PASFAA CONFERENCE
October 25, 2011
2:15pm
Sheraton, Station Square
Presentation
Student Employment Best Practices
•
Pati Kravetz, Associate Director, Experiential Learning
and Student Employment, Career Center
•
Elaine Taillon, Associate Director of Student
Financial Aid, Enrollment Services
Agenda
Introduction
Best Practices, Part 1: The Essential Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Treat Jobs as Real Jobs
Know the Student Population
Create and Post Jobs
Hiring & Payroll
Best Practices,
Part 2: Making the Connection
1. Learning is Essential
2. Desired Compentencies
3. Encourage Reflection
4. Strive for Engagement
5.
6.
7.
8.
Policies & Guidelines
Training & Orientation
Effective Supervising
Performance Review & Feedback
Federal Work Study Program, Part 3
1. Program Participation Agreement (PPA)
2. Transfer of Funds
3. Carry Forward/ Carry Back
4. Federal Share Limitation
5. FWS/FCS at Carnegie Mellon
6. NSEA SEE Training
Introduction
Preparing students for the future
A college education is an experience like no other. Part of this
education includes preparing students to apply that experience in
ways that will lead to successful and fulfilling professional lives after
graduation. A natural place for this preparation is through student
employment and you, the supervisor, are an important part of this.
This Student Employment Best Practices guide will equip student
employee supervisors with the essentials for creating and
developing a quality on and off campus student employment
program.
Best Practices, Part 1
The Essentials
1. Treat Student Jobs as Real Jobs
FACT:
Working on campus is the #2 activity that college students participate in,
second only to attending classes.
Make student employment a high impact activity by focusing on more
than just the work product.

Experiential Learning – Apply academic knowledge through hands-on
experiences in the work place.

Professional Development opportunities to develop and enhance skills
and competencies.

Engagement with campus life and the institution.
2. Know the Student Population
Millenials (1982-2002)

Collaborative team work

Achievement driven

Want meaningful work and NEED feedback
Communication Variations

Language (international)

Expression
Students with Disabilities

Undetectable

Limitations
Students with Psychological Issues

Depression, anxiety, stress, etc.
3. Create & Post Job
•
All jobs should be posted to ensure equal opportunity for all eligible students
•
The job title should accurately reflect the job
•
Job descriptions should:
Be current and state the job duties, hours, pay rate,
qualifications, and have learning objectives
•
Serve as a communication device between the employer and employee.
•
Once the job is filled, the posting should be removed
•
All applicants should be contacted regarding hiring decisions.
4. Hiring & Payroll: Job Application
All applicants should complete, sign, and date a job
application.
•
• The job application should be referred to during the
interview process along with the job description and the
resume
• The interviewer should ask the same questions of all
applicants
Hiring & Payroll: Interviewing

Questions should be job related or about work experience

Questions can be about working style and characteristics

Be prepared with a list of questions to ask of all candidates

Conduct the interview in a quiet, private space

Give an accurate perspective of your office and the job

Leave time for questions

Give a time frame when a hiring decision is to be made
Hiring & Payroll

Formally offer the job to the student, either in person or by email

Clearly define pay rate, work schedule and expectations

If hiring a new student employee, instruct student to complete an
I-9 form and W-4 form


Explain your Payroll Systems options (i.e. Direct deposit, check etc)
PA 30-New beginning January 2012 (EIT collection)
Hiring & Payroll: Statement of
Confidentiality Agreement
– A Statement of Confidentiality form should be signed by
all employees and be on file in the office where the student
works.
– This form states that students may not share or disclose
any confidential information or records, whether it be seen
or heard while at work. It also
states that violation of this agreement results in immediate
dismissal.
Hiring & Payroll: Personnel File
A personnel file should be kept for all student employees in the hiring
department’s office.
– It should include the following:

Application

Written or emailed offer letter

Resume (if submitted)

Confidentiality Agreement

Statement of Understanding form

Performance reviews and evaluations
– The following documents are maintained separately in Payroll:

W-4 form

I-9 form and supporting documentation

Payroll deduction or Direct Deposit forms
5. Policies & Guidelines
Be aware of your University's policies, procedures and statements:
Student Employee Eligibility
(work-study/non work-study, student status, work periods)
1.
2.
EEO/AA Policy
3.
Sexual Harassment Policy and training
4.
On-the-job-injuries
5.
FERPA
6.
Verification of Employment / Getting or giving References
6. Training & Orientation

Professional expectations of student employees

Define mission of department or program

Communicate job responsibilities (have copy of job description)

Discuss training schedule

Introduce faculty, staff, and other student employees

Provide office tour
–
--Clarify off-limits space(s)
–
--Present overview of departmental or program and student
employment policies
Training Session

