FAQ for Supervisors

Answers to frequently asked questions:

• Supervisor Responsibilities
• Posting a Position & Hiring a Student Employee
• Paying a Student Employee
• Notification of Depletion of Student Awarded Funds
• Student Employee Evaluations
• Disciplinary Action
• Campus Needs Analysis

Supervisor Responsibilities
Supervisors should maintain a firm but caring attitude that will help student
employees learn about the responsibilities of work as well as basic job skills.
This important function should be a part of a supervisor's job description and performance evaluation. Supervisors will be responsible for the following:

• Receive a work authorization card from student verifying eligibility for

  student employment prior to making job offer.

• Provide student employees with complete written job descriptions.
• Provide training and orientation to the job.
• Provide timely notification of all schedule changes which affect student

  employees.
• Provide a clear understanding of job expectations, including dress code

  and appropriate behavior.
• Assume the responsibility of interviewing, hiring, evaluating and, when

  necessary, terminating student employees.
• Provide student employees with constructive feedback at times other

  than the evaluation.
• Perform administrative tasks involved in student employment, including

  assigning of hours, signing time sheets and delivering them on a timely

  basis to Payroll, and monitoring the student employment department

  budget along with the student employee's earnings. Earnings may not

  exceed the student's total award.
• Inform Human Resources of all job openings and of any personnel or

  administrative problems.  E-mail rcpayroll@rockford.edu.
• Report all student employee job-related injuries or illnesses promptly to

  Human Resources.

 

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Hiring a Student Employee
All jobs must be posted through Student Employment for five days in order
to comply with fair hiring practice and to provide equal employment opportunities to all Rockford College students. The department supervisor obtains an Open Position form. The supervisor then submits the form to Student Employment. The Open Position form expresses the preference for Work-Study eligibility. The description of duties will be used in creating the position description, setting the pay rate and will be included in the job posting.

If a department has a need to create a new position, the department supervisor must first obtain approval through a PAN 3.1.  Once the position is approved, it will be posted on the website.

Once a department receives responses to its posting, they can set up interviews and begin hiring students. Supervisors should only interview students who possess an Authorization Card. Because of strict federal guidelines that require the completion of the Federal I9 form, supervisors must never allow a student to begin working without first signing an Authorization Card, completing a PAN 3.2, and then receiving the student's personalized time sheets. Supervisors will not receive personalized time sheets until the student they have hired has completed an I9 form, so they know when their student employee can legally begin working. Even if the department retains the same student from year to year, a PAN 3.2 and Authorization Card will need to be completed on an annual basis.

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Paying a Student Employee
It is very important that Rockford College have a pay rate system that is equitable for all students across campus. For more information on Pay Rates, please see Pay Rate.

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Notification of Depletion of Student Awarded Funds
The student employee supervisor(s) will be notified when students have exhausted 25%, 50%, and 75% of the funds from which their wages are paid. At 75%, it is recommended that the supervisor post the position through Human Resources. Only if there are no other qualified applicants will further financial options be researched. However, students cannot earn more than their Cost of Attendance Budget, as mandated by the federal government and monitored by Student Administrative Services.

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Student Employee Evaluations
Evaluations should be completed with every student employee at least once per school year. Supervisors should keep in mind that evaluations are designed to be a part of the learning process and that everyone has room for improvement. All supervisors should use the Evaluation Form.

Evaluations fulfill several objectives:

• To provide each student with individual, constructive feedback on his/her

  work performance.
• To give the supervisor the opportunity to discuss areas for improved

  performance during the remainder of the year and to solicit additional

  tasks, responsibilities or projects.
• To help students establish a documented work history.

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Disciplinary Action
Perhaps the most intricate and difficult personnel problems involve the handling of non-productive or ineffective employees. This is true whether it is a college career employee or a student employee. The best methods of discipline are those that are basically positive and less punitive.

An important goal of the Student Employment Program is to provide a work
environment that will teach students about the responsibilities and opportunities associated with employment. Some student employees will need helpful understanding and, sometimes, firm direction concerning their performance. Supervisors who do not administer helpful discipline are doing a disservice to the student employee, as well as to the college. Conflicts and problems should first be corrected on an informal level; however, a student employee may be terminated after the proper discipline procedure has been followed. In rare instances, severe misconduct may result in immediate termination.

If students display poor work performance, tardiness, excessive absences or
other unprofessional conduct, they will receive a written warning from their
supervisor. Discuss the report and an appropriate action plan with the student
employee. The form is signed by both the supervisor and the student employee and then forwarded to Student Employment. Three written warnings must be given before termination, unless reasons for automatic termination applies. Reasons for automatic termination of student employment include, but are not limited to violation of confidentiality, dishonesty (including falsifying time sheets) and not showing up for work for three consecutive days. All terminations must be documented through the use of the Notice of Termination form.

A terminated student employee may become ineligible for other on-campus employment for one year. If the student becomes ineligible for work, the balance of the work-study award will be forfeited and not replaced with another type of financial assistance.

A terminated student employee may be appeal to the Student Employment Advisory Committee.

Supervisors and student employees are encouraged to consult with Human Resources about serious performance problems.

Campus Needs Analysis
Student Employment will distribute an annual Personnel Action Notice to each department no later than February 1 to determine campus-wide need for student employment. The form is to be completed no later than March 15, for the next academic year. Requests for student employment received after March 15 could be delayed or denied.

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