

Q: How do I hire a student?
A: To hire a student, the hiring supervisor should complete the Online Hiring form (available in the Supervisor Forms section of this website). The supervisor must fill in all of the information requested on the Hiring form, including the student's name and the BANNER ID number. Please plan to complete the hiring form at least 14 days prior to the date you want your student employee to begin working. If the student has never been employed at the University of La Verne, you should advise the student to visit the Office of Student Employment immediately to turn in the appropriate employment forms. A Hiring form cannot be processed for a student who has not turned in their employment forms. The employment forms are available in PDF format on this website. [TOP]
Q: When can I expect time cards?
A: When all forms have been processed you will receive time cards for the new student employee in your office. This process can take up to 14 business days. Please be aware that any student employment, which will be compensated directly from a Department budget, will require approval through the Treasurer's Office. If a Hiring Form is not approved for any reason, the supervisor will be notified by e-mail or interoffice mail.
The Supervisor and the Payroll office will receive written confirmation via the Payroll Master Form of the student's employment eligibility once all of the required forms have been completed and authorized. The Payroll Master Authorization Form, which will accompany the initial set of timecards, specifies the job title, hourly rate, earnings' limit, approved number of hours, and the contract dates for the student employee. The supervisor should use this information for ensuring that a student does not exceed their approved funding. [TOP]
Q: What is Federal Work Study, Student Employment, and International Student Employment?
A: Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program subsidized and regulated by the federal government that is designed to help students meet their financial obligations while attending college. Eligible students are awarded FWS as part of their financial aid package, and must demonstrate financial "need" as determined by the Financial Aid Office using a federal "need analysis" process. Salaries paid to Federal Work Study Student Employees are not paid out of the hiring department's budget.
Student Employment is the program that allows campus supervisors to hire a student employee to work for their department paid through their department's budget. All requests to hire a student employee must be approved through the Treasurer's Office prior hiring the student. The hiring form you submit to the Student Employment Office will be sent for budget approval before it is processed for hiring by the Student Employment Office.
International Student Employment refers to a specialized type of Student Employment that allows campus supervisors to hire international students through their department's budget. To be hired through this program, an international student must submit all required documents before he/she can begin working. For a complete list of all necessary documents, please refer to the student portion of this website. All International student employees must visit the Office of Student Employment at the beginning of each calendar year to renew their tax treaty information before they can begin resume working in the new year. [TOP]
Q: What are the employment contract dates and what information do I need to know about contract dates as a supervisor?
A: The employment contract dates are the dates that a student begins and ends employment. For example, the first date a student employee is hired is the start of the employment contact and the last date the student works is the end of the employment contract. When completing a Hiring form the supervisor must give the contract date for the beginning and the end of the students anticipated employment period. At the University of La Verne, the fiscal year starts on July 1st and ends on June 30th. Therefore, no employment contact can begin before July 1st and no employment contract can end after June 30th. When completing a Hiring form for any type of student employment, you must have a contract that begins on or after July 1st and ends on or before June 30th. When you are in the process of hiring a student, you should be aware that a new freshman student is not allowed to begin working until the start of the semester when they will be enrolled at ULV. Continuing students can be employed anytime after July 1st. Federal Work Study Student Employees cannot begin working prior to the start of classes for the 2005-2006 academic year. Student who are graduating after the Fall Semester are not allowed to be employed beyond January 31st. Student who are graduating after the Spring semester are not allowed top be employed beyond August 31st. [TOP]
Q: What are the established guidelines for determining a student employees pay rate?
A: All student employees, whether they are paid through the Federal Work-study budget or through a University budget, will have their pay rate determined according to the new pay scale outlined below. This pay scale is effective beginning July 1, 2007.
2007/2008 Student Employment Payscale
Regular Student Assistant
| 1st year | $8.00 |
| 2nd year | $8.25 |
| 3rd year | $8.50 |
| 4th year | $8.75 |
Specialist Student Assistant
| 1st year | $8.80 |
| 2nd year | $8.95 |
| 3rd year | $9.10 |
| 4th year | $9.30 |
Students should be given a pay increase after each July 1st when rehired if a minimum of 175 hours has been worked during the previous year.
Transfer students who have been employed in a Student Employment position at a previous college must provide documentation of their previous work experience if they wish to be paid at the level on the pay scale equivalent to their years of experience in a Student Employment program. Retroactive wages will not be compensated to students who provide documentation of their previous work experience and become eligible for a higher pay-rate after the students have begun working. The increase in pay-rate will be effective the pay period after proof of work experience is submitted to the Office of Student Employment. [TOP]
Q: What steps should a supervisor follow in the event their student employee demonstrates unsatisfactory performance?
A: In the case of unsatisfactory performance, the supervisor is initially expected to give the student a verbal warning. Should the unsatisfactory performance continue, the supervisor is expected to advise the student in writing at least once prior to terminating the student employee. A written contract between the supervisor and the student employee detailing the appropriate behaviors expected of the student can also be a useful tool for improving the students work performance. The department supervisor should maintain a copy of the written warning and/or contract, signed by the student and supervisor, and copies of the documentation should be forwarded to the Student Employment Office. [TOP]
Q: What should I know about terminating students?
