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Student Employment Program Guidelines

A Guide for Supervisors, Coordinators, & Students
  Revised Fall 2007

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Augustana Student Employment Program is to provide students with the opportunity to earn money while working on campus in order to assist with educational expenses.The program also provides the student with a meaningful
and rewarding work experience that contributes to the excellence of the Augustana community.Augustana employs about 600 students during the regular academic year and 100 students during the summer. Each student employee plays
an essential role in helping Augustana perform day-to-day operations. The Augustana Student Employment Program is often referred to as "work study." The name "work study" refers to the Federal College Work Study Program, a student
employment program that is subsidized by the federal government. The intention of this federal program and the Student Employment Program at Augustana College is to give students the opportunity to work in order to help pay
for their studies. It does not imply that students are allowed to study while they work. Students are valued employees during the time that they are being paid. For this reason, the decision to allow a student employee to study will be based on the work load in his/her department at the coordinator's discretion.(top)

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY:

Typically, students who work on campus must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and qualify for the Federal College Work Study Program.This program is considered a type of federal financial aid and is included
in the student’s Financial Aid Award. Students who qualify for this program have a portion of their wages paid by the federal government.

In some cases, students who do not qualify for the Federal College Work Study Program may be employed by Augustana College with institutionally-funded student employment dollars. Students who are awarded institutional employment typically have a specific skill or ability that is required to fill a particular need in an area on campus. Areas using institutional student employment dollars are required to obtain approval before using institutional student employment funds. Other than federal aid eligibility, all guidelines, processes and policies for students being paid through institutional funding are the same as those for students being paid with
Federal Work Study funds.


Students whose parents are employed as faculty or staff members of Augustana College are typically not eligible to work during the regular school year (September through May) unless they qualify for the Federal College Work Study Program. During the summer, however, they may be hired after eligible students have been given priority.An eligible student will not be assigned to work for the department in which one of his/her parents is employed. (top)

ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURES:

The Augustana Student Employment Program is administered by the Financial Aid Office.The Financial Aid Office allocates each department a specific dollar amount that is to be used for student employment for the year as budgeted through the annual planning process. Each department supervisor, in cooperation with the department coordinator, is responsible for overseeing his/her student employment budget expenditures.

NEW/INCOMING STUDENTS
New and incoming students are offered student employment as part of their Financial Aid Award for the academic year. Included with this award are instructions to complete a Student Employment Acceptance Form in order to be placed in a position on campus.A student will not be placed in a position until this form is received by the Financial Aid Office. Upon receiving the completed Student Employment Acceptance Form, the Financial Aid Office attempts to place a student in a work assignment consistent with the expertise and interests noted on the individual’s form. Every effort is made to place the student in one of his/her top three position choices. In the situation where there is more than one qualified applicant for a position, the placements will be made on a first-come, first-served basis, taking into consideration the date which the Student Employment Acceptance Form was received by the Financial Aid Office. (top)


CONTINUING STUDENTS
At the beginning of the spring semester, department coordinators are asked to identify the continuing students whom they would like to have return as employees for the upcoming academic year.The coordinator is asked to visit with his/her current student employees to identify those students who are interested in continuing their employment in that department. If a student and coordinator are in agreement, the coordinator will include the student's name on the student request list that will be returned to the Financial Aid Office.

If the student would prefer to work in a department other than his/her current department for the upcoming academic year, the student is advised to notify his/her current coordinator of this decision. It is then the student’s responsibility to
identify a new job placement for the upcoming fall semester. Upon identifying a new position, the department coordinator of the new department will add the student's name to the request list that will be sent to the Financial Aid Office.

Continuing students who are interested in working in a new department but who cannot identify a new job placement have the option of completing an Employment Inquiry Form and submitting it to the Financial Aid Office.This form allows the student to be placed on a waiting list. Continuing students who are on the waiting list will be placed in open positions for the subsequent year once all incoming freshmen have been placed. (top)

EARNINGS:

Each student employee receives a Student Employment Assignment Form notifying him/her of his/her job placement for the year.The Assignment Form includes the name of the department coordinator along with contact information. It also contains information regarding the student’s wage rate, the total amount he/she may earn, and the average number of hours he/she should work each week in order to earn the entire amount awarded.This average number of hours per week should be maintained to ensure that the student does not reach his/her maximum dollar amount before the end of the school year. Once a student has reached the maximum earnings for the period of employment, he/she is ineligible to continue working, and employment will be terminated.


All student employment earnings must be reported when filing Federal Income Tax forms. Each student employee will receive a Form W-2 from the Augustan College Business Office in January.The Form W-2 will indicate the employee’s total earnings from the previous calendar year. Student employment earnings must also be reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).The amount earned will be reported in the adjusted gross income figure on the FAFSA.

Students earning student employment dollars through the Federal College Work Study Program should also include their earnings as a Title IV exclusion on the FAFSA.These earnings will be excluded from the student's adjusted gross income, thereby reducing the amount of income considered in the eligibility formula. Dollars earned from institutionally-funded student employment do NOT qualify as a Title IV exclusion. If students have a question about whether their earnings qualify for this exclusion, they should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to completing the FAFSA. (top)
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LIMITATION ON HOURS:

While enrolled at Augustana, a student’s priority should be his/her academic pursuits. Therefore, the maximum number of hours a student may work during the academic year (September through May) is limited to 20 per week in any one position, or combination of positions, on campus. In addition, coordinators requesting a specific position during the academic year which requires a student to work more than 10 hours per week must first receive approval from the Financial Aid Office.

During the summer months, students who are not enrolled in classes but are intending to be enrolled for the upcoming fall semester at Augustana may be eligible for employment of up to 40 hours per week; this is an absolute maximum. Students who are enrolled in classes at Augustana during the summer are limited to working 35 hours per week during periods of enrollment.

Students working in multiple positions on campus, regardless of the funding source, may not exceed 40 hours per week. Overtime pay will not be authorized for student employment. However, if a situation arises where a student must work more than 40 hours per week in order to fulfill a specific department need, any hours over 40 will generally be paid through that department’s operating budget. (top)

RATE OF PAY:

Augustana College uses a variable wage rate for its student employees.All students are paid at least the minimum wage of $6.55 per hour, with some students being paid more depending on the position or years of experience. Pay rates above minimum wage are at the discretion of the department coordinator.The coordinator is required to maintain documentation that supports any differences in pay among student employees. Generally,wage increases may be given only at the beginning of a school year to students who have been recommended for such an increase by the department coordinator.

Students employed during the summer months may be paid at a higher rate than students working during the academic year. Summer employees can generally expect their wage rates to decrease to the academic year rates once the fall semester begins. (top)

TIME SHEETS:

Students’ time sheets are distributed to department coordinators through campus mail. Special attention to accuracy must be given when completing time sheets because they may be subject to an annual federal audit.

One student’s time sheet cannot be used by another student.Time sheets are student- specific with name, ID number, department, pay period, and account code printed on them. If a time sheet is misplaced or destroyed, contact the Financial Aid Office or the Payroll Office to request a duplicate time sheet.

REPORTING HOURS
Time sheets are designed to report hours for a two-week time frame. Each time sheet should be maintained on a day-by-day basis to accurately record the number of hours worked. It is unlawful to report hours for a time period that a student did not work. In addition, hours should not be reported on the time sheet in advance to be worked at a later date, nor should a student’s hours be ‘banked’ or stored to be reported and paid at a later time.

Each time sheet must be signed by the authorized personnel in each department or area, typically the department coordinator.

Any changes or corrections on a time sheet must be initialed by an authorized person from that department. Documentation of the actual work schedule for each student should be maintained by the department coordinator.This documentation should include the actual ‘time in’ and ‘time out’ information from the work schedule.


Students and coordinators are notified of the time sheet due dates at the beginning of employment. Coordinators will be notified if a change to the due date is necessary because of a holiday or break period.As a rule, time sheets are due in the Business Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday following the close of a pay period. It is the responsibility of the coordinator to submit time sheets by the due date. Failure to submit time sheets by the due date will delay the student's paycheck by two weeks.Time sheets that are submitted more than 30 days after the due date will be paid through the department’s operating funds.(top)

DIRECT DEPOSIT:

Augustana College encourages all students who have a bank account to sign up to have their student employment paychecks deposited directly into their bank accounts. Students may complete a Direct Deposit Form available in the Business Office and attach a deposit slip or voided check from the account to which the funds will be deposited.

Direct Deposit allows funds to be automatically deposited into the student's designated bank account and made available on payday.This eliminates the time, postage, and hassle of endorsing and mailing a check to the student's bank. If a student switches banks or bank accounts at any time, he/she will need to notify the Business Office so the funds can be rerouted. (top)

WORK SCHEDULES:

Each student will be given the opportunity to work his/her awarded hours in the department to which he/she has been assigned.The student and the coordinator will collaborate to develop a work schedule that is compatible with the student’s class and study schedule. If there is not enough work to be done in the department to which a student is assigned, the coordinator will notify the Financial Aid Office so that the student may be shared with another area or reassigned to a different department.