Engage students in the learning process (interactive)

Deliver consistent job training
-- Job Specific
-- Office specific

Discuss departmental or program policies
-- Attendance
-- Scheduling
-- Dress Code
-- Timesheets - when due and how to complete

Review evaluation process

Outline what constitutes termination
On-Going Training

Keeps the work place current

Improves and sustains student employee performance

Creates specialized training -- as necessary

Addresses specific topics such as:
-- Diversity
-- Sensitivity
-- Confidentiality
7. Effective Supervising

Models professional behavior in the work place

Ensures a high quality work experience

Communicates with students at their level and ways in which they
respond best (ex. Facebook, email, twitter, blog)

Provides students with “big picture” of the departments’ mission and
the importance of their role

Provides appropriate oversight and feedback

Addresses problems as they arise

Acts as a mentor and motivator
Reasons Student Employees Leave

Find more satisfying/career related employment

Unclear policies and expectations

Lack of training

Heavy coursework obligations

No recognition

Increase in pay elsewhere
8. Performance Review & Feedback

Should be done once per year. A copy should be given to student
and a copy should be placed into their department personnel file.

It should be used as a positive and effective means for communication
between the employer and employee.

Both the student and the supervisor should discuss the evaluation
results and formulate goals for the future.
NOTE:
This is confidential information and should be kept in a secure location.
Progressive Discipline
The Discipline Process
1.
Constructive feedback

Provide counseling to improve work

Offer additional training
2.
Verbal Warning
3.
Written Warning
4.
Termination, if necessary
Reasons to Terminate

Excessive absence or tardiness

Refusing to fulfill job responsibilities

Violation of code of student conduct
»
-- Forging payroll or timesheet records
»
-- Breach of confidentiality agreement
Termination Protocol
Send formal email message to student
Provide reasons for termination – concrete examples
Do Discuss

»
How student was not fulfilling employment responsibilities
Do Not Discuss

Personality traits, physical characteristics, psychological
issues, incriminating but unsubstantial claims
Best Practices, Part 2
Making the Connection
1. A Learning & Professional
Development Opportunity

Development and growth central to the student experience

Set Mutual Goals & Desired Competencies

Experiential Learning Focus -- transformation of the experience

Add Learning Outcomes to guide the experience
Example: Career Peer Mentors at Carnegie Mellon CPDC
2. Desired Competencies
Interpersonal
Customer Service, Conflict Resolution, Teamwork
Communication (verbal and non-verbal)
Instructing, Presenting, Writing, Email
Leadership
Decision Making, Delegating, Supervising
Organizational
Time Management, Multitasking, Planning
3. Encourage Reflection
Qualifies the student employment experience through the student’s predetermined objectives:
1.
Knowledge Objectives
2.
Skill Objectives
3.
Values Objectives
Student Reflection
Knowledge Objectives
“What do you hope to learn from your student employment experience?”
Skills Objectives
“What skills do you hope to acquire or strengthen through training, practice,
and observation as a student employee?”
Values Objectives
“What personal values, commitments or assumptions do you hope to explore,
deepen, or clarify through your student employment experience?”
Student Reflection Example
Example: Undergraduate Student Design Major
Knowledge Objectives
“I want to apply my design skills to real projects to include in my
portfolio of work.”
Skills Objectives
“I want to learn to work with clients.”
Values Objectives
“Can I succeed as both an individual designer and as a member of a team?”
4. Keys to Engagement

