Unpaid Appointments

Unpaid Appointments (UPA) are provided to individuals for a variety of reasons, including access to university facilities or resources or to perform services as a recognized volunteer. To learn more about the policy, please review HR-513 Volunteers and Other Unpaid Appointments | University of Missouri System

Please review our quick Unpaid Appointments Handout (Last Revised: 9/17/25) guide for more information.

NOTICE: As of October 1, 2025, the updated policy and process will take effect. Existing unpaid appointments hired previously to October 1 will need to be moved over to correct categories through the end of February 2026. More information will be coming for that process. 

Appointments will automatically expire based on policy requirements. Approval is required to extend appointments.

Security Access to Initiate Unpaid Appointment Requests

Users with the ePAF – Initiator security role will be able to submit the UPA eForm inside PeopleSoft HR.  At UMSL, we participate in University Shared Services and that team is the ePAF – Initiator.

Campus Process

To get started, determine which appointment type needs to be requested and gather the required appointee information as well as required approvals and supporting documents for the appointment.  Provide this information to your unit’s ePAF -Initiator. Failure to include the required documents will result in the eForm being denied or recycled for review and resubmission. This process, start to finish, could take up to 10-15 business days depending on the requirements needed for each specific appointment.

UMSL requests all begin with the KUALI startup request form. Workflow is built in to obtain Business Manager and CSD Leader approval. Completed forms will be delivered to University Shared Services for eForm initiation.

Kuali Unpaid Appointments Form

If the appointee will be working internationally or with funded research, you will need to complete the UM System Research and Security Compliance Form first, before completing the Kuali form.

UM System Research and Security Compliance Form

The following are required to initiate the unpaid appointment:

  • Appointment Type and Job Code
  • Legal First Name
  • Legal Last Name
  • Date of Birth for all appointment types except Conditional and Emeritus
  • Cell phone number for Guest Affiliate and Volunteer
  • Start Date
  • Term Date if appointment will last less than policy limit
  • Appointee Personal Email Address
  • Business Unit (STLOU)
  • Department (DEPTIDs only)
  • Sponsoring Supervisor’s Employee ID
  • Justification for the unpaid appointment
  • Duties Location
    • Remote, Hybrid, or On-Site
    • Location of work if outside of Missouri
  • Appropriate approvals in ePAF attachment format
    • See table below:

This table describes who will approve which specific things in the Kuali form. CSD Leaders approve everything, Business managers approve everything, Research Security and Compliance approve only research and outside of the US research forms. MOUs will be requested for appointments like Education Partners, Vendor or Visiting Student.

REQUIRED APPROVALS AND ATTACHMENTS

CSD Leader

Required for all unpaid appointments/Built into Kuali workflow (Includes Alice Hall for Emeritus approval)

Business Manager

Built into Kuali workflow

Research Security and Compliance 

If the appointee will be working  
•   Internationally; or 
•   With funded research 

MOU/Contract/Agreement

Required for Education Partners, Vendor, or Visiting Student appointments
  • eForms for all unpaid appointment types will be routed directly to the Campus Approver for review. Review consists of correct appointment type and job code as well as inclusion of all required approvals and supporting documents.
  • Once approved:
    • Guest Affiliate and Volunteer appointments will be required to complete a preboarding questionnaire and criminal background check. These appointments will receive an automated email from PeopleSoft@umsystem.edu with directions to complete.
    • Conditional, Education Partner, Emeritus, Visiting Student will automatically be executed-into PS Job Data.
      • Note: appointments requiring an emplid review or those flagged for rehire eligibility will proceed to the Final HR Approver for final review and approval.
  • Unpaid appointments requiring Final HR Approval include those:
    • with rehire eligibility flags
    • needing an emplid confirmed
    • with Guest Affiliate and Volunteer Appointee forms
  • This step also initiates the Criminal Background Check (CBC)
    • If no concerns are found in screening questions or rehire eligibility, Recruit Operations will initiate a CBC using the university’s current CBC vendor. The appointee will receive an email from the vendor to initiate the Criminal Background Check.
    • Recruit Team will review and adjudicate CBC results.
  • Once approved, the eForm will be executed and Job Record created.

Notice of Approval or Denial (Auto-generated by system)

Notification of fully executed unpaid appointment or denial of request will be sent to the sponsoring supervisor indicated on the request.

Questions?

For questions about the Unpaid Appointment eForm process, please contact stripessharedservices@umsystem.edu. 

For questions about type of appointment or policy requirements, please discuss with your HR Partner.