CA Resources

Table of Contents

• General CA Resources
• Training Resources
• Event Planning
• Liability
  • Insurance
  • Party Planning Waivers
• Useful Resources
• Logistical Items
  • Taxes
  • International Student Eligibility
• Archive

General CA Resources

• EV CAs Shared Drive 🔓
• CA Protocols
• List of Faces 🔓
• Quantitative Expectations 🔓
• Academic Year Handbook 🔓 / Summer Handbook 🔓
• Zoho 🔓

Training Resources

• In Area Training (General Info)
• Reimbursement Training
• IT and Mailing List Training
• Communication and Community Culture

Event Planning

• Top Event Ideas (2014-15)
• Inventory
• Recycling and Trash Information
• GLO Community Associate Resource Page (good tips on how to book a field or on inclusive event planning)

Liability

There aren't too many things to worry about with liability as a CA. Stanford and the GLO basically have got your back. But to make sure you've got protection, you can take the following precautions.

Insurance

When renting a car or van for a CA activity, or when signing contracts for CA activities generally, sign as "Your name, for Stanford University."

Party Planning

As part of CA training, you have already a party planner in the eyes of OSA. Be sure to note the deadlines for filing your Party Notification Form (necessary for Stanford to support you if anything goes wrong) and visit Student Activities and Leadership to register your party.

Parties need to be registered if some of the following characteristics apply...

• the party is held in a public space.
• student fees are used to fund the event.
• the party is hosted by a student group.
• alcohol will be served.

The process is to...

• Email Marcela Chaveri and Laurette Beeson.
• Submit the party to mygroups2.
• You will receive notification of approval/required changes/rejection.

To protect yourself from liability, remember the guidelines for alcohol service...

• Bartenders 21+ and sober for larger parties.
• Control serving sizes (red cups = 16 oz.).
• Must have Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages (EANABS).
• Sober monitors (1 for every 50 people).
• Don't serve minors (a misdemeanor).
• Be careful of occupant loads and don't use any torches, flames, etc. to protect everyone from fire danger.
• Noise ordinance in effect: Sunday-Thursday at 11pm, Friday-Saturday at 1pm
• Non-emergency police number for problems: (650) 329-2413

Waivers

The Risk Management Department has short form and long form waivers. The short form should generally be sufficient for our purposes, as participants in our events will generally be over 18 years old. Please retain the waivers for one year (the statute of limitations) after the event. If you are not going to be at Stanford for that long, give the waivers to a Head CA after the event.

Useful Resources

• Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE): for all kinds of information on many topics for helping graduate students with their academic life at Stanford. Some focus areas of the website include:
  • Leadership and Professional Development
  • Interdisciplinary Learning opportunities
  • Funding Issues and Opportunities
• The Hume Writing Center and the Center for Teaching and Learning are helpful to learn writing, presentation, oral, and other academic skills.
• Stanford Police
  • Watch out for bicycle theft, item theft out of parked cars (GPS/electronics), prowlers around buildings.
  • Non-emergency police number for problems: (650) 329-2413
• Pet Policy
• Dog Reminder Template Email

Logistical Items

Taxes

The pay for the CA program, if you are eligible for it, is not taxable. You should see that full amount of your pay each quarter (and you get to keep it too).

International Student Eligibility

If you hold a F1 or J1 visa, can you be paid as a CA without jeopardizing your visa status?

If you work less than 20 hours/week, e.g.

• you are self-funded
• you are on fellowship
• you hold an RA or TA appointment that is less than 50%

then, YES! If you already work 20 hours/week, e.g.

• you hold a 50% RA or TA appointment

then, probably not!

A 50% RA or TA appointment at Stanford is a 20/hour week job, and the INS does not allow F-1 and J-1 visa holders to be compensated for more than 20 hours/week of work. Compensation includes all sorts of remuneration, so things like reducing housing dues or paying the CA stipend as a fellowship would not be a way around this rule, nor would receiving payment between quarters–though students on F-1 and J-1 visas can work 40 hours/week during this time, the work of being a CA occurs during the quarter, so the INS would consider the work to be performed during the time, regardless of when the compensation was paid. [Note: on the flip side, it does not matter that you receive compensation during one quarter for work performed in another. Thus, if you work as a TA for Econ 1 or similar program, where you work only 2 quarters but are paid during all 3, you can receive CA compensation for the quarter when you are not working as a TA].

Exceptions

• For J-1 visa holders with spouses (J-2 visa holders) who hold a work permit, your spouse (the J-2 visa holder) can probably be paid as a CA. Check the regulations regarding J-2 visa holders. F-2 visa holders (spouses of F-1 visa holders) cannot work.
• Thesis-pending optional practical training: Those who receive permission for Thesis-pending Optional Practical Training can work more than 20 hours/week. However, the work (i.e. the CA position) must be related to your degree program and any time you use for Thesis-pending Optional Practical Training reduces the time available for Optional Practical Training during the summer or after graduation.
• Economic necessity: Students from specific East Asian countries, under a temporary program that hasn't been rescinded yet, can work more than 20 hours/week if they can prove economic necessity. However, it would be difficult to prove economic necessity with a RA or TA appointment.
• Reduced RA/TA appointment: In a few circumstances, it may be advantageous to reduce your RA/TA appointment to less than 50% in order to be able to take the CA payment. Keep in mind that your tuition allowance would be lowered accordingly.

Archive

• Frustrated by quantitative expectations? Believe in the nostalgia of the good 'ol days where things were done properly and thoroughly, just like they did in 2014-15?