Student Employment Supervisor Handbook

On & Off Campus Positions and Graduate Assistantships

Introduction

Title 133 Procedural Rule of the Higher Education Policy Commission Series 8, Personal Administration Section 2.1.5 and the University define a “Student Employee” as an employee who is enrolled at the institution as a student and whose primary purpose for being at the institution is to obtain an education. A Student Employee is not eligible for benefits and is not covered by the University’s classification program in Board of Governors Rule 3.3 – Classification and Compensation.

Many students use student employment to offset institutional costs associated with their financial need while in college. Overall, it has been shown that working as a student has an overall positive impact on college experience and success for many students.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. The University does not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin in the administration of any of its educational programs, activities, or with respect to admission or employment. Faculty, staff, students, and applicants are protected from retaliation for filing complaints or assisting in an investigation under the University’s Equal Opportunity Policy/Affirmative Action Plan. Inquiries regarding the University’s non-discrimination statement may be directed to the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at West Virginia University.

Download the Student Employment Supervisor Handbook

How to Post a Student Employee Position

• Supervisors are required to post their student employment opportunity in Handshake. Handshake does not require an account to do so. Simply, fill out the Federal Work Study New Fall and Spring Request Form . Every position is required to be posted as a Federal Work Study position. You may also post the position as a non-Federal Work Study position and accept applications from both pools of students. To request a Non-FWS job posting such as regular student employment or Graduate Assistantship, please complete the Student Employee Job Posting Request Form.
• You can find more information about Federal Work Study here: Federal Work-Study | Student Financial Services | West Virginia University (wvu.edu).
• You can find more information about Graduate Assistantships here: Graduate Assistantships | Graduate Education and Life | West Virginia University (wvu.edu).
• Once your job is posted to Handshake, the recipient of applications will receive an email each time a student applies with the required documents attached and/or the supervisor can receive an email summary of all applicants once the job expires. Typically, On & Off-Campus positions require a resume, and the student’s work availability or class schedule.

How to Hire a Student Employee

• As the supervisor, you will review prospective applicants and reach out to candidates directly to set up an in-person, phone or virtual interview.
• To hire a student employee, you will need to submit a Student and Other NBE New Hire Form which goes to Shared Services. On each page of the form, scroll down to click next.
• For more information on the process to onboard a student employee, please read the Shared Services article, Processing Students for Payroll.
• For all Graduate Assistantship positions, supervisors also need to upload the GA’s signed contract or letter of agreement before submission.
• Sample Appointment Letter

• Shared Services will then instruct the student to process for payroll if they're not already an employee. For more information, go to: https://sharedservices.wvu.edu/employee-processing.
• Once the student has processed for payroll, the supervisor will receive an onboarding email from Shared Services that includes the earliest potential date that the student can start working.
• You MUST receive the onboarding email before the student can begin working. Once you have received the official onboarding email, work with the student to determine their first day of work and their schedule for the semester. Remember, their first day of work must be on or after the official “Start Date” from the onboarding email.
• At the end of each semester, supervisors should then evaluate their Student Employee. A sample can be found here: Student Employee Evaluation Form Sample.
  

How to Manage a Student Employee

As a supervisor of a Student Employee, it is important to understand that ultimately the Student Employee should determine how many hours per week they feel comfortable working and report that to you. Student Employees are students first, and it is important they consider how much time they will need to dedicate to their studies. Student Employees are advised not to allow their work schedule to negatively impact their academic success.

Payment and Recording Time

Student Employees are paid every other Friday. The University is required by law to make deductions from paychecks for federal and state income taxes, and Social Security.

Failure to log in correctly or the falsification of time records can result in disciplinary action up to and including termination and repayment of funds for time not worked.

Clocking In and Out

For On-Campus positions, Student Employees will clock in and out via computer or assigned time clock.

MyTime for Supervisors and Hourly Employees

Hiring Students Under the Age of 18

You are permitted to hire a Student Employee under the age of 18 and they may work on campus, but additional documents must be completed at the Division of Human Resources - Talent Strategy. You, as the hiring supervisor, must initiate completing these forms. To request approval, please fill out the Hiring of Minors Request Form BEFORE any offer of employment is made.

Performance Management

Managing a Student Employee’s performance is an important part of a supervisor’s responsibilities. Your response to a Student Employee either violating workplace rules or Page 8 of 19 performing below expectations should depend on the severity of the infraction. Additionally, workplace rules and expectations should be clearly communicated to the Student Employee at the commencement of their employment.

When a Student Employee is not meeting expected and previously communicated performance standards, supervisors are encouraged to implement a process called progressive discipline. Progressive discipline is meant to let a Student Employee know that there is a performance problem or that an opportunity for improvement exists. The process features increasingly formal efforts to provide feedback to the Student Employee to correct the problem. These efforts can range from verbal conversations and written warnings to termination. The goal of progressive discipline is not to punish an employee, but rather to improve employee performance and assist employees in overcoming workplace difficulties. Progressive discipline is most successful when it assists an individual to become an effectively performing member of the organization. Common issues requiring performance management and disciplinary action include, but are not limited to, unexcused tardiness, inappropriate behavior, sleeping, absenteeism, or failure to properly perform assigned duties and tasks. If you are considering severe disciplinary action such as termination, please contact Shared Services at sharedservices@mail.wvu.edu prior to doing so.

If you suspect a Student Employee is recording time fraudulently, you should immediately contact Shared Services and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to discuss potential disciplinary action.