I. Purpose
Student employment is a high-impact program that prepares students for a rapidly changing global society and success beyond graduation. A strong student employment experience helps connect students to campus and can impact overall retention at the institution. Student employment at UNC Asheville is intended to be educationally and financially helpful while providing students with valuable work experience. This policy provides uniform and equitable standards for the student employment at UNC Asheville. This policy will be reviewed regularly by a Student Employment Committee organized by the Career Center.
II. Scope
This policy applies to all university departments and activities hiring UNC Asheville undergraduate and graduate students in hourly and/or stipend positions.
III. Policy
A. Student Employment Definitions and Details
1. Federal Work Study (FWS)
a) FWS is a federally funded financial aid employment program available during fall and spring semesters. Eligibility for FWS is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
b) FWS may not be used to defer college charges. The earnings are designed to assist students with their personal expenses, not Tuition, Fees, and/or Room and Board. FWS is earned through student employment positions paid at an hourly rate.
c) An undergraduate student must be degree-seeking, enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours), a US citizen or permanent resident, and awarded FWS through Financial Aid to be eligible for FWS positions.
d) If an undergraduate student is awarded FWS as part of their financial aid package and plans to use the FWS funding, the FWS award must be accepted through the Financial Aid Office so that the student’s Banner account accurately reflects their FWS status.
e) If a student accepts their FWS award, the student is not guaranteed a FWS position. It is their responsibility to seek employment through Bulldog NetWORK and be hired by the University.
f) FWS students may have only one FWS position working a recommended 10 hours per week and not exceeding 20 hours per week during the academic semester as determined by their financial aid allocation. There are no summer FWS awards. FWS students are not eligible to work overtime or accrue compensatory time or holiday leave. Students may not hold any student employment positions after the date of their commencement.
g) A FWS student employee can hold one or more Non-FWS positions in addition to their FWS position if the combined FWS and Non-FWS position(s) do not exceed a 28 hour work week (inclusive of all paid positions the student holds on-campus).
2. Non-Federal Work Study (Non-FWS)
a) To be eligible for Non-FWS positions, an undergraduate or graduate student must be degree-seeking and enrolled at UNC Asheville for the current semester or, if working during academic year breaks, enrolled for the following semester at UNC Asheville.
b) Non-FWS students can work a maximum of 28 hours per week during the academic year in on-campus
positions (inclusive of all paid positions the student holds on-campus).
c) Work hours during winter and summer breaks should not exceed 40 hours per week (inclusive of all paid positions the student holds on-campus).
d) Non-FWS positions are paid from department funds and/or grants, including campus grants.
e) Non-FWS student employees are not eligible to work overtime or accrue compensatory time or holiday leave.
f) Students may not hold any student employment positions after the date of their commencement.
3. Non-FWS & International Students
a) International students are any student attending the university through a J-1 or F-1 Visa.
b) International students are required to be enrolled full time in order to hold an on-campus position.
c) International students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year (inclusive of all paid positions the student holds on-campus).
d) Work hours during winter and summer breaks can not exceed 40 hours per week (inclusive of all paid positions the student holds on-campus).
e) International students are required to obtain work authorization before they can begin working. Details on how to obtain work authorization can be found on the Career Center’s website.
4. Supervisor
a) A supervisor is a UNC Asheville employee (faculty or staff member) who directs and manages the student’s work.
b) The supervisor is responsible for student employment and separations, which must be communicated to all relevant individuals, such as the department head, fund manager, and the Student Employment team through the Student Employment Agreement (SEA) and/or Student Employment Change Form.
B. FWS and Non-FWS Student Employee Processes &
Responsibilities (hereafter ‘Student Employee’ encompasses all
FWS and Non-FWS positions)
1. Application and Hiring Process for Student Employees
a) Using Bulldog NetWORK, identify on-campus student employment opportunities and submit application(s), including any requested documents such as a resume or cover letter, before the position application
deadline.
(1) Students are encouraged to have any requested documents, such as a resume or cover letter, reviewed by the Career Center prior to submitting their application(s).
b) The hiring supervisor(s) will review applications and invite qualified students to interview for the position and make final hiring decision(s).
c) Once an offered position is accepted by the student, the student will be notified via @unca.edu email to complete their portion of the Student Engagement Agreement (SEA).