The coordinators depend on student employees to perform the necessary functions within their departments. If a student needs to request time off, the request must be approved in advance by the coordinator.Any unexcused absences or tardiness will be handled according to the policies established by each department.(top)

CONFLICT RESOLUTION:

Conflicts should, whenever possible, be resolved between the coordinator and the student. If the student feels unable to approach his/her coordinator, the grievance may be taken to the Program Administrator in the Financial Aid Office.

If the student is dissatisfied with the coordinator’s response, the student may take the grievance to the Program Administrator in the Financial Aid Office. The Program Administrator will require the student to identify the problem in detail and will contact the coordinator for a written response. On the basis of this information and any other information that the Program Administrator deems pertinent, the Program Administrator will render a decision. This decision will be given to the student in writing and a written copy of the decision and its basis will be kept by the Program Administrator and shared with the coordinator.

If the student or the coordinator is dissatisfied with the decision regarding the grievance rendered by the Program Administrator, either may appeal the decision to the Director of Financial Aid.The appeal should be in writing and must indicate why an appeal should be heard.The Program Administrator will provide the Director with a written record of the grievance procedure at that time. The grievance shall be reviewed and the appeal considered.The decision made by the Director of Financial Aid shall be final.(top)

TERMINATION PROCEDURES
The Program Administrator will terminate a student employee only after careful consideration of all factors involved. Reasons for termination of student employment typically fall under two categories:
1. The student has earned his/her total student employment award, or
2. The student has demonstrated unsatisfactory performance.(top)

EARNED TOTAL AWARD
Each department coordinator will be notified biweekly of the amount each student in his/her department has earned during that pay period and the percent of the initial award remaining.The Financial Aid Office also monitors the biweekly report and will send notification to any student and the student’s department coordinator when the student is nearing the end of his/her student employment award.The department coordinator is responsible for adjusting the student's work schedule to prevent the student from working more hours than he/she is eligible to earn.At the time the student earns his/her total award, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student and the coordinator of the student's termination and the department coordinator will no longer receive time sheets for that student. (top)

UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE
The coordinator should make very clear to each of his/her student employees exactly what is expected of them regarding work performance, responsibility, and other departmental policies.A written job description for each position must be on file in the Financial Aid Office and a copy provided to the student.A copy of the departmental policies should also be made available to each student at the beginning of employment. If a coordinator becomes aware of a student demonstrating unsatisfactory performance, the coordinator should take the following steps.

Step One: At the onset of a problem, the coordinator should discuss the situation with the student and establish specific criteria on which the student should improve.This initial conversation should be documented by the coordinator.At this time, the coordinator should schedule a follow-up visit with the student to assess the improvement in work performance.

Step Two: If no improvement is shown, a written warning will be given to the student with a copy sent to the Program Administrator in the Financial Aid Office.This written warning should indicate a time frame and the specific actions the student must take to comply with the required improvements.

Step Three: If there is no improvement after the indicated time frame or if the student takes no action to comply, the coordinator will recommend to the Program Administrator that the student be dismissed from the position. Once a student has been dismissed due to unsatisfactory performance, the student will not be placed in another department for the current year.The termination will be documented in the student’s file.

In order to be assigned to a department as a student employee for a subsequent award year, the student is required to provide the Program Administrator with written justification as to why he/she would like to resume working as a student employee and what he/she has learned as a result of the termination. Upon approval of the ritten petition, the Program Administrator will work with the student to identify an open position on campus. (top)

NO-SHOWS
If a student does not report to work within 30 days of the beginning of the term awarded, that student forfeits student employment eligibility for that award year. The student may not reinstate student employment for that award year and must make arrangements with the Program Administrator to receive student employment for any subsequent years. (top)

GROUNDS FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION
There are certain instances in which the termination procedures may not be followed and a student is immediately terminated.These instances include but are not limited to: falsifying time sheets, alcohol/drug use while working, assault, and theft or vandalism of campus property.(top)

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
In order to maintain a positive, discrimination-free educational and work environment, Augustana College declares that sexual harassment in the workplace or the educational environment is unacceptable and therefore prohibited.The Student Employment Program follows the Sexual Harassment Policy as defined in the Student Handbook. (top)

OFF-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT

Augustana College provides a Job Location Development Program (JLDP) which is maintained by the Financial Aid Office.The JLDP maintains a listing of part-time job openings in the Sioux Falls area on the Augustana Career Center home page which can be linked to from http://www.augie.edu/student_serv/career/index.php . This service is provided expressly for Augustana students who are seeking off campus employment. Augustana students are welcome to access this information at any time to obtain information regarding off campus employment.Augustana College does not assume responsibility for the openings listed nor is employment guaranteed through this
resource. (top)

