Employee Groups
An individual who holds a staff position that is governed by the state personnel system's rules and regulations (pursuant to state law). The university is a part of the State of Colorado Personnel System; and those positions that the state system applies to are known as classified staff. Classified staff can be exempt or non-exempt under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- The University of Colorado’s classified staff are covered by the state employees’ union — COWINS. Find out what that means for you.
- Classified vs University Staff Comparison Chart
In the state of Colorado, a covered employee generally refers to an employee who works in the State Personnel System and permits them to engage in collective bargaining with the state. The Partnership Act also covers them. There are exclusions, including roles in the legislative branch, law enforcement ( state troopers), temporary appointees, and some managerial or executive positions. Colorado WINS is the union that represents covered state employees.
In the state of Colorado, a non-covered employee is someone who works outside of the State Personnel System.
Reference the COWINS Decision Tree for more detailed information and definitions.
Employees who are employed by the university to teach, conduct research, and/or provide service in their respective fields. This includes various roles and ranks, such as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and teaching professors. Please note, there is a difference between faculty appointments. For a complete list and details encompassing all of the faculty titles and ranks, please reference the full list of faculty appointments below.
Graduate student appointees must be enrolled at CU Boulder as full-time, degree-seeking graduate students each semester, with no grade of “incomplete” in any course (except for thesis or dissertation hours), and with at least a B (3.0) grade point average. Graduate students are paid on a semester-based contract on a monthly frequency. They may not work over 20 hours a week unless it is approved.
Research Faculty are appointed to positions on the research scientist and research professor tracks. These faculty members are not part of the tenure-track system and are primarily focused on research rather than instruction.
The Research Faculty category pertains to the following position titles: Assistant Research Professors, Associate Research Professors, Research Professors, Research Associates, Senior Research Associates, Professional Research Assistants, and Senior Professional Research Assistants.
Student employees are hourly employees who are degree-seeking students who meet a certain criterion for enrollment (at least 6 credit hours for undergrad, 3 credit hours for grad). Non-degree & non-CU students need approval from Student Employment to work in a student job class.
Student employees are typically hired as non-exempt hourly employees who are paid on a biweekly basis. They must follow the policies related to this job class, including limiting their work to 25 hours a week during the academic year.
Temporary employees at CU Boulder are individuals hired for short-term roles that are limited in duration—typically not exceeding 9 months for Temporary Aide Classified appointments or 12 months for Temporary University Staff appointments. These roles are not intended to replace regular staffing and are subject to specific break periods between appointments to comply with state personnel rules and the Affordable Care Act. All temporary job openings must be posted publicly with salary details in compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.
University staff are employees who are exempt from the rules, procedures and regulations that govern the state of Colorado personnel system per Section 24-50-135, C.R.S. University staff positions are subject to all other applicable federal and state law and regulations, as well as laws and policies set forth by the University of Colorado Board of Regents and other University policies. (The term “officer and exempt professional” was replaced with the term “university staff” effective April 17, 2015.)
At-will employment is an employment relationship where either party can terminate the employment for any reason. Unlike the classified system, there are no job protections or retention (layoff) rights. However, any university staff termination must follow university policies and be approved by the Chancellor. University staff can be exempt or non-exempt under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA).