At least 30 days prior to the visit/service (at least 60 days in advance for International non-employees). When possible, submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration.
- In order for the request to be processed, the Area Head must approve the request and forward their approval to the RTF Accounting team and the requester.
- *If Option 1 (Meal/Refreshments) is selected, prior to expenditure, please submit a request for your OOEF in order to be reimbursed later, and then AFTER the visit, submit a request for reimbursement.
- RTF Accounting team will notify faculty if there is a problem the requester if there are any questions with the request.
Guest Lecturers for Media Studies Classes
Policy
The policy covers the requirements and procedures to be followed for inviting guest lecturers from outside the Department for undergraduate media studies classes.
- The media studies area head must approve in advance any payments to guest lecturers.
- Because funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval. Please submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration.
- If approved, guest lectures will receive a set honorarium of $200 for a lecture in person or virtually.
- There will be a call for proposals at the beginning of the semester for bringing in guests, and, if funds are still available, another call later in the semester.
Procedures
- Complete and submit the guest request form at least 30 days prior to the visit/service (at least 60 days in advance for International non-employees). When possible, submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration.
- In order for the request to be processed, the Area Head must approve the request and forward their approval to the RTF Accounting team and the requester.
- RTF Accounting team will notify faculty if there is a problem are any questions with the request.
- If no travel is needed:
- at least 30 days prior to the visit/service
- at least 60 days in advance for International non-employees
- If travel is needed:
- at least 45 days in advance for domestic travel
- at least 60 days in advance for international travel
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Below are directions for compensating and/or arranging travel or travel reimbursement for visiting speakers who will participate in public events outside of the classroom.
Request Forms
Request Form for Compensating Event Speaker
Request Event Approval form
Resources
Policies
- The Department Chair must approve funding prior to arranging to either pay a guest or to pay for a guest's travel.
- Because funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval.
- Since this event speaker is connected to an event, Chair approval for the event itself also needs to be secured before proceeding.
- Because the University is responsible to fulfill IRS requirements for year-end reporting of non-employee compensation, UT does not allow the department to reimburse faculty or staff for paid professional services; instead, we will need to pay the professional/s directly.
- *Note: If you fail to notify us until after the services have been performed, you will be required to submit an exception letter to the Dean’s office and the AVP of Purchasing for approval. There is no guarantee these exceptions will be approved, meaning that your business associates and students would be at risk of not being paid.
Procedures & Timelines
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Hiring Part-Time Help or Professional Services
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Directions on paying contractors and professionals (e.g., colorists, research assistants, videographers, editors) who are not enrolled students.
Policies
- The Department Chair must approve funding prior to arranging to compensate a professional or contract their services.
- Because funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval.
- Because the University is responsible to fulfill IRS requirements for year-end reporting of non-employee compensation, UT does not allow the department to reimburse faculty or staff for paid professional services; instead, we will need to pay the professional/s directly.
- If you fail to notify us until after the services have been performed, you will be required to submit an exception letter to the Dean’s office and the AVP of Purchasing for approval. There is no guarantee these exceptions will be approved, meaning that your business associates would be at risk of not being paid.
Procedures & Timelines
Before you make an agreement with anyone to perform services for which payment may be expected:
- Fill out the Compensating Professionals Request Form:
- at least 30 days prior to the visit/service
- At least 45 days in advance for International Non-employees.
- If the event is approved, the RTF Accounting team will follow up with directions for you to notify the event speaker about what is needed for compensation, and then they will follow up with the professional in order to process the payment.
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Hiring Students
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(Note: while the policies listed below are specific to hiring students, the hiring request form is the same for both students and non-students.)
Request Forms
Resources
- Hiring Student Employees
- UT guidelines on student employment.
- Semimonthly payroll schedule and deadlines.
- Texas Career Engagement Toolkit for managing undergraduate student employees
access via UT Learn by adding it to your playlist (click here). You can also request to join via the SharePoint site.
The Toolkit includes resources for the student hiring process including:
- Pre-Hire (Job posting templates and HireUTexas FAQ)
- Onboarding (including Student Employment Handbook templates)
- Training Examples for Student Employees
- Normal Operations Examples for Front Desk operations
- Performance Evaluations (Texas GROW worksheet and examples)
- UT Policies on Work Study
Policies
- Enrolled students (even working part-time) need to be hired through Workday as university employees (as opposed to as contractors).
- Submit the request form at least 30 days prior to the service (at least 60 days in advance for International students).
- There will be limits on how many hours students can work. See UT guidelines on student employment, which also cover minimum eligibility requirements and standard appointment dates.
- Students must have an appointment BEFORE they can start working.
- Be aware that there may be additional costs associated with hiring a student: wages, fringe benefits, and background checks (which will need to be requested by staff at least three weeks in advance of start date–see procedures below).
- Graduate Student Employment Rules -
- Employment rules for graduate students can be complicated. Please consult with Teresa Warner before making any decisions regarding graduate student employment.
- Also see: Best Practices for Working with Graduate Students with Dependents.
- See UT Policies on Work Study
Procedures & Timelines
At least 5-6 weeks before the Start of Work:
- If you are trying to find a student for a job, you can submit a description of the job to Handshake. Email RTF-Accounting@austin.utexas.edu for details. Allow time for interviewing candidates.
At least 4 weeks before the Start of Work:
- Once you know you know whom you’re hiring, fill out the Hiring/Compensating Students Request Form at least 30 days in advance of the start of work (even earlier if they are international students) in order to allow time for staff to the set up the Workday appointment—for tasks such as performing background checks, onboarding, filling out I-9s, etc. (Note that background checks may take longer for internatational students and students who have moved across multiple states.)
During Work:
- Supervisors need to track the student’s work and approve Workday timesheets. Semi-monthly payroll periods are completed on the 15th and end of every month. See semimonthly schedule and deadlines.