POSITION TRANSFER PROCEDURES

MID-YEAR TRANSFER PROCEDURES
Once a student has accepted student employment, he/she should continue in the assigned position until his/her authorized award amount is earned. If a student feels the need to change departments, the student should discuss the reasons for wanting a transfer with his/her current coordinator and the Program Administrator in the Financial Aid Office. If no other alternative can be found, the student will be allowed to change positions at the end of the semester.However, the student will not be considered for a transfer until the situation has been discussed with his/her current coordinator and the coordinator has informed the Program Administrator that the discussion has taken place. (top)

SUBSEQUENT YEAR TRANSFER PROCEDURES
If a student wishes to work in a different area for the subsequent award year, he/she should contact the coordinator of the department in which he/she would like to work prior to March of the current award year. If that coordinator has openings and agrees to the placement, he/she will include the student in the student request listing that is submitted to the Financial Aid Office in April.The student should notify his/her current coordinator that he/she will not be returning to that department for the subsequent year. (top)

DECLINING AWARD OR REDUCING HOURS

A student who decides to decline a student employment award or reduce the number of hours assigned per week must first notify his/her coordinator. Once the coordinator is aware of these intentions, the coordinator will assist the student in completing the necessary paperwork in order for the change to take place. Declining or reducing an employment award will result in a decrease in the overall financial aid package. Loan or grant funds are not available to replace declined or reduced student employment funds.

If a student declines his/her student employment award, that student forfeits student employment eligibility for that award year.The student may not reinstate student employment for that award year and must make arrangements with the Program Administrator to receive student employment for any subsequent years. (top)

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

Augustana typically hires approximately 100 students to work during the summer months. Generally, these positions are funded through the Federal College Work Study Program.A student must complete a FAFSA for the subsequent year in order to determine eligibility. Eligible students must also plan on enrolling full time at Augustana for the fall term. If a student is not enrolled for the fall term, he/she must be enrolled in summer courses for the period he/she is working.

Per federal regulations, any dollars earned working through the Federal College Work Study Program during the summer must be considered as a resource when determining financial aid for the fall semester. Each student is notified, prior to beginning employment, of the effect his/her summer earnings may have on the amount of financial aid he/she is eligible to receive for the subsequent year.The student is notified again after his/her summer employment has ended of the actual effect his/her summer earnings had on his/her eligibility for financial aid.

The College may opt to provide discounts on specific services it provides to summer student employees.Any discount on services provided are considered taxable earnings with any applicable taxes withheld from biweekly paychecks.These discounts will be advertised along with notifications of summer employment openings. Summer employees are limited to the number of hours they are eligible to work during the summer months. Refer to the section on “Limitation of Hours” in this guide for more information. (top)

ADDITIONAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES

ON THE JOB INJURIES
Any student who is injured while working as an employee of the Augustana Student Employment Program is covered under the College's worker's compensation insurance policy. If injured, the student has three days to notify the Human Resources Department of the incident. Upon approval, the claim is processed and 100% of the medical expenses may be covered. If the incident is not reported within three days of occurring, it will not be covered under the College's insurance policy. Any questions regarding this program should be directed to Human Resources.

ABSENCES
Any student who is unable to report to regularly scheduled work assignments due to an emergency is expected to notify his/her coordinator immediately. In nonemergency situations, students are expected to notify their coordinator in advance.

DRESS CODE
Each department has established dress standards appropriate for the location, season and type of work to be performed.A student employee is expected to comply with his/her department's policy.

DRUG & ALCOHOL USE
The use of alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs while working on campus is absolutely forbidden and will result in immediate termination.

UNEARNED EMPLOYMENT AWARDS
If a student does not work his/her entire student employment award, the unearned amount is forfeited. Unearned award amounts are not carried forward to future employment periods under any circumstance.

HOLIDAYS & BREAK PERIODS
Students are not normally required to work during holidays and break periods. However, students working in certain areas may be requested to work during these periods.The department coordinators will notify students regarding what is expected during these situations.

EVENINGS & WEEKENDS
Some departments require students to work evenings and weekends. Department coordinators will notify students regarding what is required during these times.

SEMESTERS AWAY FROM CAMPUS
Employment awards made to students who plan to spend a semester away from campus will be prorated so that the students' awards reflect one semester of intended earnings. Examples of this situation include study abroad and student teaching.At the discretion of the department coordinator, a student may work during a semester of student teaching if he/she will be on campus during that semester. (top)