(1) A SEA is required for each paid position a student holds on campus.
(2) In signing the SEA, student employees agree to adhere to the Student Employment Policy in its entirety.
(a) Failure to follow procedures or unsatisfactory performance/behaviors may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
d) Complete all required forms with Human Resources.
(1) If this is the student’s first on-campus paid position, all forms listed below must be completed.
(a) I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification with supporting documentation
(i) Original documents validating identification and authority to work in the United States Supporting documentation must be provided in-person to Human Resources
(b)W-4 Federal Tax Form
(c) NC-4 EZ State Tax Form OR NC-4 State Tax Form
(d) Direct Deposit Enrollment and Change Form with voided check or bank form showing routing and checking account numbers
(2) If this is not the student’s first on-campus paid position (e.g. they are returning to a position after a break or were hired for a different on-campus position), they do not need to complete the forms listed above unless notifying the university of a status change (e.g. changing direct deposit bank information or tax filing status).
(a) Once the SEA and all required forms are completed and submitted, the student employee information will be transferred to Payroll and set up in Banner.
e) Once set up in Banner by Payroll, indicative that all outlined steps have been completed, the student is able to begin working.
2. Student Employee Responsibilities
a) Abide by the Student Code of Conduct, all applicable UNC Asheville and UNC policies, and federal and state law, including those related to maintaining confidentiality.
b) Adhere to all policies and procedures detailed in the Student Employment Policy and communicated by the hiring department.
c) Complete all student employee assignments and duties as detailed in the position description and by their supervisor.
d) Complete an On-Campus Student Employment Evaluation for each semester employed and discuss evaluation with supervisor.
e) Complete Student Employee Training as outlined by the Career Center.
C. Supervisor Processes & Responsibilities
1. Process for Hiring Student Employees
a) Identify the need to hire student employee(s) and secure the necessary funding.
b) Using the NACE Career Readiness Competencies and a flexible template provided by the Career Center, write the position description and post to Bulldog NetWORK to ensure fair and equal access to all students.
(1) Including a resume and cover letter as part of the application requirements is strongly recommended as a best practice.
c) Review applications, interview qualified candidates utilizing best practices provided by the Career Center, and make hiring decision(s).
d) Complete the online Student Employment Agreement (SEA).
(1) In signing the SEA, supervisors agree to adhere to the Student Employment Policy in its entirety.
(a) Failure to follow all procedures and responsibilities outlined in this policy may result in no longer being able to supervise students.
(2) Through the SEA, designate a Timesheet Proxy
to approve timesheets in the supervisor’s absence.
(3) The SEA will be routed to the Fund Manager when submitted by the supervisor before routing to the student employee for completion.
e) Ensure the student employee(s) submits all required documents (refer to section III.B.c. and III.B.d.), which must be submitted before the student employee can begin working. Supervisors should not provide guidance on how to complete the forms (e.g. how many exemptions to claim on the W-4).
f) If a student employee will be working with minors, the supervisor must follow the guidelines regarding background checks as outlined in the policies on Background Check (Policy 3127) and Programs and Activities Involving Minors (Policy 5204).
g) Once set up in Banner by Payroll, indicative that all outlined steps have been completed, the student is able to begin working.
2. Supervisor Responsibilities
a) Adhere to all policies and procedures detailed in the Student Employment Policy and communicated by the department head.
b) Complete Supervisor Training as outlined by the Career Center to ensure uniform and consistent compliance with the student employment policies and procedures.
c) Complete an On-Campus Student Employment Evaluation each semester for all student employees they supervise and discuss evaluation with the student employee.
d) Complete the Student Employment Change Form if any of the following occurs:
(1) The funding source for a position changes
(2) The student graduates, is academically suspended, or takes a leave of absence before their contract end date
(3) A student’s position is terminated prior to the
contract end date
e) If the pay rate changes for a position, a new Student Employment Agreement must be completed.
f) If a position becomes vacant, follow the outlined process for hiring student employees.
g) Hiring supervisors have the option of renewing a student employee’s contract for the same position for the next semester or academic year provided that the position still exists and is funded, the student meets all current eligibility and job requirements, and the supervisor submits an updated Student Employment Agreement. However, contract renewal is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the hiring department.