Effective Management: Fair and consistent treatment of student staff

Two-way Communication: Evaluation and Feedback

Clear Policies and Practices: Expectations and Performance

Motivation
–
-- Student Recognition Programs (ex. Student Employee of the Year,
Student Employee Appreciation Lunch)
–
-- Solicit student ideas and recommendations
–
-- Include students in office celebrations
–
-- Provide opportunities for advancement
The Federal Work-Study Program
1. Program Participation Agreement (PPA) Requirements
2. Transfer of Funds
3. Carry Forward/Carry Back
4. Federal Share Limitation
5. Federal Work-Study and Federal Community Service Programs at Carnegie
Mellon University
6. NSEA Student Employment Essentials(SEE) Training
Program Participation Agreement (PPA)
Requirements:
Under the Program Participation Agreement, schools participating in
the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program must:
• Make FWS employment reasonably available, to the extent of
available funds, to all eligible students;
• Award FWS employment, to the maximum extent practicable, that
will complement and reinforce each recipient’s educational program
or career goals;
• Assure that FWS employment may be used to support programs for
supportive services to students with disabilities; and
• Inform all eligible students of the opportunity to perform community
services and consult with local nonprofit, government, and
community-based organizations to identify those opportunities.
Transfer of Funds
FWS transfer to FSEOG
• Up to 25% of your gross FWS allocation can be transferred to
your FSEOG allocation.
FWS transfer to Perkins
• Up to 25% of your FWS allocation can be transferred to your
Perkins Loan allocation.
Note: The maximum total transfer of FWS funds to FSEOG and/or
Perkins is 25%.
FSEOG transfer to FWS
• Up to 25% of your FSEOG allocation can be transferred to your
FWS allocation.
Carry Forward/ Carry Back
Carry Forward
• Your school may carry forward up to 10% of the current award
year’s allocation to the following award year.
Carry Back
• Your school may also carry back up to 10% of the current award
year’s allocation to expenses incurred in the previous award year.
Limitations
–Transferring FWS funds to FSEOG;
–Federal share of wages in private for-profit sector jobs;
–Job Location and Development (JLD) program.
Federal Share Limitations
• Maximum of 75% of a students wages in
general
• Exceptions:
• 50% for students working for a private for-profit
organization.
• 100% for students:
• performing civic education and participation in
community service projects
• Reading and math tutors for pre-school or elementary
school children
• Math tutors for students through the 9th grade
• Family Literacy activities that provides services to
preschool or elementary age children.
• 90% for students:
• Employed at a private nonprofit organization or a
federal, state, or local public agency, not including the
school itself.
• The school does not own or operate or control the organization.
The school must keep a signed statement on file signed by both
the agency and school they have no such relationship.
• Family Literacy activities that provides services to preschool or
elementary age children.
• The school selects the organization on a case by case basis and
the selection is done by the school’s normal process of selecting
potential employers.
• The organization or agency must be unable to pay the non-federal
share and must keep on file a letter from an official of the agency
stating such.
• The 90% federal share is limited to no more than 10% of the
students paid under the FWS program. The 10% is calculated
using the total number of FWS students paid during the current
award year. Reading, Math and Family Literacy students are
exempt from the 10% limitation.
Non Federal Share of FWS earnings
• Must be at least 25% except as previously noted
• School may use any resource available to pay it’s share of FWS
earnings including:
• School funds
• Outside funds (i.e. off-campus agency)
• If the student is employed by a private, for-profit organization, that
organization MUST provide the nonfederal share.
• Noncash Contributions
• Programs sponsored by Federal Agencies such as the National
Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health.
Carnegie Mellon University
FWS and FCS Programs
2010-11 Award Year:
 Federal Work-Study Allocation
 Gross Compensation
 # of students employed in the FWS Program
 Federal Community Service Expenditures
 # of FCS Employers
 Off-Campus Undergraduate
 On-Campus Undergraduate
 Heinz College
 # of students employed in the FCS Program
 Federal Share of FCS Expenditures
NSEA Student Employment Essentials
(SEE) Training
National Student Employment Association (NSEA)
What is SEE Training?
Two one-day, professional seminars that will teach you the skills
critical to the success of every student employment professional as
well as to your university's student employment program. These
"hands-on" workshops immerse participants in all aspects of running
a successful student employment office and provide a framework for
you to sharpen existing skills and acquire new ones.
Training sessions are offered in each of NSEA's four regional
organizations- Western, Midwest, Northeast, and Southern throughout the year.
What topics are covered?
Track A - Legal Issues in Student Employment
• Employment Regulations
• Developing Training Programs
• Employing International Students
• I-9s and W-4's
• Interviewing and Selection
• FERPA
Track B - Job Development and FWS in Student Employment
• Federal Work Study (FWS) - Program Management and Administration
• FWS - Student Eligibility
• FWS - Job Location and Development (JLD) Administration
• Marketing Your Student Employment Program
• FWS - Allowable Employment
• FWS - Off-Campus Programs
• FWS - Community Service.
Training Schedules
See individual training dates and locations on the NSEA calendar. Please contact the
appropriate Regional Training Coordinator listed below for complete information.
Regional Training Coordinators:
Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA)
Judy Brown
Coordinator, On-Campus Federal Work Study Program
Career Services Center
Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-2131
513-745-4880
NorthEast Association of Student Employment Administrators (NEASEA)
Teri Corso
Director
Career Services
College of St. Elizabeth
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
PHONE: (973)290-4266
For more information contact Carolyn Thorpe, NSEA Training Coordinator, (561) 2377280.
Resources
Best Practices Resources
Carnegie Mellon CPDC Student Employment Website:
www.cmu.edu/career/studentemp/
Carnegie Mellon Human Resources Website:
www.cmu.edu/hr/
Contact Information for Student Employment Best Practices Trainers
Pati Kravetz pk13@andrew.cmu.edu 412.268.7052
Elaine Taillon et0v@andrew.cmu.edu
412.268.1947