A: Employment with the University is voluntary, and an employee is therefore free to resign at will, any time, with or without cause. Similarly, the University may terminate the employment relationship at-will, at anytime, with or without cause. Normally there is no assessment period of employment. If one should be established for a particular individual, however, successful completion of the assessment period does not alter the nature of the employment relationship, which remains at-will. If it becomes necessary to terminate a student employee for any reason, please notify the Office of Student Employment immediately. Fill out a Termination Form (available in PDF format in the Supervisor Forms section of this website), keep a copy for your records, and submit the original to the Office of Student Employment. [TOP]
Q: As a supervisor, am I responsible for monitoring earnings for my student employees?
A: As the supervisor, you are responsible for monitoring the student's earnings to ensure that the awarded amount is not exceeded. Keep a record of the hours turned into the payroll department for each pay period. The award amount, pay rate, and total hours are all included on the Confirmation/Payroll Master sheet sent with the first two time cards.
For your convenience, the formulas used to figure out the total hours and the average hours per week are included below.
Total hours per semester:
(Semester award in $) / (Hourly Rate = Total hours per semester
Example: $900 / $6.75 = 133.30 total hrs per semester
Average number of work hours per week:
(Total hrs/semester) / (15 weeks) = Average hours per week
Example: 133.30 / 15 = 8.80 hrs per week
In the case that a student is employed through the Federal Work Study program, the Department will be charged for 100% of any additional earnings over the limit. For example, if the Work-Study award is $2,400, then the earnings' limit is $2,400. If a department allows a student to earn $3,000, the department is responsible for 100% of the additional $800 over the $2,400 Work-Study limit. [TOP]
Q: As a supervisor, how do I find a new student to hire?
A: The Office of Student Employment will hold a Hiring Fair in September of each year. Supervisors may plan to attend the Hiring Fair to interview students. If students cannot attend the Hiring Fair and visit the Office of Student Employment for a referral, they will be provided with the names and contact numbers of the supervisors in the departments where they have indicated an interest in working. Supervisors may contact the Office of Student Employment anytime during the year if they need additional student referrals to fill an open position. [TOP]
Q: As a supervisor, do you recommend I perform an actual interview before hiring a student?
A: Yes, as a supervisor it is an excellent practice to actually interview student employees before selecting the candidate you wish to hire. Job interviews are an important step in a student's progress toward becoming a confident and able participant in the working world. For the student, the job search and application process provides valuable experience. It also allows the student the opportunity to determine if he/she feels qualified and comfortable with the position.
During the interview both parties need to understand the expectations and style of the other person. Information can be gained that is both vital to placing students in the appropriate position and beneficial in determining their future training and supervisory needs.
Interview Tips:
Q: As a supervisor, what type of information should I include in the orientation of my student employees?
A: Supervisors must ensure that student employees have a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities prior to beginning work. Hiring a student is a responsibility that requires planning and organizing by the supervisor.
Students should clearly understand both the stated job duties and the behavioral expectations. Explain to the student the hours they are expected to work, the process for requesting time off, the steps they must take to notify the office if they are ill and the appropriate manner of dress for the work environment. Supervisors should also remember to provide basic information, such as the location of restrooms, where coats and personal belongings should be kept, when and where breaks may be taken and if food or beverages are permitted at the workstation.
Remember that this is often a student's first work experience. Student employees are not often times familiar with proper work etiquette. For example, students do not always know they must call when they will be late or unable to work due to illness. You can prevent misunderstandings by clearly setting your expectations when the student is first hired. This may also prevent the necessity of taking corrective action in the future. What is considered "common sense" to a supervisor may simply be an accumulation of things learned through years of working.
Also remember, student who do not treat their position as a "real job" are often permitted to do so because they do not experience any consequences. Supervisors who do not properly orient the student in the beginning may find the student does not take their job seriously. This often leads to action such as simply "not showing up" when it is inconvenient to come to work. That behavior not only frustrates the supervisor, but also reinforces poor work habits for the student. If you want the student to take their job seriously, set an example by showing them you are taking it seriously.
Recommended items to include in Orientation:
Q: What do I need to know about breaks and meal periods?
A: University policy stipulates that for every 4 hours of scheduled work employees, including student workers, are to be given a 15-minute break.
California Industrial Welfare Commission rules stipulate that no employer shall employ any person for a work period of more than five (5) hours without an uninterrupted meal period of not less than thirty (30) minutes unless the work period last no more than six hours.
As a supervisor it is your responsibility to ensure that your student employees are given their breaks. [TOP]
Q: How many hours can my student employees work?
A: Student employees are not allowed to work overtime. No student employee can work more than 8 hours in one day. No student can works more than 20 hours per week must receive written authorization from the Dean of Academic Support and Retention Services and copy of this authorization must be on file in the Payroll Department and the Office of student Employment. [TOP]