D. Student Employee Accountability
1. Coaching:
The supervisor should inform the student employee of unsatisfactory performance or behavior in a timely manner, discuss and agree to necessary changes, and provide an opportunity to correct the concern(s).
2. Documentation:
Keep a record of all conversations with the student employee in regards to unsatisfactory performance and behavior, including what was specifically agreed upon to correct the unsatisfactory performance or behavior.
3. Termination:
If the student employee’s performance continues to be unsatisfactory after coaching and a reasonable amount of time to improve has passed, the student may be terminated. If this is the decision made, the supervisor is required to complete a Student Employment Change Form.
E. Payroll
1. Compensation
a) Any student who performs services that on the whole constitute an employee-employer relationship and are for the primary benefit of the university must be paid in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) and minimum wage law.
b) Students who perform such services as noted above for the university should not be considered volunteers.
c) Working without employment status or “off the clock” is prohibited.
d) FWS and Non-FWS Student Employees are paid by an hourly rate.
(1) FWS hourly pay rate is determined by the Financial Aid Office based on financial aid allocations and award amounts.
(2) Non-FWS hourly pay rate is determined by the hiring department based on the position duties and responsibilities.
e) Students performing activities that are primarily educational in purpose, such as undergraduate research, may be paid by a stipend, which is subject to Human Resources review to assure compliance with FLSA guidelines.
f) Additional, specific rules may apply to externally grant-funded positions.
2. Timekeeping
a) Student employees are required to track, enter and submit accurate hours worked through the Web Time Entry (WTE) bi-weekly online timesheet on OnePort by the conclusion of each pay period. The student employee must enter exact hours on the day(s) they actually work.
(1) Hours worked should be entered at the conclusion of each shift.
(2) The timesheet can be submitted earlier than the deadline if all hours for that bi-weekly pay period have been completed.
(3) Ensure that the total hours worked comply with the stated requirements of this policy (e.g. how many hours a student can work each week during an academic semester).
b) Supervisors ensure that all hourly student employees have initiated and submitted online student timesheets by the conclusion of each pay period.
c) Supervisors verify and approve online student employee time sheet(s) for completeness and accuracy at the conclusion of each pay period and within the payroll deadline.
(1) It is the responsibility of the supervisor, in sufficient time and providing all needed information (e.g. student’s scheduled hours), to notify their Timesheet Proxy to step in and assume the responsibility to review and approve student timesheets before the approval deadline.
d) If a student employee fails to submit their completed timesheet by the payroll deadline (bi-weekly on Sundays by 11:59 PM) to Web Time Entry, they are required to complete a Late Timesheet within the following bi-weekly work period.
(1) The student employee completes a Late Timesheet form with accurate dates and hours on a computer before printing and signing. The supervisor should review the printed Late Timesheet and sign it to approve the hours worked. The student employee then submits the physical, signed Late Timesheet to Payroll.
(a) Supervisor and student signatures must be in blue or black ink. All other
information (e.g. student information, pay period dates, hours worked) must be completed electronically and printed.
(b)Each time a student employee fails to submit their timesheet on-time and accurately by the conclusion of each pay period they will receive an email that includes how many times they have failed to submit their timesheet in a timely manner from Payroll with their supervisor copied.
(i) After the fourth infraction, inclusive of all active jobs within a semester, the student may be removed from Banner by Payroll and not allowed to hold an on-campus position for the remainder of the semester.
e) Falsifying timesheets is a violation of federal and state law. A student who submits a falsified timesheet will be subject to termination.
(1) Adding worked hours to a timesheet that were not worked on that date and/or during a previous pay period counts as falsifying a timesheet.
F. Benefits
1. Student employment positions do not qualify for the benefits packet associated with regular, permanent positions.
2. Student employees are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Act.
3. Student employees who are enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours during the academic semesters for
undergraduates, 5 credit hours during academic semesters for graduate students, and 3 credit hours during the summer for both undergraduate and graduate students) are exempt from paying FICA and Medicare taxes.